It's in the act of making things that we figure out who we are.
Austin KleonRead
If we're free from the burden of trying to be completely original, we can stop trying to make something out of nothing, and we can embrace influence instead of running from it.
Interpretation
Embracing influence allows for greater creativity without the pressure of being original.
This quote by Austin Kleon emphasizes the idea that creativity does not always require complete originality and that one can draw inspiration from existing ideas. By recognizing and accepting the influences around us, we can free ourselves from the pressure of creating something entirely new and instead combine various influences to innovate and express ourselves more authentically.
In practice
Using this quote when discussing creative collaboration in a workshop.
It's in the act of making things that we figure out who we are.
Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use – do the work you want to see done.
The best way to get started on the path of sharing your work is to think about what you want to learn, and make a commitment to learning it in front of others.
The only way to find your voice is to use it. It’s hardwired, built into you. Talk about the things you love. Your voice will follow.
Usually, when we talk about creativity, it's about self-expression, which is great, but for work to be art or design, there has to be someone on the other end. The audience makes the work come alive.
Don't think of your website as a self-promotion machine, think of it as a self-invention machine.
I've known several cases of writers who decide to write about something and they research the hell out of it and when they're ready to write, they can't move because they are so burdened. I start writing. Whatever I need somehow comes to hand.
It's how creativity works. Especially in humans. For every good idea, ten thousand idiotic ones must first be posed, sifted, tried out, and discarded. A mind that's afraid to toy with the ridiculous will never come up with the brilliantly original.
Reading, conversation, environment, culture, heroes, mentors, nature – all are lottery tickets for creativity. Scratch away at them and you’ll find out how big a prize you’ve won.
The idea flow from the human spirit is absolutely unlimited. All you have to do is tap into that well. I don't like to use the word efficiency. It's creativity. It's a belief that every person counts.
I just went and got an agent because I thought I can create my own world - you can't right your own life, but you can escape to a world where you can have control.
Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value
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