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“I want to be an artist.”
If that thought has crossed your mind, and regular trips to the craft store (and one dedicated “artist closet” full of water colors, construction paper, a hot glue gun, rubber stamps, and promising blank canvases) haven’t gotten you there, you might consider buying one more thing: Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon.
The book offers practical advice for moving from purchaser-of-art-supplies to creator-of-things; a way to shake the paralysis and simply get started. My favorite suggestion (included under tip #4, “Use Your Hands”) is “Step Away From The Screen.” (Not forever, just some of the time.)
Kleon writes: “While I love my computer, I think computers have robbed us of the feeling that we’re actually making things.” He recommends two workstations: one analog and one digital. Cut, pin, paste at one. Google, publish, execute at the other.
Page through the book here. Happy crafting creating!
(Are you an artist? Where do you think creativity comes from?)
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