It seems that what we all desire in life is to become more creative. To become more creative as meaning as finding more joy and satisfaction in our creative creations, and also having more motivation and time and energy focusing realize to actually do it.
Some thoughts I have on creativity:
What is creativity?
I think the best definition I have heard on creativity is “the propensity to create“. That means, the more inclined you are to create, and create stuff, the more “creative“ you are.
I do not see creativity as some sort of demigod genius innovation. I think that is a myth.
Also, what makes somebody “innovativeâ€? Their strangeness, their lack of following the status quo, their social eccentricities, and their stubbornness. Therefore, to call somebody a “geniusâ€, means to simply classify them as being more of a hermit, strange, and unclassified by modern standards and “standard standardsâ€. For example, when people often ask me, “What do you do“? I actually am very dumbfounded in terms of how to respond. I don’t think anybody knows what I do, even Cindy, or my mom. Even for myself, I do not have a 100% pre-charted vision of what I want to do or what I will do next. I am more driven by curiosity, enthusiasm, and ideals.
So how do we actually become more “creative�
Simply put, to become more creative means to create more. That is, to create more stuff of anything. To create more photos, to create more videos, to create more blog posts, to create more words and prose, to create more poems, etc.
I think perhaps a more accurate adjective is “prolific“. Prolific means to bear much offspring. There is no talk of “quality“.
Quantity is king
The notion “quality over quantity has its merits, but in the realm of creativity, it has none. In order to create more, and to become more creative and prolific, you must abandon all notions of what is “goodâ€. Also, become less discerning. Edit less.
For example, even nowadays when I write stuff, voice dictate stuff like I’m doing now, I only am really interested in basic checking my spelling, or, making sure I did not accidentally type or say the wrong word. What I am more interested in is word accuracy, not grammar, not spelling, etc.
So how can you actually create more?
The first simple solution is with photography, shoot extra small JPEG, with a preset filter in camera. This is what I do in my RICOH GR IIIX digital camera, shoot extra small JPEG, and use high contrast black-and-white.
Also, voice dictation. I believe that talking is 1000 times more robust than typing things. For example, our lungs and our larynx in our throat is 1000 times stronger than our weak carpal tunnel muscle. For example, I only typed for about an hour on my 2017 MacBook Pro Touch Bar 13 inch laptop, and almost immediately caught shooting horrible right thumb carpal tunnel pain both from typing and using the trackpad. Upon immediately switching to the iPad, iPad Pro, it has disappeared.
I am much healthier happier and more creatively productive on the iPad than any laptop. in fact, I am still dependent on a laptop for basic server related file stuff, I really like using filezilla, but besides that, deleting old files, and freeing up storage space, I have zero desire in procuring another laptop. In fact, I almost prefer the idea of owning two iPads instead. Also no phone, the phone is 1000 times worse than iPad for creativity. If you desire to augment your creativity, instead of buying the newest iPhone Pro, get the newest iPad Pro, no stupid stylus “pencilâ€, andand no stupid keyboard. Just use voice dictation instead, and if you sketch stuff on Procreate or Zen Brush 2, just use your finger. Just like the way kids like it. Also I like the idea of being able to get a cellular connection for your iPad, if it is easily accessible to you.
Full stack creativity
I like this notion of full stack creativity, that is, you do it all yourself, without the need of any foreign agents. For example, the reason why film is no longer interesting to me is that I neither have the time nor desire to process my own film, and scanning my own film is an insane pain in the ass. Shooting with my Ricoh GR 3X digital camera, I have now discovered a black and white aesthetic which I consider superior to film. Even Kodak TriX 400 pushed to 1600. Also the massive benefit of macro mode on the Ricoh GR digital camera, which afford you at least 50 times more photo opportunities all around you.
PROCREATE
Currently speaking, I consider the Procreate app for the iPad as the killer app. To me, there is no other app which is as intuitive, fun to use, and interesting than the Procreate app for iPad. It is really the only app you need, And even if it was the only app for iPad, it would still be worth it. In fact, if Apple was very intelligent, they would just buy out the Procreate team and business, and figure out how they could add all those great features to their Apple devices and iPad natively. I would actually rate Procreate being worth at least $300-500 million. Maybe more.
The photo is not sacred, it is profane.
Ever since Henri Cartier Bresson, there is this strange notion that somehow a photograph should be sacred, be unadultered, not modified, etc. For example, do you remember the huge hubbub when Steve McCurry was caught photoshopping out distracting elements from his photos? Perhaps moving forward, we photographers should not seek any sort of reality or truth in our photos, leave that to the lemmings with iPhone cameras. Our task instead as visual artists is to create images which we consider our artwork, free from any prejudice or ethics.
We do not see the world in black-and-white.
Both literally and metaphorically. This is why I believe black and white to be intuitively more artistic than color. A nuance is when you could adjust colors to make them look more surreal, like cross processed film (Sean Lotman SUNLANDERS book), or even the cross process filter in the RICOH GR DIGITAL CAMERA, or the classicchrome or any of the film simulation presets in the Fujifilm cameras. For example, I really liked the classic chrome And the other color film simulations on the Fujifilm X pro 3.
Therefore, my simple suggestion is try to either use presets or process your photos in such a way that looks as surreal as possible. Don’t make it look like reality. Reality is boring.
Technically, if you want to make something look as real as possible, the ideal is just shoot the scene on an iPhone using video, with all the types of smart HDR enabled. Why? Video is also much more real than photo, because you can get certain nuances like motion, depth, and voice and scenario. Even still photos shot on HDR with an iPhone lack a sense of realness. Photos don’t feel real, videos do.
Make creativity your priority
I don’t think anybody cares to have written on their gravestone, here lies John, he answered all his emails promptly, and died with inbox zero. He was the most efficient human known to man, a master of the GTD, get things done method.
If you think about all the great human beings who are remembered, they were all inaccessible, unresponsive, “unreliable“, disconnected, and had no real order in their lives. Consider Albert Einstein, and all of the unsolved documents he had on his office table. Also note Leonardo da Vinci, who on his deathbed, was still sketching out ideas and thoughts. Even Picasso, probably one of the most prolific artist who have ever existed, died not finding some sort of ultimate answer or solution in art.
Kanye West is the best artist has ever come yet far
Currently, in terms of art and creativity, I believe Kanye West to be the goat, the greatest of all time, thus far. Why? Consider, his personal life tragedies, as well as the way he has been able to percolate into all forms of art. Fashion, Sneakers, clothing, aesthetics, music, music videos (Runaway), cinema (4D video), business, his YEEZY line, his music production and rapping, and changing the hip-hop aesthetic, a guy wearing skinny jeans, a pink polo shirt, and a Louis Vuitton backpack.
I think if we seek to become more creative, we must study Kanye West. Also know that the most creative people are also the most hated and the most controversial.
Therefore, if you want to become more creative, effectively you need to become more of an asshole. To not respond, to be inaccessible, and allow yourself more creative isolation. For example, the most creative I have been in my life was when I was in Vietnam for about a year and a half, totally inaccessible, in my creative zen zone.
If you desire to become more creative, care less about money and fame
I think the most despicable idea is giving your kid money in order to motivate them to make more art, or spend more time drying on a huge piece of paper with crayons.
One of the most despicable things I have seen was seeing somebody try to catch the attention of Seneca by offering him money, essentially a $10 bill (10,000 Korean won, the green one). Using money as a way to motivate people or catch their attention, or gain their favor is to me, purely disgusting.
First of all, Seneca at one year seven months old has no concept of money. At which point do kids become corrupted by money? Probably by their parents, and society, and the random crap they watch on YouTube, YouTube kids, the media, etc. This is why I avoid YouTube like the plague, especially with Seneca.
I still remember vividly, when I was in high school, I really liked the idea of being paid $100 an hour, and after working for a single hour, not to work for the rest of the week.
Self defense
Nietzsche made a funny observation, that with ethics, and the state, one is legally allowed to kill a man in self-defense, but one does not have the law to rightfully kill another man, in self-offense.
Self-defense is an innate thing, critical to humans, the state, and society. For example, even the US military calls themselves the “department of defense,†not the office of offense, which is more accurate.
What robs us of of our creative power? Simple: waking up in the morning, checking our email and social media feeds on our phones, which are charging right next to our bed. I really do think that the worst thing you can do for your creativity is check anything, any news, any email, any text messages, any anything first thing in the morning. First get enough sleep, then, defend at least the first two hours of your day.
What if you cannot do this? Then I say sneak in some time during lunchtime, or when your kids are asleep.
Another huge pragmatic tip I have is this; seek to sleep early. Strive to sleep at around 730, or 8 PM. Then realistically, you probably will not fall asleep until 10 PM, or 10:30 PM. But then at least, you might be able to naturally wake up at around 6 AM or 6:30am, not being sleep deprived.
In order to do this, cut coffee consumption after 9 AM. I think coffee is best served between 6 AM and 9 AM. The rest of the day just drink lots of green tea or water.
Also in the evening, no media or stimulation of any kind.
Don’t wake up early
Anyone who tries to force themselves to wake up at 4 AM, or 4:30 AM, via unnatural methods or alarm clocks is a fool. I don’t think anyone should ever wake up at 4 AM, or 4:30 AM, unless perhaps they sleep at 6 PM or 6:30 PM every day.
Waking up early is not a virtue. In fact, the only virtue is being able to sleep early. It takes more intelligence scale and willpower to sleep at 8:30 PM than it is to wake up at 3:30 AM.
So where should I share my creative stuff?
The first solution is to just share it on your own blog. If you don’t have your own blog, or don’t desire to make one, I suggest uploading it to arsbeta.com instead. No Facebook, no Instagram, etc.
If I told you that you could become the number one most followed person on Facebook and Instagram, and make $10 million a year in sponsorships, but be perpetually depressed, anxious, sleep deprived, and hate your photography and artwork as a result would you take the trade? I think not.
Don’t be a fool. Be wise. Nowadays, to use Facebook or Instagram is like the new smoking. We shame people for using cigarettes, why not shame people for using Facebook and Instagram as well?
ERIC
More creative tools
Become a more creative photographer
- SEE MINIMALIST IN DOWNTOWN LA (NOV 5, 2022)
Things that have been making me feel more creative
- Studying etymology, using wiktionary.org to study the root of certain words and concepts. For example, currently being here in South Korea, my curiosity about a lot of Korean words, and figuring out the origin of the word.
- And being in the mountains. I think there’s something about the mountain air, the mountain elevation, and the mountain top water which is actually a huge benefit to our creativity. Also, spending a lot of time in the direct sun, maybe absorbing more UV radiation from the sun is actually beneficial to becoming more creative.
More creative thoughts to come on blog.
Share the creativity!
If this inspired you feel free to forward to a friend!
ERIC
Life is short, art is long. – Seneca