Eye of the Storm

Share this post
What Was Cool Weekly (Feb.13-19)
johnstorm.substack.com

What Was Cool Weekly (Feb.13-19)

The Elephant, Uno and Rules

John Storm
Feb 19, 2022
1
Share this post
What Was Cool Weekly (Feb.13-19)
johnstorm.substack.com

Hello there - I hope your week is going well. It is mid-February and here are a few things I thought were cool this week.

1. Elephant in the Room

My father-in-law was recently walking his normal route in his neighborhood and came across someone’s garbage at the curb. Amongst the typical trash was a discarded canvas (4x4 ft.) in great shape with a large elephant on it (image above.) He texted and asked if I would be interested and now the elephant is currently hanging in my studio-office waiting to turn in to something.

The moral of the story is; always be on the lookout for ways to turn something old and unused into something new and creative.

2. Uno!

One of our favorite games to play as a family is the classic card game “Uno.” As a Valentine’s Day gift, my awesome wife gave me a special edition “artist series” Keith Haring Uno set. It is super cool! The cards are covered in Keith Haring’s iconic colorful dancing characters. Haring’s art has been a big inspiration to me.

There are several other artists that take part in the Uno artist series like Shepherd Fairy and Basquiat - which looks pretty cool.

Some of the Keith Haring “Uno” cards

3. Rules to Live By…

Recently while listening to the Creative Pep Talk podcast - “10 Rules of a Thriving Creative Practice” (episode 349) - it got me curious about various artists that have certain creative rules or guidelines.

In the episode, podcast host Andy J. Pizza lists out his top 10 rules for creativity. Many of these “rules” have been recurring themes throughout Creative Pep Talk episodes and might need some context to explain them which I’ll provide in parenthesis.

Here’s his list:

  1. Booby traps mean the treasure is still there (obstacles are a good sign)

  2. Live “right side out” (be authentic to who you know you are on the inside)

  3. Get high on your own supply (make the work you want to see, write the book you want to read)

  4. You’re lost without a target

  5. You art what you eat (you become what you consume)

  6. Pedal (peddle?) faster than you are ready for…

  7. Aim with one bean bag (cornhole reference regarding accuracy in goals)

  8. Embrace the seasons

  9. True over new

  10. Write on stage

You can listen to the episode here if you’d like:

Artist, art educator and nun Sister Corita Kent had a list of her own creative rules:

I also enjoyed looking at German design genius Dieter Ram’s 10 Principles for Design:

  1. Good design is innovative

  2. Good design makes a product useful

  3. Good design is aesthetic

  4. Good design makes a product understandable (it speaks)

  5. Good design is unobtrusive

  6. Good design is honest

  7. Good design is long lasting

  8. Good design is thorough down to the last detail

  9. Good design is environmentally friends

  10. Good design is as little design as possible  “Less, but better”

Over the years as an art educator myself I have started to compile of list of my own rules of creativity. I call them “Creative Keys” because more than a “rule” (which most people don’t like that word, especially teenagers) I think these “keys” can unlock someone’s creativity or open a door to discovery.

There is no particular order of importance and the list is growing, changing and in a state of flux. Here are my Creative Keys (so far…)

  1. Accept impefctions Imperfections

  2. Play is the Only Way to Work

  3. Shoot the Arrow - Then Draw the Target

  4. Start while you’re bad and before you’re ready

  5. Embrace Boredom

  6. The Magic is in the Details

  7. Follow your Curiosity

  8. Embrace Limitations

  9. Stay Stupid (keep learning)

  10. Face Fear (Resistance) Head On

  11. Don’t Stop Growing, Learning, Exploring

  12. Combine Two Random Ideas Together

  13. Experiment with Experimenting

  14. Try Something Different / Something New

  15. Find the Fun

  16. All Effort Has Error

  17. Keep Digging

  18. Play Dumb

  19. Keep a Messy Sketchbook and Use It Daily

*I realize some are redundant, some are borrowed and some I need to try myself.

What guidelines or “rules” are on your list? Whether for creativity or just life in general what principles guide you?

Thanks for following along and have a great week.

Share this post
What Was Cool Weekly (Feb.13-19)
johnstorm.substack.com
Comments
TopNew

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 John Storm
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing