“There Is Nothing New Just Stolen”

“What is originality? Undetected plagiarism.” William Ralph Inge

     Artists pride themselves on their artistic voice.  We would like to feel our work stands out in the crowd.  Hearing that my art is identifiably a “Vanderhoof” is the highest compliment I can receive.

     Austin Kleon, author of “Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative”, believes that “nothing is original; nothing comes from nowhere”… He states our surroundings and other creators have influenced our artistic endeavors. 

     Kleon believes that the secret to being creative is to learn how to steal ideas creatively from others.  He doesn’t want us to steal the style, but steal the thinking behind the style.  He advises artists to take from the best and “remix it”.  You don’t want to imitate or “rip off”, but you want to transform the ideas you have discovered and create a new version. 

     Deciding to take Austin’s idea further, I spent the last month investigating my favorite artists and their mentors. It was quite a discovery that I plan on sharing in my next post.

    Why not study your artists you love and study them deeply? From where have you stolen your best ideas?

*Please contact me by email @jvander51@msn.com or phone (408)460-7237 for any inquires, on original art or commissions requests.  Thank you!