The stupidest creative act is still a creative act.
-Clay Shirky, Cognitive Surplus.
The other night, I fell into one of those moods where I was unmotivated and unacknowledged and generally unhappy. I was out at a bar with some of my friends, and after one drink, I decided to step out for a cigarette and ultimately walk home without saying goodbye to anybody. I felt unfulfilled with the personal work that I was producing (rather, wanting to produce), and the fact that I’ve been unable to afford the time or the space to make anything – coupled with the notion that none of my friends really care about the creative work that I do – just bummed me out.
I’m a visual person, you know? I felt, “what’s the point of producing something visual if no one sees it or cares about it?”
I went to work early the next day, still feeling listless and apathetic, but on my morning ride across the Manhattan Bridge, I remembered my artist friend Monica leant me Austin Kleon’s latest book, Show Your Work. It’s been sitting in my backpack for weeks already, unread and untouched. I pulled it out and began reading.
Now I’ve always been a fan of Kleon’s work, and I subscribe to his creative philosophy of constantly borrowing, sharing, and producing ideas. His last book, Steal Like An Artist, was a source of great inspiration but felt like an incredibly short read. Still, I admire Kleon’s design sensibilities, and the way that he works and thinks is something that all designers (and let’s just lump in all creative people) need to do: just borrow ideas from both your peers and heroes, and make make make. Consequently, you’re bound to produce something brilliant and respected.
He’s a motivator.
As I read Show Your Work, it reaffirmed everything that I do: if I keep on putting the effort into something I love, I might get the appreciation I’m looking for. And even if I go through my entire life without a sense of acknowledgement from my friends, peers, or the creative environment as a whole, I can still take comfort that I’m doing what I love. Now I’m not through the entire book yet, but Show Your Work gives the type of retrospection someone in the creative field needs; you examine who you are as a designer, an artist, or a writer, and by exhibiting/sharing everything from the idea to the process to the final product, you’re bound to get either the respect or self-respect you deserve. You just need to find confidence in your voice.