Towards the end of my studies at the London College of Fashion, I decided that I no longer wanted to be a Fashion Designer. For my final year thesis, I arrogantly decided to ignore my field of studies and with a few friends and a camera created a short, very artsy fartsy film. The film got me an award, a first class honours degree and into Fabrica. A place that was conceived on the premise that all creative fields are one. A revolutionary idea at the time and a place where youngsters were imported to create anything freely, regardless of its place in the world.
Upon my exit from that bubble, I decided to work in Advertising with the title Graphic Designer. The antithesis of what I had previously experienced. A minefield of dos and don'ts, must and must nots. A place where creative ideas come to die. Also, the place where I learnt one of the most important lessons that I still to date live by. That the job of the creative person is to communicate, in a simple and effective manner. And that only within the confines of rules and regulations and real-world contention can new ideas be born. In some fundamental respects I believe that the process of Art and Design are completely different, but in some ways I think their intentions have some very basic commonalities. Here are a couple of them: 1. Art and Design cannot be selfish acts. They are both inclusive and serve to sell you something. One sells a product and the other an idea. Both have in common their function. To speak to an audience. They must both speak a language that is understandable and void of arrogance. And I don't mean your Facebook, first person, we're all best friends, but also pop in and buy something, kind of language. What I mean, is that the idea behind your work however complex must be translated into a language that does not make your audience feel inferior. And the reasoning behind that is not to dull down complex ideas, but that I believe that both Art and Design serve to influence change in the world. And that the only way you can do that is to be able to reach the lowest common denominator. The person that isn't ready for change. And usually, his vocabulary is very basic. 2. Technology is not a creative idea. These days anyone with a Mac and an internet connection can call themselves an Artist or Designer. But designing a hipster logo, a Graphic Designer does not make, nor does having the latest Photoshop brush, an Artist make. Both Art and Design must exist within the confines of trend or rather let me say within a chronological time frame, but they must both be able to stand the test of time. We live in a world where change happens in light speed and it is easy to become a copy artist by using new technology. What will withstand the test of time is the message and not the technique, the emotion and not the cool visual effect. The work created in this manner with still be around long after hipster logos and cool visual effects go out of fashion. Content must always be put first. A much respected colleague of mine had once said to me that if your grandmother can understand it, then you've done a good job. I continue to live by that and am hoping I might influence you to adopt the same belief too.
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It has been a few years now that I have thought of writing a blog. It just never felt like the right time. Recently it seems like there is some sort of universal synergy that has cleared me of my creative block or maybe I have just come to terms with who I am. I am an Artist. Probably in the most traditional sense. In a sense that says, I cannot be, without it. It has been a turbulent ride, to say the least, but also one I wouldn't change for the world. This ride is my life.
Many lessons have been learnt along these twenty or so years of a creative joyride, and I have decided to share them with you on this platform. I want to talk about all things that make up the life of a creative creature. I am hoping to motivate and inspire you to take that leap or continue that journey into this godawful and yet awe-inspiring world that has no rules and no restrictions, no floorboards and no ceilings. And to open a dialogue about what it really means to be human. So, for the very first entry of my blog, I wish to offer three pieces of advice for those of you wanting to take part in this game called creativity: 1. Start over Again and again and again and again. Learn a new skill every chance you can get. Learn it and then let it go and then learn another one. There will come a time when all those skills will merge and you will be in the realm of what is called original thought. And not because you thought of it first, but because your version of that idea that has been done a million times before will be made up of a jumble of skills and experiences that you have acquired over your lifetime that will combine into something that is original and new. Your creative DNA. 2. Work your ass off It's not an easy game this one. It is not for the faint-hearted. It takes real grit and real stamina to be part of it. Make sure your creative mind is as trained as possible. Work through all the clichés your imagination can carry, put them all out there to be seen, be humbled by them, and just like passing through the sound barrier, you will eventually get to the other side. To a place where nothing matters, not time, not food, not bills, not duties. A place where time is warped and each euphoric hour will feel like a millisecond. 3. Fuck 'em all. Don't care about what others think of you. Listen to everyone though. Take heed of those silent hints that reveal the truth in their tone and keep only the words that will keep you moving forward. Stop checking everyone's Instagram feed to see what the new thing is, it will paralyze you and gnaw at your creative impulses. It is like going to the bakery when you are on diet. You will end up eating all the cupcakes and be left riddled with self-loathing and a desire to kill yourself. Learn to trust your gut and be brave enough to be led by it. For those of you that are already in the game, kudos to you. For sticking through it. And for those of you that are still thinking about it. Don't waste time. It's a hell of a ride. |