My 10 Rules for Making Art

Every artist should write down their own rules for making art. Writing rules down (just like writing anything down) gives weight, purpose, meaning and a sense we know what were doing (even if we don't, which may be most of the time). Because with art, it can sometimes be said that there are no rules, but unconsciously we adhere to certain ones because boundaries and limits actually give us freedom.

Here are 10 rules I've come up with (that are all notes to self):

1. Write. When you write you gain clarity. The best art comes from a clear mind.


2. Make every day.


3. Make from truth.


4. Overthinking kills creativity: Just start making something.


5. Give ideas a chance even if its a ten minute sketch. Those ideas will often lead you to new ideas you wouldn't have dreamed of.


6. Share only what you feel compelled to share, even if its a thought of a piece you made.


7. Empathize with your audience, but don't let them dictate what you make. That includes (most importantly) the people in your head. See #3


8. Don't get discouraged by people not liking, commenting on, engaging with or even hating your work. Keep making and you will get better. Keep putting your work in more places and the right audience will find you.


9. When you feel stifled by your medium, engage with other mediums. Make a bad song. Act out a monologue. Dance. Plate your dinner. Use kids art supplies. Make something from nature. Pretend you are in a film...(the possibilities are endless)


10. When in doubt, write.

 

 

Making Instead of Abandoning the Idea

I've had a lot of ideas, notions, dreams, what-if's, etc... that I've abandoned over the years. I've written down ideas thinking "This could be an awesome painting" and just looking at the words is exciting. Then sometimes I will come back to that same idea and try to attempt it. "What was I thinking? This is silly! Should I make this? Maybe I'll work on this better idea". And the idea will fade away into the ether.

Overthinking is the thief of ideas...and joy.

There is a difference between being selective about ideas with one's limited time to work, and abandoning ideas before they have a chance to become something.

I am currently on day 61 of my third 100 day project. If you glance at my Instagram you might think I'm just like "Yeah dude, I'm doing this. This is so effortless for me!" But the reality is that every single day I doubt myself and my abilities and want to stop sharing, yet every single day I push past those thoughts because the fear of failure is worse than actually failing. Failing does not feel good, and I fail every day.

Ideas often fall short. The work that I make often does not resonate with people who are either indifferent or uninterested. So why keep going? Because every artist, musician, writer, athlete, human being whom I deeply respect has had those often soul crushing experiences. The key is that they didn't give up. The only way to close the gap between what I make and what I wish to make, is by making a large volume of work.

I find that working on a consecutive project where I am producing work every day pushes me to work out ideas that I might normally have cast aside for fear of "wasting time". The process is never a waste of time right? Every wise human knows this. Yet often that fact can only really be known in retrospect.

Each idea is a catalyst for another. Writing down words creates room for more words. Making drawings makes room for other drawings. Making songs makes room for new songs.

 

How can one know what the good ideas are? It's only by making so many (often bad) pieces of work that the good (and great) ones start to surface.