Study: Narcissists more creative

In my teaching, I reference the ego often. Artists have to turn it on when they create and turn it off when they are selling. When you are selling, the focus has to be on the customer and the customer's needs not the creators — whether that customer is a curator, a jury, a gallerist or a consumer. Consequently this article interested  me:

A new British study finds people with narcissistic tendencies are more likely than others to think of themselves as creative, and to engage in creative activities. If your opinion of yourself is unusually high, there's a good chance you long to share your brilliance with the rest of the world.

Link to an article about the study.

The Holy Trinity of Commercial Creativity

"What they forget to tell you in writer school: once you've written the thing, you've got to sell it. You'd think the writing would be the hard part. Not necessarily, at least, not if you're as resolutely non-commercial as I seem to be."

The text above is from the most recent post of a friend who is trying to "sell" her manuscript to a publisher.  I feel for her. She reminds me of so great a percentage of my students when she speaks this way.

I learned to be entrepreneurial because:

1. I had to make enough money to live.
2. I was stubborn and refused to do anything but create.

I was raised near affluence. My family was not poor; nor was it wealthy but we lived in a comfortable neighbourhood and I grew up used to many first-world comforts and I wanted to have those comforts with me all through my life. I wanted disposable income so everything I made had to not only sell, but sell at healthy prices. Consequently, my process became the reverse of so many creators I know: I started with the market then created the work. When my first book went to the printer I had sales revenue that vastly exceed my costs.

The common assumption about what I say in the above paragraph can be that I am a "whore," pandering to public taste and creating to market values. To that I say: It is not what you do, but how you do it. The skill and integrity I bring to work I create for an eager market are no different than that which I bring to the speculative work that I create.

For me, there is a creative "Holy Trinity;" Thinking, making, selling.

Art schools and zillions of artists and teachers cover the issues involved with making art. This blog and scads of artists and publications talk about the selling of art, but there is little attention paid to "thinking."

I walk a lot and I don't listen to music when I do. I think. I got rid of my car that was once the only place I was free of distraction and could think and reflect on my work. Now, because I do all my errands on foot, I have more time to think and reflect. Too many of us work on instinct, gut, impulse. Not me; everything I do is strategic; everything is planned. I cannot afford to waste time. And because everything must sell, part of my planning/thinking involves knowing where and how and to whom I am going to sell it.

Just Say "No!"

From a fabulous essay by Kevin Ashton of L.A.:

A Hungarian psychology professor once wrote to famous creators asking them to be interviewed for a book he was writing. One of the most interesting things about his project was how many people said “no.” 

The professor contacted 275 creative people. A third of them said “no.” Their reason was lack of time. A third said nothing. We can assume their reason for not even saying “no” was also lack of time and possibly lack of a secretary. 

Time is the raw material of creation... Saying “no” has more creative power than ideas, insights and talent combined. No guards time, the thread from which we weave our creations. The math of time is simple: you have less than you think and need more than you know. We are not taught to say “no.” We are taught not to say “no.” “No” is rude. “No” is a rebuff, a rebuttal, a minor act of verbal violence. “No” is for drugs and strangers with candy.

 Read the entire post here.

Making (New Years) Resolutions Work

February is notorious for “resolution failure,” just ask any gym, weight-loss program, or smoking cessation program staff.  That makes this the perfect time to consider how to make your resolutions successful.

If you are a regular reader of this column, you may recall that I recently wrote that I assign the making of a pledge in my professional practice course at Emily Carr University. A pledge is a resolution, and I am revisiting that topic for several reasons:

• Many of my students develop, as their final assignment, a proposal for an exhibition that includes their own work plus the work of at least two other artists. In December, two former students who pledged to make their proposal become a reality wrote to say they had succeeded.
• When I last wrote about pledges/resolutions, I feel that I did not place enough emphasis on “disclosure.” 
•  I want to invite you to see the outcome of a disclosed pledge I made last year.

So many artists want to be exhibited and they work hard to that end developing inventory, but their artist statements and their approach to obtaining the exhibition experience they desire is often misguided.  Artists who have no or very limited (or dates) exhibition history can impress exhibition gatekeepers by doing two critical things:

• An artist with limited or no experience should only rarely (read: never) propose a solo exhibition. Proposing your work as part of a group show dramatically increases your chances of success.
•  Develop an impressive and compelling thesis (artist statement) for your show and use all resources possible to vet it and make it irresistible.

The most important part of my students’ assignment to propose a group exhibition that includes their own work, is their collective artist statement. An exhibition shines when good work is contextualized by an artist statement that makes you itch to see the work or reveals insights that profoundly impress you.

I mention all this because a resolution to have a show is incomplete and bound to fail. There is no investment in a self-promise to have a show. If, however, you follow my suggestion above, you will immediately involve other artists to exhibit and other people to develop and test the perfect artist statement and all these compatriots will keep you focused and moving forward. Your resolution will not fail in February or ever thereafter.

There is a lot of competition for available opportunities in the art world currently, so if you are inclined to make a career-related resolution, be sure to take time to craft one that is truly achievable. Test it with peers to ensure that it is as compelling to others as it is to you and the other participants. 

And it is this involvement with others that leads to my second point: disclosure. Telling your friends and colleagues, writing on your wall on Facebook or Tweeting your (carefully developed) goals is a vital part of a successful resolution or pledge. Your friends provide support, direction, encouragement and reward.

Resolutions or pledges that are not shared are secrets and easy to abandon. But disclosed resolutions are far more successful. And whereas it takes a lot of time and hard work to find the right artists with whom to exhibit and together develop a compelling artist statement, it is easy to disclose. All you have to do is make a few calls, write a post or call a few friends.

So if you made resolutions last month that you really want to happen, I suggest that you revisit them and express them in a seductive or provocative way that lures us into your inquiry or exploration and then declare your ambition to friends and or professional peers—whomever will provide the most encouragement.