The Creative Gap

Here are my cliff notes on a talk that was given by Nick Campbell of  Greyscale Gorilla. The talk was titled “The Creative Gap: Becoming Better Than Most.”  I enjoyed watching it, and thought he had some good observations and advice from his experience as a animator and designer that could apply to us dancers

• When you are learning something creative – there is no “right” way to do it. You are learning something that doesn’t have answers.
• Tools are easy. They aren’t the hard stuff. The hard stuff is being creative.
• You are into what you are into because you have good taste.
• Make cool stuff every day. (example of website where designers who post a doodle/logo/anything that they made that was cool that day). By doing this everyday, you learn a lot! Not every thing has to be amazing, and it won’t be But, you will see improvement over time. Maybe what you do takes longer, and so it is once a week, but still go for it.
• Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. When you are uncomfortable, it means you are growing and learning something new.
• Deadlines Rule! The deadline owns creative work, because the creative work has no “right” answer.
• When you look at the work you really like, don’t ask how, ask WHY they did it! (Why did they make the decisions that they did)(how is much easier to learn than asking why)
• Try out lots of things as a solution to a problem – even if they aren’t perfect, it doesn’t matter. The process of trying lots of different options yourself is better and can help you find creative solutions that haven’t been tried!
• Straight up copy shit sometimes. Don’t put it in your portfolio, but it is, and can be helpful!
• How is just the tools, why is the heart.
• Embrace Constraints. When I can do anything, I can’t to anything. Create your own restraints.