Steal Like An Artist: Austin Kleon at TEDxKC

Summary

In this inspiring talk, the speaker discusses the concept of creative theft in art, drawing a parallel to Igor Stravinsky's approach to composing music. They share their personal journey of overcoming writer's block by creating 'newspaper blackout poems' from discarded newspapers, a technique they discovered has a rich history. The speaker emphasizes that all creative work is a remix of past ideas, and encourages the audience to embrace this notion by stealing and transforming ideas into something original, as demonstrated by artists like Picasso and David Bowie.

Takeaways

• 🎭 The story of Igor Stravinsky's approach to composing music by remixing classic manuscripts highlights the theme of creative borrowing and transformation.
• 📰 The speaker's personal connection to newspapers and the ephemeral nature of print media is used to illustrate the desire to preserve meaningful content.
• 🎨 The concept of artists as collectors, not hoarders, is introduced to differentiate between indiscriminate accumulation and selective gathering of inspiration.
• ✒️ The process of creating 'newspaper blackout poems' is described as a method to overcome writer's block by repurposing existing text.
• 🔍 The realization that the speaker's creative approach was not unique but part of a long lineage of artists reimagining text is explored.
• 🌐 The idea that all creative work builds upon previous work is emphasized, challenging the notion of pure originality in art.
• 🌳 The speaker constructs a 'family tree' of artistic influences to draw inspiration from, advocating for a 'creative kleptomania' approach to art.
• 💡 The importance of transformation over mere imitation is stressed, as the true value lies in taking inspiration and making it one's own.
• 🗣️ Encouragement to 'steal like an artist' by taking inspiration from others, transforming it, and contributing it back to the world of art is given.
• 👏 The closing message is a call to action, urging the audience to embrace the creative process of borrowing and transforming ideas.

Q & A

What was Igor Stravinsky's approach to composing his new ballet?

Igor Stravinsky did not start his new ballet from scratch. Instead, he used some of his favorite classic manuscripts, corrected the scores as if they were his own, and borrowed baselines and melodies from famous works while composing his own harmonies and rhythms underneath.

How did critics react to Stravinsky's new ballet?

The critics were outraged by Stravinsky's new ballet, accusing him of disrespecting the classics by altering them.

What was Stravinsky's response to the critics' outrage?

Stravinsky responded to the critics by saying, 'You 'respect', but I love.', implying that his approach was driven by love for the classics rather than a mere respect.

Why did the speaker develop an interest in creating 'newspaper blackout poems'?

The speaker was suffering from writer's block and found inspiration in the words of the newspapers that were thrown away after reading. She started marking words and creating phrases, which led to the creation of 'newspaper blackout poems'.

What is the significance of the term 'creative kleptomaniac' as used by the speaker?

The term 'creative kleptomaniac' signifies the speaker's approach to art and creativity, which involves borrowing and stealing ideas from others that resonate with her, and then transforming them into something new and original.

Who is Tom Phillips and how is he related to the speaker's work?

Tom Phillips is a British artist who has been creating art by drawing and painting on the pages of a Victorian novel for over forty years in a project called 'A Humument'. The speaker's work was compared to Phillips', as both involve leaving words to float in their art pieces.

What is the 'cut-up method' mentioned in the script?

The 'cut-up method' is a technique where a piece of writing is cut into pieces and then reconfigured to create a new piece of writing. This method was discussed by William Burroughs in a Paris Review interview and inspired Tom Phillips' work.

How does the speaker view the concept of originality in creative work?

The speaker believes that nothing is completely original and that all creative work builds on what came before. She sees new ideas as remixes or mash-ups of previous ideas, and encourages the transformation of stolen ideas into something new and personal.

What advice does the speaker give to the audience at the end of the script?

The speaker advises the audience to 'rip off' everyone they meet, by taking ideas that resonate with them, combining them with their own thoughts, and transforming them into something new to share with the world.

What is the historical precedent the speaker found for creating poetry from newspapers?

The speaker traced the practice of creating poetry from newspapers back to the 1760s with Caleb Whitford, who read across the columns of newspapers to create funny combinations, which he later published.