Steal Like An Artist

Austin Kleon is a neverending spout of advice. Whether it is his inner monologue speaking out loud, or just sharing his tips to jolt your creative spirit, chances are you practice some of his mantras. One of his lessons is to write the books you want to read. And his series on the creative process is what I needed in my life when I first picked up his book, Steal Like an Artist, nearly five years ago.

Kleon is a great follow on Twitter and his Friday night pizza nights with his family are something I envy at the week’s end. HE has sourced quotes from history, other creatives, musicians, actors, and everyone in between that are spread throughout his books.

The notion of stealing your work obviously doesn’t sound like the proper thing to do, but I take the underlying point of it as to learn from everything. Art is something to be admired, and most famous artists influence each other in one way or another. The Beatles and The Beach Boys did this all the time with their albums. I also like to think of it as propagating a plant - taking a little cutting from the stem, watering it for a period of time, and letting it blossom on its own. While the original piece still exists, you have used that kernel as a piece to inspire you. Collecting inspirations is one of the things that brought me to start this section of my website - along with Kleon’s advice of keeping a blog over just using social networks.

I highly suggest his trio of books for any creative. It will help give you a jumpstart when you are feeling burnt out and help you to Keep Going.

I Guess This Is Growing Up

Blink 182 has been my favorite band since I started to really appreciate music. I believe it was around 6th grade for me. Total Request Live was the pinnacle of the midday TV ratings and all your favorite artists were chatting with Carson Daly in New York City. Blink was no exception to this fame. It is how I first fell in love with them. I had heard a little bit of their music from a girl at school who was into them, but this is what set them apart for me.

I was never into rap that much, and pop music was too main stream, I had to be different. Mark, Tom, and Travis were the answer to that. Their antics of the late ‘90s and growth into a more serious act in 2003 was something I could identify with as I was a maturing punk/emo kid.

Fast forward 20 years, and I still stop the radio if I hear All The Small Things. People always made fun of my taste in music, but I didn’t care. These guys were trendsetters in their industry, like it or not. My friends and I still jam to them when we are together. We share the memes of how they are better than The Beatles. We talk about our favorite songs. And for me, there is no better written song than Dammit.

You are a Badass

My wife (Borat voice) got me a book a while back when I was going through some tumultuous times in my creative life. The problem is that I hate reading. Like really hate it. I hate it almost as much as I hated the feelings of uncertainty I was experiencing. Am I good at what I do? How long can I continue to make money on what I do? Am I creative? Is this all just a giant illusion inside a simulation? The answer is yes to the last one, but I digress.

The Book that was gifted to me is called You are a Badass by Jen Sincero. Jen breaks down her own life and stories of how she got to where she is, her self-doubts and how to overcome them, the Source Energy at the center of the earth, and how to attract what you want in your life and actually achieve what you are setting out to accomplish. This book felt like it was written for me. So many anecdotes that I could apply to my own life. It wasn’t one of those books by a billionaire who started off with a giant loan from their parents, but someone who decided to say screw it, I’m going to India next week, and have the time of their life. It was written off of real-life experiences, and that is what I needed to hear.

If you are doubting your skills, or experience self-doubt like I do, this book is also written directly for you!

Padma Lakshmi and Top Chef

When the pandemic hit and my wife was laid off (while pregnant), she hit the couch to rewatch some of her favorite series, as well as binge the entire Marvel universe, only to be rivaled by the Fast and the Furious franchise. One show that she began a stretch of was Top Chef. Bravo’s cooking competition-themed show has been around for close to two decades now, but I had never taken the time to engage with it. As I was working from home, I would pass through the living room and sometimes found myself sitting on the arm of the couch for 20 minutes at a time as this beautiful Indian-American woman named Padma would describe food.

Chances are you know who know Padma Lakshmi is so I am not going to give you a rundown on her life. But what I found fascinating about her was the poise she carried and her relationships with the contestants of the show. Most competition shows create a hierarchy of the hosting team where their short-lived success dies out in a few seasons. But I truly believe that Padma’s care and compassion for the people in the competition are what sets her and the show apart. With a history of the show dating back to the times of 4:3 on your TV set, they're in a league of their own for cooking competitions.

I find Padma to be truly inspirational as a host and leading the show (the only person who tastes everything!) since I was in high school. Her humanitarian efforts do not go unnoticed either!

(C) Vanity Fair

Film Making is a Sport

All good films start with a story. When it comes to making videos for me, I just want to tell a story people can enjoy without boring you so much that you turn it off. Casey Neistat says it best in this video that you don’t need a fancy camera, the one in your pocket works just fine. You don’t need years of education and debt, you just have to want it bad enough. You don’t need to know what the story is to start, you just need to get going.

This video is a reminder that making a video is a lot like a sport and you just have to play the game. Now get out there and play!

Conan O'Brien's Farewell to NBC

This video is a two fold piece of inspiration for me. I have always loved Conan as early as I can remember seeing his late night show. As the short lived host of The Tonight Show, he could have been bitter in the demise, but instead saw it as an opportunity to thank those around him who made his career possible. Along the way he blasts cynicism and speaks about how hard work and kindness can open many doors for you. You can hear how genuine he is as he begins to get choked up in the monologue.

The second fold of inspiration is the typography style animation that encapsulates Conan’s words so damn well. The camera zooming through all his words that are showcased in different fonts and all come together in the end is such a unique way to bring it all together.

Whenever I am not feeling creative - this video comes to mind and i realize that the creativity is all around me,

Dave Grohl and The Foo Fighters

Someone who just seems like a genuine person that is a pleasure to be around - Dave Grohl. You know him as the lead in the Foo Fighters, but the guy has so many layers. Making rock songs with your friends in a garage is something he has talked about for years - and there is nothing more organic than that. Pure talent that is derived from years of practice and dedication.

In this video, he talks about the birth of ‘Everlong’ which is in my top ten favorite songs of all time. After his story of how it came to be, he does one of the best renditions of the song.