I recently read Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon and it was one of the best books I've ever read on creativity. One point he makes in the book is that nothing is original. We can't help but be influenced by one another, building off each other's ideas and work. Austin Kleon included this quote by Jim Jarmusch in his book:
Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to."
I love the thought of collecting ideas and weaving them into your work, whatever your work may be (art, writing, music, or something else entirely). Another quote I loved from Steal Like an Artist is this one by Wilson Mizner: "If you steal from one author, it's plagarism; if you steal from many, it's research."
In a world that pushes originality and new ideas, I found both of these quotes (and the rest of Andrew's book) very refreshing. It's okay to draw inspiration from existing work. The people that you're admiring did that exact same thing when they were learning, whether they choose to admit it or not.
I think I've rambled on long enough, but if this interested you at all like it interested me, check out Austin Kleon's book Steal Like an Artist. Most books and articles I read on creativity are just regurgitations of the same ideas. This book, though, was very, very interesting to me. I also really enjoyed Fran Meneses' YouTube video on this subject. Anyway, without further ado, here are just a handful of the amazing, talented artists that inspire me.
Sarah Gibb
website // shop
Sarah Gibb has illustrated several children's books (which I have read and adored, even though I'm eighteen). Her drawings are so detailed and beautiful. Here are just a few examples.
Very Sarie
website // instagram // etsy // spoonflower
Very Sarie's art is so pretty! I loved her #100daysofplantsandpots challenge on Instagram. (You can see it here.) She is super talented. I also love her abstract art. I don't usually think of myself as the abstract art kind of person, but I really like her style of it.
website // etsy // instagram
Zoe's colorful art is such an inspiration to me! Her style is so refined and recognizable.
Elise Gravel
website // instagram
I originally found Elise Gravel on Pinterest and immediately loved her style. I mean, aren't those owls so cute?!
Viktorija (And Smile Studio)
website // instagram // etsy
Viktorija's art also has a style that I can recognize immediately. Everything about her art is so fun, from the colorful flowers featured in almost all of her work to the crazy outfits worn by the people she paints.
Emma Block
website // etsy // instagram
Emma's work is so charming and happy. Her Instagram account is one of my favorites to follow. I look forward to watching her Instagram story every day. It's so fun to see the latest project she's working on and all the behind-the-scenes of her work.
So there you go! Six artists that I "steal" from. Everyone is different, so these artists may not inspire you like they do me, but I hope this post at least got you thinking about who does inspire you. I hope you all had a fun Halloween. Happy November!
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