Finding the right words
I always find my own words to write these blogs, but sometimes I come across the words of someone who says what I want to say much better than I could.
I'm a big Wilco and Jeff Tweedy fan. If you aren't familiar with his Alt-Rock/Americana music, here's a good introduction, California Stars. Recently I watched interviews of him talking about his songwriting process. I was shocked at how relatable it is to design. And with how well he phrased it. Here are three separate quotes I feel any designer would find insightful about brainstorming, "stealing" and failing.
"Basically, you have to learn how to have a party and not invite any part of your psyche that feels a need to judge what you make as a reflection of you. Or more accurately, the part of you that cannot tolerate any outward expression that might be flawed."
"Perhaps 'stealing' isn't an accurate description of what I'm suggesting. However, I chose 'stealing' because that's the word that feels the most honest and liberating and enticing. The point is, I don't think you should be afraid to use the direct influence of someone else's work, even though we've been taught that it's wrong to take something without permission."
"I used to assume that the people who were great at writing songs were just more talented than everybody else, and that they always had a clear understanding of what they were trying to accomplish and the intent behind it. As I've gotten older I've concluded that this is rarely the case. The people who seem the most like geniuses are not geniuses. They're just more comfortable with failing. They try more and they try harder than other people, and so they stumble onto more songs."
Discovering a better way to express yourself through art is not the same as developing a better design process. But both are a matter of intention. Creative lessons are all around us if you learn to see them.
