Create Your Own Family Tree for Creative Inspiration
As Austin Cleon, author of Steal Like an Artist , writes on his blog, for artists or anyone looking for inspiration in general, you can’t always rely on your family, friends, or upbringing to give you the tools you need. Instead, you “must create your own artistic genealogy.”
The best way to do this is to dive into the inspiration of the people you inspire or admire. “There are many ways to discover and build your own bloodline,” writes Cleon. “The simplest is what Alan Jacobs calls swimming against the tide. You choose an artist or writer you love and find out who influenced them. “
This idea is the cornerstone of Cleon’s aforementioned book , in which he writes:
Talk to one thinker – writer, artist, activist, role model – you truly love. Learn everything there is to know about this thinker. Then find three people the thinker loved and find out all about them. Repeat this as many times as you can. Climb the tree as far as possible. Once you’ve built your tree, it’s time to start your own branch.
Becoming a member of a creative pedigree will help you feel less lonely when you start creating your own stuff.
It’s easy to do this with the people who inspire you today: chances are there are a couple of podcast episodes, Ted Talk, blog or Twitter thread where they discuss their work or creative practices. And there has never been more information available through a quick Google search (or a deeper black hole on the Internet) than there is now. We also have an article on how journalists investigate when Google doesn’t give you what you want.
However, the best way to think about the process of finding your creative mentors is summarized in the next chapter of Cleon’s book. “Don’t worry about research. Just keep looking.
Climbing Your Own Family Tree | Austin Cleon