Getting Creativer

I was checking out one of my favorite blogs, The Creative Generalist, and came across a posting titled "Avoid Best Practices." The main point there was basically that the so-called best practices are, by definition, not original... and originality matters.

That posting was actually quoting from another article from a webzine called Strategy Magazine... and in addition to recommending that people avoid best practices, that article also quoted Picasso's comment "Never borrow. Steal."

Are those two concepts contradictory? No - I think they're the same basic concept. In both cases, they advocate authentic self expression. They are talking about owning stuff (whether it's your own originality or something you stole from someone). And here I am, "stealing" from two blogs and a dead artist, to make my own point about creativity.

I think it was TS Elliot who said "Talent imitates. Genius steals." I hope you won't be content with mere imitation...