Learning from the Greats
Hey friends
Hope y’all are doing well and had a fun St. Patricks Day. I had too much fun and am still feeling a little hungover, but oh well
The above is the green beer that did me dirty. Shot that photo on this old FujiFilm Finepix I have been using to channel the inner child/early digital camera era.
5 Lessons Designers can Learn from Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin is one the most elusive and highly regarded creatives in the world and although he has produced some of the most successful records on planet earth, he’s stated barely knowing how to even play an instrument.
I Dove into this book with an open mind and was pleasantly surprised by how much of Rubins's wisdom could be applied to all forms of art (Including graphic design).
I recently uploaded a video on YouTube titled “20 Lessons Designers can Learn from Rick Rubin”. It was one of my favorite videos yet, so I wanted to reiterate 5 of what I felt were the most major points
1. Be unconditionally curious - Curiosity is something everyone is born with and I think the most talented creatives keep that childlike wonder and use it like the superpower it is.
Once we stop asking questions and learning that’s when our design voice, skills, and overall aesthetic can begin to plateau. I think it’s important to never feel like you are above new knowledge and keep an open mind when starting any new project.
2. Know The Rules and Break Them - some of the most beautiful design work can come from someone who’s mastered the craft and can see past the rules or the beginner who never learned the Rigid structure.
I noticed myself as a designer who went to university, It did help me learn the fundamentals like color theory, typography, layout, etc. however it didn’t come without its downsides.
Some of this caused me to be too rigid with some of these “rules” and it took me a while to get unstuck from those constraints and start to develop my own workflow/style.
3. Restrictions breed creativity - Give yourself parameters to work in. I know we spoke about breaking the rules but it’s nice to set some rules for yourself. This is why I like working on series so much because it takes away some of the decision fatigue and the openness of “you can do anything”.
Having a framework to work within allows you to get super creative and experimental within the lines.
4. Don’t Wait for Inspiration - You have to show up every day and do the work, having this discipline actually gives you the most freedom. You want to set yourself up to be ready for when that “lightning” strikes because in my experience it can be fleeting.
If you aren’t showing up for yourself and the craft as much as possible, it is going to be very hard for you to create your best work.
5. Have an Abundance Mindset - We should not look at other creatives as our competition but as colleagues and inspiration. When another designer gets a cool opportunity or is working on something great that isn’t taking away from you.
There is an infinite amount of amazing art to be made, good designs to be created, and opportunities to be had. Make sure to avoid the Scarcity Mindset.
We should work together to inspire and build each other up.
Good design breeds more good design.
Stuff to Check Out!
Tweet of the week below
The Velvet Underground basically did every subgenre of indie music decades early and did it better than virtually all of their successors. Serious contender for the best band of all timealways fascinated by the fact that this song was released in 1969 and not 2014 https://t.co/eEaYr0JSRhbira @johnwaterscunt
Closing Thoughts
Thanks for subscribing to the newsletter, we are at almost 1500 readers now:)
with all the stuff to look at out there, I am very grateful and stoked y’all are here with me on my little corner of the internet.
Much Love, Glue.
Weekly Wrap Up
20 Valuable Lessons for Designers from Rick Rubin
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