Saved by réka and
Following the White-Hot Fire Inside of You
I just put ideas into visual form as quickly as possible. My teachers loved it because they had a new body of work to talk about every week—as opposed to the kid next to me who spent the semester pondering whether or not to glue a penny to a canvas...
Kieran • Following the White-Hot Fire Inside of You
We lie to the viewer to get them to step out of the real world, which is governed by all the natural laws we know, and step into an artificial one. That’s why all art is political. Whether you see Hamilton on Broadway or a watercolor of kittens in a basket, you are submitting to the entire political belief system of the artist. The creative act has... See more
Kieran • Following the White-Hot Fire Inside of You
The best way to find your voice is to make a lot of work and then destroy it.
Kieran • Following the White-Hot Fire Inside of You
Here in this festering hellhole, Rutenberg steps over greasy mounds of discarded paint and heaps of paper, garbage, and assorted shit to reach his desk, where he deals with daily to-dos by taping his notes onto a rickety old revolving lampshade. When he gets down to the actual work of painting, he snaps his paintbrushes in half—they’re ‘an... See more
Kieran • Following the White-Hot Fire Inside of You
what a weird guy. to make art, to maintain wonder, to keep creativity flowing, we must tap into the gut and flow with what we feel. if something sparks the feeling you crave, do it - even if it isn’t logical or typical. creativity is magic. to perform magic, you have to submit to the weird impulses and act according to what feels necessary. Most of magic is in the mind. Our minds hold so much power over our lives.
With military precision, the painter Brian Rutenberg wakes up every single workday at exactly 7:10am. Then, the ritual begins: a series of daily tasks, guided by muscle memory and the power of his immutable routine. He arises and makes his bed, then twenty minutes at the gym, followed by oatmeal and coffee at the same diner, every day.
Kieran • Following the White-Hot Fire Inside of You
something about this is so inspiring to me. it makes me want to carve out my own morning routine.
Purpose is way more powerful than inspiration.
I always think of ‘inspiration’ as an amateur word. Inspiration is being propelled to do something, or to think something, or to go somewhere, by some sort of external stimulus. And that to me is undependable.
But purpose—purpose is a white-hot fire inside of you, a self-delusion that keeps you coming... See more
I always think of ‘inspiration’ as an amateur word. Inspiration is being propelled to do something, or to think something, or to go somewhere, by some sort of external stimulus. And that to me is undependable.
But purpose—purpose is a white-hot fire inside of you, a self-delusion that keeps you coming... See more
Kieran • Following the White-Hot Fire Inside of You
I think there’s great value in misunderstanding when you read. I like the idea of thinking that the author meant one thing—and being totally wrong about it. Ultimately, what you get out of a book doesn’t come from what you comprehend, but from what you don’t comprehend, at least not yet.
Kieran • Following the White-Hot Fire Inside of You
How I overcame a fear of making mistakes.
I spent a period of time where my goal was to plow through work in the cheapest and most disposable way possible. My choice was cardboard—sheets of corrugated cardboard from the streets of Manhattan.
I’d haul it up to my studio in big bundles every day, and put it all over the walls, the floor—even on the... See more
I spent a period of time where my goal was to plow through work in the cheapest and most disposable way possible. My choice was cardboard—sheets of corrugated cardboard from the streets of Manhattan.
I’d haul it up to my studio in big bundles every day, and put it all over the walls, the floor—even on the... See more
Kieran • Following the White-Hot Fire Inside of You
When I get blocked in my work, I just quit.
I used to think that the best thing to do when experiencing a painting block was to put my head down and try to push straight through.
Now I try to think of the word ‘block’ from a different angle. A colon gets blocked; an artist has dry spells. A dry spell is a good sign: it means you’re working. The only... See more
I used to think that the best thing to do when experiencing a painting block was to put my head down and try to push straight through.
Now I try to think of the word ‘block’ from a different angle. A colon gets blocked; an artist has dry spells. A dry spell is a good sign: it means you’re working. The only... See more