The 80/20 rule

Much of the focus in painting workshops and training is on methodology and technique. That’s important, but it’s really secondary in the process of making art.

Don’t get me wrong. It is essential to master the skills necessary to convey an idea compellingly. Though it takes a lifetime to perfect one’s technique, that’s only the cladding for the conceptual structure.  The real skill set is in developing the mindset, the intellectual, philosophical and conceptual ideology of a creator.  That’s the real meat of the creative process.

In advertising, we had a saying, “The idea is king”. The greatest creative minds are great thinkers first and great technicians second. Ironically, how we think about what we are doing can be changed instantly, but how we bring the ideas to life takes years to perfect.

Exhibit A: museums. Museums are the bastion of visible ideas wrapped around the structure of a craft. They present some facet of the human condition from a unique point of view. The emphasis in museums is, more often than not, on the creator's unique vision, though certainly there are collections devoted to craft, but the one constant is an authentic line of thought.

It’s not really a chicken/egg proposition. Most great creators start with the training required to master a skillset. Once they’re comfortable enough with the mechanics, they begin to apply them to a line of thought. That doesn’t mean a point of view is secondary. It is the very thing that separates one master from the next, a simple idea well executed. All good furniture makers are master craftsmen, but the greats are brilliant thinkers. The documentarian, Ken Burns said, “Style is the authentic application of technique.” Every significant thinker shifts away from the prevailing concepts of style or technique to insert themselves into their work. 

Exhibit B: Some of the more notable artists of the last 100 years have been idea people who delegate the facilitation of their ideas to others. Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Richard Serra, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen are prime examples. They are hands-on through conceptual development, but, as idea people, they function more as directors of construction during the execution of the final piece.

Creative directors, art directors, movie directors, architects, and playwrights have the same responsibility. They oversee the production of an idea.

The greater portion of this 80/20 rule lies in the realization that we are autonomous creators. We don’t actually have to follow any movement or style. We can, but we don’t have to. There are no shoulds and shouldn’ts in art.

Let’s face it, history honors the outliers. If, as Abraham Maslow suggests, the pinnacle need of the human condition is the perfection of one’s best self, then following the self overrides following a group. Rules are for traffic intersections and debates; they are not a constant in creative expression.

And here’s another revelation: Giving yourself permission to try or do anything in the search for a different way can lead you to more authentic ideas than you ever thought possible.

The artist Sol Lewitt wrote in a letter to his budding artist friend, Eva Hesse, “Try to do some BAD work – the worst you can think of and see what happens, but mainly relax and let everything go to hell – you are not responsible for the world – you are only responsible for your work – so DO IT. And don’t think that your work has to conform to any preconceived form, idea or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be…”

Permission to explore exists within a larger frame; there were no Jackson Pollocks in the 15th century. All great artists stand on the shoulders of their predecessors. But these two realizations- I am autonomous (unique), and I am free to move about the cabin (overcoming fear) can come instantly and redirect the creative path toward personal and artistic freedom.

Learning the fine art of the craft or the mechanics of creative expression is vital and takes a lifetime to perfect. Ultimately, though, it is a lesser portion of the creative process.

The greatest part of the game is how we think.