How Embracing Your Limitations Can Expand Creativity
“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint,
and that voice will be silenced.” — Vincent van Gogh
In art school, Phil Hansen developed an unruly tremor in his drawing hand. The ailment kept him from creating the intricate drawings he was most passionate about. As an artist, this left him devastated, and purposeless. Then one day a neurologist made a simple suggestion: 'why not embrace the limitation'?
And what happened next was amazing. Hansen decided he would "embrace the shake" and he discovered he didn't need to stop making art, he just needed to find an alternative approach to his creativity. By embracing his limitation he left behind a single avenue to art, but opened up a series of fascinating new laneways to creativity. It completely changed his artistic horizon.
"Limitations are one of the best ways to get ourselves out of ruts", says Hansen. "They help us rethink categories and challenge accepted norms". Whether you're in an artistic slump or just in the mood for some good old creative inspiration, watch the talk below. You'll be glad you did.
Content Worth Sharing: Using A.I. To Combat Racism
Hat's off to this new campaign by Licra, France's International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism.
Created via Publicis Conseil, the campaign entitled "Post Racism" compares the online discrimination of today, with dangerously organized racist propaganda of the past. It works by using artificial intelligence to first detect racist posts, and then pairs those hurtful messages with racist propaganda posters from the past. According to its creators, "this allows us to demonstrate the real gravity of these messages."
It's a remarkable idea, a valiant use of modern technology and a cause worth fighting for. We hope you watch (and share) the video below.