Newsletter archive · 28 Apr 2024

Steal like Picasso

Hi Reader,

Picasso was a prolific and creative dude.

He was also a thief!

How to Conquer Your Fear of Creativity

It’s common to consider the work of successful creatives and wonder, How did they do that? But every creative starts somewhere. And they often have far more failures under their belt than public successes. Like with an iceberg, you only see the top 5%.

15 Best Books for Artists to Fuel Creativity

Artists are real-life magicians who breathe life into simple canvasses. So, it’s unsurprising that they want to be more - more creative, more innovative, and more insightful - all to create pieces that stir something in their viewers. To do so makes their art worthwhile. And remember, all writers are artists.

Story of the Day

I spent a hot July afternoon wandering around a Pablo Picasso exhibition in Barcelona.

Perhaps you’re familiar with some of Picasso’s more famous artworks.

Like Guernica, his 1937 masterpiece about the Spanish Civil War.

Or his blocky geometric modern artwork Two Girls Reading.

But, even the most knowledgeable art historian will find listing all of Picasso’s works hard.

He holds a Guinness World record for the most paintings.

He created over 13,500 paintings and designs.

AND over 100,000 prints and engravings.

A prolific dude Picasso.

I couldn’t get my head around those figures until I found out this fact:

The man created into his nineties.

That’s a 70-plus-year career!

Picasso is so famous today because he created so much artwork, some great, some terrible, and some forgotten.

He’s a huge catalog.

He didn’t worry much about novel ideas or plagiarism, either.

Picasso famously said,

“Good artists copy, great artists steal.”

Almost no one can create at Picasso’s level.

But writers can still take inspiration from Picasso.

Forget about finding one original idea. Chances are you won’t find it. Instead, follow your interests. Combine and remix ideas from multiple sources.

Avoid spending years perfecting a single masterpiece. You don’t need more talent, time, or resources. Do the work, release it into the world, and move on to the next project.

Experiment. Explore different genres, forms, and conventions. Not everything will work. Not everything has to.

These are all ideas I write about inside the Power of Creativity.

You can buy the series directly from me.

What Is Collaborative Writing? Everything You Need to Know

Many moving parts happen during collaborative writing projects, and multiple writers are typically employed to complete different tasks. For example, one person might be responsible for the first draft, while another might be responsible for the editing process. One writer might have the authority to go in and change something that another writer has written. This writing process can be helpful in certain situations.

Here’s What’s Wrong With The Myth of the Starving Artist

Say goodbye to the days of the starving artist. Thanks to the creator economy, it’s easier than ever to earn a good living online.

18 Types of Genres for Books to Choose for Your Next Publication

As you consider writing your book, the first step in the process is choosing a book genre. Not only will the type of book genre impact your overall writing, but it will also direct you on the publication path, helping you find the right publication and marketing platform to draw people to read it.

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I use Grammarly's AI writing assistant and grammar checker daily–it's powerful and fast.

Write on,

—Bryan Collins

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