THE ART OF DFFRNCE

Arguably even more of a rush than starting brand new journey, very few things beat the moment when it all clicks – when we finally get our heads around the fundamentals of a new skill. What may have once seemed like a seamless box is slowly opening its hatch, inch-by-inch giving you a peek into its inner-workings. The full revelation can often take a while, however.. so whether it be impatience, enthusiasm or a fear of an overwhelming unknown, a lot of us are quick to claim mastery over new skills long before we've given ourselves enough chance to explore their depths. Mastery is both modular and fluid; we'll become fluent in some parts of a craft long before other areas but the story, but the chapters are all the same. Time, patience and consistency are the constants that are sure to keep us moving toward the creatives we'd like to be; for the final episode of this season, XV takes a look at the four stages of competence, reminiscing on how each stage plays out in a creatives journey towards mastering a new skill.

Critique and creativity are inseparable; the moment someone chooses to make their work public, people start to form their own judgements and filter it through their own experience. This may seem like an unfair, possibly 'unearned' privilege – especially if you've done all the work – but good, insightful and constructive criticism is often the most valuable asset at our disposal when honing our craft. Developing our ability to sift out ill-informed and ill-intentioned opinions is one of the quickest ways to map out a reliable path, undoubtedly taking a creative much further and faster in the long run. In this Episode, XV talks about some types of critique he keeps an eye out for (and tries to avoid at all costs!) Highlist Entry: "The Politician" on Netflix

Some people are reluctant to step into the role of a creative; though they have ideas, they feel safer separating passion from public persona. Whether this is rooted in a fear of failure, a fear of ridicule, a fear of discomfort or a fear of appearing to take oneself too seriously, such people miss out on all the growth which comes from truly living your craft and walking with both feet on the path. It's not easy, but nothing worth doing ever is! Having the conviction to own your decisions out loud is one of the keys towards becoming the version of yourself you want to be. Slightly expanding on AOD 004, XV speaks on a few of the benefits of consolidating all sides of your identity.

Double digits! In this episode we'll take an abstract look at the idea of an ethical approach to artistic output. Most people can agree: the most powerful way to convey a message is through art – advertising is art, so are books, TV shows, fashion statements and propaganda (AOD 007). Not everyone gets a chance to be heard – to express themselves and have people pay attention – so if and when we have a voice or a platform, do we have a responsibility to "say" anything on behalf of others? To uphold some kind of "moral code"? Why? Why not? In this episode, XV takes a (brief) look at the relationship between morality and creativity, referencing some known philosophical sources along the way. Highlist entries: "IT: Chapter 2", "Joker".

Whilst obsessing over where we'd like to be, it's easy to forget how far we've come. We torture ourselves with the tales of seemingly-perfect, frictionless ascents of our contemporaries and slowly begin to question whether we're even worthy of the dreams we've often been working toward our whole lives. It's important to cut ourselves some slack sometimes and celebrate how far we've come from zero; we've often achieved a lot more than we give ourselves credit for! XV reminisces over the lessons he's learned and the experience he's gained from 9 project cycles.

Whether we like it or not: at some point or the other, everyone needs a break. Experiencing burnout in some form – whether it be a lull in motivation or a shortage of ideas – is an inevitable (yet potentially valuable) part of every creative's journey; it's an opportunity to assess our limits, tweak our habits and hopefully foster a much healthier work ethic in the long run. XV reminisces on some of the core causes and cures he's identified over they years, as well as some less obvious ones.

All ideas exist in two worlds: ones inner reality, where they're free to thrive in perfect abstraction, and an outer, shared reality – the 'real world'. We've all had that one incredible concept in our heads, that one we couldn't wait to execute, even if we didn't quite know how just yet. The thing is: it's often a complicated task ushering our ideas from the first world to the next – and it's nearly impossible to bring it over all in one piece. XV speaks on a few of the ways we communicate our ideas, the compromises we have to make in execution, as well as the 5 languages we all "speak" and "listen" in.

Game of Thrones has been, without a doubt, one of the most successful shows in history – the show enjoyed a lengthy tenure as the biggest attention-grabber on TV, right up until its finale. Public attitudes toward the show seemed to sour towards the end, however, as swathes of viewers voiced their disappointment in the writing of the final series, particularly the ending to a journey they had followed for 8 years. XV uses Game of Thrones as a launchpad into a discussion around "creative custody": is it the creator or the audience who 'owns' a piece of work? As an idea matures does custody change over time? Should it? Will be revisiting the idea of "creative custody" in more depth in the future! Highlist Entry: Micayl - Versailles

The contributions which legends like John Coltrane, Pablo Picasso, Stanley Kubrick and so many more made to modern art in their lifetimes were monumental. Their work irrevocably shaped and set the landscape of creativity in its own image – their influence runs so deep it's impossible to ignore. For some creatives, however, reverence may quickly turn into fear – some may feel a constant pressure to emulate "the greats" as closely as they can, disregarding their own ideas in the process. XV speaks on the complex relationship he has with the legacies left by the creative giants of yesteryear in a short written piece: "The Light".

Social media means something different to creatives in 2019. We all find out eventually: in order to survive we *need* attention.. A lot of us feel frustrated when it seems like no one is supporting their work; we may go through a stage (or several) of bitterness and negativity – occasionally taking it out on those closest to us. XV speaks on how he's slowly changing his perception of 'support' over time and how it's helping him stay creatively focused – will definitely be revisiting this topic!

Advertising is a hell of a drug. Whether you're a photographer, a gourmet chef or anything in between, 'Gear Acquisition Syndrome' ( or G.A.S.) affects every type of creative at one point or the other. Usually that money can be spent in much better ways, sometimes not at all – working to kick the habit of buying your way out of every creative problem we encounter is essential to a healthy creative journey. In this episode, XV breaks down the 7 questions he's learnt to ask himself before buying any new piece of gear.

One of the worst things you can say to a creative person is that their ideas are unoriginal or derivative in some way – everyone wants to feel their work has its own unique place in the world. A lot of us are familiar with the pressure of competition and sometimes find ourselves trying a little too hard to 'fit in' with what's around us – In this Episode, XV takes time to define originality, also addressing some of the ways he stays in a headspace that results in work he feels is satisfyingly original!

Episode 1! The one thing creative people love more than anything in the world is watching their ideas come to life. Nothing feels better than seeing everything work out just as we've intended, so most of us have decided to settle for nothing less. Sometimes we'll convince ourselves it's easier to leave those plans in our heads – or in our hard drives – lest the real thing fall short of our imagination. In this episode, XV tackles 4 obstacles he's come across which have stood in the way of execution at different stages in a creative process.

Welcome to The Art of Dffrnce – a podcast about ideas, artistry and the creative process. Coming soon!