Ze Frank - Thoughts on the Creative Career

Ze Frank is some kinda genius, and you know I have linked up several of his videos on this blog in the past (um, even just this past Monday folks!). This video blog is about pursuing a creative career, and touches on some amazing points Ze says he wishes someone had said to him when he was starting out.

I love every little thing about this, but here were some particularly poignant parts I think students of the dance will appreciate and relate to, and hopefully Ze passes on to you (all of us!) that wisdom he so wished he had when he was at the start of his creative journey:

"(it helps) to realize that when I am in the beginning of learning something (and the beginning can last a couple years, by the way, not just a couple weeks or months), in that time you don't really have to worry about finding your own voice. In fact, that kind of gets in the way. You can copy people--sometimes that comes naturally when you just read someone, for example, you just start using their voice. Try reading Voorhees, for example, and not writing like him for the next two days.

"Everything Your Mother Should Have Told You About Being An Artist"

From http://www.artadvice.com/advice/article30.php

"No matter how original you think your work is, it has been done before.

Originality does not define quality, quality defines quality. Regardless of whether or not your work is original, what makes art exceptional is the context in which it was made from an art historical point of view. Study art history, know your influences, and understand that originality and/or technique is only one of many considerations in the determination of what makes art great."

YES! I really loved this quote from the article, as it says so much about what I feel about our dance world. So many dancers are struggling and pushing to be "uber-original"--everyone seems to want to lay claim to being "first" at whatever new trend might hit the scene. But this grasping does not create authentic, organic work, and it does not guarantee any quality of the end product.

I always say I would rather see three of the "same old" moves executed amazingly well than 15 "new things" done sloppily. Hey, I love to see new work--it can inspire! But more invigorating to me is seeing a performer with real chops doing something from a deep source of understanding and love of the material than someone who is trying to throw 15 tricks into 15 seconds.

While this article addresses painters/sculpters/etc, it is an interesting read for anyone who has the dream of being An Artist. Read on...