Book notes on Steal like an artist (part 10/12)

 Chapter 10: Creativity is subtraction

• We live in the age of an information flood. Too much useless information
• Choose what to leave out and concentrate on what’s most important
• Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities
• Get over art block by placing constraints on yourself
• See list of improvisatory art challenges. I’m looking for new ways to limit what I have to work with. Only use one type of brush, limit it to 3 colors, etc. 
• I am especially fascinated by older video games and computer technology because of all the hardware limitations. It forced the developers to be more creative with their solutions, which produced interesting results.
• Don’t make excuses! Make things with what you have now. 
• You don’t need the fanciest tools to make something good. The mark of a good artist is making the best of what’s available, even if it’s crayons in your grandma’s basement.
• Don’t save it for a special occasion that may never come
• This ties back into an earlier note: if you wait until you’re ready, you’ll never start.
• You must allow yourself to fail
• What the artist chooses to leave out is what makes the art interesting
• Lately, this is what my art has been all about. I am very interested in how I can apply this philosophy to my work. See document on Super Mario 64.