Art is Rebellious
How Breaking the Rules Creates Inspired Art
Art is not meant to follow the rules.
It is rebellious, living by its own set of rules. It is not meant to fit within a box or a paradigm or a label. It is not meant to be defined.
Inspired art is the purest expression of self. When we try to fit within certain rules or guidelines, such as a social media algorithm, for instance, we limit our self-expression and/or conform it to fit the desires of other people. When we cannot express ourselves, our inner-artist becomes stifled and suffocated. As a result, our art begins to feel very bland, boring, and uninspiring, both to create and to consume.
Many of the most revolutionary pieces of art are only considered so because of the artist’s willingness to break the rules. For example, Picasso is one of the most notorious rule breakers in the field of art. He is also one of the most famous artists of all time.
My advice to you is simple:
Stop treating your art like a coloring book.
Many parents give their children coloring books and scold them if they color outside of the lines. As we grow up, we tend to treat our art the same way, afraid we will be reprimanded for coloring outside of the lines. The irony is, unlike the children with their coloring books, we are often rewarded for doing so.
When we allow our art to break the rules, inspired things happen.
We discover new styles, new techniques, new perspectives, and new ideologies around our art. All things that we would never experience if we kept our art within the cookie-cutter bounds of rules.
The next time you feel worried about the rules or what other people will say about your artwork, I want you to break the rules on purpose. Start small if you have to. Then unleash your inner angsty teenage rebel.
Don’t create as you’re told. Create as you feel.
We get so caught up in rules that we are afraid to trust what feels right because of what someone might say. If it sounds good, it is good. If it looks good, it is good. And so on. It’s as simple as that.
The more you nurture your inner-artist and break free from the rules and bounds set by other people, the more you will learn to feel out your creativity. The more you do that, the more you will create what inspires you. Guaranteed.
Now, go create something great today, you little rebel you.