One of the most amazing things I’ve discovered about creativity is that you get more by giving it away. This can be literally giving something away—like a free sample that hooks people on your work—or it can be the sharing of ideas and projects that you might otherwise keep secret.
I’ve seen too many people holding back on sharing because they think they’re protecting future profits, but they’re actually just cutting themselves off from opportunities in the present. The reality is that when you put your creations out into the world, you make connections and have experiences that lead to new opportunities, often taking you in surprising directions and leading to greater successes. So why not try it out yourself?
When Richmond artist Tiffany Glass Ferreira was trying to feel more inspired about her work, she decided to give it away to strangers. After posting a piece on a community bulletin board (with her email address on the back), she got an immediate and positive response. This inspired her to start the Real Small Art League (www.realsmallart.blogspot.com), which encourages other artists to gain the benefits of “random acts of artistic kindness and creative awareness” by putting work in public places to be found by others.
Taking a cue from Ferreira, here’s an exercise that is all about gaining from giving away.
HOW TO DO IT
1. Make 10 or so small items with whatever materials you have on hand. These can be all different or variations on a theme. Don’t spend a lot of time on these; this is not about perfection. They’re meant to inspire, not create further pressure. Even small drawings on sticky notes will work.*
2. Include an email address or website directly on the piece or a tag attached to it so people can contact you when they find your piece. If you’re worried about giving out personal information, it’s easy to set up a free email account on Gmail, Yahoo, etc., especially for this project. Websites take more time to set up if you don’t have one already, but if you have decided this is something you want to keep doing, it might be worth setting up a free blog (using Blogger, WordPress,Tumblr, etc.) specifically for it.
3. Head out with your items and leave them in places where they won’t be immediately considered litter or vandalism. You can go to your usual haunts so that you can return to see how long it takes for them to be found or go on a special trip to new places specifically to distribute your items. Ferreira suggests using places that are already considered “point of information exchanges,” such as coffee shop bulletin boards,for the best response.
4. Document the places you’ve left things with photos and share them with others.
*One caveat: Ferreira has found that the response was much bigger if things seemed like something one might buy, rather than just a piece of paper. Her preferred medium of choice is a tiny stretched canvas painting.
ALTERNATIVE
Do this when you travel to other cities or countries. It can make sharing travel photos much more exciting. Excerpted & adapted from Noah Scalin’s book Unstuck: 52 Ways to Get (and Keep) Your Creativity Flowing, at Home, at Work, and In Your Studio from Voyageur Press “The reality is that when you put your creations out into world, you make connections and have experiences that lead to new opportunities…” When Richmond artist Tiffany Glass Ferreira was looking to feel more inspired about her work, she decided to give it away to strangers.
Photo by Pink Photography