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A review by l_nolastname
Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman, Chip Kidd
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I am giving this graduation speech, Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman, five stars instead of four due to the second bit of advice he offers the graduates. While I view most of the advice he gave as common sense, especially to those who have grown up/work in the arts, the second bit of advice is brilliant! And regardless if you know exactly the career you'd like to have and how to go about it, I still think it's prudent to at least intern, if not not outright work, in a position that would satisfy said advice. In the arts there really is no such thing as being overly prepared! And this speech, while addressed to artist, is a proactive counsel to those who wish to live liberated from the laborious shackles of modern day capitalism.
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1. “The rules on what is possible and impossible in the arts were made by people who have not tested the bounds of the possible by going beyond them. And you can.”
“If you don’t know it’s impossible it’s easier to do. And because nobody’s done it before they haven’t made up rules to stop anyone doing that again, yet.”
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2. If you know what you want to be doing, just do that. And if you’re unsure how to do it, then find a job within the field that will allow you to ask questions while improving your technique and honing your craft.
Say yes to that which will bring you a step closer to your ultimate goal. Before accepting a job ask yourself, will this bring me closer or farther away from my ultimate goal. Keep in mind that certain experiences at the beginning of your journey may have brought you closer, however, at this moment they may actually cause you to step back. And remember that this same experience in the future could come full circle and become a step forward.
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3. Never do work solely for the money; rarely is the work rewarding, and more often than not the money doesn’t pay.
Learn to say no to that which will not repay your time, effort, and energy back in kind.
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4. Learn to see the purpose a mistake serves. Is this mistake one you should learn from, or is it also one that you can repurpose and use to your advantage?
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5. Work for you. And in doing so you will find yourself.
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6. You get hired because: your work is good, you’re easy to work with, you deliver on time. Rarely will it be because of all three. “People will tolerate how unpleasant you are if your work is good and you deliver it on time. They’ll forgive the lateness of the work if it’s good, and if they like you. And you don’t have to be as good as the others if you’re on time and it’s always a pleasure to hear from you.”
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Other important takeaways:
Do not pretend to do it, that fake it till you make it, instead pretend to be someone who can do it; and then do it!
“We’re in a transitional world right now, […]. The distribution channels that people have built over the last century or so are in flux [...]. The rules, the assumptions […] are breaking down. The gatekeepers are leaving their gates.”
_______
1. “The rules on what is possible and impossible in the arts were made by people who have not tested the bounds of the possible by going beyond them. And you can.”
“If you don’t know it’s impossible it’s easier to do. And because nobody’s done it before they haven’t made up rules to stop anyone doing that again, yet.”
_______
2. If you know what you want to be doing, just do that. And if you’re unsure how to do it, then find a job within the field that will allow you to ask questions while improving your technique and honing your craft.
Say yes to that which will bring you a step closer to your ultimate goal. Before accepting a job ask yourself, will this bring me closer or farther away from my ultimate goal. Keep in mind that certain experiences at the beginning of your journey may have brought you closer, however, at this moment they may actually cause you to step back. And remember that this same experience in the future could come full circle and become a step forward.
______
3. Never do work solely for the money; rarely is the work rewarding, and more often than not the money doesn’t pay.
Learn to say no to that which will not repay your time, effort, and energy back in kind.
______
4. Learn to see the purpose a mistake serves. Is this mistake one you should learn from, or is it also one that you can repurpose and use to your advantage?
______
5. Work for you. And in doing so you will find yourself.
______
6. You get hired because: your work is good, you’re easy to work with, you deliver on time. Rarely will it be because of all three. “People will tolerate how unpleasant you are if your work is good and you deliver it on time. They’ll forgive the lateness of the work if it’s good, and if they like you. And you don’t have to be as good as the others if you’re on time and it’s always a pleasure to hear from you.”
______
Other important takeaways:
Do not pretend to do it, that fake it till you make it, instead pretend to be someone who can do it; and then do it!
“We’re in a transitional world right now, […]. The distribution channels that people have built over the last century or so are in flux [...]. The rules, the assumptions […] are breaking down. The gatekeepers are leaving their gates.”
Content Warnings
NO CONTENT WARNING JUST THE VIDEO OF NEIL GAIMAN GIVING THE ORIGINAL SPEECH
Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012 from University of the Arts on Vimeo.