Lessons in Creativity I Learned from
David Bowie
By Sally Bosco
Become a factory for your art.
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25 studio albums,
9 live albums
46 compilations
86 music videos
Become a factory for your art.
He appeared in 28 films, and starred in a Broadway play, The
Elephant Man.
Become a factory for your art.
BowieArt.com
Be a visionary and be willing to
change the conversation.
When his career
was stalled out
Bowie realized
that he needed to
do something to
get noticed. He
discovered that
Product +
personality =
brand.
So he went from
this…
Be a visionary and be willing to
change the conversation.
To this…
To this…
Bowie killed off
Ziggy at the
height of his
popularity and
invented a new
persona, the
Thin White
Duke.
Then went on
to record
Young
Americans,
which became
a huge hit.
Then chucked
it all again,
moved to
Germany and
recorded
Low, which
was a complete
departure.
Have a theme.
Bowie has had the running motif of space, spaceships and aliens.
When you get stuck, switch it up.
Step away to gain objectivity.
Step away from your
work to the point that
it seems like someone
else created it.
Don't over-complicate your ideas
and know when to stop.
Never conform to other people's
expectations.
Reach for more. Don't be afraid to
get out of your depth.
Mind your finances.
Bowie
Bonds
Don’t go with the obvious.
Work with hybridization and find
meaning in the random.
Link to video - Verbasizer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Sgq0XoxPw
Link to video - Cut-ups: http://youtu.be/zoAKGTeKlZs?t=17m6s
Borrow from others but make it
your own.
Diamond Dogs
Don't get stuck on symbolism. It's
largely in the eye of the beholder.
Come up with a lexicon for your
current project.
The Next Day:
Effigies
Indulgences
Anarchist
Violence
Chthonic
Intimidation
Vampyric
Pantheon
Succubus
Hostage
Transference
Identity
Mauer
Interface
Flitting
Isolation
Revenge
Osmosis
Crusade
Tyrant
Domination
Indifference
Miasma
Pressgang
Displaced
Flight
Resettlement
Funereal
Glide
Trace
Balkan
Burial
Reverse
Manipulate
Origin
Text
Traitor
Urban
Never give up
Link to Louis Vuitton video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAjD1HJISDY
Bibliography:
Film, Cracked Actor, by Alan Yentob, 1975
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoAKGTeKlZs
Film, Inspirations, by Michael Apted, 1997
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDmb_aR_OnY
“David Bowie releases list of 42 random and obtuse words that
he says describe his writing process,” by By Marah Eakin, Apr 26,
2013
http://www.avclub.com/article/david-bowie-releases-list-of-42random-and-obtuse--97029
"65 crazy David Bowie facts and bizarre myths after his Brits
2014 win," by Paul Cockerton, mirror.co.uk
http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/david-bowie-winsbrit-awards-3165030
This is posted on
my web page
SallyBosco.com
Click on the “Classes”
tab.