Being creative usually involves a risk or two. When you try something new, whether it’s a new medium, a new idea, (or a new Zine format!), you’re stepping out of your comfortable shoes, the tried and true, and into unfamiliar terrain. “Here be dragons” medieval cartographers used to write on the unexplored parts of their maps. Proceed with caution.
Or not. How about just taking a leap into the unknown? That’s what artists often do.
Creativity is about coming up with new solutions to old problems. It’s about combining familiar things in unfamiliar ways. It’s about being willing to expose your inner feelings to total strangers.
Art that doesn’t take risks may be comforting but it doesn’t provide insight. It doesn’t make change. It doesn’t move us ahead. And it doesn’t endure. As artists, we want to make a difference, to matter, and that requires a step out of the comfort zone, for us, and our audiences.
At Sketchbook Skool, we like to encourage these sorts of leaps but it’s a risky proposition for us too. We often have lengthy discussions about how much we want to explain about a new kourse before we release it. About how much detailed information the teachers should give. How much hand-holding should we encourage. Or should we just say, “trust us, take the leap.” How many surprises should we keep in store? We never know for sure.
That’s part of the fun of it.
