The Groove 125 - How To Be a Pioneer of Creative Work
HOW TO BE A PIONEER OF CREATIVE WORK
Through our contributions, most of us aim to leave this world better than we found it, and for many of us, we also aim to do things differently in ways that haven’t been done before. That’s what a pioneer does, living in the open-ended realm of possibility that’s always there for us.
The world of creativity and the province of new inventions are one and the same. If you can come up something new and put it out in the world, you will take the cake; whether the invention is a new style of painting or an open AI software that answers all the questions you seek.
That’s what Giorgio de Chirico, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, did.
He came up with a style that nobody had ever seen. His work was so groundbreaking that even pre-dating the Surrealist movement by at least 10 years, his paintings are considered foundational and an important source of inspiration for the movement and profoundly influential to artists from Salvador Dali to Andy Warhol to David Bowie.
Start With an Ambitious Premise
Giorgio de Chirico in his studio in Paris, 1925.
It all starts with developing an ambitious premise.
This is akin to a one-line mission statement, or a marketing slogan, but it has to be big and important to you. Think about Tesla’s: To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, or TED’s: Ideas worth spreading.
Ask yourself, what do you want to do that is pioneering and daunting at the same time? Write it down and place it somewhere you can see it every day. Or even better, make it a reminder on your phone that pops up every day.
When de Chirico came up with his unusual statement of "painting that which cannot be seen," he almost immediately had a revelation while sitting on the Piazza Santa Croce in Florence one autumn afternoon in 1910. As he studied a statue of Dante, he suddenly felt he “was looking at these things for the first time.”
The Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon, 1909, oil on canvas.
Relying on his premise, his experience, and his recent immersion of Nietzsche’s books, in that very same moment, the composition for Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon came to him. It was a remembrance so powerfully suggestive that de Chirico stated, “every time I look at it I relive the moment once again.”
Enigma marked the beginning of “Metaphysical Art”, a style developed by de Chirico and his brother Alberto Savinio, which sought to reflect strange and elusive psychological landscapes, fugitive states of mind and to capture "the eternity of the moment" in a painting.
For the next nine years, de Chirico triumphed, producing images of ambiguous, empty spaces not tethered to any clear point in time or place. He combined architectural settings with classical Greek elements, mythology and sometimes mannequin-like figures with no facial features juxtaposed against strong colors, mysterious shadows, and warm Mediterranean light.
Go Where You Can Be Seen
With the number of technological advances, the internet, social media, messaging services and everything else that exists to support our endeavors and allow us to be seen, our geographical borders have shrunk considerably.
But geographical limitations were an issue for de Chirico, so in 1911 he moved from Florence to Paris where he exhibited three of his metaphysical paintings at the Salon des Independents.
There, none other than Pablo Picasso noted the work. He told other artists to come see these incredibly strange and beautiful paintings, then critic Guillaume Apollinaire followed suit. Eventually art dealer Paul Guillaume would sign a contract with de Chirico for all his artistic output while in Paris, placing his work with the best art collectors of the time.
When in doubt, go where your work can be seen whether that is TikTok or podcasts or that conference where you know your next investor will be. If you want to be recognized for pioneering something in your field, you must put your invention out there and knock on doors. Hustle, if you will.
Be Prolific
Giorgio de Chirico, The Predictor, 1916, oil on canvas.
It’s very difficult for society or a marketplace to evaluate your work as a pioneer of anything if you don’t produce a sufficient amount of it. Especially if you are set out to do what nobody has done before. Your job isn’t only to come up with the invention, but to educate people’s minds, eyes, and emotions so they can understand this new thing. That can only be done by repeating the message.
After the exhibition at the Salon, encouraged by the one sale he had and the positive reaction of the Parisian artistic community, de Chirico put himself to work and a few months later he hosted an exhibition of 30 paintings in his studio.
Apollinaire reviewed that show, propelling de Chirico to fame. “The art of this young painter is an inner and cerebral one that has nothing in common with the art of the painters who have emerged in recent years… possesses nothing of Matisse, nor of Picasso, it does not come from the Impressionists. This originality is new enough to deserve to be pointed out.” de Chirico had hit the motherload. He had become a pioneer, and an unforgettable one at that.
The Metaphysical phase of de Chirico's output lasted only from 1910 to 1919, but he produced enough works consistent with his new style, which was not only celebrated by the critics and snatched by collectors but also cemented his place in art history.
de Chirico’s career spanned 70 years, with several changes of direction and style. But the Metaphysical paintings became a reference, one of the greatest innovations in the 20th century, and a lasting inspiration for artists, filmmakers, video-game designers, and fashion labels.
Here’s an interesting thing to ponder: de Chirico had a very prolific career, but everyone knew him for the Metaphysical paintings. Since his original mission statement “painting that which cannot be seen” he accomplished that and more. But in 1920 he decided to shift gears and it wasn’t until he was in his 80s that he returned to his roots, in his “neo-Metaphysical” phase from 1968 to 74.
Think about what you can do to emulate de Chirico’s attitude in your own business or career. And rather than turning your back to your innovation, see it evolving in cohesive and coherent ways. This is the landmark of anyone who aspires to be a true pioneer.
JUMPSTART
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HOW CREATIVITY RULES THE WORLD
My book was chosen by the Next Big Idea Club as one of the top books of creativity!
Have you gotten yours yet? If you enjoy this newsletter you will love my book!
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TEDX TALK
Have you already watched my TEDx Talk: “NFTs, Graffiti and Sedition: How Artists Invent The Future”?
I share three lessons I have learned from artists that always work for anyone in their careers. Watch it here.