How to Break Free from Replicating Trending Work
Where to Start
Today, many digital platforms we use to find inspiration have algorithms. If we like something, pin it and save it, we are inundated with trending items just like it. What does it mean if we only are inspired by the trends? β¦We stay in the trend bubble; everything begins to look the same. Our homes are painted with the stark contrast of Scandinavia or the rustic chic of Magnolia, our food is sprinkled with the herb of the week and our art mimics Paper Cultureβs famous floral patterns and traveled print. Donβt get me wrong, I have totally created those floral watercolors. They are so fancy. But itβs important to get inspired beyond the trends we see in squares spread across our screens.
One amazing way to search beyond trends to create unique works and get inspired is to reflect on what we deem as important; reflect on what we care about most. I know, itβs a big ask.
Rarely do we just sit.
I think instantly about the people I love; the connections I have made throughout my life with amazing people. There are struggles and triumphs woven throughout my memories. I think of faces, friends laughing or angry pouted lips. So Iβm drastically inspired by portrait artists throughout history, specifically those who have captured people with bare, unscripted emotions. A confidence is transcribed by expressionist and surrealist portrait artist and itβs mesmerizing.
Find Your Inspiration
My three favorites are Franz Kupka, Egon Scheile and Kathe Kollwitz. All lived in Europe and around the beginning of the 20th century and created works that reflected people. Kupka was a confident Czech painter and graphic artist who did a majority of his work in the early 1900s but regularly exhibited his work until he died in France in the early 1950s. His life was filled with the cultural struggle that encompassed Europe during the first and second world war so his work was raw and colorful. He wanted to push the boundaries of color theory; which I adore. He pushed the boundaries of what painters thought were firm standards. His self portrait (above right) is just yellow, monochromatic. Such a novel idea at the time, but it was a documented public and personal success because of his pure confidence.
Scheile had a different approach around the same time period as Kupka. Scheile had muddled, natural color tones but chose to push the boundaries of movement and human composition. He went against strict academia and professed a unique level of emotional honesty. It wasnβt realistic and explored controversial understandings of beauty. But his portraits and self portraits re-established energy for fellow artists. The community around his work thrived through their ingenuity which magnified the level of exploration for artists around the globe. How amazing.
Lastly, Kollwitz is a downright boss. She was born earlier than the previous artists but did a majority of her work later in her life, in the early 1900s. She is considered one of Germanyβs most important early 20th century artists because she captured hardships and suffering depicted from the working class. She largely represented what she saw, the truth, in Germany during a time of wavering social conditions and inequity within the population. Her subjects werenβt posed; they were moving, with faces pulled from emotion and action.
These three artists explored techniques that were countercultural and reflected the truth behind what they saw happening around them. They inspired artists around them to explore their capabilities and viewpoints. By finding inspiration beyond trending topics, we wonβt get lost into the βcopying holeβ and mimic what otherβs have done. When we create works that is indicative of what we think is important, we can inspire others to do the same. We can even amaze ourselves.
