THE ART OF DFFRNCE

The contributions which legends like John Coltrane, Pablo Picasso, Stanley Kubrick and so many more made to modern art in their lifetimes were monumental. Their work irrevocably shaped and set the landscape of creativity in its own image – their influence runs so deep it's impossible to ignore. For some creatives, however, reverence may quickly turn into fear – some may feel a constant pressure to emulate "the greats" as closely as they can, disregarding their own ideas in the process. XV speaks on the complex relationship he has with the legacies left by the creative giants of yesteryear in a short written piece: "The Light".

Welcome to The Art of Dffrnce – a podcast about ideas, artistry and the creative process. Coming soon!

Arguably even more of a rush than starting brand new journey, very few things beat the moment when it all clicks – when we finally get our heads around the fundamentals of a new skill. What may have once seemed like a seamless box is slowly opening its hatch, inch-by-inch giving you a peek into its inner-workings. The full revelation can often take a while, however.. so whether it be impatience, enthusiasm or a fear of an overwhelming unknown, a lot of us are quick to claim mastery over new skills long before we've given ourselves enough chance to explore their depths. Mastery is both modular and fluid; we'll become fluent in some parts of a craft long before other areas but the story, but the chapters are all the same. Time, patience and consistency are the constants that are sure to keep us moving toward the creatives we'd like to be; for the final episode of this season, XV takes a look at the four stages of competence, reminiscing on how each stage plays out in a creatives journey towards mastering a new skill.

Critique and creativity are inseparable; the moment someone chooses to make their work public, people start to form their own judgements and filter it through their own experience. This may seem like an unfair, possibly 'unearned' privilege – especially if you've done all the work – but good, insightful and constructive criticism is often the most valuable asset at our disposal when honing our craft. Developing our ability to sift out ill-informed and ill-intentioned opinions is one of the quickest ways to map out a reliable path, undoubtedly taking a creative much further and faster in the long run. In this Episode, XV talks about some types of critique he keeps an eye out for (and tries to avoid at all costs!) Highlist Entry: "The Politician" on Netflix

Some people are reluctant to step into the role of a creative; though they have ideas, they feel safer separating passion from public persona. Whether this is rooted in a fear of failure, a fear of ridicule, a fear of discomfort or a fear of appearing to take oneself too seriously, such people miss out on all the growth which comes from truly living your craft and walking with both feet on the path. It's not easy, but nothing worth doing ever is! Having the conviction to own your decisions out loud is one of the keys towards becoming the version of yourself you want to be. Slightly expanding on AOD 004, XV speaks on a few of the benefits of consolidating all sides of your identity.