29/09/2023
Nobody ever listened to me until they didn't know who I was. —Banksy
From the book: Banksyism, the wit wisdom and inspiration of an art outlaw.
This quote highlights a few key ideas.
1) Do what no one else is doing and then all of the sudden the world notices. In the art world, every artist wants to become well known—to be as famous as Picasso or DaVinci. But this counter culture, counterintuitive approach that Banksy took is what made him famous.
Mystery = Mystique.
Who is Banksy? The world wants to know, making his art even more valuable.
Instead of hanging works in museums and art galleries, Banksy used public spaces that were "unimportant" and overlooked until they weren't.
So when they Zig, Zug!
2) Take a common phrase, idea, expression or cliché and turn it on its head. The first time I read this, I smiled. It disrupts a pattern and that's the genius of conceptual thinking/writing. Banksy's work is full of wit, sarcasm and irony.
He reimagines the urban landscape and alters it so that it takes on new meaning. He gets us to question our assumptions and beliefs. That's the power of art!
So when you write, create, design or make, think about how you can Disrupt Expectations! And if you want a personal brand that stands out, whatever you do, don't do what everybody else is doing, or you'll get what everybody else is getting. Zug!
Let me know what you think about this quote/idea. How else do you interpret this? How can you apply this lesson in your own work?
