GENIUS ARTICLES HOME: Reader's Creativity Questions: Attain artistic genius...

How do you become an artistic genius?

Shortcuts to becoming a great artist...

Nathaniel, a reader of this website, writes to ask:

hi. do you know of any courses or books on attaining to artistic genius please?
thanks

Here is my reply:

Hello,
 
Thank you for your email and your question.
 
Answer: Specifically? No. But here is my brain dump on resources that you could look at within this dimension:
 
'Drawing On The Right Side Of Your Brain' by Betty Edwards
 
The Carder Method: http://www.thecardermethod.com/clips/overview.html
 
Jacques Fresco teaches drawing: http://www.simpleology.com/training/drawing/
 
'Cosmic Memory' by Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder, chapter 15: Multiplying Memory, section on Artificial Reincarnation -- where Russian art students were hypnotized into believing they were famous Masters like Rembrandt, Picasso, Raphael etc. After a number of weeks the talent (but not the personality of the Master) seemed to filter through.
 
If you are already a skilled artist, but not a genius artist, then my recommendation would be emulation (reading about lives of great artists, copying their works and styles, obsessing over a particular artist that you feel drawn to, inhabiting their lives as it were).

From emulation and imitation, you will educate your mind to the importance (to you) of brilliance, innovation, originality and then you can use the shoulders of these giants to launch your own art to the next level. Just as they often did.
 
If you have any opportunity to be around other genius artists, or in a super creative part of society where art is valued and financially well-supported, you will benefit by association. The benefit of like-minds, benefactors, mastermind groups, and a little competition is not to be underestimated.
 
Mastering fundamentals in art, or any other skill, is essential. Once that knowledge is unconscious and 'in the blood' then you have the freedom to start dumping convention and innovate according to your own muse.

See also 'Why Artists Starve' for some useful distinctions, about half way down page, under May 19th 2006, sub-section titled Why Artists Starve http://www.mattfurey.com/mattfurey_uncensored/2006/05/
 
Thank you for your question. I hope that you find something of value in my answer.
 
Warm Regards,
Wily Walnut

Nathaniel wrote back to say:

 hi again. so far as being an artistic genius, will the head swapping technique in the genius mindset the cheat's guide to instant geniushelp a great deal? by the way, what is your personal experience with this guide and software? and have you tried their speed reading methods yet?

I replied:

Hi,  I'm sorry I don't know your name,
 
Yes, the head swapping technique will help. Obviously the more you know about the genius whose head you are 'using' the better the results. That's why I recommend that you study them, read their autobiographies or biographies about them. Learn as much as you can about their personality, the learning process they went through, what they were thinking when they made their works, the history of the time they were living in, what things were affecting and influencing them, who their friends and lovers were. Just act like a raving fan would, basically. This will all help you begin to embody them in yourself.

For example, as a teenager, I was into weight training, and for a while was fairly obsessed by Arnold Schwarzenegger -- and wanted to be like him. So I would watch his movies over and over, watch 'Pumping Iron', read the books about him, and all the muscle mags featuring him. Over time that started to have an influence, so much so that a couple of times, I'd fall into conversation with strangers in airports and such, and they would suddenly stop and say something like, 'Hey, I've just realised who you remind me of... Arnold Schwarzenegger!' And that would be a little freaky when people would say that. It wasn't like I was talking in an Austrian accent or anything, nor did I look like Conan the Barbarian. But somehow my study of him was coming through in my being.
 
Another things to remember is the benefits increase the more you practice this technique. So if it is something you do regularly, then you will become more and more familiar and comfortable with it. Napoleon Hill practiced a similar technique called the Inner Mastermind Council. Every night he would conduct an imaginary council meeting with his heroes. He had and continued to study and read all about them. And he would call them to mind, in his imaginary council chamber, and seek their advice on problems and challenges he was facing. Over many months, he reports, these meetings started to 'take on a life of their own'. The personalities of the various characters involved, like Abraham Lincoln and Napoleon Bonaparte, became real to him -- and their advice seemed to flow spontaneously and without his conscious influence. These meetings became so lifelike to Napoleon Hill that for a time he stopped them, fearing that perhaps he was somehow losing his mind. It was only after reflection and regaining his perpective that he was able to return to the practice and incorporate it usefully into his life.
 
It is the same with the head swapping technique. The more you do it, the easier it will become. Common sense, just like any other skill. The more information about the genius that you have fed the conscious mind, the more material the unconscious mind will be able to draw upon.
 
Regarding the Genius Mindset course, for me it was a compilation of techniques that I was already familiar with from a number of other sources. No, I haven't used their speed reading exercise, because I previously used the Photo Reading program from Learning Strategies.
 
Thank you.
 
Warm Regards,
Wily

Nathaniel wrote back with this:

 hi. My name is Nathaniel --------- from birth but, as of now, it seems as if though my name has been changed to Leonardo Da Vinci(lol)! By the way, do you know of any good book on him and his accomplishments? i have the book, 'How to think like Leonardo Da Vinci seven steps to genius' already.

p.s. i was reading one of your articles of using time/death/grim reaperas a source of inspiration-- do you know of any other books on the same subject? i think it would work great. here is something you might find interesting unless you already know of the speed reading course--- www.readinggenius.com     take care

To which I replied:

Hi Nathaniel da Vinci,
 
It's good to know you. I'm glad you have the 'How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci' book -- it's a great book.

There are many biographies about Leonardo da Vinci. 'Leonardo Da Vinci: The Flights of the Mind' by Charles Nicholl is a good one.
 
It's funny that you should ask about The Grim Reaper article... I was just sitting down watching 'The Hogfather' with my 10 year old son (before opening your email) and that features Death, The Grim Reaper, all the way through it.
 
I'm sorry, I don't know any books that are specifically about that. I am trying to recall where I originally got the idea for the graph of how many years you might have left. I think it might have been in a Neo-Tech book or maybe something that someone like Brian Tracy mentioned as an idea.
 
I know that other cultures have celebrations and rituals that give them a better understanding of and relationship to death, such as the Mexican Day of the Dead, and various ideas in Hinduism and Buddhism.  The Book of the Dead etc.
 
The basic idea though is the DEADLINE. Something that my background in the magazine industry taught me well. Having a clear understaning of a finite amount of time puts you under a creative pressure to get things done. We ignore death and pretend it isn't there in our society, try not to think about it. That makes the deadline fuzzy. We further blur it with our religious or philosophical beliefs. The idea of an afterlife or reincarnation somehow takes the pressure off. It comforts us sufficiently to stop thinking about the finality of death. The deadline makes better use of Parkinson's Law -- 'work expands to fill the time available.'
 
Thanks for the tip on Reading Genius -- I like Ed Stachar -- I have his Into The Genius Zone course on tape.
 
Take care, Nathaniel.
 
Warmest Regards,
Wily

Nathaniel write back to ask about the difference between the Genius Mindset course and the The Complete Guide to Genius IQ building course.

 QUESTIONS: Got questions? I'd love to hear from YOU. Email me: wily[at]wilywalnut.com

Wily Walnut is the headbrain at http://www.WilyWalnut.com, your top resource for unleashing the genius within, becoming infinitely creative, intelligent and brilliant in all that you do!

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