Hi! Welcome to the 4 CreativeWheels newsletter — your weekly dose of insights on creativity and fuel for your creative journey.

Did you know that 12 is the only number in English that is equal to the sum of the values of its letters in the game of Scrabble? Nice, right?! Well, even though we won’t play Scrabble, we’re in week #12!

In this week’s issue, we’ll explore Picasso’s robbery, his African influences, and what we can learn from those events and implement the lessons in our creative lives.

Without further ado…

Let’s start the ride!

Main Wheel

When Pablo Picasso said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal,” he meant it.

As a young artist, Picasso was passionate. He learned the basics and advanced methods. Whenever he saw something that caught his eye, he analyzed it. He simply could not help but try to learn about everything he found interesting.

During a lovely stay in Paris in 1907, Picasso went to a museum exhibition. It was an exhibition of artifacts and artwork taken from the African continent. And that tendency of his led him to explore African art. The exploration took a toll on him.

You might not know it, but some of Picasso's revolutionary works were heavily inspired by African art. That encounter at the museum was a boost of inspiration.

A boost that guided him to be more experimental with his art. He began incorporating some elements of those artifacts into his art.

Picasso didn’t just copy, he stole.

Some say that it was another case of "the colonizer stealing the colonized belongings." Some say that it was "Picasso taking inspiration and showing admiration." To know which of the two is true is not our topic.

The reason why I bring this affair between Picasso and artworks far from his home is to explore what we can learn from Picasso's art theft. There is a valuable lesson to acquire in it.

The first thing to learn from this affair is Picasso’s open-mindedness. And for that, we have to remember the time Picasso was in. In the 1900s, there was colonization going on. The general consensus was that Europe was superior to Africa.

Africans were viewed as lesser human beings, to say the least. What Europeans created could not be seen as important as what the Africans produced. So, it would be natural for most to neglect the exhibition of works from the colonized countries. What good could come out of there?

However, Picasso did not let biases stop his curiosity. He went to the exhibition. Even though he had some hesitation, he did not stop looking at the artifacts. Sure enough, he was so overwhelmed by the objects that he started a collection later on. Moreover, he began trying to emulate them.

Yes, later in his life, Picasso downplayed the influence of African art on him and his career. It could be because of the prevalent stigma associated with the continent. But it is of little importance as the influence can be seen clearly.

That is all thanks to young Picasso’s curiosity. He took something that was established and worked in a region —Africa— and made a novelty in a different region —Europe.

And that is the second and main thing to learn from this affair. The way Picasso conducted his robbery is what we can all do. Here is why.

Again, in his time, the priorities artists and critics had for arts were distinct from what we have now. Most art pieces aimed to be close to the natural world. The artists who could paint the most realistically were often the ones receiving the most praise.

However, the African artifacts were not realistic. They were not what critics at the time would call fine art. Yet, Picasso chose to take inspiration from them regardless.

He took the risk of experimentation. After the museum encounter, Picasso incorporated some vital elements from the artifacts. The elements were the use of flat planes and bold contouring.

This is what made the robbery so successful. While most contemporary European artists were using naturalism and influences from the Renaissance, Picasso went in another direction.

In doing so, Picasso revolutionized Western art. His art was never the same. And he became among the founding fathers of multiple new art styles and movements. Picasso dived into abstraction as he used two-dimensionality, fierce geometry, and flat planes in his work.

He built on the foundation of expertise African sculptors had been mastering for centuries and he brought a breeze of fresh air to the art world.

We can all reach such an achievement. I’m not talking about finding artworks from another continent and studying them. I’m not talking about creating new artistic styles. Nor am I talking about taking inspiration from something without properly giving credit.

The lesson here is to take inspiration from something that is already established in an area and use it to bring novelty to your area.

It might be in an unrelated area, a place where strings can’t be attached. It might not even be clear how you can find a connection. However, in such places come great sources of inspiration and innovation.

When something works somewhere, one is sure that there are elements to study. In studying them, you’ll become familiar with them and understand what makes them great. Hence, what you can incorporate in your work will become clearer.

The practice might go against what is currently prevalent. Still, those elements can be a game-changer if used well. You could become the new Picasso.

However, one thing is certain. You’ll be able to solve a problem with an unseen solution. And when people will look back, they will appreciate your open-mindedness, curiosity, and robbery.

Or after the years go by, you’ll think about what you produced, appreciate the experience, and be grateful that you didn’t shy away from it.

These are the lessons we can all learn and apply from Picasso’s theft. They might be simple, but the results are radical.

So, what are you waiting for? Go and steal something.

Inspiring Wheels

Here are two (or more) creative works that you’ll not regret checking out:

• “my friend, travis” - Harold Bohorquez | I have nothing to say. No comment. Just, this is a masterpiece. You should watch it; it deserves more views.

• “When You Finally Go Out of Your Comfort Zone“ - Gawx Art | This is an amazing and creative way to promote some products and an interesting art piece. Wonderful job from Samsung and of course, Gawx! I loved the storytelling and visuals. (I mean Gawx visuals are always top-notch)

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Thank you so much for reading! 

As always, feel free to reply to this email & share your thoughts, stories, and any experience related to this topic. I’d love to hear them!  

C ya next Week! 

Embracing Creativity™,

Richard M.

Want to work with me? Contact me here