It’s Nice That recently shared an article by Ellis Tree entitled ‘I’m obsessed!: Why following fixations makes our creative work better’. The article explores how indulging our interests can take us to new and exciting creative places, leading to innovative new work. Tree writes:
Artists have built whole careers, collections or creative identities off the back of their obsessions – Yayoi Kusama’s dots, Dali’s eggs, Damien Hurst’s very large collection of taxidermy animals… So, is there a link between being creative and having a tendency to go all in? The prevailing stereotypes of the ‘very specific’ designer or obsessive artist might have swayed the idea of being very occupied by our interests to be seen in a negative light. But maybe we need to shake off some of the stigma surrounding obsession and start to take a wander down the paths our intrinsic interests lead us down – all in the interest of making better creative work.
Tree explores a range of examples where artists have followed their obsessions to creative success, including Liang-Jung Chen’s ‘The Hardware Archive’. This digital collection showcases tools and objects found in local hardware shops. Displayed outside of their usual context, these objects become aesthetically intriguing: shiny textures beside matte ones; sharp points and curved edges; shapes that are both familiar and alien.
Another example is the work of New York-based artist Lexie Smith whose obsession is bread. Smith’s online archive ‘Bread on Earth’ documents bread products from all over the world. She says that her work has shown her how bread can be ‘a gateway to bigger conversations about what it means to be human’.
Whilst Lexie and Liang might have followed interests that reframed what we know as familiar, forcing us to see their subjects in a new light, some of our creative obsessions can at first, be much more, well… out of the ordinary. Designer and writer Thomas Thwaites, for example, is famed for becoming very interested in the idea of taking a holiday from being a human to live as a mountain goat, a project that he outlines in his second book: Goat Man (his first being: The Toaster Project, the journey of his attempt to make a toaster, from scratch, only using raw materials.)
Following our interests, whether mundane or unusual, can serve many purposes. In particular, Tree highlights what this can mean for neurodiverse creatives.
With 20–50 per cent of the creative industry being neurodiverse (compared to around 15 per cent of the general population in the UK), this might explain why many of us like to pursue our obsessions through our creative projects – it satisfies our interest-led brains.
Tree notes that special interests and hyperfixations can lead neurodiverse creatives into ‘uncharted and exciting areas’, allowing them to collect deep knowledge about specific subjects. One example is artist Alice Poyzer:
Autistic creative Alice Poyzer has been completely in awe of anything animal related all of her life; whether it be “taxidermy collections or best in breed dog shows”, the photographer has surrounded herself “with anything related to the topic”. This obsession started her project Other Joys, a photo series that explores the intense enthusiasm and euphoria of this special interest.
Obsessions are a vehicle for us to make important creative discoveries about ourselves and the things beyond us.
Design your destiny: crafting a studio identity
Altman emphasises the importance of creating a unique brand that reflects your studio’s values and style. He provides practical advice on how to attract the work you want to be doing, and are most excited about. This includes: curating your portfolio, saying no to work that doesn’t quite fit your vision, and refining your focus to highlight your expertise. For Altman, everything comes back to reaching the goals you’ve set for your studio—and to do that, you have to set those goals in the first place.
Our obsessions
Hearing about these creatives’ obsessions has prompted us to reflect on our own. Here are some past and present fixations from the Novagram team:
Peter D:
I found that two big passions of mine – The Beatles and letterpress printing – overlapped in one tiny area; the Victorian circus poster that inspired the song ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite!’. Not being able to find an adequate reproduction of this for sale, I became completely immersed in recreating it myself, commissioning a talented wood engraver and letterpress printer along the way. The story of this effort was captured in a short film (below) and picked up some traction online – for example, here’s an article about it from It’s Nice That.
Peter B:
I really enjoy travel and street photography, exploring new and different cities and urban environments, capturing day to day life. Each photo tells a story, and acts as a unique moment in time. I also love hiking and mountain biking, and just being outside in general. The quest to explore more and keep discovering new trails is something I’ll always pursue.
Megan:
‘I enjoy documenting my life by creating collages and object flatlays. It can be a bit of an obsession in the sense that I collect objects most people would throw away: museum tickets; airline boarding passes; a ketchup packet from a portion of fries shared with a friend; receipts; scraps of paper with handwritten notes. These objects will inevitably end up as part of a collage or flatlay. Each one tells a different story.’
Finding creative inspiration feels like the landscape of a flea market: a beautiful mess; unorganised, unstructured places that aren’t dictated by any algorithms.
Creative dexterity
At Novagram, we apply our creativity to the work we do for clients in a vast range of industries. We’re able to draw from a deep well of creative experience and inspiration to create magical results.
If you’re looking for your next creative partner for a branding, design, or digital project—get in touch today.
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