Creativity

Magazine

DJ Shadow: Five creative principles to live by

Things I Learned Along the Way — DJ Shadow believes in following your instincts at all costs, steering clear of crowd-pleasing even if it makes life more difficult. Twenty years on from his seminal album Endtroducing…, the production pioneer talks us through the mentality that's shaped a singular career.

Written by: Cian Traynor

Music

Unrelenting ambition: An interview with Yeasayer

A career of audacious left turns — After 11 years together, surviving hardship and high expectations, pop eccentrics Yeasayer have learned how to navigate the fears and insecurities inherent in making art.

Written by: Cian Traynor

Activism

Five life lessons from artists fighting police brutality

Counteracting the bloodshed — A multimedia collective is using the power of creativity to protest an epidemic of violent deaths in the US.

Written by: HUCK HQ

Arcade Fire

Mastering the Flow: An interview with musical powerhouse Colin Stetson

Exceptional Experimentation — While taking a bath, experimental multi-instrumentalist and composer Colin Stetson talks to Huck about the pressures of being a prodigy, defying preconceptions and his physically punishing live performances.

Written by: Cian Traynor

Art

Mar Cerdà: the artist recreating the world of Wes Anderson in miniature

Things That Inspire Me — Spanish artist Mar Cerdà shares what inspires her beyond the weird world of Wes, including paper theatres and French comic Jacques Tati.

Written by: Alex King

Music

Five songs of underrated genius, as championed by Lust for Youth

Under the Influence — Danish synth-pop trio Lust for Youth have reached a turning point in their career, letting their melodies and lyricism emerge from the darkness of previous albums. Here they select a handful of cutting-edge productions that have inspired them in one way or another.

Written by: Cian Traynor

Culture

DIY legend Tim Kerr on living a creative life that transcends labels

Colouring outside the lines — As a formative influence in independent music, Big Boys founder Tim Kerr helped to develop styles varying from punk-funk to skate-rock. Yet the artist has always resisted categorisation, repeatedly asking: 'If self-expression has no boundaries, why do people keep putting labels on it?' This is the story of Kerr's journey as an artist and the responsibility that comes with it.

Written by: Erick Lyle

Culture

Five things you need to know about culturehacking

Breaking the beast — Artists and activists are increasingly using culturehacking to challenge the powers that be, whether through jamming the Islamophobic propaganda in Homeland or satirising secrecy culture at government spy agencies. Here’s what you need to know.

Written by: Alex King

Culture

Video: No-bullshit New Yorkers searching for solitude in the madness of the Big Apple

In glorious black and white — Inspired by everyday, take-no-bullshit New Yorkers who hustle through life and fight to survive, documentarian Alexander Hankoff has launched NYChapters, a new short film series about New Yorkers finding their own small spaces of peace and creativity.

Written by: Adam White

Film

In prison, painting is freedom

Huck Film: Prison Da Vinci — When denied freedom and everyday conveniences, people's resourcefulness grows. Chris Wilson shows us how prison taught him to free his mind, and his talent, in Huck's latest short film.

Written by: HUCK HQ

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