I present to you, the most important video on the internet:
Neil Gaiman’s 2012 Commencement Speech at the University of the Arts.
Part of me wants to call this piece, “Neil Gaiman teaches you everything you’ll ever need to know about business and life in just 20 minutes.”
Because he does.
My post would be a detailed breakdown minute by minute of the earth-shattering knowledge he keeps dispensing.
There is so much wisdom here it’s scary.
In the FIRST minute, he casually outlines the idea of experience—practice—being more important than formal education.
In the second minute, he talks about how he didn’t have a career plan, but rather a list of things he wanted to accomplish.
In the third minute, he talks about the value of inexperience with regard to innovation.
In the seventh minute, he touches on Imposter Syndrome and other problems of success.
In the 11th minute, he talks about discovering your voice and the importance of making art unique to you.
It JUST. KEEPS. GOING.
Watch this video.
- Watch it today.
- Watch it tomorrow.
- Watch it at least once a day, every day.
And then watch it again.
Go forth, and to quote Neil, do what only you can do: make good art
