Recently I finished reading a rather inspiring book called ‘Think Like An Artist’ by Will Gompertz which I bought from Kelly & Walsh during Art Basel HK 2018.

Why do some people seem to find it easy to come up with fresh, brilliant ideas? And how do they turn them into something worthwhile?

Will Gompertz is a BBC’s art editor. Previously director of Tate Media, Gompertz has written extensively for The Guardian and The Times newspapers. He is the author of What Are You Looking At?: 150 Years of Modern Art in the Blink of an Eye. In Think Like An Artist, Gompertz doesn’t just comment on the artist’s finished work itself, he also tells the life stories of the like of Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bridget Riley and Ai Weiwei etc., trying to guide his audience to get into the artist’s mind and explore where their inspirations and creative ideas come from, getting into the artist’s habits and their path to success.

Can’t think of the perfect birthday gift/Christmas present for your parents, relatives or friends? Don’t know what store to start with? Then maybe consider creating something, as opposed to buying it. Although you might not always think it, there’s great value in putting in the work to both think of and make something of your own, something designed only for that one person you intend on giving it to.

After having made

many drawings to my parents and relatives as a child, there was a long period of time where I felt that giving them one of my artworks was “cheap” or not a “real investment”. But lately, I’ve come to realize that giving someone your artwork can actually be a lot more valuable than something you bought at a store. Think of the amount of time you put aside for making it and the reason you had for doing it. It’s the greatest example of the phrase “It’s the thought that counts” — except you also have something to look at for decades to come. And isn’t it more common for your parents or older relatives to show you a drawing that you made for them a long time ago, rather than something that you purchased?

I’d say it is.

(The illustrations below were made as a Christmas gift for my stepfather last year and a recent birthday gift for my mother. They both portray they’re old summer houses back in Sweden.)

Andreas von Buddenbrock,
Programme designer/
facilitator of Ready Set Draw at CMW