David Bowie’s inspirational presence extended far beyond his music. He was never shy or guarded when it came to sharing his ideas or his processes with the world; as though bound by duty from a higher power to guide the future of art and music. An artist unafraid of challenging or changing himself, Bowie put risk-taking at the centre of his output. Such an authentic force of creativity may never be seen again, but luckily for us, he left a wealth of priceless advice for anyone looking to develop their artistic flourish. 

In the interview below, Bowie offers up a very succinct and determined statement of intent for all young artists to follow; but it’s a piece of advice that can be applied in all walks of life with equal weight. 

Bowie says: “Never play to the gallery…. Never work for other people in what you do. Always remember that the reason that you initially started working was that there was something inside yourself that you felt that if you could manifest in some way, you would understand more about yourself and how you co-exist with the rest of society…. I think it’s terribly dangerous for an artist to fulfil other people’s expectations.”

David Bowie | 'Inspirations'

As we face the dawn of a new decade, it’s almost impossible not to assess what is truly important in life, and how we will move forward. So, there’s no better time to revisit this rather ubiquitous advice from one of the finest artists to have walked the earth, and it is a sentiment at the core of everything David Bowie did. 

The importance of which he reiterates again in the clip: “The other thing I would say, is that if you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you are capable of being in.”

“Go a little bit out of your depth. When you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”

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