The Power of Outside Knowledge

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A few weeks ago, I came across a video from Rian Phin on TikTok about knowing things outside of fashion to understand fashion. 

As someone who went to fashion school (Can you call getting a minor in fashion merchandising fashion school? Asking for a friend.), this was a completely new way to approach my understanding of the industry. We were taught the principles and elements of design, key designers and trends, and, of course, fabric. However, nowhere in the curriculum was what it meant to deeply understand fashion, which means understanding what was happening outside of fashion. 

To understand fashion is to understand life. It’s about our relationships and our lived experiences. It’s storytelling in its most visual form, as clothing is a direct reflection of how we live. 

Fashion aside, the point is that outside knowledge of other subjects helps you better understand the subject you’re trying to understand. 

Fashion is only one example. You can take this principle of outside knowledge and apply it to any area of study: 

• To understand marketing, you have to understand consumer behavior and psychology

• To understand art, you have to understand history  

• To understand culture, you have to understand status 

We’ll never fully understand any subject by studying solely that area. We can memorize all the facts we want, but to truly understand, we must study the context. 

Fashion, art, music, and technology are intertwined with history, so you have to understand what was happening then to understand specific movements, trends, inventions, and more. 

One example is Cartier’s Egyptian revival collection during the 1920s (fashion), inspired by the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922 (historical event). Or that sansculottes were lower-class supporters of the French Revolution (history) who didn’t wear the knee breeches (culottes) (fashion) that the aristocratic class people wore. Or that the word “villain” (linguistics) comes from the villein feudal tenants who were eager to climb up the feudal ladder during the Middle Ages (history). Or that ketchup (invention) was invented to mask the stench and make meat more palatable in the 1800s (history). 

Outside knowledge allows us to connect concepts, topics, and ideas. It enables us to think more critically about the world and understand humanity and culture. 

It allows us to understand the why, not just the what.

Outside knowledge allows us to see all angles and ideas. It helps give us a different perspective and widen our scope of topics we know something about. I’ve always thought it’s better to know a little bit about a lot. But all those random tidbits of knowledge come in handy when connecting with new people or forming connections between ideas. Plus, it feeds into our curiosity, the fuel for our creativity. 

To be a better artist and creative, we need to experience life. We need to read, learn, consume, and connect. We need to go down rabbit holes and go out on tangents. We need to chase the “what ifs” and the “whys.” We need to ask more questions. Go on more field trips. Explore the world around us. 

The more life we live, the better stories we can tell and a more distinct lens through which we see the world. It’s why the arts exist. Creating art allows us to understand what is happening to us and around us.

That’s how some of the greatest pieces were born: Picasso’s “Guernica.” Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People.” Byzantine iconography. Jazz music. To understand all of it, we must understand what was happening outside those fields. These movements and artists have one thing in common: the art reflects and interprets worldly experiences. 

So go out, crack a book, watch a video, or do a Google search and start soaking up that outside knowledge. Your inner artist will thank you.

P.S. — I’m terribly behind on The Artist’s Way and hope to catch up once I get back from vacation!

CREATIVE CORNER

• 🎞️ What I’m Consuming: I started this fantastic book called, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change by W. David Marx. I can already tell it will be one of my favorite non-fiction reads this year.

• 💡 What I’m Loving: Listening to music that features specifically the baritone and bass sax. Did you know there are 14 different types of saxophones? Neither did I.

• 🎨 What I’m Working On: I came across a summer Fujifilm recipe that I’m going to test out in Greece. I also want to get in some time to play with my watercolor pencils before I leave.

• 💭 Weekly Musing:

Thank you 💕

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Alexa Phillips is a writer, brand strategist, and multi-passionate creative. She is the founder and Chief Brand Architect at Bright Eyes Creative, a creative studio that helps consultants, service providers, and coaches monetize their zone of genius.

Where to find me:

• Join the waitlist for my new offer, Musing to Monetized, launching soon!

• Listen to my recent podcast episodes here