Month: September 2019

Fill your creative Pool

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So, All creatives have this particular problem hat they face daily.

It’s the meter or pool of things to draw from for their creative work.

The Pool is used for well, this.

It holds the energy, references, resources to create work in a effective and efficient manner.

However in the current culture of grinding and hustling daily to a point of well, overworked death.

It’s a no wonder many creatives tend to either leave or do poorly in the field, it comes to well having a few things. Ranging from having a clear goal, or strategy, have some quality time for their selves to distance and see the bigger picture.

‘See, you can’t just keep grinding and expect quality work and that is well, not even a thing.

When i mean by filling your pool, this involves having time off from your well “quality” work but it doesn’t mean you are excused from mundane tasks that needs to be done. Chores will always be around.

When I mean by Quality work. It’s like this blog post that took a few days and thinking about the other line-up of work to think about, and doing the good draft usually takes up more of my willpower and intelligence(which have a time-cap actually) and it’s nonsense to do work when you’re not ready.

‘Like, when working on the larger scale things, I don’t go straight to ink and just “wing it”, it’s waste of well everything I have on my disposal and with limited resources and energy, that is well…

stupid.

What is the better approach? Fill your creative pool, sketch more, take walks alone, and let the action of your strides generate ideas you can’t think up of on spot when stressed.

The Big issue with stress is that it actually lowers the quality and effectiveness of your work,

So grinding and working under poor conditions are the last thing you want to be doing when tackling creative work.

It’s better to deploy good judgement and discerning than just improvising it in the places I’ve been in. It saves a lot of trouble and stress.

So, learn to fill your pool and you will have less drought to plague you.

Combine Unexpected Things-Bad Ideas, Great Results

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So, this is another creative issue I keep finding in the ‘net.

People overcooking well, formulas and not pushing their boundaries.

To be creative or noticeable, you gotta do one particular thing.

Combine unexpected things. What i mean by that is well this.

What are some examples well things that are unexpected and really should

not work but they do?

Well, as a Certain Joe Rogan podcast guesting Naval stated.

Bear and a Ball, used in a circus fashion is something one simply doesn’t see.

So, to summarize the idea, it’s like this.

Bad Ideas-Great Execution.

So, to give a bit of context in the art world, it’s something along the lines of this.

Artists, those who have well actually made thier mark.

They have all these common traits,

They create thier own genre, they actually branch out from a simple thing but eventually decides to so a series of works that isn’t expected, but the results somehow worked out.

Let’s take a few examples but it’s creators like

Simon Stalenhang, Youji Shinkawa, Hayaoe Miyazaki, Y-Nakajima.

They tend to combine really, “unorthodox” things. (and really, they shouldn’t work, sounds almost like an abomination)

Ranging from real life setting given a scifi grafting, to doing Japanese Inks with a technical precision. Or just duct taping Children’s franchises with a Madmax style post apoc flair.

The Combinations are really bad on paper, but in execution, it’s great.

Why stick to a certain style-somethings don’t change, they simply evolve.

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Well, this is a rather hot topic and always debated since the beginning of the art movements.
‘see here is a little lesson about style.

Artists that not only made it but made a cultural impact always did this. They sticked to a certain routine and style. Yes, they have what is essentially a handle, and well, that what made them notable in the first place.

True enough every artists do have their starting place from other people, but like the saying of great artists stealing, or rather re-interpreting it and having a fresh take on it.

But the reason why I tend to stick to my inks and refrain from well, solid opaque paint in general is this. I felt there was better reception and investment in the inking and washes method I have more or less dipped my toes in lightly years ago. It’s due to this particular event that I had a hunch to invest in a particular and niche down further into it.

Despite the so-called “growth” that artists should do when working with other mediums, that is a myth to me. Since I do know lots of wannabe artists that well, have dabbled, but have little impression to go by since they are so low-level and haven’t really found their “signature” as one can say.

Fom my limited perspective, it’s the idea that your work is so iconic that even by the thumbnail alone will identify you by a mere glance. At least I have that aspect nailed down with my general area and audience.

And here is anther thing to why I refuse to work with other mediums. I have little interests and served my time and energy during highlight to do these other curriculum, so I get it. And there was little practically to hoard all this useless things I frankly don’t care about after a year or so.

I’m simply being blunt. I don’t care about growth, because it’s overrated. It’s much easier to build up a narrow niche and get results and master it than to branch off and be well, a nobody.

At least people start to get my thumbnail alone.

Of all the great artist through history, they all had handles to go by, so it would be only for logical to emulate their habits. Key action or Mindset they took to get somewhere.

Artist Productivity and Improvement Tips-Barbelling

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It’s quite simple this one. It’s only two things you have to manage and that is all.

The so-called complexity or other factors what have you is like this.

The difference is the pace of each thing you want to do. Let alone it’s intensity and level of work that is put in.

For Example,

a series of small sketches for practice and visual catalogue to get a hang of a thing you had in mind. Compared to chipping away at a large project you work on for a few days. Such as comics or Canvas.

Barbell Effect goes along the lines that, Micro Actions with Macro Effects. It’s almost like the compound effect too but not exactly. It’s the Two extremes that Buildup the whole but, the middle are is well, mute.

Think Grinding vs Batching.

  • Work on a small or medium thing daily
  • Working on a bunch of small things at once to make a process easier

Or Active vs Passive Work.

  • Active work is akin to work that needs to be done within a day or week so it’s usually urgent and gets immediate results
  • Passive work is well chipping away at something much larger, think week or month’s scale here so the results aren’t immediate nor noticeable until a few weeks months later.

The variations and dichotomy of what kind of work can be achieved with this approach is well seemingly endless….

Apply in a few other ways to.

  • Day Job to Side Hustle
  • Original Works to Fanarts
  • Dabble on a few mediums on the cheap to Grinding on your Forte
  • Brushing up on a few practice pieces to prep for a larger scale one
  • Work on a few client’s small tasks while building up your own large thing
  • the list of duos goes on here…

So, the takeaway is this. You do a series of small manageable works while developing a larger project.

*concept was a take away I got from Nassim Nicholas Taleb Author of Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder

it discussed how to do multiple things to full effect.

Why draw by hand?-A case for why we haven’t gone full digital.

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Well, there is this longing of sort in society, especially with the newer and grand-generations.
A type of what is best called nostalgic.

‘See, it’s not just a draw by hand thing, but this culture of yearning of the people over there to go back to simpler and more familiar grounds. With the advent of technology moving forwards much faster than one can handle on their own, it’s a case of where to go in a world where options seems…
infinite.

But let’s be focused on the main topic, why many still draw by hand.

Well, the answer was simple.
Price, Ease of entry, and all that fun stuff.

A simple paper and pencil even with the inflation of today’s economy is well still subsidiarity lower than a software for digital art and the tablet needed to integrate with it correctly.
For like about $2-$4 range one can simply get started on the craft with dirt cheap methods.

It’s perhaps, the fidelity, yes, a term that is also used in the musical instrument fields, ranging from electric guitars to brass acoustics. It’s that tactical feedback if you will that people even in this digital age and rising economy that people still prefer the “real” if you will.

Like, there is nothing more satisfying than the surefire feeling of the pen hitting the paper

“just right. ”

it’s a reason why some stupids like Ghibli especially the man in charge, Hayaoe still uses well, paper and watercolors to sort out his storyboards, in fact, it’s a standard thing still in the Japanese animation industry to use pencil and paper.

It’s just the integration and usage of it is so deep in some cultures of society that it’s well….
just hard to shake it off. With a long history of people using tools for labor to precision, compared to a couple decades long digital and the tablets only finally getting “good enough” it’s hard for people to be well convinced.

Simple put it, it’s so much more satisfying to use the pen and paper than tablet and stylus since it’s been there for a long time. The feedback and fidelity is just leagues apart.

Artist Productivity and Improvement Tips-Batching

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So, as prolific or working artists, we all want to save time right?

Well, there is one thing we can do to ease off the burden of work.

It’s called batching. And we do this in our daily life too.

Laundry to Cooking, it’s way of doing a bunch of things in one go and make the rest of the day or week easier.

Like, for artist they can do it like this.

Creating a Series of work to be scanned and processed once a week. Or answering client’s calls once a day or few days only. As you see the effect of well, doing the whole process for small mundane tasks are well, a waste of time really. It’s the concept of rounding up those small mundane seemingly unimportant granted tasks that makes thing more effective and efficient.

For example. If one have a bunch of rough sketches, they simply scan them all in one go and have it all done.

Maybe there is a production of comics going on. Do the steps on all pages phase by phase.

Pencils for day 1-3, Inking for Day 4-7, and colors for Day 8-10. And that is how batching can make process and production of things better.

Batching is all about the ease of either.

Production

Process

Management

or Planning

either way, if an artist batches their work in series or processing a bunch of small works for scanning. It’s the most effective and efficient way to free up time.

Like, let’s be honest, we all have better things to do right??

As Tim Ferris puts it.

 

A thing for Divers, Robots, Machines, and Monsters-When Nerd and Geek culture was my sole friend.

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How do I put it?
This concept of me having a thing for robots, divers, kaijus, and other scifi and fantasy elements must have come from somewhere right? well, hopefully that is the case. Truth be told, there is little recorded evidence of why I have a thing for it.

Some say that I was raised by that type of thing and media growing up, the other generation of well, kids that unlike the 80s where they fed on Transformers, and Voltron.

Mine was a long term exposure to many many things.

Ranging from Miyazaki Hayaoe films, Gundam Franchise, to even the infamous Gainax’s Evangelion. The list of these nerd/geek things are really extensive and well, trivial but that is the point.

It’s the sheer exposure to it that made my works reflect it.

Perhaps it’s from a lot of starcrafting, watching seemingly thousands of hours of media since childhood and working up to obscure and specialized stuff by the year 2012s-2013s.

Either way, the influence are no foot note for sure. Given it’s a decades long exposure.

well, to make the post short, it’s because I grew up on it and still think about it in my own little ways up to today. Like, it’s still a background interest and most likely will be relevant to my personal life since there isn’t much else to do.

As the Youtuber, Nake Jake would say-When Bioshock was my only friend.
Or in my Case, when Anime, Films, and Games, where my only real loyal friends.

Artist Productivity and Improvement Tips-FRESH

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So, this has been a recurring issue within the art circle. Sustaining creativity.

The main problem with creativity is this. It’s not consistent and that is the reason why many in the profession of doing creative work tend to struggle with, especially with the conceptual department.

But there is a simple strategy that can be used to alleviate the issues that is to be discussed with it.

Use FRESH.

It’s abbreviated as

  • Focus
  • Relationships
  • Energy 
  • Stimuli  
  • Hours

they are the building blocks to help you sustain your not creative juices but rather flow.

(creative juice is a lie by the way, it’s mostly about observing and looking at ways things around you can be made different, and build something not new but fresh or not really developed before to solve problems.)

Focus

There are usually big 3 things you want to work out on. It’s the case of using the 3 major things that bother you, always at the back of your mind. And tend to be the biggest challenges with the situation.

Use them as filter to seek out, and get insights in regards to these big 3 issues….

like common artists problem that could be part of the Big 3.

  • New Direction their art can go in.
  • Wondering if they should continue to invest in their current projects
  • Finding new clients that might like your portfolios.
  • The list can go on and is often dependent on the artist’s situation in mind, let alone if they are aware of what’s actually bothering them…

Relationships

So, this is were who you know really helps…

like, think of your peers, clients, friends, etc. They might give you insights from their perspective if you ask them one of the Big 3.

  • So, seek out people who are on the higher level, mentors, and ask them. So that way you get a faster lead and result on what needs to be done.
  • Perhaps, ask your art peer on how to find a client who will look at your portfolio…
  • Or the customer on your online store, ask them what new series would they like to see…

Remember, Questions are your Pickaxes…

Energy

This is more on health but, the rundown is simple.

  • Eat
  • Sleep
  • Exercise

They will be the groundwork for you body and brain to work at an optimal level.

It’s underrated, and if your body doesn’t work at the optimal level, it won’t deliver as well. Remember, creative work is energy draining especially if you intend to do this almost daily. You’ll thank me later for this one. There are more resources in the back but keep to the 3 big basics.

Because, you simply can’t beat the basics.

Stimuli

So, people think that inspiration is all random and luck based. Let’s challenge that.

Be aware of what you’re taking in mentally.

Use the media, search engines, and books. Looking to seek what the new trends of art in 2020s will be like? Or How to make your portfolio noticed? Search and read them up. Write down the Big three and use them as a checklist when looking out there.

Let me repeat that. Be conscious of what you take in, so it will reflect what you will take out. Use the Focus section to filter out what you want to look for. Use your brain. You want to solve the problem on time and with ease here. So, stop being so distracted and get those 3 things done.

Hours

If you managed to use the calendar properly and with intent. You may well get somewhere.

But, to emphasize. Make time to work on the Big 3 throughout the week. Use them as your priority or the biggest grind per day. 2-3 of these should take your daily slot. And to add to the daily grind.

You only need to do 2-3 big things really. The rest is like trivial and has little actual effect on the big 3.

have time to do all the above.

  • From checking the Big 3 on Monday.
  • Asking People in your circle about Finding new Clients for portfolio showing on Tuesday
  • Take your basic essentials to get your mind and body moving to reset Wednesday
  • Use the search Engines with intent to seek more leads and results one of the Big 3. Thursday
  •  and the week is focused on finding ways to tackle the Big 3.

The Final take is this.

If you managed to leverage this weekly mindset to figure out what needs to be done.

Your creative work will be better managed and your life will get that 3x results.

I give the courtesy of this tactic and strategy to the one and only Todd Henry (author of The Accidental Creative) and the Productivity Game for the video links.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdx3haOx0Ng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hWRva_sPeE