January 14, 2020

Command – Tab

It takes me half a second to Command+Tab and change focus. My computer is a swiss-army knife of distractions. It’s the antithesis of an environment conducive to productive, deep, meaningful work. Command+Tab.

I persist with non-digital work because there’s no Command+Tab. No Ctrl+Z. No way to undo, cover up mistakes, get distracted. When I’m sitting in front of a piece of paper, armed only with my pencils and brushes, there’s focus. I can spend 12 hours a day like this. It’s fun.

Maybe it’s my fault. Maybe I lack the self-control to stay focused when I’m working in front of a computer? Maybe if I turned off the internet, I would work differently. Or maybe digital is just the wrong medium for me. Maybe the computer wasn’t designed to help me make the sort of art I want to make. It’s great for processing accounts or email correspondence. It’s great for managing the business. Maybe it’s not me after all. Maybe it’s just about using the right tool for the job.

Other observations
January 7, 2025

Every drawing is a raffle ticket

Until I’ve put an idea on a page, it’s nothing more than an idea – something that’s difficult to see, hold, and connect with.

December 31, 2024

A conversation with a pencil

If a pencil could talk, what would it say to you? Nothing, I suspect, if you don’t use it.

December 24, 2024

I believe in you

Are there any set of words that one human can say to another that have a more profound effect than these?

December 17, 2024

A siren’s song

Social media is a siren’s song – of scale, of connection, of ‘monetisation’, of a valuable way to spend time. Might there be a better way?

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