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
December 30, 2025

Procrastination or rest?

How do I know if reading books, playing video games, going for walks and doing chores around the house is procrastination or rest?

December 23, 2025

Not a dream, a job

Is being a ‘full-time illustrator’ all it’s cracked up to be or do we romanticise this way to make money because it reminds of childhood?

December 16, 2025

The elements of beauty

Beauty comes in many forms, in many different times, to many different people. So, what makes something beautiful?

December 9, 2025

Which idea next?

If an artist finds themselves with too many ideas, is there a deceptively simple way to decide which idea we should work on next?

December 2, 2025

Making a map of dead ends

If we can more easily see the paths we shouldn’t follow, does that make finding the correct one easier?

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