How do you prioritise creative work when you’ve got no deadline and, to be honest, nobody but you cares?
Author: Matt Shanks
Taking imagination for granted
Sometimes, I forget that there are people in the world who struggle to visualise things in abstract ways. I know, it’s a stupid thing for an illustrator to say, but I need constant reminding. I’ve been in many meetings & pitches where I’ve presented someone some sketches, maybe a storyboard. It’s as rough as guts… Continue reading Taking imagination for granted
I can’t cook like Nigella Lawson
There’s value in mimicry because even if you try to copy your inspiration, line for line, pixel for pixel, you’ll never create the exact same thing as someone else, and that’s OK.
The faster horse
Don’t ask people what they want. Give them what they need.
Alone days
I spend approximately 90% of my non-sleeping hours in collaboration or conversation with others. From the moment I wake up and say good morning to my partner, I enter into almost hourly context switching – different people, different problems, different conversations. Then, when evening descends, it’s back to dinner-table conversations with loved ones before a… Continue reading Alone days
Creative effort is never wasted
Like exercise, creative effort never seems like a good idea before I start. But, also like exercise, once it’s over, I never regret it.
The blurry line between art and picture books
At what point does a picture book stop being art and become more about design?
Piracy as a positive
Making money from artistic work is difficult. In a recent survey by the Australian Society of Authors, creators make, on average, 11,000AUD from their creative work. That’s not much to live on. I’ve written before about where an artist’s income comes from, and why it’s probably possible and, at least for me, preferable, to balance… Continue reading Piracy as a positive
Understanding comics: learning through doing
There are some things you can only learn by doing. Comics is one of those things. Meet Pip and Pop, may way of exploring the world through turtles.
Creativity loves rigour
To make the most of the intense creative moments of our lives, we need to spend time rigourously organising our tools and environment.