If an art practice is driven by what the market wants, is it no longer an art practice?
Author: Matt Shanks
The power of invisibility
What would my 10-year old self say to my adult self if they knew I had the power of invisibility in my work?
The mass production of words and images
What does our new ability of the mass production of words and images mean for ‘handmade’ illustration and writing?
Let me tell you about my dream
Would you give a random stranger $20 and 2 hours for them to tell you their dream?
Too smart for Van Gogh
In books, the number of words is generally correlated to reading level/age. So why do all ages go to see a Van Gogh that has no words?
Does it finish well?
What are readers looking for when the invest their time and attention in a story?
Being on the wrong train
When is persistence valuable and how do I know when to cut my losses and move on?
Am I making progress?
How do I know if I’m becoming a better artist? What metrics do I use and what do I compare to?
Active rest
Rest is often perceived to be a passive state but choosing and focussing to rest is anything but passive; it’s part of the craft.
Out beyond the market
If art is inefficient, what’s the point?