Can ‘reading the best to be the best’ be great advice, all the time? Or, can inspiration sometimes be… uninspiring?
Category: Making
Everyone is doing their best
There are two ways to approach a person with whom we disagree, dislike, or with whom we’re storming. The first way is to assume they’re stupid, or dumb, or toxic, or all of the above. In this mode, the easiest and most productive course of action is to walk away because, with this view, it’s… Continue reading Everyone is doing their best
What problem are you solving?
To run a successful business, it needs to solve a problem. But, beyond style, what problems are illustrators solving for their clients?
Chances are, nobody cares
Whether you’re sharing your work, or hiding it, what lies at the heart of it is your ego and how important you think you are.
Under the influence
If watercolour has taught me anything, it’s how to embrace a lack of control, believe in uncertainty and be comfortable with influencing outcomes, not ‘achieving’ them.
Patience is not passive
I used to think the word patience was a substitute for waiting. When we’re children and we want our Christmas presents, we’re told to be patient. When we’re demanding dessert earlier than usual, that word again – patience. We can’t wait to grow up, can’t wait for our next birthday party, can’t wait for our friends… Continue reading Patience is not passive
The tools of the trade
For an illustrator, the tools of the trade go beyond brushes, paper, and paint. The mind and the body also need the same, if not better, care and attention to deliver better quality work for longer.
Afraid to waste the good stuff
Would we make more art if we weren’t afraid of ruining the lovely paper, or using up the expensive paint or damaging our nice brushes?
Done is better than perfect
It’s only when something is done that you can get feedback. And it’s only through feedback that we improve.
Truth-seeking
The art I love most reveals something about us or the world that has been there the whole time, but we’ve been too focussed to see it.