There seems a universal law – the more you risk, the greater the reward. It governs everything we do from the obvious – gambling – to the less obvious – love. Putting ‘yourself’ out there takes courage because it means we’re making ourselves vulnerable. Vulnerable to attack. Vulnerable to critique. Vulnerable to making mistakes that people… Continue reading The trade of vulnerability
Category: Making
Efficient and Industrial
Is there a place for a little bit of industrialisation when it comes to art? And does it sacrifice the soul of the work?
The second perspective
Sometimes, trying harder isn’t the answer. Sometimes, we just have to walk away.
The art of breaking things down
There’s more to writing a novel than just doing ‘a chapter a day’; it’s about optimizing for learning by understanding your destination.
Too many threads
How do you prioritise creative work when you’ve got no deadline and, to be honest, nobody but you cares?
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.