The Creative Side of Things

https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtFundamentals/comments/64s3um/the_creative_side_of_things/

2017-04-11 17:00

Uncomfortable

Hey folks - long time no talk. I've certainly been swamped at work (today's my sixteenth straight day at work, over which I've done 60+ hours of overtime), but I've managed to keep the homework submissions from overwhelming me during the rougher patches.

What I wanted to talk about today is something I don't really touch on. As a rule, drawabox has always been meant to be the sort of resource that acts as a balance against the high school and college art classes that emphasize formlessness and eschew structure in favour of finding your own way. The expectation has always been for my students to come up to bat already prepared with their own motivations, their own reasons for embarking on this box filled journey.

As a result, we've never really talked about creativity in general. Where it comes from, how to pour fuel on that fire, and so on. That said, I'm a big believer in doing what you're good at, and not spreading yourself too thin when offering services like mine. So instead of expanding from my focus of teaching the fundamental skills of drawing, I'm going to introduce you to someone who can help spark that flame in you far better than I ever could.

Meet Thomas James, aka Good Job Tommy.

He's a respected illustrator as well as the creative director of two well known illustration related websites - Illustration Age and Illustration Friday. More recently, he's started this project where he shares his insights into the act of creating in the form of process videos, live streams, workshops, interviews, podcasts and more. He doesn't just explore illustration - he digs his fingers into animation, design, music. It's a great, well-rounded range of content that speaks to the creativity and inspiration in all of us.

So for those of you whose souls have been crushed under the weight of exercises and drills, remember that the technical stuff is only a part of what it means to be an artist. Don't let yourself forget why you wanted to learn to draw in the first place. Take some time to indulge in the things you find fun, time to draw whatever it is that you enjoy. And if you get the chance, try to expand those borders of your creativity and explore new media and forms of expression.

That is all. Now get back to drawing your boxes!