Why does the human brain often feel like a vast library with no dewey decimal system? It’s tough to keep everything organized inside your head. Just when I feel I’m on a good creative track, it starts to feel like a trap and I want to try something different. I wish I had the type of mind that can focus on one thing for a very long time and get very good at it. The only thing I consider myself truly good at is visualizing a concept.
Just last week I had the opportunity to give a talk to a group of high school design students taking a summer course at PNCA. The focus was using the computer to bring your handmade work to the next level. I purposefully did not discuss any technical aspects of digital art, such as scanning resolutions, filters, curves, the pen tool, paths etc… All the technical wizardry a designer could want is just a quick Google search away. Instead, I focused on instilling a sense of exploration. I believe that to fully explore and get the most out of digital design, you need to have an inquisitive mind, and a willingness to make mistakes. Most of what I have learned in my time practicing design has been self taught, with the aid of online tutorials. The more time spent designing the better the mind gets at deconstructing others’ work in order to learn techniques. I finished off the talk with some advice that I try to keep close to my heart: Do the work that YOU want to see, not what you see other people doing.
I couldn’t resist the urge to post another track. This one is from an Austin, TX band by the name of Sunset. Their new LP “The Glowing City” is an instant cult classic. Sunset weaves strains of Harry Nilsson, Pink Floyd, Neutral Milk Hotel and the macabre sensibilities of the Unicorns into a completely new tapestry. In an age of ten track LPs, “The Glowing City” is an epic 80 minutes long, 18-track journey. It’s well worth the ten dollars on iTunes. Sunset, along with bands such as the Evangelicals and Animal Collective are ushering in the new psychadelia of the 21st century.
Sunset – Zombies
