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"Driving with a Creative GPS... And how to avoid artistic burnout/block."
So last night I did the first in a new series of live shows that have specific topics. Similar to the recent journal posts here, only more of an in-depth discussion. You can check out the video here:
which I am working on time coding this afternoon.
So if watching or listening to a long extended live show isn't your thing, there's my write up on it:
We've all probably experienced creative block at some point. Whether or not you feel like working on a project is actually more determined by how you work than how you are feeling. So what is a Creative GPS? Well a standard GPS you might have on your phone or in your car will guide you to the right roads or back to the right ones if you are lost. Thus a "creative GPS" would be a system of tools, resources, and steps to bring you back to your projects and keep you inspired. Now of course the artistic process is a discipline and it will depend a little on how much work you're putting into the process, but the other 60% of it comes with having the right places to turn.
The first tip I have is to get out of the digital world once an awhile. This may seem very arbitrary for some of you (especially anyone but the millennials), but for those in their mid twenties and younger you may find that your digital social media life can take the wheel far too often. Getting out in to the real world without a cell in your pocket can be great for general detachment, but also for keeping your creative mind flowing. If you live in a digital box, you may find it hard to step out and actually make some face to face conversations again that are more than a "how's the weather" moment. (Check out the video around 0:15:32 or check the time codes in the description box).
My second tip, is that you'll want to surround yourself with inspiration. Which for some may sound like rebuilding that digital box I've suggested getting out of. The first part of this is to really define what inspires you. For me, being present on dA throughout the day, I surround myself with images and keep a folder called "Inspiration Libraries" on my computer which becomes readily available. (You can download previous months of my libraries here: www.cinderblockstudios.com/lea… So whether your inspirations come from music, reading, art, talking with people, etc., you need to build an easily assessable library of inspirational materials to spark your imagination (See the show at: 0:26:12 or check the time codes in the description box). Additionally (while this wasn't a "set topic") finding artists both contemporary and historical that inspire and influence you can supercharge your process.
The third tip is to build a habitual rhythm to your work. With my recent project with my second channel "Sketch Everyday" takes this tip into account and full practice. After about 2 weeks I stopped "feeling like" sketching everyday, but because I had reason to post and an audience that watches it gave me a third party to stay disciplined to sketch (even if those sketches turn out terrible). Check out the Sketch Everyday channel here: www.youtube.com/channel/UCGses…
Finally my last tip today is to have multiple project of different media and difficulty going on at the same time. In the studio I usually work with at least 2 or 3 projects off and on in a full day of artwork. That way when I'm feeling down or frustrated with a piece you can set it aside and work on something new. Then when you're tired of that new piece, you return to the first one and come back with new and better ideas on how to make the composition work and continue to grow. (More on this on the show at 1:06:24 or check the time codes in the description box)
Now I'm not perfect here. I will still have days where I don't feel like working and just don't. Additionally, these tips are probably not full proof. So if you have any tips of your own to add, feel free to talk about them. It's very important to build a community of artists around yourself to stay inspired and keep you on track. And if nothing else our digital platforms like dA, Youtube, Facebook, will keep us in touch with other artists (just so long as you remember to get outside once and a while).
Bare Bones!
Mentioned this before but after dA's AI fiasco last year I've finally stripped down my gallery to the barest of bare bones that I could. This account is officially a legacy/portfolio account and that's where I'm leaving it. I legit can't be bothered to do more than sparsely interact with this community anymore. Considering I've been here for over a decade and have never gotten any major growth is reason enough to abandon this place. Hell I can get more likes via Instagram or TikTok (which I kinda hate) on works I've spent FAR less time on. Hell I have a discord community that's more active than my followers here. That said previous links to my other stuff online are in past journals. I still sign in here regularly but mostly to check on my inspirations, and to occasionally browse the forum. dA is already FAR past it's prime, and honestly the site for me is on life support. Unless you're already successful, or are peddling bullshit AI content then the algorithm here doesn't give two
I've Decided to Stay
So a few months back I posted about possibly leaving dA. While my feelings have remained the same, I have decided to keep the account open for the time being. However I have cleared out about 50-60% of the old art that I had on here, and have curated what is left as more of a portfolio of sorts. Going forward I won't really be posting here anymore though. You may see me lurking around on the forums from time to time, but that's about it. All my new art will be posted to my Facebook fan page and in my discord community (Links below). Maybe once or twice a quarter I'll upload a piece that is worthy of my limited gallery now, but who knows. Thanks everyone for following my art and supporting me over the years! See the previous post for the complete list of my social accounts. I'm most active these days on Youtube, Instagram, and Twitch. Keep on creating! "Cinder Block Society" Discord: https://discord.gg/TYvn6eGZNr Cinder Block Studios on Facebook:
Might be Leaving dA
So I wanted to make a post before I did anything...drastic? For some time now I've been considering leaving DeviantArt. While this site is great for collecting pieces that inspire me, I've found that over the years I've been using the platform less and less. This place as a whole is OVERSATURATED with amazing work and amateurs alike and short of a few people I've met on the forums it really don't foster the kind of community that I enjoy or am always trying to build. Additionally I've found other platforms to be much better at bringing new eyes to my work. Most notably IG and stuff I'm doing IRL at the gallery. Even my youtube community has had steady growth over the years but this place is growing ever more outdated for me. Many if not all of the artists I follow here I'm also following on IG, so the posts are the same and honestly I'm seeing them there before here every time. Not to mention the big issue now with people creating fake NFTs based on images on this site. It has
Art of the Game
So I have recently hit an interesting point in my life in which I can see through the marketing façade of mainstream gaming. Now to be fair, I never have been a fan of the “mainstream” games that rocket into popularity thanks to their realistic graphics and immersive “whatevers.” No, for me games have always been about the adventure, story, and experience of playing…which up until very recently I didn’t realize was unusual. For a moment I want to take you back. Back to a time before internet culture, before online video was king, and before most home phones weren’t wireless (or just someone’s cell). The year was 1995 (or maybe ’94). I was but a small impressionable child, but I saw a video game for the first time; Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo. Little did I know that experience would shape my concept of gaming for the rest of my life. Form that day at a cousin’s house; I knew that I wanted to play. Not just because it was a flashy image on a TV, but because I was drawn into
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