blog
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33. take the wheel
September 22, 2023
I had this dream about my past - how my family started and worked and built something. I woke up feeling more awake than I have in some time
There’s something beautiful about seeing the past and feeling connected to it.
This dream gave me a positive connection to the…
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32. anger is good
September 11, 2023
somedays (like today) everything is perfect but I just feel completely BLEH
It’s confusing - WHY am I not happy? I realize now that, at least today it’s because I’m missing some good old fashioned rage. These little irritations build up and I try to solve them with peaceful, controlling…
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31. I admit there is a payoff
September 6, 2023
I have a desire to create art as quickly as possible, make it awesome and immediately get a ton of positive feedback.
I’m realizing this is a problem.
Chasing that dopamine hit, I rush into creation with a desire to snag something good. Then, seeking external validation, I lose touch…
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30. failure is part of the recipe
September 6, 2023
Spent about 10 hours making these 3D dungeon animations. I just got lost and stopped working on them, it felt bad. I felt like I failed. Or like I have this loose thread that I ought to get back to
This harsh judgement is so.. harsh!
“failure” is part of…
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29. let authenticity be a ramp, not a wall
September 6, 2023
I’ve started projects and put a lot of passion and work into them. Until one day, I realize “this project isn’t authentic to me. It’s not what I truly want to do.” so I shut it down and walk away
this inner radar I have that detects bullshit is good!…
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28. start simple, add detail
August 31, 2023
Keep it simple by Proko
Starting simple applies to every art form.
Identifying big shapes in drawing, big plot points and themes in writing, clear characters in animation, key physics attributes in puzzle-making.
It’s always tempting to add detail too early. But like they said in the tiktok linked above,…
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27. showing up vs setting goals
August 30, 2023
it’s great to just show up daily to the art table buuuut eventually it feels good to set a concrete goal
I am making an album. I am making a book of puzzles. I am making music videos.
These things are concrete and can be real.
How do I integrate…
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26. make art/comedy/write about real things
August 20, 2023
went to a pretty brutal comedy show. the comedians were mostly unfocused and babbling. i realised a good story, a good art piece is about something. a noun. A snowman, a waterfall, a broken car. just give me something tangible to imagine and engage with
even better, make us…
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25. let go of “productivity”
August 20, 2023
letting go of the idea that I must be constantly producing something
it was suffocating me
instead, having a joy for the process of creating and learning
and discovering the greater “thing” that I want to create
this new way of thinking is very peaceful and actually produces more and…
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24. the new iPad effect
August 10, 2023
Walking through Best Buy, I was salivating at all the pretty gizmos and gadgets. Yes I have an iPad and an iPhone but that iPad Mini would be perfect. It’s so mini! I could bring it to a cozy little coffee shop where I could write the next great novel…
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23. add textures
August 9, 2023
I’ve kinda thought of textures and fancy brushes as a bit of a crutch, like it hides the actual art behind a default aesthetic. I’m realizing that’s not true. The texture can enhance the art and open the door to more styles. Here are three of the texture packs I’ve…
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22. it’s all part of your process
August 4, 2023
I’ve been struggling with my art practice! Some days I just work at something that never really goes anywhere, like an animation that I spend weeks on only to leave it behind. I’ve been struggling because it feels shameful to be so “unproductive” and if I fancy myself a writer…
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21. use layers to make a 3d space
August 2, 2023
This multi-plane technique can be easily recreated in digital animation. I can make multiple pngs in photoshop and Procreate and combine them in Blender or After Effects to make a 3d environment with a moving camera.
It’s somewhat simple stuff but my most recent animation is just so flat! I…
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20. Say yes or say no. Either way, do it for you, not for them.
July 31, 2023
I struggle with decision making. It often comes down to a fear that I will hurt someone’s feelings or get in trouble. Thing is, it’s not kind to sacrifice my life for the comfort of others, especially if it makes me resentful and half-assed.
Commit to a path and do…
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19. this is hard
July 25, 2023
I just want to acknowledge that this is hard. doing art and trying to make a career. it’s hard. it’s scary
trying to be creative while facing money uncertainty. trying to build a future while making space for art.
hell, just being creative is hard. be vulnerable and focused. make…
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18. set a goal
July 24, 2023
When I sit down to make art I often feel drifty. I have my coffee, I have a couple hours set aside. but I don’t know what to do with myself
set a goal.
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with a finish line I can focus.
Right now I’m going to spend one hour making…
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17. don’t run away, run towards
July 21, 2023
running away from my fears only makes them remain in my life
like making animations just so I don’t get caught in a boring job. that mindset puts a ton of pressure on me and injects fear into every decision I make. it makes it harder to take risks because…
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16. just make something!! finish it!
July 21, 2023
seriously it doesn’t have to be so good just finish it and move on
more small pieces is a great goal between larger projects
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how can I finish pieces that feel too big? shrink it down. make it 5 seconds long. if you love it, expand it or make it…
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15. using improv to write for animation
July 20, 2023
Animation is much more isolated and planned than improv. sometimes it feels a bit lifeless. I’m working on this dungeon animation and I literally don’t know what to do with the story. I just had an idea to make a short in the stye of a retro 1980s video game…
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14. expand your reading
July 13, 2023
It’s too easy to read stuff that feels easy. It’s too comfortable to watch what an algorithm know’s I’ll like. I want to have ideas that make me feel uncomfortable, to watch movies that are from different places and times. to expand, not to dominate and gentrify these other ideas…
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13. attention matters
July 13, 2023
now that aritficial intelligence can generate content instantly and in infinite quantities, human attention is becoming the rare commodity
the viewer feels the art, connects with it and inhabits it.
take a look at this swamp monster concept art generated by Midjourney AI
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which monster do you like best? it…
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12. use no background
July 13, 2023
export stuff with no background and it can all be combined and moved around easily.
add a background and things get stuck.
this includes making a character’s head not quite touch their body so the two elements can be animated separately
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11. making art to not go in the void
July 12, 2023
sometimes my brain is a toilet hole that goes towards swirling a black hole of death and anxiety
making and enjoying art helps. listening to music, audiobooks, podcasts while I draw, write or play piano. part of me makes art to feel seen and to make a career but the…
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10. movies are just crafts
July 8, 2023
movies seem sort of impossible to make, right? there’s so much to do and 10 million dollars is a tiny budget
but movies are a craft, just like literal craft. like the stuff kids do.
it doesn’t have to be fancy or perfect, no stunts or anything. just a good…
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9. Contrast
June 23, 2023
People view the world through contrast
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To show Aladdin is poor, put him outside of an golden mansion. Have him go to bed hungry while the Sultan throws extra food away.
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Spongebob is even more annoyingly naive when he’s standing next to the curmudgeonly Squidward.
Now that we have characters…
