Your Infinite Database On The Moon

Each day when I sit down to do art I have a specific structure in place to keep me on task. It goes something like this: 1. 15 minutes of sketching 2. Draw the comic page 3. Ink the comic page 4. Composite page on the computer. This daily regimen keeps me on task so long as I do not lose focus.

But alas, my mind does not quit working 100% of the time. Narrowing in is not always easy. Here are some factors that are prone to intrude: tiredness, curiosity about something, my bad day at work, other life problems, ministry work, relationships, and other creative ideas brewing in the back of my mind. In a prior post I tackled how I deal with distractions. Click here to read it: Road Work Ahead. Today I want to take a jab at explaining what can be done with those creative ideas that pop up.

Before I finish a piece of art, story, or project I usually begin to see new opportunities. What does a creative person do with these opportunities while other projects take priority?

I wish the easy answer was always to store it in an infinitely secure database on the moon, but it doesn't work that way. Creative ideas are often untamed beasts that like to appear like the Loch Ness Monster. They are ever elusive and prone to disappear as quickly and suddenly as they appear. Unlike people who do not value creativity, the artistic person considers these as precious as gold. Even if we find them to be fools gold in the near future, we don't know how much they are worth until some future time when we can invest in exploring it.

The potential locked away in these ideas come and go. They often do so in the midst of mundane tasks. Some are even prone to pop up during normal work times. This precious commodity often disappears because we are occupied with something that has to take priority in the name of responsibility. Artists generally hate this, but we find ways to manage.

Taking down these ideas come in a number of forms some are not great, but necessary others are ideal so I made a short list of each and you can determine if they are valid for your purposes. Ideal methods are generally more secure and not easily disposed. Less than ideal methods are easily disposable or can be mistaken for something unimportant.

Ideal Idea Capturing Methods:

1. Laptop, PC, or Phone app

2. Sketchbook/journal on hand

3. Filing system

4. Dry erase/Chalk board

5. An e-mail

Less Than Ideal Idea Capturing Methods:

1. Napkin from a restaurant

2. Receipt or random piece of paper on your person

3. Back of a bill or envelope around the house

4. Text message to yourself

5. Digital photo on your phone or camera

6. On the back of a project you are selling or being paid to do

7. Any method from the other 11 listed on someonelse's property

These lists are not a hard and fast rules. What do you think? Do you agree with my categories? What do you do with your ideas in a pinch? Let me know, I would like to do a post about your feedback.

What Do Cartoonists Eat?

Many times I bring you the facts of creating and the process of thinking about creating, but today I thought I would change it up and bring you facts about the sustenance of a creative. If you can say that 10 times fast I'll give you a prize!

Usually whats eating a cartoonist is eating him because he hasn't eaten or slept (another blog post). Creative blocks are created by stress, hunger, and lack of sleep. Contrary to popular belief, cartoonists are not robots. But sometimes we think we are. So I understand the misconception.

When cartoonists are not eaten by anxiety and are apt to create a lot, what do they eat? No there isn't magic dust in our Cheerios or lightning in our mashed potatoes. We often eat what others eat. I drew this diagram the other day to demonstrate my point. I'll expound a little below, because I know that quick sketches are sometimes hard to read. Enjoy!

This isn't a daily routine for me, but the process of deciding what to eat usually is. I get off my part-time job after midday most days and I am usually revved up to create. After a couple of years without much money and figuring that eating out added up in the wallet and in the waist, I started going back to what I knew worked as a child. I had to find a fast healthy way to get the nutritional value I needed to create for about 4 hours (usually in the afternoon).

Recently I reverted to cold-cut sandwiches and soup. One, they are tasty if you know how to prepare them. Two, they are fast or require little preparation (a benefit for anyone on a time crunch). Three, little clean-up, little mess.

My sandwich is usually composed of wheat bread toast, cold cut turkey/ham, lettuce, onion, Thousand Island dressing, pickles, and sometimes other herbs or random things on hand. Flavor makes all the difference. No flavor, I won't eat it. When I have time I add extra veggies as a side, french fries, or rolls (something quick and hot). I drink water most of the time, but the Bolthouse smoothies are great when they're on sale. I eat a dessert item if I have it or have made it recently.

What time saving tips do you have concerning meals in the midst of a busy creative schedule?

Shadows Made of Syrup

Leaves & Their Shadows

The syrupy shadows of Ohio's fall create a mood and emotion unlike anywhere else I have experienced. The thought of walking through a wooded area in Ohio or Indiana produces a mystic nostalgia for me. The colors of trees lit by the sun are so vibrant I feel as if I am on another planet or partaking in some medieval dream land. Such dream lands that are brought to life through King Arthur or tales of chivalry.

When you sit down to conceive your dream do you think in color and three dimensions? Do you participate with your idea? Do you go down that path as if it were a walk through the forest or along a beach?

It's conceivable that your pad and pen are enchanted. Find out more next week.