I decided that weekly I will create an annotated, hand drawn typographic illustration of a Tao Te Ching passage. I am not a Taoist. But, I am highly attracted to unnecessary stress, worry, procrastination, and anxiety. I could use perspective and I only really grasp a concept if I draw it out. Then, I will take said illustration and apply it to art and career here, on this blog because THIS IS AN ART BLOG! Ya down for that?
Difficulty and ease are quite contradictory in my art and work.
When it comes to illustration and drawing, I find it difficult to take reference photos for illustrations. I don't enjoy it. I HATE IT. So I've cut that out of my work process. If I don't enjoy it, I don't do it. However, I sometimes have a project where I feel insecure about my skillz, but the motivation to make the art is so strong that I follow through with reference anyway. These moments I find reference fun, because the project itself is fun.
I find it easy to just draw words. So I do that the most in my sketchbook, and try to often. It's difficult to draw in a sketchbook weekly. It's easy to make art difficult, and difficult to find how to make making art easier.
When it comes to design [Underground Art School Magazine] I find it difficult to...design. Why? Because everything must be cohesive within one or more of the supporting design elements. There are TOO MANY options as to what those design elements could be. At the same time, I like to make each article and spread be it's own little world. It's not easy making various worlds within a magazine Universe. I am not a design God. One could say 'so don't make it cohesive you are a perfectionist!' No, no my friend. Cohesive = Clarity. It's my work to make sure a message is expressed visually with clarity so the audience can relate and understand. However, I only work on projects that are fun for me, so design is a fun difficult challenge that I'm willing to sweat over.
I find it easy to collect the information, edit and write articles, and scout and find the artists whose work will reflect [and encourage] the text. I like reading, research, and lists, as you can see. To keep with the contradictory theme, I sometimes collect too many options, too many lists, and then it becomes too difficult and I procrastinate on the project.
I find it difficult to blog on my personal blog because I don't like sharing too much of my personal life on the Internet. I conduct most of my business online so I try to be professional [but also be myself] in a place that is actually not a real place. How personal do I need to be? How much is too cold and unapproachable? Isn't it enough that my personality is in my artwork and Underground Art School? Maybe it's the level of personal that is the difficulty for me. Dearest readers [all 9 of you] how do you handle blogging?
I find it easy to blog on Pikaland and Underground Art School because I talk about other artists and helping other artists and that feels nice and there is no contradiction there.
A project for me stops being easy the second I over think and add too many options. Easy for me means fun, and I also need a little bit of difficulty or else it's TOO EASY. Where's the fun in that?
I used to take whatever job I could get because I have bills to pay, but there was an increase in the feeling of difficulty within those jobs. I am learning how to say no. Now I try to choose projects not by level of ease but by satisfying difficulty. Contradictory? You bet my friend!
How are difficulty and ease part of your work?
