#and recently i put an artwork on instagram that i worked on for 15 months and it got 7 likes and i'm fucking destroyed by that

[wild-at-mind]

I crave validation so strongly. I wish I could help everyone in the world and yet I am unable to help myself.

[crystalwillow]

Dear Pixelberry Studios (@playchoices),

Let's talk Choices: Stories You Play.

I have contemplated this for a while because I am really starting to feel like you don't value all of your players words like you say you do, nor do I feel like you appreciate them all in general. There are so many recent examples of this that it's sad. There should be nothing I can use to back up this claim but there is.

Cancelling sequels that have been promised and expected for MONTHS only for you to turn around and throw them away.

Writing a really good book but then giving it a rushed last chapter so you can tick it off as being done.

Promising new books for everyone to be able to play then putting the new ones behind the paywall of VIP

Ruining entire series because you seemingly aren't invested in action packed and meaningful storylines anymore and are chasing lust filled storylines.

Having anything you percieve as negative removed off your social media's so it looks like everyone who plays, enjoys what you put out. When we don't.

The truth is, a lot of us are miserable. We can't afford VIP and we don't want lust filled storylines. But despite the amount of times this is stressed to you by us you don't listen. Our words fall on deaf ears and nothing is done to make the app BETTER, it's just made WORSE.

A lot of us have Tumblr blogs and pages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram because we started playing choices and wanted to share our love for the app/game.

But now so many of us are leaving because you dropped sequels for Most Wanted, Hero, Ride-or-Die and It Lives Anthology, which is what they were waiting for.

Nightbound, Platinum, Distant Shores, Desire & Decorum and The Elementalists could all have had one more book each, they were even requested but those requests where ignored with no real explanation as to why you wouldn't do more for these books/series. You just finished them with potential to go a little further/loads of plot holes or once again cancelled the series.

There's still loads of us who would LOVE to post Choices related content on the blogs and pages we made for your app, but we just can't anymore.

Personally as a fanfiction writer, since about September last year I've been finding it hard to gain the motivation to finish works I have in progress or start new ones that I had planned because the app is taking such a negative turn for so many that many of the fanfiction I wrote/wanted to write, is dying or practically dead. People don't want to read it because the book or series was partly ruined for them through the app with the actions you decided to take.

I would so LOVE to produce more fanfiction for the stories you write for us, to give others what they wish could have happened but didn't. And I can't. I can't because it's no longer received well because people, your players, ARE LOSING INTEREST in the app.

Promising new books then putting them behind a paywall, cancelling beloved series with no true explanation as to why, not giving standalones that are written with ending that could go into a sequel, that sequel.

These are all really, really (and excuse my language here, but...) shitty ass moves.

Time and time again I see posts that sum up what to thunk about doing/what to do, if you wish to draw players in and keep them. But again, they are ALL SEEMINGLY IGNORED.

If this pattern continues I do see the company going under. No matter how much merch you sell, how expensive you make VIP, diamonds and keys to try and make money to keep the lights on and make great artwork for the app. Eventually everyone will grow tired of this pattern and pixelberry studios will die out.

I've spoken on this myself 2 or 3 times now, maybe 4. And I'll keep speaking on it as and when I feel compelled to or like I need to, but what's been happening over the past year and a half/two years, has GOT to stop really soon, or I don't see pixelberry going beyond 15-20 years.

[tessandscottforever18]

July 7

Camila Cabello on the power of putting yourself first

She’s one of the most successful pop stars on the planet. But what’s life really like when you’re making career moves, figuring out your love life and struggling with mental health, all under the glare of a paparazzi flash bulb? We find out...

'We’re doing a little family trip!' Camila Cabello is Zooming me from her sun lounger in Positano, Italy. I, on the other hand, am sitting in the bedroom of my London flat, while drizzle pathetically slaps against my window. I am not jealous at all.

Shielding her eyes from the ‘golden hour’ sunset, Cabello, 25, has that dazed smile of someone who is in peak relaxation mode right now. That, or someone who is incredibly tired.

The night before we speak, Cabello performed at the chaotic Champions League final at the Stade de France. After four hours of sleep, and with a few days off before heading back to the US, she flew to Italy with her family to make the most of their time in Europe. They spent the day walking around the ancient ruins of Pompeii. ‘It was amazing – so, so cool. But I’m so exhausted, I can’t even tell you,’ she says sleepily.

Cabello has been on the go ever since the release of her third solo studio album, Familia, earlier this year. The record chronicles her ‘relationships’, she says. Not just romantic – though there are several tracks documenting the highs and lows of love – but also with her friends, family (Cabello hugs her younger cousin on the album’s super-cute cover artwork) and herself. The album pays homage to her Mexican-Cuban roots with its Spanish title and several songs sung in the language, while others are set against mariachi bands, reggaeton beats and flamenco-style sounds.

Born in Havana, Cabello spent the first few years of her life between there – where her mother is also from – and Mexico City, where her father is from. The family emigrated to the US and settled in Miami, Florida, when Cabello was around seven years old. Her memories are patchy from that time, but the ones she does have revolve around music and making new friends by bonding over a love of Disney’s The Cheetah Girls. She didn’t speak any English at first, which contributed to her shyness as a child.

‘I would cry if my parents asked me to sing in front of their friends,’ she says. ‘I don’t know if I knew I was a good singer but I really liked to sing and, whenever I did, it didn’t get a terrible response so I just kept doing it.’

As her shyness eased, Cabello began to upload videos of herself singing covers of Alicia Keys, Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato to YouTube, though she often kept her hands up to the camera to obscure her face, or swiftly deleted the videos afterwards.

Then at the age of 15, spurred on by her love for One Direction, Cabello decided to audition for the second season of the American version of The X Factor. (Seriously, she recently told James Corden that she auditioned for The X Factor over The Voice so she could meet Harry Styles.) She was eliminated at bootcamp but, much like 1D and Little Mix, was called back to form an archetypal Simon Cowell ‘soloists-become-supergroup’ band along with fellow contestants Normani, Ally Brooke, Lauren Jauregui and Dinah Jane. They became Fifth Harmony.

From 2012 through to 2016, the group released consecutive multiplatinum singles and performed non-stop tours and festivals. They were a mainstream hit, amassing four MTV VMAs, two People’s Choice Awards and an American Music Award, while also breaking the record for the most viewed music video on YouTube by a girl group with 'Work From Home' (currently at 2.5 billion views and counting).

After months of rumours, Cabello left the group in 2016, in what was – to put it bluntly – a pretty messy departure. The remaining band members (who continued as a foursome until 2018) claimed they were informed of Cabello’s departure via her management, which she denied in an Instagram post.

Six years later, on 'Psychofreak' – perhaps the most vulnerable of all the songs on Familia – Cabello acknowledges the group’s split via her music for the first time. ‘I been on this ride since I was 15, I don’t blame the girls for how it went down, down,’ she sings over an electro-pop beat. For any Harmonisers out there still looking for Easter eggs, 'Down' was the first track Fifth Harmony released sans Cabello.

‘I felt like it was important to keep that [lyric] on there because it was such a big part of my journey as a person. It just explains so much of how I got to where I am now, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and I’m sure for everyone else in the group, too. I felt like it was important because I don’t really ever talk about that in any of my songs,’ she says.

Has Cabello heard from any of the group since releasing the track? ‘I had such a great time seeing Normani at the Met Gala,’ she gushes. ‘Actually, that was probably one of the highlights of my night. We were just laughing, having fun and hanging out. She said something really sweet about [the song] and in general is really cool and supportive. I try to be super supportive as well. I feel like we’re in a great place. I feel like that about some of the other girls, too, and I feel really good about that.’

The end of pretending

The lyrics on Psychofreak also delve deeper into the mental health issues Cabello has admitted to struggling with during her time in the spotlight, namely anxiety and OCD symptoms. When it comes to the aftermath of laying her inner feelings bare for the world to hear, she references her ‘vulnerability hangover’, a term coined by American author and TED-talker Brené Brown.

‘It’s like if you tell a guy that you like him, the minute he leaves, you’re like, “Oh my god, why did I say that? That was so stupid.” I remember feeling like that when I came out of the booth after [recording] this song. I’d just said all these crazy f**king things like, ‘When we’re making love, I want to be there.’ I said so many other things that didn’t even make it into the song. I thought, “Is everyone going to think I’m a weirdo?” The “vulnerability hangover” is so real, which is why the people you have around you are so important. Because if someone were to say, “Yeah, you shouldn’t have said that, that’s really weird,” it would break my heart and I would probably hide under the covers for a week. But that’s never happened before. Every single time I’ve been vulnerable, someone has said, “That’s not weird, that’s totally normal.”’

Cabello pinpoints the suffocating hold anxiety had over her in her late teens and early twenties. ‘It was something I just lived with. I was used to having functioning anxiety that got really bad every half a year. Then I started opening up to friends, and I realised how much suffering and neuroses are normal, and that we’re all bats**t crazy in our own way, but when it keeps you from having healthy relationships and being more often than not in a relatively stable place, that I needed to seek out some therapy. Talking about it really helped me realise, “Oh, I think this is making my life harder than it is for other people.”’

She still has weekly therapy sessions to manage her anxiety (‘I love therapy!’) and has found being open and honest about her struggles to be helpful, too. ‘I think pretending is a form of psychological torture and brings the most anxiety. We do that so much in our society and culture. We’re constantly hustling and putting on a smile when we don’t feel good.’

The pandemic forced Cabello to slow down, moving back to Miami with her family and finding time to ride her bike and cook. If her mental health were to start deteriorating again, she now knows to take a break. ‘Obviously, this is a huge luxury, but if I felt like that again, I wouldn’t force myself to do anything and I wouldn’t pretend because who is that for? If I’m not being honest, then I don’t know what I’m bringing to people, you know?'

Having risen to fame in tandem with the explosion of social media – where she has more than 90 million combined followers across Instagram, TikTok and Twitter – her relationship with it is constantly evolving. Cabello admits it’s a balancing act; she is vocal about LGBTQ+ equality, gun control and abortion rights but acknowledges the need to protect her mental health from inevitable trolling and mean comments. ‘If I see something that hurts my feelings, I’ll just violently delete my apps. And then I’ll miss Instagram and TikTok and I’ll redownload them again, and then it’s just a vicious cycle that repeats over and over. But yeah, social media is interesting. It’s got good and bad.’

Fame is a strange concept for Cabello – ‘I want to be an artist, not like a “celebrity”.’ She looks to her friend and Bam Bam collaborator Ed Sheeran as a ‘perfect example’ of this. ‘He just strives to be an artist, and then also just lives his life as a normal dude. He has a whole private life that people don’t know about, where he has fun, hangs out with his friends, has a family, has dinner with the people he loves. I think Ed just lives it – he’s just out here trying to have fun with good people and make music he loves. And that’s the same thing I’m trying to do.’

She tries to hang out with Sheeran whenever they’re both in the same place, including the UK and, it turns out, she is a huge fan of British foods. ‘I love roast beef and a Yorkshire pudding, parsnips and potatoes. I love fish and chips. I love beans on toast. ‘Ooh, and I love Fleabag,’ she gushes. ‘I love Crashing by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, too. In fact, I love Phoebe Waller-Bridge, period.’

The paparazzi paradox

It’s no surprise that Cabello has mixed feelings about ‘fame’. In the classic case of a woman who entered the public domain at a young age, Cabello often attracts the attention of intrusive paparazzi, with photos of her body being picked apart in the media afterwards. In fact, just hours after our chat, a day out with her family was papped and packaged into a tabloid news story, displaying unauthorised and unwelcome bikini pictures alongside thinly veiled backhanded compliments, dished out under the (unconvincing) guise of flattery.

To protect her privacy, she has made changes, such as avoiding places where she might be photographed and attempting to control the narrative via social media. But as this trip to Italy has demonstrated, there is still an expectation by some that privacy is a moot point when you’re a celebrity. ‘There are varying degrees of discomfort [with fame]. The beach thing, paparazzi stuff and people filming me, is really uncomfortable,’ she says, referring to a similar experience at a beach in her home town of Miami, where photographers clamoured to get a bikini shot of her. ‘I was in the ocean and there were six [photographers] four feet away from me. It was so wrong and just weird. [But] I adjust. I don’t go to those places any more or put myself in vulnerable situations like that. It’s fine, I don’t feel like people are going to be interested in my body forever.’

After this incident in Miami, Cabello tweeted about her discomfort, explaining how she felt that we, as a culture, have become accustomed to seeing images of women’s bodies that are ‘completely not real for a lot of women’ and are instead the product of ‘Photoshop, restrictive eating, overexercising and choosing angles that make our bodies look different than how they are in the moment and in their natural form’. She admitted to succumbing to the insecurity herself, holding her ‘core so tight my abs hurt’ and not eating anything heavy, feeling self-conscious in front of hidden photographers, only to feel empty and sad about it all.

Reflecting on all of the support she received after this tweet, she says, ‘I think it sparks up an interesting conversation, even among people that know me. I got a lot of texts being like, “Hey, I really relate to that, I’m glad you posted that.”

‘I would have been glad to see someone post something like that. Especially if they looked amazing in a picture, to be like, oh, thank god, you didn’t just eat three bowls of pasta and then look like that, you know? Sometimes, that’s what we think and that’s not actually true,’ she says.

Moving on and messing up

Cabello’s family, friends and romantic life are all areas she wants to keep separate from her professional life now, too. ‘I don’t really want my dating life or that side of my life to be…’ she tails off. ‘I mean, obviously, I know that it has been in the past, but that’s not really what I want. It just so happened that it turned out that way.’

The relationship, which ‘just so happened to turn out that way’, undoubtedly alludes to her high-profile relationship of two and a half years with fellow singer Shawn Mendes. The origins of their relationship coincided with the release of their steamy duet, Señorita, which went on to be the third biggest song in the world in 2019. Adored by their fans as a celebrity power couple, Cabello and Mendes were frequently photographed together during off-duty moments on walks or while out for dinner. They also shared pictures of the puppy, Tarzan, they bought together on their social media accounts and gave an intimate glimpse into their private relationship via the 2020 Netflix documentary Shawn Mendes: In Wonder.

Cabello doesn’t mention her famous ex-boyfriend by name throughout our chat, and she doesn’t really need to. They split up in November 2021, issuing a joint but mutually appreciative statement. But how do you protect yourself when a break-up, as difficult and personal as that is, becomes news and you have to face the added scrutiny that comes with being famous? ‘It’s the same way I protect my emotions with everything else,’ Cabello explains simply. ‘I just stay off [the internet]. I don’t look at what anyone says and wait for time to do its thing.’

Growing older has also adjusted her expectations and priorities when it comes to romantic relationships. ‘I don’t put a lot of focus on it. I just really want to hang out with people, I want to make friends and I’ve made a lot of great friends over the past year. A lot of girlfriends. I’ve got some great group chats going,’ she laughs.

‘If something happens, then that’s really fun, but I don’t put any pressure on it. Before I used to be like, “Yes, love, oh my god, love,” and now I’m just trying to have a good time. I just want to live my life and have great friendships. If something comes out of [them] that’s something more, then that’s great,’ she says.

These days, so much of being a pop star is often in the packaging. In the slick management of their ‘profile’ and polished public image. In the promotion and apparent ‘perfection’ of a person and the life they lead. But not for Cabello. After a decade in the industry, she’s very much here for the messiness and vulnerability of being human, of learning and evolving as she continues her journey and finds out what works for her personally. ‘Everyone experiences those things getting older. There’s a lot of messiness. You mess up, you make a lot of mistakes and that’s just what growing up is.

'They don’t say older and wiser for no reason,’ Cabello smiles. ‘I’m more relaxed, at ease and sure of what I want. All the hell I experienced – whether it was in my mind, outside my mind, in little waves or big waves – taught me how to find the peace that I’m getting now,’ she says. And if anything makes an attempt to derail her peace, clarity and balance now? ‘F*ck it, I’m leaving,’ she grins, holding two middle fingers up.

[vinylexams]

Heavy Heavy Low Low - Courtside Seats to the Greatest Fuck of All Time⁠

⁠ @heavyheavylowlow38 #heavyheavylowlow #hhll #deathwish @deathwishinc⁠ ⁠ I’ve been lucky as hell recently to snag insider info on some killer reissues and this one is no exception. You all already know how much I love HHLL, especially Turtle Nipple…, and through serendipity I got connected with Robbie from the band a few months back. I got to hear about how they are coming back to life after some years focusing on other projects, growing up and growing out, and evolving as musicians and artists in the process. They’ve worked with Twelve Gauge Records to put Courtside Seats on vinyl for the very first time and after they announced it on their platforms and immediately sold it out, they’re pressing another batch that you and the HHLL lovers in your life can and should snag before that pressing sells out, too!⁠ ⁠ What’s even more exciting is that I got to pick Robbie’s brain in typical VE fashion and he’s indulged me with all sorts of info about what they’re up to, whether or not we can expect new music, and some feel-good stories about huffing air duster and ripping shit up in an old warehouse on the California coast. Here it is in its unedited glory, but first…head to the website to pre-order your copy and then head to Robbie’s Indiegogo campaign to learn more about his upcoming short firm that’s scored by Nick from Tera Melos! ⁠https://deathwishinc.com/products/heavy-heavy-low-low-courtside-seats https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/morning-deliveries-short-film#/

INTERVIEW

First and foremost, it’s been a minute since we’ve heard from Heavy Heavy Low Low and then out of nowhere you sprang back to life in 2019. What motivated you all to pick up this project again? I’m not sure what motivated it. We had always been trying to jumpstart the whole thing again for some time and I think that it might have been a case of everyone’s lives slowing down and examining that time with a weird reverence. I can only speak for myself. The boys are all in school or doing their own thing.

I imagine you’ve all been working on different projects since HHLL went on hiatus. Do you have anything that you or the rest of the band have worked on that you’d love us to know about? Danny has gotten pretty popular in the Kendama world. Chris is studying various forms of martial arts. Roo is endlessly going to school and currently scoring independent films. Chip is heavily involved in competitive fishing. I’ve been making short films when the situation and my wallet allow it. We’re all crazy excited about finally owning Courtside Seats on vinyl for the first time. Aside from bringing that album onto the vinyl medium, the pre-order page notes that there’s new artwork, too. What can we expect from that? When we made the CD we weren’t expecting to sell any really.. I did the art and Matthew printed them all at his job. Him and I folded every crease, glued the o-cards and vacuum sealed them all. I think it sold out almost completely at the record release show. We made the same amount of records as we did the original cd (500). The artwork for the original CD pressing was done on sketch paper without any comprehension of what could be done with drawn art and a scanner. Matthew was the computer wizard and back then, young and silly, it was all done on the cuff. The new art is a bit more modern and plays with mortality. Court-side Seats to The Greatest Fuck of All Time being a front seat view of a an ordinary, bumpy ride through life. I’m proud of it. What’s it like to bring back an album from the earliest parts of the band’s career? Do you still identify with the music? It is odd. It was a truly surreal time and place. We were out of our fucking minds. We recorded it in Mountain View, Ca in this giant warehouse that tapered into gutted office spaces. It was a weird white collar tomb on the outskirts of Silicon Valley right before the real tech boom. In the big part of the warehouse where we’d enter there were giant mounds of clothes meant to be donated to some third world country. We’d burrow tunnels in them and do huge dramatic flips from pike to pile. There was an aisle of outdated medical equipment waiting to be sent that we’d stalk through in the dark. It was a strangely magic place. Once you got through the warehouse you’d get to these office stations that had been fashioned into recording studios and that’s where we birthed this thing. We were so misguided. The amount of compressed air that we inhaled should have killed us. I contribute a significant drop in IQ to that shit. Smoking copious amounts of weed from gravity bongs. Recording with a hip hop producer, Deegan. Never a disagreement. It still feels like it was some strange purgatory of youth. I don’t miss it, but it was beautiful. Does this mean there’s hope of having Everything’s Watched, Everyone’s Watching on vinyl sometime, too? So, there was a guy who was very adamant about putting that record out on vinyl. We had a dialogue going for the better part of a year and apparently he had been in contact with Rhino Music and Warner, the two companies that hold the licensing to that album. He had received word that it’d cost an impressive amount of money, but he still wanted to shoulder it. Mind you, this dude didn’t have a label, he just wanted to put this thing out and apparently hadnt thought that all out. Time goes by, I’m waiting, not worrying one way or the other. One day I get a link from a friend, a Christian college website detailing that dude had been arrested for kidnapping and assault. Very sad situation. Dude seemed semi normal. Anyway, that was the last effort I’d seen put into that. I’d love to contribute new art to that release if any go-getter wants to try their luck. I’ve loved everything HHLL put out, but Turtle Nipple is in my top 10 list of favorite albums of all time. What was the writing the recording process for it like and how did the band feel about the new creative directions on it? EWEW was half previously recorded material re-recorded and half material written a year prior, kind of forced into a studio with producers we had no previous rapport with. Those producers/engineers were incredible human beings (RIP Tom Pfaffle! See you in the mindfog) but we were very young punk kids thrown into a foreign land where we had our agents visiting and there were platinum records on the wall and it was a total barrage of privilege and excess. It was beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t feel soul in that record. Turtle Nipple is a dense trip through time and the record I’m most proud of in our discography. I don’t remember how long we had to record it, I do remember that it was the only time we’d been given to experiment and layer our sensibilities in an environment that catered to them. Sam (Pura) was a perfect conduit to that vibe and time and space and it really came out just how it should have. I think about that album as a 70s exploitation directors filmography.. it veers violently from genre to genre and while most of the stories are fiction and far from personal testimony, theirs a peek into some shared insanity contained throughout. George Cosmatos wandering through a punk club on an edible. I think that that album is our bands true personality. Sam is a member of our band whether he’s playing with us or engineering for us. He gets us. I love the idea of an alternate reality where we had lasted a bit longer and did an album with Steve Albini. He’d probably hate us, but I love those ‘What If?’ Scenarios. I’ll ask the question EVERYONE has been asking so it’s on the record somewhere: Does this mean we can expect new material or a new album soon? Maybe even a tour? We have a new EP in the works. We have some of it recorded with Sam. We’ve posted a couple clips on Instagram. We’re incredibly busy and spread out in our personal lives. Chip in TX, Dan in FL, Roo in OR, Rob and Chris in CA. Adulthood is a bitter, pulpy drink! We are going to be playing again. We won’t be leaving the West Coast. We had our fill of middle America and the travel involved. We have talked to some of our buds from our early days of touring about playing alongside (opening for) them for a limited run in 2020. I think that qualifies as a tour. Also, if anyone wants to fly us to Europe to play a festival in 2020, we’d like that. It’ll be an interesting year. How does it feel to be welcomed back by so many adoring fans who still love your music and are hoping for more after a long hiatus? It’s incredibly humbling. I have heard from people throughout the years about how we had affected them and it was always just strange to me. I’m pretty self deprecating, so I just don’t understand how some shit I wrote could mean much to anyone. My mind is just a shotgun blast of panic. I guess all of ours are? I love my band mates and their talents, though. So I understand the sorta sirens draw to the greater extent. I think they only got to show themselves slightly, too. Weird existence. Give us a piece of band trivia you’ve never shared in an interview before! Gees. There is a step-in part to most 15 passenger vans. It is a black, hard plastic. It meets with where you close the sliding door. When we had no bottles to pee in, we would just piss in ‘the step’. This thing was a den of germicidal activity. Trash and piss I don’t think we ever truly cleaned that thing. What’s odd is that we so rarely got ill on tour. The Step kept us healthy on a steady diet of trash and piss and general scum. Finally, this isn’t a question but the hidden track on Turtle Nipple is a fucking masterpiece and I wanted you to know. Thank you! I think that may have been my idea to add some weird 70s funk into an old track of ours. I think it turned out cool, but I think it betrays our vibe on that album! I wish it’d have devolved into some weird, primitive Altered States shit.

[acaseforpencils]

Jason Chatfield.

Bio: I grew up in the far flung suburbs of Perth, in Western Australia, and used to spend my paper route money on MAD Magazines (I cheaped-out and stole my dentist’s waiting room issues of the New Yorker. I think I was the only kid who looked forward to going to the dentist).

I moved to New York in 2014 and started pitching to the mag in person. I’m not sure Bob liked me, so I went back to pitching via email. Then I went in on his last day and finally sold my first piece. I feel like it was his final f—k you to the magazine. “Here! Have a Chatfield!” 

Find this print here!

The cartoon was a goofy play on Vlad the Impaler. 

I didn’t sell to the magazine again until last month, but I’ve had a handful sold as dailies. And I’m published in MAD often, so they’ve clearly done away with any of their standards.

When I’m not drawing gag cartoons I write and draw a syndicated legacy strip called Ginger Meggs which I took over 10 years ago. It’s been around since 1921 and now appears daily in 34 countries. He’s kind of an Australian version of Dennis the Menace, except he predates him by about 30 years.

Tools of choice: For drawing/roughs, I use a Prismacolor Turquoise clutch pencil with a red lead and try to find some paper with a little bit of tooth. The mixed media pads at Blick do the trick nicely.

I ink using a Uni-ball Vision Elite Stick Roller Ball Pen… or a Pigma Micron 03. 

DO NOT use the Uni-Ball Vision Rollerball Pens, Fine Point (0.7mm) if you’re traveling. They explode on planes. And ruin your copy of The New Yorker.

For a wash, I just use watercolor and whatever brush is lying around. Nothing fancy. There’s a scanning app on my phone called “Adobe Scan” which does a nice job of scanning line-art into a PDF when I’m out of the studio and need to email in a quick rough.

I use a Wacom Mobilestudio Pro for finished artwork. I like to get out of the studio and work from a bar or restaurant, so it helps that I can take that with me. I use a little glove that I got on Amazon so I don’t grease up the screen, and the felt-tip nib that comes in the pen-holder makes the friction between the stylus and the screen more like pencil on paper. Unfortunately, they’re not waterproof, as I found on a recent vacation…

My wife plays piano and sings at bars around the city so I’ll often sit at the bar during her sets and draw. Digital/Traditional depends on what deadlines are most pressing. (She has a weekly residency in Astoria —if anyone’s interested in going, let me know!)

A lot of people email me for advice about tablets —I’ve been trialling/demo-ing Wacom products for 15 years— I think they’re great. If you’re married to doing stuff by hand but want to colour digitally, you can get a decent tablet without going broke. Depends on your workflow.

Writing Desk: My wife and I were living upstairs in 5A when my neighbour in 4B died. He was a brilliant poet and had an incredible old writing desk. It’s the only thing that was left in the apartment, so I’m looking after it ’til his grandson moves in at the end of our lease. I work for countless hours at this old thing. It’s beat up, but I’ve patched it together enough that it won’t collapse and bury me mid-brushstroke. I’ve stuck a few of my favourite toons on the top of it.

Tool I wish I could use better: My brain. It really is a sack of cats. Whenever I want to sit and do work, it clocks off. Then it comes up with a pearler of an idea at 3 in the morning when I’m trying to sleep. I write it down in my phone, but autocorrect makes it indecipherable by morning.

I like working with my writer friend, Scott. We both do comedy at night and have developed a nice short-hand. We also seem to have the same library of references and can build on each others’ premises, which tames my sack-of-cats.

Tool I wish existed: The Deadline Extender.® I’ve never missed a deadline, but that said… an extra 3 or 4 minutes to allow for a terrible wifi connection, or a errant scanner wouldn’t go astray.

Also: The Deadline Extender® PREMIUM: Let’s you go back in time to when you were procrastinating and slap yourself in the face. $30 p/month.

Tricks: Ok, well. This is going to sound a bit Dalton Trumbo, but bear with me: I do my best work…in the bath.The most productive 3 hours of my week are during Scotchbath Sunday; an immoveable chunk of time on Sunday evening whereby I lock myself in the bathroom, run a bath, lug my drawing stuff onto a bit of wood that sits over the bath, and just write and draw. Nothing else. I write weeks worth of my syndicated comic strip (Ginger Meggs), I write New Yorker cartoons, scribble up roughs for dailies— and when I feel like I’ve earned it (usually 2 hours in) I tap the side of the bath three times, and my wife peels herself from her piano and I unlock the door to a nice big glass of scotch. It’s a hell of a carrot on a stick to work towards when you’re stuck. (PS. Lest you think I’m some kind of Don Draper-era misogynist; the scotch reward part was her idea. I think she realized it keeps me in the bath and out of her way.)

Anyway. It’s a great way to switch gears creatively. It’s like being on an aeroplane. No wifi, no phones — just the work you need to get done. Get involved. #ScotchBathSunday.

Oh! And if I get my deadlines done for the week, I have a small budget for a solo lunch somewhere where I can eat cheese and draw. I really didn’t know cheese ’til I moved to America. (And yes, I’ve already been to Wisconsin. Good Lord.)

Tips? I always tell younger artists to not even think about touching a drawing tablet until they’ve learned to draw by hand first. Otherwise they’ll always be drawing away, knowing they have the insurance of the CTRL+Z key at their disposal if they screw up a line. That’s not a good habit to have when you’re working to a deadline. But, once you do know how to draw, by all means dive head-first into the digital realm. It’s incredible. Procreate, Sketchbook or Photoshop are all great.

Misc: One of the hangovers from working in advertising illustration is that I’ve had to be a bit of a chameleon style-wise for the last 15 years and haven’t allowed myself to just settle into one style. Lately, I’ve just decided to say “Bugger it!” and try and find a loose, consistent style that I’m comfortable with, that’s an apt conduit to my silly ideas.

I always loved George Booth’s line, and his ability to create a scene with so much movement but just at the right moment in time. Also Sam Gross’ dark, hilarious cartoons with perfect line-economy. And I’d give my left arm (I draw with my right) to know how Barry Blitt has so much control with his washes…

Chatfield’s portrait of Sam Gross

While I’m geeking out, I love seeing younger cartoonists find their feet and thrive in a style that just feels like they’re speaking to you— Ellis J. Rosen, Sofia Warren, Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell, Jason Katzenstein, Amy Kurzweil, and a seemingly endless list of talented younger artists who are putting in the work are a big inspiration. 

I know it should be Steig or Thurber or Addams, but my favourite cartoonist is Sergio Aragones.

I was always so enamoured of MAD growing up and studied the lines of Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, Al Jaffee and the Usual Gang of Idiots. I remember being so frustrated I couldn’t even come close to getting my work to look like theirs, but I think I found a style somewhere in between when I fell short. 

I think Wil McPhail’s poses are masterful, and I wish I knew how how the hell he did that. One day I’ll trudge up to England and knock on his door to ask him. I find myself doubled-over at John Cuneo’s Instagram, and Ed Steed’s absurdly funny gags. I have a slew of toons I’ve torn out of years’ worth of magazines and taped to my studio wall, or my zillion year-old writing desk. I’m constantly humbled by how generous and welcoming the existing crop of New Yorker cartoonists have been to a goofy Aussie immigrant — Joe Dator, Matt Diffee and Pat Byrnes, Mort Gerberg and an ever-growing list of prolific, talented cartoonists who make the 99% weekly rejection tolerable.

I’ve made some of my closest friends and have been lucky enough to meet my cartooning heroes through the National Cartoonists Society. I got to spend a lot of time with Sergio at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in the UK last year which made my year. We were signing together for a whole afternoon and I spent more time geeking out with him than signing.

Okay. Enough drooling. Sorry.

I’m a fan of cartoonists.

Website, etc. I have a weekly podcast where I throw around ideas for New Yorker cartoons with a fellow comedian and writer, Scott Dooley. It’s called “Is There Something In This?” It’s a bit of fun. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we do take the art of writing gags very seriously. It’s an extremely difficult skill to master, and we’re virtually zygotes at it. We have lots of listeners now, which is bewildering. Talking about drawing is like dancing about architecture, but here we are. Anyway you can find it on iTunes or wherever you waste time listening to podcasts.

My website is jasonchatfield.com and my comedy stuff is up at jasonchatfieldcomedy.com  ( I’ve been doing stand-up comedy for 11 years. If anyone wants to come see a show, hit me up! I’ll put you on the door). My instagram is @jasonchatfield. I’m still trolling the British chap who has the @jasonchatfield handle on Twitter to no avail. To that end, I’m @jason_chatfield on Twitter.

If you want more art supplies in your life, A Case for Pencils is on Instagram and Twitter.  You can also find me, Jane (the person who created/edits this blog), on Twitter here, which is where I stick the paintings that I’ve been doing instead of interviewing people consistently (I needed to balance working on other people’s work and my own work!). Oh, and If you’d like to support this blog, which is always very appreciated, there are many different ways to do so, which you can find here!

[sexypinkon]

A Perspective on “The Art of Jamaican Sculpture” at National Gallery West

By Veerle Poupeye

Art museums have been under pressure recently. Not a week goes by without some high-profile protest action or controversy and it appears that no major art museum is exempt. This has involved protests against certain exhibitions and against certain artists and artworks, such as the contentions about Chuck Close, after allegations surfaced about a history of sexual harassment of his models, or the protests against a painting in last year’s Whitney Biennial, Dana Schutz’s Open Casket (2016), which depicted the corpse of Emmett Till, a black 14-year old who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955, and was deemed exploitative. There have also been contentions about how art museums are governed and funded, such as the recent protest at the Metropolitan Museum led by artist Nan Goldin against the role in the opioid painkiller addiction crisis of the Sackler family, who made their fortune in the pharmaceutical industry and who are major donors to the Met. On a more foundational level, these contentions have pertained to the ideological premises on which art museums operate, particularly their role in perpetuating dominant social, political and cultural interests and the manner in which this is reflected in the canons and narratives that such museums have produced and presented.

This is of course not, as such, new, since the canonical functions of art museums have been regularly questioned since the 1960s (and earlier, if we count in the advent of modernism and movements such as Dadaism). One such example is the Puerto Rican artist Rafael Ferrer, who dumped autumn leaves and other debris in the lobby of MoMA in the late 1960s, as a performative intervention that questioned the exclusion of artists like himself from the canons of modernism. Another example is the Guerrilla Girls, a collective of feminist artists that was established in 1985 and that has questioned, through various pointed and witty public interventions, the role of art museums in perpetuating (white) male patriarchy. The frequency and intensity of such controversies has however increased exponentially in recent years, as has the intensity and immediacy of the coverage of such actions in the conventional and social media.

While the increasingly contentious and demanding relationship with stakeholders has made the leadership positions in museums far more demanding than they used to be, the effects on how museums operate have been generally beneficial, as it has forced museums to become more self-reflexive and to re-examine their ideological foundations. This has, to varying degrees, resulted in more thoughtful and innovative approaches to exhibitions and programmes, which interrogate and challenge the very same canons and grand narratives such museums have historically produced and which invite conversation about them, rather than to impose them unilaterally and unquestioningly. The Victoria and Albert in London comes to mind as a museum that has made interesting strides in interrogating its colonial foundations through its recent exhibitions and projects.

For us here in Caribbean, the question arises where this leaves public cultural institutions such as the National Gallery of Jamaica, Jamaica’s national art museum. I need to acknowledge at this point that I am the immediate past Executive Director of the National Gallery of Jamaica and have played a key role in its exhibitions and programmes up to three months ago. The debates and new expectations that surround museums elsewhere in the world also apply here, however, and there needs to be frank critical discussion about the current moment in the Caribbean art world, at a time where criticality seems to have all but disappeared in the region. I believe that I have a contribution to make to these conversations and so I am offering my perspective, while acknowledging my potential biases and personal interests, and my readers can decide whether I have risen to the occasion.

The National Gallery of Jamaica has been the fulcrum of the local culture wars since it was established in 1974 and it has always held an ambivalent position with regards to the production and promotion of art-historical canons. On one hand, it has made some interesting, if conflicted and at times controversial counter-canonical moves, such as the validation of aspects of self-taught, popular art under the Intuitive label (which has its own problems, but that is another story) and its more general role of claiming Jamaica’s place vis-à-vis the canons and grand narratives of the metropolitan West. On the other hand, it is Jamaica’s very own canonical institution, which has been centrally preoccupied with articulating a national canon from the mid-1970s, albeit always a heavily contested one, and which until quite recently did not question its canonical role or ideological premises. I am not knocking the National Gallery’s early efforts, as these were necessary in their time, but in the present context, these canons and underlying interests need to be unpacked and critiqued, and this ideally needs to be part of the scholarly and curatorial practice of the organization itself. And this takes me to The Art of Jamaican Sculpture, an exhibition which has been on view at National Gallery West, the Montego Bay branch of the National Gallery of Jamaica, since March 7.

The preceding National Gallery West exhibition—a smaller version of the Spiritual Yards exhibition which had previously been shown at the National Gallery in Kingston—was slated to close on February 25 and I was, of course, interested to see what would come next. The first inkling of what would be the next exhibition was an Instagram story which appeared on the National Gallery’s timeline on February 27, which stated that an exhibition titled The Art of Jamaican Sculpture was coming soon. The post showed a snippet of video footage of sculptures that had clearly just arrived at the gallery for installation and I glimpsed work by Ronald Moody, Christopher Gonzalez, Lawrence Edwards, Osmond Watson, and David Miller Senior. There was also a closure notice on Facebook on that day, which stated that the gallery would be closed until March 6 to facilitate the installation of The Art of Jamaican Sculpture, with a note that further information on this exhibition would be coming soon.

Piqued by the rather ambitious exhibition title, I contacted National Gallery West for more information and was told that the exhibition would have a soft opening on March 7, with a reception at a later date to be announced, but that information on the exhibition itself was forthcoming. On the evening of March 10, three days into the run of the exhibition, an e-flyer which announced that the exhibition reception would be on March 18 was posted to social media, but again without any accompanying information on the exhibition itself. Since I had to be in Montego Bay on March 13 for other reasons, I decided to have a look at the exhibition, which was indeed mounted and open, although there was not as yet any text panel or signage, other than the usual identifying labels besides each work of art. I was again told that the supporting information was forthcoming but that the exhibition was organized around the themes of nationalism, spirituality and abstraction. It is only in late afternoon on March 14, one week after the exhibition had opened to the public, that a press release was finally published and circulated and further queries on March 15 revealed that the curator’s essay was still being written and would be posted to the National Gallery West blog. The essay was eventually posted on the day of the reception, March 18.

I belabour this sequence of events here because it is unusual, to say the least, that a National Gallery of Jamaica exhibition would have been up and running for a week without any published information about it and with the curator’s essay still being written at that time. The standard practice is that there will be press and social media advisories at least a few days before the exhibition opens for viewing and that the public will be given a fair idea of what to expect in the exhibition, in terms of its scope and the artists featured. I do not wish to be too uncharitable about this unusual radio silence, which may well be caused by unavoidable practical challenges, but the delay in publishing this information also suggests that there are other problems with this exhibition.

Let me return to why I was piqued by the exhibition title. For a museum exhibition, a title is a promissory note and a statement of intent, which creates certain expectations in terms of what to expect in the exhibition and also signals how the exhibition is being framed. Titling this exhibition The Art of Jamaican Sculpture may seem innocuous but it implies a lot. It implies a certain position about what is meant with “art” and artistic merit, with “sculpture,” and with “Jamaican art” and “Jamaican sculpture.” Or to put it differently, the title suggests that the National Gallery of Jamaica is in full-throttle canonical mode, at a time when a more self-reflexive and questioning approach is expected. And the title also suggests that the exhibition will sample the full range of sculptural work that has been produced by artists who somehow qualify as “Jamaican” (which is another difficult issue).

Unfortunately, there is no evidence in the exhibition of any such breadth of range or any critical interrogation of its canonical underpinnings. The exhibition consists almost entirely of figurative sculpture—nineteen of the twenty-two sculptures on view are figurative, while three are abstract—and the majority of the sculptures are woodcarvings. One work is a stone carving (an alabaster carving by John “Doc” Williamson) and there are two bronzes, by Edna Manley (the 1982 version of her Negro Aroused, which was in its original, 1935 form a woodcarving) and by Kay Sullivan, as well as a plaster sculpture by Christopher Gonzalez. And only one work steps outside of the conventional formats of pedestal or relief sculpture, namely Laura Facey’s wall- and ground-based installation Goddess of Change (1993) from the National Gallery collection, although even this work involves, as its core element, a figurative woodcarving. Clearly, the operative definition of sculpture in this exhibition is a very narrow one and, on the technical front alone, it should be evident that there is a lot more to sculpture in Jamaica than carving and casting, especially in the contemporary practice, which is virtually absent from this exhibition. From a thematic, iconographic and stylistic point of view, the exhibition is equally conservative and reflects a very narrow, conventional and, frankly, dated conception of what is deemed legitimate as “Jamaican art.” The three themes of “nationalism, spirituality and abstraction” and the inclusion of self-taught, “Intuitive” artists are well within the range of how that has been conventionally conceived.

The point is that The Art of Jamaican Sculpture does not explore “the rich tradition of Jamaican sculpture in the 20th and 21st century,” as the press release claims, but only a specific and narrowly delineated part thereof, and there are only two works that date from the 21st century (Laura Facey’s Radiant Coomb of 2011 and a 2006 abstract by Ted Williams). Even the use of the word “tradition” is worrying in this context, since it suggests that sculpture necessarily belongs in a traditional framework. And it is also worth noting that of the seventeen artists in the exhibition, only three are women, so there appears to have been an unconscious gender bias in the selection process (a masculinist gender bias which was, by the way, also evident in the canonical hierarchies from which the exhibition draws.) And if there is still any doubt that old canons are being re-inscribed, the curator’s essay actually states that the exhibition takes at its point of departure the 1975 Ten Jamaican Sculptors exhibition which was guest-curated for the Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery by the soon-to-be National Gallery Director/Curator David Boxer. This 1975 exhibition was in effect a key moment in the development of Jamaica’s art historical canons, particularly with regards to sculpture.

Let me be clear, I have no difficulty per se with any artist or works of art in The Art of Jamaican Sculpture which, other than the artists already mentioned, also features work by Mallica “Kapo” Reynolds, Roy Lawrence, David Miller Junior, Fitz Harrack, Winston Patrick, and Namba Roy. Most of the works are well-known and frequently exhibited at the National Gallery of Jamaica (and a few have even been shown at National Gallery West before). The exhibition includes several personal favourites, such as Alvin Marriott’s Banana Man (1955), Ronald Moody’s Tacet (1938), Lawrence Edward’s Rapture (1992) and Osmond Watson’s Revival Kingdom (1969), all four from the National Gallery’s collection, which is the source of most of the works in the exhibition.

I was also delighted to see the work of two Montego Bay artists, Roy Lawrence and Ted Williams, since these are two artists who had thus far not received a lot of attention or recognition from the National Gallery of Jamaica, although Roy Lawrence was included in the Masculinities exhibition in 2015-16. But canons are not substantially challenged or questioned by simply adding a name or two, no matter how underrated these artists may be, and the work of Lawrence and Williams furthermore fits quite comfortably within the aesthetic, iconographical and technical premises that inform this exhibition. If anything, their inclusion reinforces the uncritical canonical aspirations of the exhibition.

Putting together a collection of strong works of art by artists of obvious merit and presenting it in an aesthetically pleasing manner (an issue to which I will return in a bit) does not necessarily make for a compelling and meaningful exhibition. The public deserves more than that from a museum exhibition and a well-curated exhibition needs to be more than the sum-total of the works of art therein: it needs to present new perspectives on the significance of what is exhibited, and facilitate new dialogues, between the works of art themselves and with its audiences. The Art of Jamaican Sculpture fails to deliver in terms of producing such surplus value. And this takes me back to the National Gallery’s odd, prolonged silence on this exhibition, as this suggests a reluctance or perhaps even an inability to articulate and justify its scope and intentions. This, in turn, may be an implied admission that its premises are indeed problematic and it may well be that the exhibition was titled, selected and mounted before its conceptual underpinnings were fully articulated. And that, of course, would amount to putting the cart before the curatorial horse.

I also need to say something about the exhibition installation. Installing any exhibition that consists purely of sculpture is a technically and conceptually challenging undertaking, especially in the sort of small and open exhibition space as is available at National Gallery West. The installation has its moments: Laura Facey’s Goddess of Change looks stunning in the entrance to the exhibition, and comfortably commands its space while interacting beautifully with the dome above and the other works in its vicinity. There are also some glimmers of the sort of dialogues and juxtapositions that would have added value to this exhibition, for instance between the muscular, assertive black masculinity of Alvin Marriott’s Banana Man and the supplicant, emaciated figure of the Kay Sullivan’s Star Boy (1972), who slyly talk to each other over the sulking, self-absorbed mass of David Miller Junior’s Head (1958). But overall, I found the installation to be rather dull and unimaginative and it was too crowded in most sections, with bulky sculptures competing for space and attention in ways that actually inhibit the hoped-for artistic dialogues. All sculptures positioned against the gallery walls, even though several would have benefited from being seen in the round. I was also puzzled by the cobalt-blue paint on the tops of the sculpture stands, as this does not seem to add anything to the exhibition, other than serving as décor and rather distractingly so.

There is much to be enjoyed in The Art of Jamaican Sculpture but it is an inadequately framed exhibition. Part of its problem is its grandiose but self-defeating title, which may have been decided on too hastily and over-determines the exhibition concept. The selection does not even gesture at the wide range of what could be defined as sculpture that has been produced in Jamaica in the twentieth and twenty-first century. But even with the narrow selection, the exhibition is a missed opportunity: it could have reflected very usefully on those sculptural canons the National Gallery helped to generate in the 1970s and 80s, without appearing to endorse or re-inscribe those uncritically. It could have engaged with the reasons why wood-carving and the stylistic and iconographic conventions that are privileged in the exhibition were given a central position in the Jamaican national canon, and why there appears to be a masculinist bias in that canon. It could also have asked how this sort of art is seen today and why woodcarving and conventional sculpture have, with a few notable exceptions, practically disappeared from the contemporary art practice in Jamaica. Or, along another line of inquiry, the exhibition could have explored how the supremely canonical “fine art” sculptures that were selected for this exhibition relate to the more obviously stereotypical Jamaican, “low-brow” woodcarvings that are produced for and sold in the tourism art market, which is one area where woodcarving continues to thrive (and Montego Bay is, after all, Jamaica’s tourism capital and the Montego Bay Craft Market is just around the corner).

This sort of questioning is unfortunately not evident in the exhibition. My fundamental concern with that is that it appears that the National Gallery of Jamaica is, consciously or unconsciously, engaging in a reactionary re-inscription of its old canons, definitions and curatorial approaches. And I am concerned that this may be part of a broader push-back against the perceived “take-over” by contemporary art and the advent of new curatorial and critical practices, which have deeply challenged the entrenched artistic hierarchies and narratives of the Caribbean in the last two to three decades. Such turf wars are really quite unnecessary, since for the art world to thrive, there needs to be room for artistic, curatorial and critical diversity and openness to change and new ideas. There is ample scope for potentially very productive dialogues between the older approaches and the newer developments.

The Art of Jamaican Sculpture is not the only reason why I have that concern: another is the Kapo Gallery at the National Gallery in Kingston which re-opened in late January 2018. This gallery had been temporarily closed in early 2017, to make room for the (unusually large) Jamaica Biennial 2017and a selection of the Kapo paintings and sculptures that are normally on view in that gallery was, later in 2017, shown at National Gallery West. It would have been one thing to simply reopen the Kapo gallery with some minor updates and changes, which is in essence what was done, but it is quite another to launch this as if it were a major re-installation, as this would have required a more fundamental rethinking of how Kapo’s work is presented and contextualized. Other than some cosmetic changes, there is nothing in that gallery, or in the educational programme that was staged on February 10 to accompany the reopening, that reflects any new scholarship or any new thinking on what Kapo represents today—artistically, culturally and, for that matter, politically—that goes beyond what was already known and established in the early 1980s, when the Kapo Gallery first opened. A revision of this narrative is now well overdue.

The Caribbean, given its historical position in the global dynamics of cultural representation, has a special responsibility to contribute actively to the new self-reflexivity and critical curatorship that is revolutionizing many art museums, globally. Institutions such as the National Gallery of Jamaica also have an obligation to contribute new scholarship and ideas about the art they are mandated to represent and to be on the cutting edge of Caribbean curatorial and art-historical practice, with thoughtful, relevant and innovative exhibitions, research, programmes and publications. The National Gallery cannot afford to rest on its laurels or to be defensive or even ignorant about the nature and implications of the canons and narratives it generated thirty- and forty-odd years ago. The current, hyper-critical cultural environment may be challenging for museums and curators but it presents many exciting new opportunities. The National Gallery’s early curatorial and art-historical labour will always provide a valuable foundation but applying a more self-reflexive, critical curatorial approach to that material is richly rewarding, in terms of the insights this can yield about the art itself, how it functions in Jamaica, how it is understood by various audiences, what this tells us about Jamaican society and culture, and how all of this is changing over time.

While I have also articulated concerns about how this exhibition and the related communications and publications appear to have been handled, I wrote this extended commentary mainly to contribute a much-needed critical perspective on the premises that appear to underpin the exhibition. I hope that this will help to trigger further conversation and reflection about where things are going, or need to be going, in terms of the curatorial and art-historical direction of the National Gallery of Jamaica. And I do hope that there will be educational programming to accompany the exhibition that adds further opportunity for public dialogue. There is no doubt in my mind that the curatorial and education staff of the National Gallery of Jamaica and National Gallery West is more than capable, technically and intellectually, of responding to these challenges.

[styleemag]

1000 years by your art

Viola aka @pitypagn aka @faheej is a 16 year old SHINee lover, currently living and studying in Budapest. Being a prolific and extremely talented young artist, she has something  yet to draw and say about her ultimate K-pop favourite - 5HINee.

Tell us, please, about SHINee Fanzine project. How did the idea emerge? Who are the participants? How is the process organized? ^▽^

The fanzine started with a tweet by my friend Gib (Twitter @cat__boy ). He wanted to participate in a SHINee themed zine but there wasn’t any around, so he thought of creating one. (By the way, it would be really nice if more zines and artist collabs were organised in the fandom! We haven’t seen many collaboration zines, mostly individual artists’ artbook and older theme collabs by korean shawols that hasnt happened in a while.) I messaged Gib that i would support the idea and so did his friend Flo (Twitter @omjkt_), and we became an admin team of three. For our theme, we went with something I had in my mind since April; a project that celebrates SHINee’s 10th anniversary by making a collection of fanarts themed around their songs. The name ‘10 years by your side’ is also referring to their song '1000年、ずっとそばにいて・・・’ (1000 Years Always By Your Side). 

Gib and Flo organised the technical aspects like choosing a printing shop, looking up printing requirements, shipping options, setting up a Tumblr page with all the necessary information, asking a friend to translate to korean and making the actual application form. It’s a big work and involves a lot of discussion, so I’m glad we could work it out; three is a good number for organising a zine, especially for first-timers like us as we can discuss and ask each other things effectively, split up work, point out things that the others forgot and such.

About the participants; we decided to invite some artists and open applications as well. We came up with a list of about 20 people — mostly SHINee fanartists known in the fandom — who we would like to work with and simply invited them through Twitter. It was a really rewarding part of the organisation process as it got me to talk to some of my mutuals i really look up to but we haven’t talked because of language barriers; someone whose art I really adore actually told me I made their day with the invitation and I found out we’re birthday twins with another artist! Also, good language exercise, hehe. While inviting artists, we also promoted our application page, where we received over 120 replies (which is incredible) and ended up choosing 15 artists from them, making our number 36 with admins.

To distribute the songs, we made a document of the list of songs we wanted to include in the zine (so they make a coherent timeline of SHINee’s music and visual concepts through the years) and sent it to artists so they can sign up to the song(s) they would like to draw, or add others that they had in mind. Currently, everyone is working on their pieces and us admins are in the making of the design of the printed zine. We also have a chat with all artists to get to know each other and share work in progress pictures.

For what’s still to be done; after all the designs and artworks are edited into one, we will start printing and selling towards the end of the year. Until then, we will update our social media (@shineefanzine on Twitter and Tumblr) on how things are going and possibly previews of the artworks!

It seems like you are doodling all the time, cause you often publish works done in notebooks, on working sheets of paper. It creates a unique atmosphere of understatement, so what does it say about you, in your opinion? 6v6

Haha that’s actually not correct! It’s true though that my sketchbook is a checked spiral notebook (that’s probably 10+ years old), so I understand why it seems so! I kind of wish I could draw more in school but it’s simply not the best place for me as I’m occupied with other things, and I like to make more focused drawings lately. Which is also why I haven’t really used that sketchbook (and updated my Instagram where I put traditional sketches) in the latest months. I might get back to it again, as I need to make some studies and I can’t continue my summer break drawing work ethic with finished digital pieces almost every day.

Understatement is a really nice way to put it though, I’m glad it seems so! There are multiple reasons for my sketchbook, one is that I feel too pressured having to draw something nice if it’s on some expensive special paper. Also, it’s easier for me to sense depth, proportions and sizes (aka how close i am to the paper) if it has patterns on it, although when the print ink is too strong, it’s not very good for drawing. The notebook I have has a good paper and lightly printed so it’s nice to draw on. This is the technical part, and what I think this says about me…simplicity? Since I started doing digital, traditional art became secondary for me and that’s great in the quality that it provides me more freedom in it, in some way. That it doesn’t matter if I draw something badly in traditional as it’s not as important to me. This is more of an image I would like if people saw when they looked at my Instagram, that it’s carefree, not looking for perfectionism but has its own beauty in sketchiness and stationary tools. Also that the first and most important thing you need for art is, well, doing art, not professional art supplies.

Be it a pencil sketch, or a digital masterpiece, your artworks are professionally done. Do you have plans to follow an artist’s career?  ㅍ_ㅍ

Thank you so much!! I do! Since a little less than a year ago, I decided I don’t want to study anything I’m being taught (mistake of going to a school known for its math) and it would be much nicer to occupy and surround myself with art and artsy people. I am planning to start taking art courses later this year or next year, learn to make a portfolio and look up some art colleges. At this point, I would be the happiest to be an illustrator but animating sounds good too, I will have to see yet where I will go!

What role does fashion play in your life? Do you use it as a tool, an artist’s medium? `ㅂ´

I’m probably not fashionable enough to say that, haha. Or rather I’m not satisfied with my own fashion because I don’t have the wardrobe I would like to have, my own personal issues getting in my way. It interests me though, and I do have the nagging feeling to do better, the room to improve, the inspiration. I like simplicity, gray and dull colors, oversized clothes, simple and clean designs that are great in their quietness. I would like to be like that.

Fashion in my drawings is a bit of a different topic I know, but I would like to mention since even though I’m usually preoccupied with people in my drawings, it can be really meditative and nice sometimes to sit down and compose an outfit and fiddle with details. Also high fashion, it can be quite an inspiration for me.

What thing, or maybe person, impressed you most of all recently? ㅎㅅㅎ

Eastern Europe. It has an exciting aesthetic that isn’t celebrated enough, at least from what I could see. I really love the folk wear, and it feels like home. I would like to make illustrations based around it as well as my own country’s historical fashion, it’s beautiful. The other side is the ~dark~ post socialist aesthetic, big blocks of panel houses made of concrete that don’t age well. It has a grim and heavy feeling but it’s also something uniquely here. I don’t know, maybe only the grim feeling might appear in my art style, maybe I will abandon it for lighter aesthetics but it’s interesting nevertheless.

We are thankful to Viola ( @faheej​ ) for her fabulous creations and the talk. Design by Anna Maria ( @sh5untik​ ).

[depressing-darkness]

Heartbreak (pt.2)

The first one was about my life before I told Felcia about my feelings. This one is about what happened after.

After that, as you can imagine, we began talking a whole lot more. We’d skype for most of the day and then at night until 5 am in the morning. The only reason we’d stop was because my roommate would wake up at 5 to go to university. We’d talk so much that she had to switch off her WiFi while she was studying just so that she wouldn’t talk to me. I wouldn’t study much so I used to be alone and thinking about her all day long even when she wasn’t there.

There were these 2 weeks after I confessed to her, where everyone was doing extravagant, public and very sweet ways to ask out their date for the homecoming dance. It made me feel as if I didn’t put enough effort to show Felicia how much I cared for her. I was definitely not going to do anything public and we were on a study break until May so it wasn’t like we could just meet up at university. My one of closest friends, Patrick, asked out his date by sticking her ugliest pictures on a cardboard and giving it the title “Hope you look like this at homecoming with me”. So I took that idea and modified it. I went took my favourite pictures of Felicia and her smile from her Instagram, made it into a collage and wrote across it “This smile lights up my world. Will you light up my homecoming by smiling like this beside me?”. Once again, she said “yes” and immediately followed it with “You didn’t need to do this, I was already going with you”. I replied to that with “You deserved this and much more”. It seemed she really liked the collage because for the next  2 months it had become her skype profile picture.

During those two months, we talked about everything under the sun. We would plan imaginary trips to Disneyland together (I refused to take any pictures with Goofy though). Once we imagined a week away together would be like, I broke every day down where we had immense amounts of imaginary fun. I remember her once telling me about how, while all her friends were ranting about their boyfriends, she was internally thanking God that she had me. She would text me if she were at the university alone and bored. I would call her after every exam, if I couldn’t be there in person. I opened my heart out to her in a way that I never had before and probably will ever again. I would talk to her about anything and everything that would happen in my life, the moment it would happen. I remember being there for her when her ex ignored her happy birthday wish to him,l and I I remember supporting her as she tried to talk to him and sort things out between them. I remember her thanking me for being there for her even when it was about her ex. I remember her telling me that she didn’t have any feelings for him, that he was just a friend now, that they barely spoke. And I remember believing her completely. And during those two months, I would try to meet her as much as possible. I would come to university even if I didn’t have an exam, just to see her and wish her luck. I would wait after my exam until hers got over just so that I could talk to her, see her, spend time with her.

One day I was on my way to an exam, and she called me while I was in the car with a friend who was dropping me.

“Guess where I am?” she said

“I don’t know, where?”

“Starbucks”

“Oh I want some”

“Come here then”

Mind you, in all my years till date, I’ve only had a hot coffee drink about 6 times, 4 of them on flights. I’m just not a hot drink person be it tea or coffee and in those days I wouldn’t even have cold frappucinos. But when she said those 3 words, they just took over. I deliberately forced my friend to stop at the same Starbucks that she was at and ordered a cafe latte because I knew it would take the longest just so I could talk to her for 5 minutes. Just to see her smile and know that I caused it. Once or twice, I even randomly showed up at the university to wish her good luck even if I didn’t have an exam but she did.

Another time I planned with her best friend Nancy, whom I had begun talking to recently, to surprise her after an exam. So when Felicia asked if I was joining her, Nancy, Nancy’s boyfriend Augustus and his best friend Isaac (both of whom were good friends of mine as well) at Starbucks, I told her that I was staying in class and revising with other friends. But in reality I simply went there 10 minutes later to surprise her once she was convinced that I wasn’t joining them. I walked alone in the heat for nearly 15 minutes because I had to take a longer route just so that she wouldn’t see me. I came in and hugged her from behind, a wondrous feeling at the time. And I sat with her the rest of the time, our friends, giving us space, went to other tables and so it was just her and I. She studied while I just watched her do it. And then we walked back together to university.

By the time our finals got over, nearly two months had elapsed from the time Felicia and I went out on our first date. So we decided to go out again, this time for a movie: Insidious 3 the day after my exams got over. The only problem was that we had to book the tickets earlier because it was a thursday plan and malls are heavily crowded on those days, especially cinemas. Obviously I couldn’t ask my parents with their indian mentality for the money to buy the ticket, so I did what any desperate boy in love would do….I pinched money from my dad’s wallet.

Ever since the whole ‘homecoming proposal’ thing, I wanted to do something special for Felicia. Like buy her a gift or write her a card. I wanted to do something meaningful and special. I played a bit of the guitar, so I decided I would do a cover of a song she likes. I spoke to her, discreetly figuring out a song she liked and I could play on the guitar, without telling her that I was going to do this for her. I decided to do the song “Night Changes” by the band One Direction. Late as ever, this thought entered my mind about a week before the date. In one week, I would have to: learn the lyrics of the song, the notations of the song, figure out how to transfer the recordings from my mobile to my laptop, how to combine them all together with proper timings and then convert the combined file into a format that I would put into a USB and give it to her. 

So I started practicing. For hours and hours at a stretch. Learning the lyrics, notations, figuring out the technicalities, downloading half a dozen software to do what I needed.  I practiced my guitar so vigorously that I got a blister on my index finger. It didn’t hurt at all, to be very honest. More like an inconvenience that interfered in my guitar playing. I don’t know whether that was because the determination to finish this before our date or it was just a blob of skin. Whatever it was, about a day in and I got annoyed with it disrupting my playing. So I bit the blister off. It left a sort of a hole in my finger, like the potholes in Indian roads. When Felicia found out that I bit off the blister, she blew a gasket. She ordered me not to play the guitar until either the hole healed, or I don’t use that finger to play anymore. Regardless, I continued striving to finish this until, after 5 days, I finally managed to do it. I put the collage I asked her for homecoming with as the artwork, put it into my USB as well as synced it with my phone, so that she could hear it on my phone and I could see her reaction. The USB was just for her so that she could keep a copy for herself, if she liked it.

 On the last day of our finals, the day before the date, I went out with a couple of friends of mine to the same mall Felicia and I were planning to meet the next day and without telling any of them, quietly went and purchased the tickets for the 12:30pm show the next day. Augustus and Isaac were with me at the time so they were obviously aware of the whole situation.

The next day, I found out that Felicia’s friend could only drop her to another mall that was closer to her house and further from mine rather than the mall we were watching the movie at. Seeing this as an opportunity to spend even more time with her, I took the only bus that could get me to the mall, one which would drop me off at the mall at 10:00 am, an hour before Felicia would come and two and a half hours before the movie. Of course when I told Felicia my plan, she didn’t want me to sit in the mall waiting for her for an hour when I could be at home sleeping. But I was a stubborn piece of work so I went and waited an hour for her to arrive. Because it was such an early bus, I had to carry my breakfast with me and eat it at the mall. I still remember sitting on the floor of the mall and eating chicken nuggets out of a lunchbox.

Eventually I got bored of sitting on the floor, so I went to Coldstone and bought a slush to keep myself awake because I had to get up very early to take the bus. When she finally arrived, we took the earliest bus that got us to the cinema. On the way, I made her listen to the cover. She listened to it three times on repeat and then asked me to somehow send it to her. So I told her, I was conceited and already made a copy on a USB for her in case she wanted to have a copy. This song that I covered for her, in the years since I first did it, only a handful of people have heard it, most of them only the beginning of the song and that too by accident. The reason for this was that I did it for her and no one else. I had never covered a song before that day, and haven’t done one since. Not with the singing at least. The singing was the most important part of the cover, because my voice was and is a huge insecurity. I’d never voiced this insecurity to anyone, not even Felicia. I felt like I sounded to much like a girl. It doesn’t help that most delivery people I talked to on the phone referred to me as “ma’am” until I told them that I was a guy. So that’s why I never used to sing, but Felicia always made me sing and always told me that she loved the sound of my singing, even though she had no idea about my insecurity save that I didn’t like singing. So when I sang in the cover, it was to show her how much she means to me, that for her happiness, I pushed past my insecurities just to make her happy. And that’s why I never let anyone hear this cover.

Once we reached the cinema, we bought 2 drinks, nachos and popcorn and got inside just 5 minutes into the movie luckily. The movie was horror. I’d chosen it specifically so that, in the event that Felicia got scared, she would hold my hand or hug me. Yes, that is how desperate I was. There were 2 main reasons why we didn’t just simply hold hands or hug in any movie. The first was that we still weren’t officially dating, This was sort of a trial run thing. The second, and one that would bite me in the butt later on, was that Fabia shied away from most physical contact with me, sometimes even from a normal hug. So when I got slightly bored of predicting every scene in a movie, and put my head on her shoulder, she flinched but after that she was fine so I thought nothing of it. During the entire movie, I would predict the jump scares before they happened, joking that “the script writers ask me before writing the story”, and this annoyed her to no end and she ended up throwing her popcorn at me, one or two even went down my shirt. 

Once the movie was over, we hurried to get to the first mall where Felicia’s friend would come and pick her up at 3. However, her friend was delayed by 2 hours. So instead, Felicia and I walked to the food court where we found a place to sit and we started talking. We discussed deep personal and intense things and in those 2 hours I learnt a lot about her. We would talk about the problems we both had in life. We would bitch about the teachers whomever we didn’t like. I even took pictures of her just to have memories of that day. Soon, her friend came to pick her up. About 10 minutes after she was gone, we texting each other. Soon both started texing all the way till home. We both said that we both had a great time. I could’ve chosen any day to post this.. but this date had taken place 3 days before the homecoming dance, on the 14th of June. It’s been 2 years today since that second date with Felicia.

Click here to see how it ends: https://depressing-darkness.tumblr.com/post/161848002199/heartbreak-pt3

[erinbdoodles]

Professional Practice Week #7 - Marketing and Promotion

This week we looked at marketing and promotion - an essential element of the illustration/arts industry. It is important to think of your practice as a business. In order to get clients and commissions, you must make yourself known within the industry and that, of course, is done through marketing and promotion. 

The industry is oversaturated and you must make sure you stand out/target the right people via your marketing and promotion. This will require research. What work do you want to be commissioned for? What is your style/skill set? Who could be potential clients? It is important to be consistent and resilient; marketing and promotion must be constant. 

They are many ways in which you can market and promote yourself as an illustrator. Social media channels and a website are an absolute must. Business cards, post cards, creative CVs and other material you can give/send to potential clients are a great way to promote yourself - sending physical things is best practice as it is more memorable/shows your work. Personal work is best for marketing and promotion - it gives the client a look at you personally as an artist, what you like/what you are interested in. It’s also great to keep up personal work as this is a great way to develop. 

Illustrators

Holly Exley 

Holly Exley is a watercolour illustrator based in the UK. Holly is very active and consistent online - regularly posting on a variety of social media channels. She also has a blog and youtube where she documents her work and process. In terms of marketing and promotion, when starting out, Holly ensured she had a strong, substancial and varied portfolio to showcase her work. This included a variety of personal projects as she would look for gaps in her portfolio (work that wasn't as strong, work she wanted to be commissioned for etc.) and adjust accordingly. She also researched SEO, search engine optimisation and would use keywords and hashtags. She also uses her contacts within the industry - friends can help get you work. She also sent out promotional postcards to a breath of clients. However she is vocal about how your portfolio is your key tool - most work will come from internet searches, social media and websites. 

Emma Block 

Emma Block is a watercolour and gouache illustrator based in the UK. Similarly to Holly, she uses social media and blogging for marketing and promotion. Block says ‘Social media is a great way for clients to find you, as well as building an audience, interacting with like minded people, getting your work out there and finding a community. The platforms I get most work from is Instagram. As a highly visual platform it makes sense to use it was an illustrator. I also use Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook and I blog.’ Like Holly, when starting she also created personal work to build and develop her portfolio. She advises recent graduates to keep producing work - ‘If you’re passionate about your, work prove it. Don’t put down your sketchbook for 6 months after graduating. Keep writing/drawing/taking photos and producing new work. A portfolio with nothing but uni work in it doesn’t look great. I update my website every time I complete a new project.’ Emma advises that you make stuff happen - constantly work on your portfolio, email and send work to potential clients, build on social media. 

https://www.emmablock.co.uk/blog/2017/4/13/a-few-wise-words

https://www.emmablock.co.uk/blog/2017/3/18/top-tips-for-recent-graduates

Illustration Agencies

Similarly to freelance illustrators, agencies also rely on websites and social media channels to promote and market artists. They use SEO and keywords when showcasing illustrators work. Agencies often have contacts and industry connections so this is useful when being promoted. They also do exhibitions/showcases to promote artist work. 

Agencies include 

Folio illustration agency 

Central illustration agency 

Debut art agency 

Dutch Uncle

The Artworks illustration agency 

Pocko 

Further reading 

https://www.peopleofprint.com/studio/top-15-illustration-agencies-in-the-uk/

https://taaryn.com/blog/2017/11/26/how-to-kick-start-your-career-as-an-illustrator

https://jonathanwoodwardstudio.com/marketing-101-for-illustrators/

[webart-studio]

Studying One E-book a Week Gained

How and what you learn issues greater than ending 100 books in a 12 months.

February 28, 2019 10 min learn

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.

The time period “bookworm” was an insult. It was a schoolyard taunt, albeit a tame one, utilized in the identical context as geek, nerd or dork. However studying has undergone a makeover. It’s the brand new inexperienced smoothie; one thing we should always work into our every day routines just because it’s good for us.

Founders and thought leaders can’t cease speaking about what, when, and the way a lot they learn, and the message is obvious: extra is healthier. Some even counsel that we should always learn a e-book a day if we wish to succeed.

However who has that form of time? Enter pace studying. Weblog posts, movies and articles with titles like “How you can Learn 300 P.c Quicker in 15 Minutes” inform us that pace studying is now a aggressive sport. We have to measure our phrases per minute and devour the whole New York Instances bestseller record.

Associated: The 5-Hour Rule Utilized by Invoice Gates, Jack Ma and Elon Musk

Studying is considered one of my biggest pleasures. I learn to discover new concepts and views. Over the previous 13 years, studying from others has additionally helped me to bootstrap my enterprise, JotForm, into an organization that serves 4.Three million customers. However, I don’t care about pace, targets or racking up books like searching trophies.

The secrets and techniques of pace studying.

Again within the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy claimed he may learn an astounding 1,200 phrases a minute. After a little bit digging, it was revealed he made that quantity up. Whereas pace studying is having fun with a second within the highlight, the pursuit has been round for many years.

In response to the 1990 version of The Guinness E-book of World Information, Howard Berg mentioned he may learn greater than 80 pages of textual content per minute. That’s about 25,000 phrases each 60 seconds. Studying specialist Mark Pennington, nonetheless, says Berg’s talents had been additionally fabricated.

Researchers constantly discredit the claims of individuals like Berg and world speed-reading champion Anne Jones, who supposedly learn Dan Brown’s 624-page thriller, Inferno, in 41 minutes and 48 seconds.

The late eye-tracking researcher Keith Rayner, for instance, defined that techniques like concurrently studying giant web page segments aren’t biologically or psychologically attainable. Our “foveal viewing space” — a small melancholy within the macula — is the solely a part of the attention that may ship clear, targeted pictures to the mind. Something outdoors this space enters our peripheral imaginative and prescient.

We merely can’t learn a complete web page without delay. The human eye can’t zig-zag across the textual content and nonetheless soak up the that means. Apps that declare to extend pace by displaying one phrase at a time will also be deceptive. They could promise to scale back the time your eyes spend shifting from phrase to phrase, however we don’t cease considering when our eyes transfer.

We course of content material on a regular basis, however our eyes transfer simply 10 p.c of the time. Furthermore, when the mind skims, we dedicate much less time and a spotlight to crucial evaluation, interference and empathy, wrote UCLA psychologist Patricia Greenfield.

Meaning skimmers can’t actually soak up what they learn — and we deny ourselves the power to know complicated concepts or develop knowledgeable opinions. The reality is easy: larger studying pace = decrease comprehension. And that’s high quality if you happen to’re scanning a buying record or on the lookout for your seat at a banquet.

Typically we don’t want to soak up each phrase. But when we’re making an attempt to achieve knowledge and problem our considering, pace defeats the entire objective.

“I took a speed-reading course the place you run your finger down the center of the web page and was in a position to learn Conflict and Peace in 20 minutes,” Woody Allen as soon as mentioned. “It’s about Russia.”

Studying properly is its personal reward.

Science, enterprise and even former U.S. presidents have weighed in on pace studying. However there’s a deeper query we haven’t addressed: why can we need to learn quicker? If somebody naturally reads a e-book per week, and even per day, that’s nice — if it’s a tempo they take pleasure in.

All of us have totally different studying speeds and comprehension ranges, inside the vary of human talents. There’s no want to succeed in some arbitrary quantity, like ending 100 books per 12 months. Then there’s the truth that not all books are created equal. For each insightful, unbelievable title on the market, most cabinets additionally comprise numerous duds. Some books simply aren’t value studying.

Style varies, too. The e-book that strikes a nerve for some will depart others bored to tears. And all of us learn for various causes — from momentary escape to gaining data to delighting in the fantastic thing about masterful writing.

Talking of magnificence, many titles deserve greater than pace studying. These books ought to be savored, like a glass of high quality wine. Blazing by means of the phrases of Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Alice Munro, for instance, is like assigning a KPI or ROI goal to considered one of life’s biggest pleasures.

Once we learn to cross a end line, we soak up little or no and we miss an (more and more) uncommon alternative for quiet reflection. Sure, a few of the world’s most profitable individuals learn lots, however that’s additionally as a result of they’re curious and so they like to study. So, we should always look not at how a lot they learn, however how they learn.

Associated: 19 Books to Learn to Be Profitable in 2019

The alternative ways we learn.

All of us have interaction in three kinds of studying. If you scroll by means of Instagram or flip by means of {a magazine} on the grocery retailer checkout, that’s passive studying. It occurs to you.

The second sort is sensible. This consists of studying a psychology textbook or the high quality print on a medicine label. Sensible studying has a objective, and we have interaction particularly to achieve data.

The ultimate form of studying is pleasurable — and it’s completely subjective. Whether or not we’re studying Vogue within the bathtub or we’re engrossed in a Winston Churchill biography, we learn to have interaction with the phrases and the subject material, not as a result of we’re making an attempt to fulfill a purpose. Once we learn for pleasure, time and place tends to slide away. We go deep inside one other world.

When studying is pleasurable, the content material stays with us. We don’t overlook the tales. We develop our vocabulary, course of recent concepts, and we’re way more more likely to act on what we soak up.

All three studying sorts are legitimate and helpful. But when we’re making an attempt to enhance our lives and careers, the 100 books we end are solely as useful as the teachings we apply. Even the sharpest, smartest books received’t change something if we haven’t processed them correctly.

Because the American thinker Mortimer J. Adler wrote:

“Within the case of excellent books, the purpose is to not see what number of of them you may get by means of, however quite what number of can get by means of to you.”  

Listed below are just a few suggestions that will help you discover the books that get by means of.

1. Revisit the classics.

Most books on at present’s bestseller lists are repackaged variations of traditional titles. Return to the unique sources and discover their longstanding knowledge. Or, query the concepts they first popularized. Choose the easiest in no matter space pursuits you.

The Aim by Eliyahu M. Goldratt was first revealed in 1984, however this “enterprise novel” launched the Idea of Constraints, and stays completely related in at present’s technology-driven world. 

2. Drop the judgment.

“What’s your responsible pleasure?” is a enjoyable interview and get together query. However I believe we should always abandon the concept some books are simply responsible pleasures — titles that ought to solely be learn on a seashore, for instance. Studying doesn’t must be tedious to be precious.

How you can Fail at Nearly Every thing and Nonetheless Win Huge is by Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert syndicated sketch. It is a enjoyable learn that made me chuckle with nearly each web page. It is also crammed filled with nice profession recommendation, like utilizing programs as an alternative of objectives to create lasting change. 

3. Select for your self.

Studying to impress others is never satisfying. Life’s too quick to endure books that put you to sleep. Learn what you’re keen on and luxuriate in each second. Diving deep right into a topic that fascinates and engages you’ll add extra worth to your life than working begrudgingly by means of another person’s “must-read” record.

A Information to the Good Life by William B. Irvine is a philosophy e-book about Stoicism, and the way it can assist us to keep away from continual dissatisfaction. It won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, however I discovered it deeply participating. 

4. Return to books you’re keen on.

My favourite books really feel like a pair of cozy slippers. They’re heat and acquainted, however they by no means stop to offer consolation. I typically return time and again to beloved titles — and I uncover one thing new every time I crack the duvet. Re-reading a e-book that impressed, motivated, or modified you is finally extra impactful than a brand new title that doesn’t stir your thoughts.

I’ve a duplicate of The Conflict of Artwork by Steven Pressfield on my iPad and the audiobook model on my Kindle. Once I’m struggling to work, I will randomly choose a chapter and begin listening. In lower than 5 minutes, I am fired up and able to go. 

Associated: This is How you can Learn 300 Books This 12 months

5. Make notes.

We retain extra data after we take guide notes. You may spotlight sections or scribble notes in books you personal, or preserve a notepad close by for any ideas that emerge. Actively participating with books can assist you to soak up and interpret the content material extra completely.

The Rules of Product Improvement Movement by Donald G. Reinertsen was my introduction to the lean manufacturing mannequin. After jotting down a stack of notes, I used to be impressed to overtake our growth course of at JotForm. We proceed to depend on Reinertsen’s ideas and have by no means regarded again. 

6. Begin or be a part of a e-book membership.

Studying is a solo pastime, however a e-book membership could make it really feel collaborative. Listening to what different individuals take into consideration a title is fascinating, and the dialogue can spotlight totally different views. Likelihood is you’ll additionally learn books that you simply won’t have picked. You don’t have to like them, however it’s an effective way to play the literary area.

I did not learn The 12 months With out Pants by Scott Berkun with a e-book membership, however it will be an excellent choose for a nonfiction group. On the floor, it is a story about distant work, however Berkun’s experiences confirmed me scale a staff with out rising its dimension — a precious precept whether or not your groups work within the workplace or from a seashore in Bali. 

Eradicate the end line.

Nobody ought to gauge their value by what number of books they end, or by the titles on their shelf. Clearly, studying has all kinds of advantages. It educates, will increase our empathy and stretches our consciousness. It’s additionally simply enjoyable.

So, let’s cease studying to develop our companies and our financial institution accounts, and focus as an alternative of the straightforward pleasure of shifting, web page by web page, by means of a very nice e-book.

Supply hyperlink

source https://webart-studio.com/studying-one-e-book-a-week-gained/

[chocolateheal]

Seven Various Ways To Do Artists Similar To Jackson Pollock | artists similar to jackson pollock

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The adventure sounds like article out of a blur noir brought to life.

Abstract Expressionism – The Art History Archive – artists similar to jackson pollock | artists similar to jackson pollock

It has every aspect of a acceptable mystery: a socialite who spent her canicule assortment with New York’s best and brightest, a absent painting begin years afterwards in an abrupt place, and — conceivably best conspicuously — a abeyant $15 actor amount tag.

So aback a attenuate Jackson Pollock painting was begin in an Arizona garage, addition out its origins wasn’t aloof about allegory besom strokes. Like any acceptable mystery, apprehension the painting’s history took tracking bottomward the bodies abaft it.

‘God, that looks like a Jackson Pollock’

The abstruseness began with a active L.A. Lakers poster.

When a Scottsdale, Arizona, man was headed to a retirement home, a acquaintance allowance with the move begin the collectible in the barn and appropriate contacting an abettor to adjudge it.

Josh Levine, buyer of the bargain abode who was alleged to attending at the poster, estimated the active Lakers memorabilia would be account about $300. But aback they went to the man’s garage, what they begin could be 50,000 times added valuable.

A accumulating of several avant-garde paintings were amid the man’s accouterments — one of which featured an amalgamation of splatters and swirls agnate to Pollock’s abreast style.

Artists of the Zodiac | Betina Bethlem – artists similar to jackson pollock | artists similar to jackson pollock

“As we’re activity through the assemblage and we’re bottomward to this aftermost allotment … I was like, ‘God, that looks like a Jackson Pollock,” Levine told CNN.

The paintings seemed out of place. In a arena area best homes are abounding with acceptable southwest art, the aberrant shapes and abstruse capacity were “really weird,” Levine said.

Levine brought the artwork aback to his office, area it sat for three months. He struggled to acquisition the articulation amid a man from Nebraska and his little accumulating of avant-garde New York art.

The socialite connection

When Levine contacted the owner’s attorney, he bridged the gap amid the Arizona barn and New York’s avant-garde art scene: a half-sister, Jenifer Gordon Cosgriff.

Gordon Cosgriff, a New York socialite, was advised the “black sheep” of the family, Levine said. While the blow of the ancestors ashore to the Midwest, Gordon Cosgriff spent her time abrading amateur in the 1950s with aristocratic associates of the art association on the east coast. She ran in the aforementioned amusing circles as notable art analyzer Clement Greenberg, avant-garde artisan Hazel Guggenheim McKinley … and Jackson Pollock.

Learning about Gordon Cosgriff’s history and relationships was a axis point in Levine’s research. The allotment that had aboriginal seemed evocative of Pollock’s assignment now had a believable affiliation to the artisan himself.

Painting found in garage could be work of legendary artist – CBS … – artists similar to jackson pollock | artists similar to jackson pollock

When Gordon Cosgriff died in the ’90s, her brother arranged up her accouterments — including her art accumulating — and put them in his garage, area they would abide until January 2016.

The cher authentication

But it would booty added to prove the painting’s origins than a claimed affiliation amid Gordon Cosgriff and Pollock.

For about 18 months afterwards apprehension the painting, Levine spent tens of bags of dollars aggravating to accredit the piece.

He fell bottomward a aerial aperture of analysis into Gordon Cosgriff’s life, poring over her belletrist and hiring a clandestine investigator to help. His ultimate goal: to clue Gordon Cosgriff’s area bottomward to a Pollock assuming area she analytic could accept acquired the painting in question.

Once he accepted her appearance at his showings, Levine brought forensics experts into the mix to assay the painting itself.

“All I was absorbed in was, was it accomplished afore Jackson Pollock was dead, afore 1956?” Levine said.

The Masculinity And Art Of Jackson Pollock – Return Of Kings – artists similar to jackson pollock | artists similar to jackson pollock

After analytical the affectionate of acrylic used, the forensics address accepted what Levine had hoped: The painting was acceptable one of Pollock’s missing gouaches, a specific appearance of painting application baptize and a bounden agent, from about 1945 to 1949.

“I absolutely acquainted weightless,” Levine said. “I was absolutely affectionate of afraid I was accepting a agitation advance or something.”

Restoration for a new home

The painting is heavily damaged and needs to be restored, Levine said. The darker, cream-colored swirls throughout the canvas would accept originally been a brighter white.

Levine said the accident comes from the artwork spending years in a abode with abundant smokers, which was not abnormal for the mid-20th aeon aback it would accept resided in Gordon Cosgriff’s home.

Restoration, a action that involves charwoman the painting by duke over a brace of weeks, could amount up to $50,000.

Despite the damage, Levine’s aerial aperture is accepted to pay off. Afterwards actual out of the accessible eye for years, the untitled Pollock allotment will be auctioned off on June 20.

Abstract Expressionist New York | MoMA – artists similar to jackson pollock | artists similar to jackson pollock

Bidding starts at $5 million, but Levine expects the final amount tag to be anywhere from $10 actor to $15 actor — far before the estimated $300 amount of the active Lakers poster.

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[bellagbear]

This month was so busy with non-sewing related stuff! For one thing, I moved back in with my parents (very cool, I know). Also, there were more Kenya preparations to be done. Still, I managed to work on quite some projects. Quilting, sewing and embroidery is the thing that calms me down and keeps me sane in times of stress.

It looks like I did an insane amount of work this month, but that is because I also wrote about some older stuff this month. One was a secret quilt as a wedding present for my friend’s wedding this month. Also, I am working on writing about all my older projects which are interesting now I have less time to sew.

Update on long-term projects

Dear Jane quilt

As the post of last week already said: I am halfway through the square middle blocks! This is such an amazing milestone. It’s not by far the halfway point of the quilt as a whole, but it does signify a lot of progress. There are 169 middle squares in total. In the meantime work on this quilt has continued and 88 blocks are done, 81 are left to quilt.

  Here is last week’s post for anyone who has missed it:

A milestone of my Dear Jane quilt!

And an introductory post to the Dear Jane quilt for all who wants to know more about the project:

The Dear Jane quilt: a hand quilting sampler introduction

Finishes

A double wedding ring quilt

This was the wedding present for my friends! They married on the 12th of July, so I had to keep this one a secret till then. It was a beautiful day and I wish them both all the luck in the world.

Heart detail double wedding ring quilt

This is one of my quits I’ve put most planning and thought in so far. For example, the black fabrics are designed by myself because I couldn’t find anything suitable. The design is based on the idea that their love for music binds them together, which explains the heart in the middle. You can read more about it in this post:

A double wedding ring quilt for a doubly lovely couple.

Revolving star bag

The star was finished for quite a while already but was never sure what to do with it. In the end, the decision was made to applique it on a tote bag. I am pleased with the result. The bag is a bit small, but the fabrics I used work very well together so I forgive myself for that one.

Here is the post about this piece. I’ve been very good this month with writing about recent finishes:

A Spiral lone star quilted tote bag to bring madness wherever you go.

Shirts to make a quilt

This quilt is made out of old men’s shirts and ties. Love how the combination of the calm shirt fabrics work together with the bold fabrics of the ties. That makes it a more interesting piece than only using the calm shirt fabric. I  used shirt buttons to quilt the middle parts of the pinwheel blocks to recycle even more elements of the shirts.

And again, here is the post I wrote about this piece:

Using old shirts to make a new quilt.

Work in progress 

Ying Yang dragon cross stitch

A small project to use up all my neglected floss. This pattern caught my attention because I thought to create one dragon with stitches and the other with empty space was a very nifty idea.

Stretch the magic dragon cross stitch

Some time ago I became worried I had too few dragon-related projects. Well, I’ve counted them and that turns out to be untrue, but there you go. You can never have too many dragons I’d say. Anyhow, this is another dragon cross stitch I’m working on. Thinking about turning it into a very big bookmark. Pattern by Teresa Wentzler.

So that’s it for this month

Did you like my projects? Which is your favourite?

How did you like the layout of this post? I am still experimenting to find a pleasing layout for these monthly sewing updates.

Are you working on anything interesting? Feel free to share a link in the commentary section and I’ll check it out!

Then all that’s left to do is to wish you all a great week and much success in all your creative and non-creative endeavours!

Would you like to read more? 

Portrait of a turtle mini quilt.

Turtle bookbag made with recycled clothing.

Penguin backpack.

See my DeviantArt or Instagram (username: bella.g.bear.art) for more artwork and WIPs. You can also follow my blog by clicking on the button on the left or by filling in your email address. There will be a monthly update at the end of every month and a new blogpost every Sunday or Monday.

Monthly sewing update Juli 2018 This month was so busy with non-sewing related stuff! For one thing, I moved back in with my parents (very cool, I know).

[aaminahwrites]

15 QUESTIONS WITH: FAISAL HUSSAIN

Faisal Hussain has always been a creative at heart and his love for helping others allows him to use his creativity to spread love and positivity. His landscape paintings bring a sense of peace to his audience while his charity pieces bring a feel of compassion and a cry for help. Following is our ‘question by e-mail’ about his art and charity work, and a little bit about his background.

 Aaminah: How did you get into art? 

Faisal: Art was a hobby initially since childhood, I loved illustration, reading, and learning from childhood. I participated in community creative and youth events and gained 50 hours’ experience in graffiti spraying with a local graffiti artist. I took GCSE and A-level ‘Art and Design’ and eventually became Freelance in first year of A-levels in 2012. I decided to take my art work into the community at various charity events and I focus a lot on marketing my art on social media platforms. I am co-owner of the Freedomline clothing brand @_freedomline_

 A: Tell me about the style of your art, where it started from and how it evolved.

F: Illustration and landscape impressionism are my main areas of focus. I loved painting sceneries with watercolour, acrylic paints and oils and portraying reality through graphite, chalk, spray cans, and various other materials to create texture in my work.

 A: Who is your audience?

F: My audience is mainly the youth, but it’s targeted at anyone who inspires to grow through art.

 A: Tell me about your background. Where did you grow up, what was your childhood like and how was school life?

F: I grew up in the Millfield area of Peterborough which was deprived of government funding; the City Centre where I was born was known for having a working-class population. Due to my granddad’s effort of coming over into the UK as one of the first Pakistani workers, my family became established in Peterborough. As immigrant families like ourselves started saving more, we moved out the central ward due to the lack of services, criminal activity, school-catchment area problems.

 Primary school was a pretty awesome time; it gave me the scope to fairly learn the fundamentals of many subjects. Secondary school was a journey of personal growth, I managed to find myself personally, mentally and socially. 

 A: What is your favourite piece of artwork you’ve done?

F: My Palestine A-level final exam piece. It showed me how much pressure I could put on myself and my creativity to paint a large acrylic art piece.

 A: What are you trying to communicate with your art?

F: That it is a therapeutic medium, and that you can still make a living through art. You can still work in other areas and still be an artist.

 A: Which creative medium would you love to pursue but haven’t yet?

F: Digital design, which I will in a few months’ time.

 A: How was the Radical Love Exhibition at the Crypt Gallery? 

F: It was a heartfelt gallery, words cannot express the emotions, feelings and realities of how the art portrayed female refugee struggles and third world narratives of love.

 A: What’s your biggest fear?

F: Dying knowing I couldn’t achieve everything that I could have potentially achieved in life; personally, spiritually and creatively.

 A: How do you work?

F: I use my experience and skill set from in academia, volunteering, work and creativity, and try to apply and improvise it in every situation I’m in. I like to learn from every situation that I’m in, whether I’m successful or not in the task. 

 A: What other artists have been inspirational to you?

F: Muhammad Ali (Aerosol Arabic), Banksy, Claudio Monet, Van Gogh and Andy Warhol.

 A: Tell me about the projects you’ve done with the BBC.

F: My recent project was to do with working with the BBC 5 Radio Live project on immigration, communities, Brexit and the city of Peterborough. Working withtwo well-known artists PositiveArtsUK and Tizer enabled me to refresh and develop my creative skill set. We aimed to work with other community members to portray our views and experiences of Britain on the wall mural, on BBC East and BBC 5 Live Radio.

 A: Tell me about your previous charity projects.

F: I have mentored ‘troubled youths’ in a voluntary capacity within a school environment and the local youth club to help them achieve goals and proactive within society. I have also had my own youth hour on the local radio station as a host for Salaam Radio in the summer of 2016. I have been involved in various charities such as Children of Adam and Islamic Relief by fundraising through radio shows, social media management and street collections. 

 I have also managed to help feed 5000 meals to the needy in Peterborough throughout 2015. I have worked with the Student Schooling Association (SSA) within the university to campaign for January exams and the Campus Awareness programme, and organised events specifically for the students such as the culture festival and the Eid festival. I have been volunteering for Peace Child International by participating in a drama project, and participated in a community graffiti project to paint a mural on a local underpass in 2010.

 A: Are there any charity projects you’re currently working on? 

F: I am still currently volunteering with the charity Children of Adam in Peterborough. I’m looking forward to participating with them on the radio programmes in Ramadan, feeding the local homeless and participating in their national and international projects.

 A: Tell me about ‘Official KNOW.’ How did it start and what direction is it heading in? 

F: Founded in 2012, KNOW is a trusted community education platform for people who love to learn. We believe that everyone has something to teach, and everyone has something to learn. Harnessing the power of the sharing economy, KNOW brings together students, experts, teachers, leaders and scientists from around the world to bring you bitesize, digestible knowledge delivered in a modern, engaging way and to the point of understanding.

 Knowledge is not ‘one-size fits all’. We all have different interests, different ways of understanding, and different attention spans. We all have such different backgrounds, experience and expertise. Our strength lies in our diversity as a community. We can learn something from everyone.

 Whether you want to learn about history, politics, health, science or nature, KNOW connects you with those that are in the know - and allows you to become one of them. We’ve just released our new website www.kn-ow.com, so look out for more info! 

 You can find Faisal on Instagram @art.by.faisal and be sure to visit his event page on Facebook at Facebook.com/ArtByFaisal to stay updated with his work.

[moss-brain-blog]

Interview with Jake Brown Transcript

What's your background?

With art? Or just in general?

Just in general, yeah.

Fuckin’ yeah, raised in a shitty mining town, surrounded by people with no prospects for life. From a very working class family. Always raised in the way of y'know, "you go to school, you go to work and you die."

*Both laugh* I feel it. [We're from the same place]

Nowt special really.

So... what is it that you're aiming to do?

Me, my ideal goal is to become a tattoo artist. Like, that's my ultimate end-goal. I also wanna’ like be good as well, I don't just wanna’ be like... yknow?

Yeah.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think I could ever settle for just being a tattoo artist. I see that as another level. If I were to ever have an end-goal with it, it'd be to be award-winning. Be able to travel over the world doing it. That'd be really fucking good for me. I'd love that.

What ways are you going about achieving this goal?

For me, at the minute, it's just drawing constantly. I never did art at school, I never did art at college. It was always like- I suppose it just feeds back to that family thing of "you work..." Art's never been considered a career or never was considered a career at a young age. I never really thought about it when I was young because I was never given the opportunity to think about it like that. It was like, you either play sport and become a famous rugby player or football player, or you work a 9-5 job or a shift job.

Off the back of that, I didn't write this one down but do you feel that not being in formal art education has impacted your work?

Yeah, definitely. I think if I could have been introduced to the things that I know now a lot earlier I think I’d be leaps and bounds better than what I am now. It's only in the last 6 months that I've discovered watercolor and like, digital art, sort of that I can do it. If I’d have had access to this kind of stuff at an earlier age, I’d be a lot better. I suppose it's the same with anything really. You give a guitar to say a 3-year-old that’s interested in it then y’know.

Can you tell me a bit about your creative process? How you go about seeing a piece through, start to finish.

So, I mean, at the moment it's flash that I’m doing so I’ve got to draw roses. so if say for example I’m doing an A3 flash of about 15 roses at the minute. I get my sketchbook any chance, any spare time that I have I’m doodling away. Like, straight away, just sketching roses all the time. I spend all my time looking on Instagram, looking at photos of roses, looking at a lot of other people's work, see how they do things. Take that, and mold my own stuff to it. But if it's for something else, say, that I personally want to do, I get inspiration at the most random times. Usually when I'm at work just doing the worst stuff possible, I'll think of a great idea. So, it'll be a case of whichever medium I want to do it, whether it be like watercolour, Promarker, pencil, digital.

You don't feel yourself restricted to just one thing?

No... No. Just sorta’ go with what I'm feeling at that time. So I’ll always just grab the nearest piece of paper- say I’m at work I’ll write it down then I’ll go home and I'll do a really rough sketch of it. Really, really basic rough sketch., Or if like I’m doing it digitally, for example with the print that I did, I got a really basic photograph of a skull, then a photograph of a mace, then a photograph of a chain. Then like, crudely photoshopped it all together and then just sketched over the top.

Building your own references?

Yeah, then just build my own line-work and style over the top of that. Yeah, I tend to put like, a lot of stages to what I do. I put a lot of planning into each piece, a lot more than I think people realise.

How do you go about choosing the subject matter for your work?

For me at the minute it’s looking at the most popular or most reoccurring thing with the tattoo industry. so like y’know back to roses and skulls and daggers and panthers and pinups it's all basic stuff that you see every day. but you’ve gotta’ learn the basics before you start pulling out your own stuff.

 I understand you use both traditional and digital media fairly equal-handed within your work. What advantages and disadvantages do you personally see in both for the kind of work you do?

I think for me like, with traditional media, I don’t have the patience for it. If I'm doing like, a really big piece- I can have all my line-work down perfect, the slightest thing goes wrong with the colouring and I lose it. Say, once I've ruined a large watercolour piece with the slightest thing I don't really wanna’ go back to it. I'd rather just jump back to digital. I think my only sorta’ issue with digital is that I rely on it too much at times. But then is it really a bad thing, I guess?

Was gonna’ say, do you see that as a problem?

Sometimes, because I’d like to be able to have more options. Like, I do have a fair few options open to me but I don't wanna’ rely on the same thing every time. I'd like to be able to do a bit of this, a bit of that.

Is personal expression important to your work? Or has it been in the past?

No, never. For me, I mean... interpret this how you want but for me with art you should always just do what you want to do. But I think using art to force an agenda or an opinion is just- it's mistreating it. And I think it ruins a lot of- like there's so many people out there that could be amazing artists but they're too busy trying to push this agenda or this idea that it just pulls away from what they could be producing.

Yeah, definitely. I really like that answer. Who are your biggest influences, creatively?

I'm currently just doing a massive list. [He must have seen this one coming]. I would say definitely number one is a guy called Manuel Mendoza, his Instagram is @sacred_crow. He's just a neo-trad’ artist but I forget- he's based in the US; he's just moved shops. But his style is like it's really- the dark colours but he's using like greens and blues and yellows. So he'll do like skulls- a lot of skulls a lot of birds but they're all like, really deformed in a way. They're all stretched out and exaggerated, I find it amazing the way his line work is. It's absolutely amazing. But if I pick someone that's not a tattoo artist, that's always been a big artist it's gotta’ be French[@funeralfrench], every time. Definitely. So I've just finished up- here's a list of about five.

 @sacred_crow

@funeralfrench

@mattcurzon

@grindesign_tattoo

@tdonaire

I think I should also add on like, definitely John Baizley and Richey Beckett. I really love their stuff. I think that sums it up. They're definitely my biggest inspirations.

Name something unusual that inspires you.

Satanism. Definitely.

Hell yeah.

Seeing stuff like old photos from rituals and stuff.

Yeah, Occultism.

Yeah, just all that stuff in general. Like, from the Electric Wizard vinyl I recently got, there's loads of stuff on the inside of that. I dunno’ just summat’ about it, it's just the grim darkness of it all just fascinates me.

The overwhelming sense of dread. Does that appeal to you?

Definitely... definitely.

What ways do you keep up to date with the tattoo industry?

Instagram... and I occasionally will buy magazines. I visit the local studio quite often, stay in touch with all them. I keep up with a lot of the main websites and magazines online. I even follow a lot of product companies like the companies that make [tattoo] machines or like, inks. Just to find out what's new and keep up with what people are up to in that world as well. Like, looking at the business side of things.

Yeah, so you're not just looking at the artist aspect of it you're looking forwards to y’know?

Yeah, every aspect of it. All the way.

How important is social media to your personal practice?

It's everything. Without social media I've got no outlet to share my artwork. I mean, I 've just hit a hundred followers. That's taken a long time to get to. Without the social media side of things... I don't even know where I'd begin to start sharing my work, to be honest.

Gives you a platform, right?

Yeah definitely.

Can you recall the single defining piece of work or a moment where you turned around and had the realisation that this was the kind of thing you want to pursue?

When I first- hmm. I'd say I've got two points. First being at a really young age and seeing my dad's tattoos for the first time. Just being fascinated that that was... there. Just like, what it was. Once it got explained to me, I found it fascinating. So from like maybe age 4 or 5 I used to just draw up and down my arms all the time. So that really sparked something. And then I'd probably say the first time I got tattooed was the moment of realisation where I was like, "Oh, maybe I could do this." I mean, that was a fair few years back now like but that was the first spark of "I could do this, if I really put my mind to it." I mean I suppose a lot of depression and anxiety and a lot of stuff that's happened has really held me back over the years. But yeah, I think my defining moments of realisation are those two. Definitely.

Name something you hate about art.

People who put no effort in, no time in. Get ten times more recognition than somebody that's put hours and hours and hours into their craft. Learning every piece of what they do, say learning anatomy, learning the tools they want to use. Just, really putting the time and love in for what they want to do. Then you get some snot-nosed little kid that's- well, it's not kids but snotty stuck-up teenagers. They'll whip out a sharpie, scribble summat’ down and just put summat’ with no effort whatsoever, no care for what they're doing. They just knock summat’ out in 5 minutes maximum and it gets so much recognition and so much more praise than somebody who is putting the hours in.

So you care about the craft?

Yeah.

Name something you love about art.

That like, people- anyone can do it, if you put the time in. Anyone can produce summat’ that looks great if you put the time in. And it's for everybody that's willing to give it a chance, definitely.

What was the last piece of art you bought?

Bought... I mean I suppose I recently bought a coat just because of the print of the back. I've also bought a few vinyls mostly because like- I accept music as an art-form as well, also the album artwork.

Oh, definitely.

Like, the main reason I got the Crack the Skye album was because of the artwork on it. As for prints, I tend not to buy prints. I suppose the last proper piece of art was either a pin that I got of French's Heatseeker magazine.

Last question, how many toddlers do you think you could take in a fight?

Just line em up. I'll just keep going.

[podcastcoach]

What Podcasters Can Learn From Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry died last month at the age of 90. I saw him four years ago at a special event that honored him with tons of musicians (Merle Haggard, Ronnie Hawkins, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Joe Bonamassa and Lemmy Kilmister) coming to play his music and honor him. At the end of the night, Berry accepted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's American Masters of Music Award, wrapping the Hall of Fame's weeklong celebration of Berry's life.  In the end, they brought Chuck out with a band consisting of a lot of his children who knew how to follow their father's (at times) unpredictable behavior (Chuck got confused in the middle of song two, and restarted it). Chuck got us smiling from the very first moment. He said, "It's great to be here. Then again, I'm 86; I'm glad to be anywhere." So here are some things, on Episode 560, that podcasters can learn from Chuck Berry.

Now as a guitar player myself, you start playing the guitar hoping to play Stairway to Heaven, Iron Man, Smoke on the Water, you want to be Van Halen, but you don't start there. You start with Chuck Berry, and you start with Johnny B Goode. In the same way that every band has to learn Mustang Sally and Brown Eyed Girl, every guitar player has to learn how to play Johnny B Good. I am no exception.

It's not about the tech. Keep it Simple

Other musicians had pedalboard were made of technology on top of technology. They could do the river dance as they changed the tone of their guitar with each tap of their foot. Chuck came out with his trusty guitar and plugged into a single amplifier. He hit the opening riff of Roll Over Beethoven, and you could not help but smile. Chuck had one tone, it was Chuck Berry. This was not a drill, this was not a test, right there in front of my was Chuck Berry. He had a smile on his face, and by the third beat, the whole place was clapping along to the music, dancing, or both.

2. Give the People What They Want.

Chuck Berry had many styles. Some of his songs had remnants of country music. He played slow blues., You probably don't know most of those songs. If you wanted airplay, you had to play something kids (teenagers) wanted, and could dance to.  One other thing, the teenagers were the ones buying the music. Rock and Roll music was new. It was a great way for being rebellious, and the fact that this was Rock and Roll from a BLACK MAN, made it even more revolutionary (this was the 1950s). You will notice that Roll Over Beethoven, Johnny B Goode, Rock and Roll Music and many other Berry titles are pretty much the same song. When he appeared on the Johnny Carson show, he said to the band leader, "It's the same as the last song" as they prepared to play another song.  However, those songs like Sweet Little Sixteen, School Days, and others were instantly relatable to his audience.

He also had suggestive lyrics which probably made parents offended. Here is a verse from Roll Over Beethoven:

Well, if you feel and like it Go get your lover, then reel and rock it Roll it over and move on up just A trifle further and reel and rock with one another, Roll over Beethoven dig these rhythm and blues.

3. Chuck Was Engaging

Chuck made sure you were looking at him. in the early days of his career he usually wore black or white suits, but his eyes, mouth, and hands, and especially his legs demanded attention. He would strum his guitar in a way that has hand moved from the back to guitar toward to top. As a guitar player, I can tell you it makes almost no difference where you strum an electric guitar, but it looks cool (and yes, I've borrowed that move). His "Duck Walk" he said in a CBS interview was a mistake. He had slipped and fallen and the "Duck Walk" happened as he was trying to get back up. He noticed the ovation and worked it into his act. Chuck paid attention to what made the audience go wild.

4. Charge What Your Worth

There is only one Chuck Berry. Sure everyone from the Beatles, Stones, Elvis, Duan Alman, The Kinks, John Lennon, Simon and Garfunkle, Bruce Springsteen, and David Bowie, they all have covered his music. There is only ONE Chuck Berry. Consequently, Chuck knew this and after being ripped off in the early part of his career, he started demanding that he get paid up front, in cash.

5. Chuck Got the Audience Involved

Most of his big hits made it super easy to make them "sing-alongs." All Chuck had to say was "Go!" and put his hand up to his ear and the audience would sing "Go Johny Go, Go.."

6. A Little Planning Up Front Saves Some Editing Time Later

Post-1970 Chuck didn't tour with a band. He brought his guitar and whoever was promoting his concert was in charge of putting together a band. On a tonight show appearance, he said, "well everybody knows my music." This was true, but they all sounded the same. While they are not obvious, when you see Chuck perform with these acts, the intros are a little sloppy, and the endings were often train wrecks as the band didn't know that when Chuck kicks his leg up that meant stop.

7. Don't Break The Law

Chuck had issues with the law about every 15-20 years. One involved him putting cameras in the women's bathroom. While he was never convicted of wrongdoing, he did settle out of court, and it cost him 1.2 million dollars.

8. Take Care of Your Team / Get Things in Writing

One of the reasons Chuck insisted on being paid in cash is he had been swindled out of money by promoters and clubs in the past. One key player in Berry's band was Johnnie Johnson (his piano player). In November 2000, Johnson sued Berry, alleging he deserved co-composer credits (and royalties) for dozens of songs, including "No Particular Place to Go," "Sweet Little Sixteen," and "Roll Over Beethoven," which credit Berry alone. The case was dismissed in less than a year because too many years had passed since the songs in dispute were written.

9. Don't Spend all Your Money on Gear

A recent report estimated Chuck's estate is worth 50 million. While some of this is from record royalties, Chuck invested in Real Estate. When you start making money with your podcast (if that is something you choose to do) spend some on your family, put some in the bank (and avoid the stress of worrying about money).

10. While You Can Give Them Something Similar, it Still Has to Be Good

Did you know there was a sequel to Johnny B Good? Me neither. According to Wikipedia it never charted in any country. So in the same what that creating a song about Johnny B Good isn't going to equal chart success, creating a podcast with the phrase "On Fire" (or whatever is hot at the moment ) does not mean you will get chart success.

Why People Remember Chuck Berry

There is a famous quote by Maya Angelou, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Chuck Berry's music made people smile, it made them want to dance, and they lead to them having fun, and in some cases there was realin' and rockin'.

Podhero Review

What is Podheri.io?

Podhero is described as a swiss army knife for podcasters with a goal of making podcast creation and promotion easier.

Audio Processing

The site describes it as "Automate the technical hurdles to make your vocals sound amazing." So I compared it to Auphonic.com as they both level out the volume, and remove noise (hiss and hum). If I were to judge the output, I would say it's very close (if not a tie). In looking at the wav forms, it appears auphonic might have an ever so slight edge, but keep in mind, my ears didn't' notice anything. The only true advantage (depending on your attitude) is Auphonic has more configuration options (so you can set loudness levels if you want to just level volume and not remove noise).  But I was impressed with the audio processing. This opinion is based upon testing one file.

Podcast To Video

If can take your audio podcast and send it to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. It also gives you a basic tool to create a custom artwork. You can do this if you are using Libsyn and Spreaker. Blubrry does some distribution (but they only do the first few minutes of your show).  The tool for creating an image is really basic and is better than nothing. When there are tools such as canva.com as a free option, I could see using Canva to create the image, and then use the "upload your own" option here to make your video. Is video worth it? My last episode from the School of Podcasting had 26 views, and I was surprised that the analytics show people were watching a majority. My advice would be to open this tool in a new window as the processing of audio to video is going to take some time.  Currently, you can have the tool automatically post to YouTube (with plan of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Medium)

Website Widget Review

This tool will put a small pop-up on your website. You just copy and paste some code. For me, I find this tool "meh" because ratings in iTunes are great social proof, they don't help you advance up the charts (I thnk people put too much emphasis on them as a "must do").

My Podcast Reviews

This tool brings you all of your reviews from all of the stores. This is a free tool. This does have a feature that I found interesting. It shows you your reviews across a period. I found that interesting. They attempt to show you (on a map) where the reviews come from, but besides getting the country correct, I wouldn't count it accurate from a geographic standpoint.

iTunes Keyword Tracking

This allows you to put in your (or your "Competition's") iTunes link and enter a keyword. So I can see where The Audacity to Podcast Ranks higher than my show, but I rank higher than the Podcast Report. That's interesting. There is no way to say "who is #1?" I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to with this information. Many moons ago I had a program called Webmaster Gold, and it would track your website and let you know where you ranked. This lead to people writing articles more for the Google Web crawler instead of the humans who were reading it. Also, when I was a teacher in the corporate world, I would do my best every day. Every day I got scored by my students. While I always feel there is room for improvement, I'm not sure there was anything I would change (in most cases) if someone gave me an average score. So for me, I see this as a set of interesting statistics, that people can obsess over, but in the end, may not lead to any value being delivered to your audience.

Episode Media Kits

If you do a lot of interviews, this could be your favorite feature. Here you upload promotional images, create messages to go to Twitter, Facebook Google+, and LinkedIn. You upload pictures, create your tweets, and copy and link and send that to your guest. They can send a message with a single click. For me, this is the most useful tool (again, if you're doing interviews, but don't limit your thinking, why not put the link in your post and give your audience access to promote your episode.

Do You Need This?

Much of this you can get for free for example:

Canva.com - free image creation tool Podcast Rankings - have them emailed to you see Regan Star If you're using Libsyn, you can automatically have your show syndicated to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube (with video, and you can add a custom image), iHeart Radio, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Blogger, and more. Podcast Reviews - You can get this feature free in Podhero, as well as My Podcast Reviews Audio Processing - You can get 2 hours free each month at auphonic.

Things Unique To Podhero

If you're not using Libsyn or Spreaker, it will create a video for you It shows you your podcast reviews over time. The podcast review widget. The podcast media kit.

How Much Does it Cost?

There is a free version that includes: Worldwide iTunes Review Tracking (2 podcasts) iTunes Keyword Tracker (1 keyword) Measures how visible your podcast is on iTunes for any search term over time. iTunes Review Website Widget (1 website)

The paid version is $20/month Audio Enhancer Tool Social Video Creator Episode Media Kits Podcast to Youtube iTunes Keyword Researcher iTunes Keyword Tracker (15 keywords) Measures how visible your podcast is on iTunes for any search term over time. Worldwide iTunes Review Tracking (5 podcasts) When you get a new review on iTunes, from any country, you will be notified. New & NoteworthyAlerts iTunes Review Website Widget (unlimited)

Mentioned In This Podcast

What is the smallest amount you would take for advertising? (POLL)

Chuck Berry on the Johnny Carson Show (YouTube Video) Podhero.io

Libsyn.com (Liberated Syndication) Use the coupon code sopfree to get a free month

Canva.com - free image creation tool Podcast Rankings - have them emailed to you see Regan Star

Dave's Patreon Accounts  see http://supportthisshow.com/

Start your podcast by joining the School of Podcasting go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/start

Check out this episode!

[nofomoartworld]

[Exclusive] Visionary Artist Uses VR Paint to Make Amazing Mushroom Forests

@james.r.eads.art

Impressionistic windows to painterly dreamworlds are LA-based visionary artist James R. Eads' specialty, but with a new tool he pulls viewers into his Van Gogh-inspired imagination. On a whim, Eads began experimenting with Tiltbrush, VR's answer to Microsoft Paint, and began producing trees, waterfalls, mountains, and natural magic that envelops the viewer in a scintillating 3D world.

"Never before was I able to pick up a new medium so quickly," Eads tells The Creators Project. He recently teamed up with GIF artist The Glich to animate his cosmic artwork with the mesmerizing Redhawk effect, and Eads' Tiltbrush drawings have a similar heartbeat. One of the program's coolest features allows for lines to be infused with music, shimmering to the beat over time. "Music has always been the main proponent in inspiring my art, so it's exciting to be able to paint in three dimensions, and then take it a step further and bring the fourth dimension into the mix," he continues.

To fuel his exploration of the medium, which artists like Rachel Rossin, Stuart Campbell, Glen Keane, and Dustin Yellin are already pioneering, Eads builds a multiverse he describes as "the gap between places." Over the course of six days, he laid the groundwork for seven gateways, each leading to a new universe. Eads teases the sights inside his interdimensional archipelago, including "a shimmering capsule that reminds you of fragility of the heart," "a singular black hole that expands your understanding of time and space," and a "fuzzy green sub portal" that lets you "dive into the collective unconscious." Tour these and more in a video premiering exclusively on The Creators Project below.

Since creating his seven-portal world, Eads has continued to experiment with Tiltbrush and posts the results on Instagram. There are Tiltbrush versions of his original work, as well as mushroom forests, floating islands, and stunning otherworldly architecture.

Check them out in the Instagrams below:  

  the eye of a lovely idea painted in virtual reality with @tiltbrush |  idealove by reignbeau

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Dec 20, 2016 at 7:34pm PST

    the first forms emerge, as consciousness develops they question their purpose. they do not understand that there is nothing to be understood, life is enough. painted in @tiltbrush | @seaneads

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Dec 8, 2016 at 4:57pm PST

    in the gap between places the first portal of the new year presents itself: it flows with a natural magic that draws its warmth from the earth. ________________________ painted in virtual reality with @tiltbrush | @seaneads

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Dec 26, 2016 at 4:31pm PST

    the second portal opens: its cold beauty is alluring and it draws you in. deep inside is a shimmering capsule that reminds you of the fragility of the heart. _______________________ painted in virtual reality with @tiltbrush / @seaneads

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Dec 26, 2016 at 7:59pm PST

    a third portal appears, its purpose is unclear, but inside the orb you find here is a singular black hole, it expands your understanding of space and time. ________________________ painted in virtual reality with @tiltbrush | @seaneads

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Dec 27, 2016 at 1:51pm PST

    you return to the gap between places, with your concept of space and time altered you can now see the positions of future portals. you enter the fourth one and inside you are met with a field of black holes that lead to other dimensions. _______________________ painted in virtual reality with @tiltbrush @seaneads

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Dec 28, 2016 at 12:06pm PST

    a fuzzy green subportal appears, you submerge yourself and dive into the collective unconscious. ______________________ painted in virtual reality with @tiltbrush | @seaneads

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Dec 28, 2016 at 6:49pm PST

    you discover the sixth portal and it takes you to the land with the red moon. the gravitational pull is different here and as you enter its orbit you begin to float above yourself. _______________________ painted in virtual reality with @tiltbrush | @seaneads

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Dec 29, 2016 at 2:26pm PST

    as you leave the land with the red moon you drift upwards and notice the seventh portal. it's been here all along. as you enter a familiar feeling rushes through you. you have arrived, you are home. ______________________ painted in virtual reality with @tiltbrush @seaneads

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Dec 30, 2016 at 12:58pm PST

    sneaking into the river spirit's hidden underwater synchronicity portal. _______________________ painted in virtual reality with @tiltbrush moonlight mind by high water

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Jan 3, 2017 at 12:34pm PST

    in your heart there is a river song. _______________________ painted in @tiltbrush black and white by shy layers

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Jan 5, 2017 at 4:59pm PST

    twenty eight days of portals, pt. 1. I put together a short compilation video of my first month painting in virtual reality with @tiltbrush. music by @seaneads. view the whole thing on vimeo.com/jamesreads

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Jan 7, 2017 at 2:42pm PST

    the thousandth year of life _______________________ painted in virtual reality with @tiltbrush flatiron by Suzanne kraft

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Jan 12, 2017 at 12:34pm PST

    ice cold beauty. ________________________ playing around with painting 3D models in @tiltbrush lost it to trying by son lux, castle model by herminio nieves

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Jan 14, 2017 at 1:37pm PST

    at dusk the truth of day is shed, letting the magic in and lifting us up again. ____________________ painted in virtual reality with @tiltbrush nari by beGun

A video posted by James R. Eads (@james.r.eads.art) on

Jan 15, 2017 at 3:53pm PST

Follow James R. Eads here, and visit his website here. Check The Creators Project Instagram feed to find your next favorite artist.

Related:

Swirling GIF Illusions Look Like the Universe Breathing

The Origins of Visionary Art in Los Angeles | City of the Seekers

Alex & Allyson Grey's Art Temple Wants to Awaken Your Divinity

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