Einträge zum Thema Creativity
Donnerstag, 21. Januar 2010
Hermes Character Design
Today was a succesful day, at least so far. I'd given the Hermes charakter design several tries before, but I still wasn't satisfied with the results yet. I decided to go back to the very beginning of his character development, and started brainstorming again.
I swiftly wrote a list of 100 features I associate with him, ancient Greek's Great Messenger. During this process I wouldn't edit myself, and it's very important to do it as quickly as possible. This one is about creativity and I don't want my left brain to question my ideas at this point.
The next step is to find connections between the different catchwords. I ordered them by categories like with regards to content, materials and textures or character's appearance. I then employed these keywords in my research on visual references.
Here's a brief description of what he's going to be alike in my film:
"My" Hermes is a boyish man and the incarnated message or news. He's young and in good shape. He looks somehow birdlike, and his clothing is light and has a lot of feathers attached. He' bright and honest, passive and neutral like Switzerland in WWII. Deep down he's sensitive and lonely.
So I collected pictures of
- Hermes sculptures from several centuries
- ballet dancers
- differnet types of helmets and caps
- travelling cloaks
- angels
- birds, especially raven, and their wings
- silk and
- old newspapers.
From these collection I took single elements and assembled them in a drawing. After a visit to the Photoshop department, I now have a nice concept drawing of the Hermes character (I placed him into a picture of Vienna's Central Cemetery):
Well, this sketch is a lie.
The final puppet will be animated in the Land of the Dead, so he'll eventually be only a shadow of his former self. I'm going to work on his silhouette next.
Dienstag, 8. Dezember 2009
Learning from Tim Burton
Everyone finally seems to think highly of the work of Tim Burton nowadays, so even the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMa) currently presents a big solo show with his artworks and films.
Since I'm a big fan of his work myself and because I'm not able to travel to New York, I recently ordererd the freshly released exhibition book to have a tiny glance on what is presented within the show. I absolutely enjoy Tim Burtons combination of a childish view on adult problems mixed with absurd humor and yet sometimes weird solutions. Did you know that he also writes poetry? He's a brilliant artist!
My new Tim Burton book: Hmmm, brain nutrition!
Magliozzi, Ron & He, Jenny (2009). Tim Burton. New York: Museum of Modern Art.
While teaching animation in schools, I learned that my older students admire his films and style as much as anyone else. They look at his works and famousness and want to have the same for their life, too, while at the same time they deny that they could achieve anything alike. There's only one advice I can give them here, "Go and start doing it!"
There's an important thing we often miss while looking at famous people and their outstanding works: How long they kept trying before finally someone had noticed and supported them. Did you know that it took Tim Burton ten years of work from the very first drawing to a final movie called The Nightmare Before Christmas which now is a synonym for a succesful stop-motion animation feature? Ten years! My Orpheus project is quite on short run compared to this...
Tim Burton has been drawing since he was a little boy and now he's been somehow and eventually paid back for his work. Someone once said,
"It takes twenty years of hard work to become an overnight succes",and I think that's just true.
So, what can we learn from this? Forget about gaining recognition for your work. Just work. Learn and grow and stay close to yourself as Tim Burton did. I know, it'se asily said but hard to accomplish. But you are creative, as everyone is. The question is, are you ready and willing to go that way?
Since this blog is mainly about animation, make sure you won't miss Tim Burton's promotional MoMa animation, and its making of!
Freitag, 11. September 2009
Gridlocked?
As some of you already know I also work as a freelance designer. To stay up to date I regularly read some design related blogs. A few days ago I found a list of 10 ways to cure a creative block recommended by Webdesigner Depot.
Creative blocks and lacks of motivation seem to be a problem especially to people working mostly with their brains. Perhaps you already experienced one yourself? When I read that list I noticed that I already use most of these first-aid tips when I'm in similar situations. Perhaps they'll help you, too because they aren't limited to cure designers. They're helpful to anyone who has a blockade.
Accept Your Creative Block
Once you've accepted it you can deal with it. By denying the status quo (which is you having a creative block) you avoid to change it.
Make Your Body Feel Good
If I'm mostly working with my head and hands, I tend to forget that we're consisting of a body which is a whole itself and that we should treat it that way.
Make it feel good. Have a hot long shower or even better, take a hot aromatic bath. Get out of your pyjamas and dressed. Have a good and healthy meal without sitting in front of your computer, desk or TV. The energy you feed to your body is the same energy available to you for your projects.
Exercise. That'll work wonders. Your body will be grateful for all the fresh oxygen and serotonin. It doesn't have to be anything complicated: I myself do skipping, headstands and sometimes swimming. Do whatever you like: taking a long walk, do gardening, go jogging... The list is endless, just move and exhaust yourself.
The tricky part is to get started (it always is) but once you did, you'll instantly feel better.
Clean Up
Clean up your workspace. A clean desk is amazingly helpful to concentrate and to stay focussed. Having a long hot shower and getting dressed is also part of the cleaning-up process.
It also make sense to declutter your head. If you think of what you'd still have to do (shopping, cleaning up, answering your grandma's phone call...), you can't focus on other things. The other day I stumbled upon the Getting Things Done method while reading some blogs about productivity and creativity.*
It seems to work for an amazing number of people and I guess that's because it's so simple. I don't use it myself. But I write lists and this helps me a lot to get my head free for the things I want to concentrate on. There's one suggestion I highly recommend: if there's anything to do which will take less than two minutes, do it immediately. This really frees your mind for important stuff you're up to do.
Another way to tidy up is to talk to your friends or even write a journal. During a talk, your friends may suggest ways out of your misery or simply cheer you up. They sometimes ask questions which lead you to new perspectives. Writing is a fantastic way to reflect your situation on your own.
Allow Yourself A Pause
We luckily aren't machines and that's why we can't work 24/7 at 100%. We need to rest and it is more than okay to do so. It's absolutely necessary we regenerate when we tired. Have a nap. Relax. Meditate. Just watch the clouds. Take a walk. Have a nice meal. Allow yourself to recover. The great thing is, some of my tools cover more than one aspect.
Find Inspiration
It's not a mystery how to do that. Just do something completely else for a moment. It is my experience that it doesn't matter what you do as long as it is different to the work you're stuck with. Our brain almost always finds a connection and a new way of solving our problems. Just feed it.
Play to trigger your inspiration. Doodle. Paint with your hands. Get inspired by little children around you. Have a look how fascinated they could watch flowers and insects, for example. Try to see what they see. Just do things for their own purpose.
And after a while, suddenly there will be new ideas and your work will develope. Don't force it, it will happen. Again, allow yourself to take that time. If you won't, your block will become larger and larger. Always keep a notebook and a pen with you so you can secure your ideas instantly. Creative blocks apparently come back from time to time and a notebook can be a great source of inspiration as well as a tool for reflection.
This is my first-aid kit when I'm creatively blocked. I'm pretty sure there are more ways to overcome a blockade. Which works best for you? Feel free to tell via comments.
* Reading blog posts and websites on creativity and productivity only helps if you turn off your computer and follow the tips. Really. NOW!
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