Quarantine Life

I'm so interested to see what life will be like when all this is over.  What things will change, what things have thrived and what things have withered away.  It's such a tough time for some many and surely Life in general will be affected for everyone in some way.

But I'm not here to talk so much about what the news is making us worry about.  While I can I'd rather offer up some distraction, education, and/or entertainment.  Someone told me blogs are coming back, *intrigued face* that is yet to be seen on my end, most people are still hung up on social media, myself included.  But a part of me misses coming here to hash it all out with whoever wants to listen. Haha.

I've done a few videos on life as an artist, and to be honest its not much different from quarantine life, except that I'm lucky enough to live more of my day as an artist.  I'll hate to give it up, but artist life doesn't pay my bills yet unfortunately.  With that in mind I turn to experts in the field and what they do to make their living.  There's so much information!  I'll have to start a notebook or something to contain it all.  Check out some of my favorites below.

My main sources are first on YouTube:
@arleebean
@frannerd
@audraauclair
@ergojosh
@DokeTV
@JacquelineDeLeon
@lulusketches

And quite a few others...there and Instagram. I soak up the information they have to offer like  a sponge, but in practice, always seems to be a different story.  In my more recent videos I discuss the woes of modern artists trying to live up to their potential, and it can be such a daunting task that its no wonder so many give up.  I've often had those thoughts, even though I told myself I never would.  I never plan to for sure.  But the fact that I'm older than I thought I'd be before I had some financial success, which is to say, very little right now, is a great cause for depression sometimes.

One thing keeps ringing true in my mind, but something I often ignore.  "You need a product not a project"  And boy do I have tons of projects!  So many things I want to do, so many creative avenues I can't wait to explore!  Many artists are like this I'm sure.  And then I watched this video by speaker and designer Chris Do @thechrisdo  and he explained this "shiny object syndrome" that many artists suffer from.  I recommend checking that video out here: The Futr - The Difference Between Art & Design

But to summarize, it has to do with the debate of "The Specialist" or "The Generalist"  that is to say, someone who specializes in one area of expertise, and one that practices a bit of everything.  No one goes to the doctor that also does culinary, and archery, painting, etc.  People go to the doctor that practices medicine and that's it.  But does that doctor do things in his spare time? OF course! The trick is being a "specialist" in professional practice, and being a "generalist" on your own time and mostly under the radar.  I'd say the generalist stuff will almost always inform your main work in positive ways.  But that doesn't mean you should go to advertise yourself as a Jack of all Trades.  Many times that title comes later anyway, once you're known for that one great thing, people discover what else you're capable of.  And wouldn't you know it, you just happen to have well rounded arsenal.  

Anyone that knows me knows I definitely suffer from Shiny Object Syndrome. I don't notice it very often because a lot of it has to do with my art, and to me, the focus is my art.  But on a more in depth level, I scatter my time between projects and end up having little time for any one thing, and especially the growth I'm looking for.  Which is to say, the business of my art.  I only have myself to blame.  It might also help, if I knew what kind of artist I really am? 

I studied traditional art, and have many experiences to continue that route, but here comes the syndrome and I want to do illustration, I want to be a cover artist, a comic artist, a character designer, a videographer, a youtuber, a teacher, and the list goes on.  Many of these things tie into diversifying income for me.  But its so so SO easy to get lost in all that.   So with so many aspirations what is someone like me to do? 

I think it boils down to getting more specific.  One thing that also rings true for a self sustaining artist life, is muliple streams of income.  This is definitely easier said than done, but I also can't be all things to everyone without making myself crazy.  (Gosh my nails have gotten so long in these past few weeks)

ME right now...

Where was I? I had to find this GIF, lol.  OK right, there is such a thing as stretching yourself too thin.  Burn out is real.  Artist block is real.  I probably don't have to tell you that. The other night I got lost in my new obsession creator, @DokeTV he's a very charismatic guy from Slovakia who does graffiti art.  I've seen some of his videos before, but this night, one caught my eye, and for some reason the idea struck a chord.  He bought a house for an art studio.  Cool, I see Youtubers, especially popular ones buying houses left and right.  But this was different.  I could already tell from the thumbnail, though it was a big house, it wasn't full of "curb appeal."  Did he go and buy and old house for the sake of redoing everything and exploding creatively all over it?  Yes he did.  I thought this was amazing.  He saved his money to find a space that he could go ham on.  Not a precious property to remain untouched and Instagram-worthy.  He could do whatever he wanted to it.  This little journey with the house drew me in, and I came across one of his other videos that seemed to be a turning point for him.

Up until this point he was an average graffiti artist.  Relatively unknown to me, but I have seen his videos show up in my feed.  I flipped back to earlier videos and saw that he made a turning point, to become a better artist.  He had a great following, he seemed happy doing what he loved, but he found a hole somewhere.  A hole that he could fill by improving and taking his audience on that journey.  He has a very simple plan.  And yet the dots began to connect.  He had focus, and he had a mission, and he wrote it down, and he stuck to it.  And every video afterward was a continuation of this goal, and his personality just got to shine in the midst of it all.  This was a lightbulb moment for me.  I felt stupid for one.  I watched so many artists like this.  I watched them not always to learn from them, but because I LIKED them.  They were funny, they were fun to watch.  Was I fun to watch? 

For some people yes, but I cringe watching my own videos.  Sometimes I just watch for the nostalgia of it all.  But overall, in my experience when too much of MY personal life snuck into the video, viewers got scarce.  But this guy... I knew nothing of his family, or situation, but he himself was a hoot!  It was just him being himself on camera.  I knew it.  I've seen this advice a million times from others.  Just be yourself, no one can be you, its the best commodity you have.  And I knew at this moment that my personality was lacking on screen.  And that the favorites I come back to over and over again, were the ones that the camera was barely there, and I was just hanging out with a friend.

And yet when the camera goes on, my mind flips to educator, people-pleaser, almost personality-less zombie.  I think that's what I've been cringing over when I see myself.  Not many people can handle being themselves much less watching themselves speak and emote on screen.  I certainly can't.  I have to credit @TheChrisDo again for his video that spoke about the inner critic.  Again, nothing that was new to me.  But he had small exercise that helped identify the things we tell ourselves, and then REPLACE those things with the thoughts of others.  That is to say, the opinions of those we love and who love us.  They would never be as harsh as we are on ourselves.  It's all about interrupting that thought process and becoming aware of that voice that isn't really ours in our head and belongs to the criticism we've heard over the tough times in our lives.  So lets replace those words with words of kindness from people who we deserve to be listening to.  As I write this I think of all the ways in which I've derailed myself.   I'll the things I've told myself that counter the dream.  So change those thoughts, because thoughts become your actions, and actions become your reality. 

And be your fucking self. 

Favorite Watercolor Supplies!

Most of these I own, and some I've been drooling over for months.  Soon they will BE MINE!  *EVIL LAUGH*  ☺️ I've put this handy visual guide together for you to get started on your artist journey with watercolors.  This is by no means comprehensive, and there are hundreds of different choices, but these are my favorites at the moment.  Each picture will take you directly to the Amazon listing where you can buy and/or find something suitable for you!  Have fun!

On Inner Demons...

"You cannot defeat  darkness by running from it, nor can you conquer  your inner demons by hiding them from the world.  In order to defeat the darkness, you must bring it into the light." 

-Seth Adam Smith

Fantasy Faces Painted in Watercolor...cont'd

Studio Ghibli fantasy faces set by Johnny Perez

Thanks for sticking around and checking out my progress on this project!  In case you missed it I have a video playlist you can watch of all the faces I've painted so far.  I'll keep adding to this playlist as they're done till I get 31 total!

In the last post I gave you some of the work in progress photos from face #s 12-18 I think.  So here are some photos up to #23.  This includes the last Studio Ghibli face: Yubaba, and The Dark Crystal faces of Skeksis, Podling, Aughra, and Kira!

Yubaba from Spirited Away in watercolor by Johnny Perez

I asked in the previous post to vote on the last set of 4 faces, or give me something better! I'm leaning toward Lord of the Rings, but Game of Thrones would be a hot topic.  So I'll still be taking your suggestions in the comments, so let me know!

Now on to some art photos from the studio!

The Trials, Hardships, and Cons of Being an Artist

Detail of "Fool" - Watercolor, Ink - by Johnny Perez, 2007

We hear it all our lives as young artists...

Don't be an artist!  You'll starve!  You'll be poor!  You'll never make it, it's too competitive!

 I mean its not entirely wrong, but starting out is hard for most people, and giving up too early is a common thing.  I was lucky to have an encouraging family, and the fact that I grew up poor most of my life somehow made it ok or rather doable to live with no money.  So if I wanted to pursue a career with no money but I was happy, then I was confident I could still live, even if it was on nothing.   It really comes down to a matter of perspective for me.

I want to be real for a moment to say that I'm not some crazy successful artist, but neither do I consider myself less of an artist because I'm not "known."  I don't pretend to be more than I am, but I do choose to look at the bright side.   I do choose to think of myself as capable.  And I choose to define success as a never ending goal to better myself.  In that regard it is hard to lose.  I am faced with the same challenges as most in the world,  there is always someone out there better than you, and there is always someone out there more successful than you.  So what?  Am I just supposed to quit?

Answers from a Practicing Artist (But Not an Expert)!

If no one's ever told you before, being an artist is hard!  I love art and I love being able to create, it gives me a great sense of purpose in this chaotic world.  But trying to elevate yourself to any kind of next level can be quite the challenge!   I am by no means the best expert on the subject, but I do like to share my experiences because there is always someone out there looking to answer a question you may have asked and answered yourself.  I've been lucky to reach a few such people who have approached me with questions about being an artist.  I'd like to share with you some of what I told them.

Questions from a student of art:

1.    What first got you interested in illustration, and how long have you been illustrating?

I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil!  I didn't start selling my art until high school, to friends mostly, and then to strangers when I went to college in 2003.  Ever since then I've been on the path to making it big!

2.    What is your educational background? 

I have a BFA in Studio Art.

3.    What are the skills that are most important for a position in your field?

Determination! Perseverance! Patience! Working as an artist can be lonely, one must know how to be sociable and personable to market and sell work outside the studio, and disciplined to make work on a constant basis in the studio.

4.    Can you briefly explain your creative process?

I have videos! My new YouTube Channel is here. My creative process is linked to one of my favorite books The Artists Way by Julia Cameron.  Through this book I've learned that it's important to make art everyday or at least frequently, and that you must let go of perfection because more often it will create a block.  Thus I find inspiration in something everyday (almost) and make a small finished piece of work or study in the sketchbook.  This keeps creative skills sharp, and keeps artist block away.

5.    Do you have any side projects you work on? How is your time managed between both professional and personal projects? How many projects do you work on at a time?

This can be a difficult one. I try not to take on more than 3 projects at a time depending on the size/scope.  Professional projects always must come first in the day to finish on time.  I will either put personal projects on the back burner or work on them for a short time after the pro work.  I find it's best to switch between the two at times to keep from getting bored or overwhelmed with either.

6.    What are the best and worst parts of your job?

The best part, of course, is doing what you love! It gives you a great sense of pride and accomplishment, not to mention fulfillment.  The worst part is being responsible for EVERYTHING: Scheduling, Marketing, Financing, Bookkeeping, Inventory, Packaging, etc.  It all can get in the way of the one thing you want to do which is make art! There's also dealing with rejection of your work, and the fear of being vulnerable.  You find out quickly that making the work ends up being a much smaller fraction of your time.

7.    What mediums do you use/favorite to use? What does your workstation consist of?

My favorite medium is watercolor, but when I have time, and depending on the concept, I will work in acrylic, collage, or digital, and have enjoyed some paper sculpture before as well!  My workstation is setup for watercolor work mostly, I have brushes and pens, blank paper ready to work with, tubes of paints nearby, stacks of paper nearby, I have my favorite small pieces hanging on the wall in front of me as well as inspiration pics, pics of loved ones, and a calendar of upcoming events and shows!  I can't work without music, and often have the tv on playing a beautiful movie or inspiring music videos. 

8.    What is a typical day like for you? What kinds of problems do you deal with or decisions do you make on a daily basis?

Working alone can make it very tempting to avoid the studio and get distracted, there is always a desire to be out on the town, hanging out with friends, or any other distraction (including being on social media).  It can be very hard to develop the discipline necessary to stay focused, and the motivation to keep working when you're tired or busy with other areas of life.  You just have to learn the best way to find a balance.

9.    How did you get your job? What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?

a.    Can you suggest some ways a student could obtain this necessary experience?

b.    What things did you do before you entered this occupation?

         i.         – Which ones have been most helpful

Being an artist is like being self-employed, so your job starts when you're ready to work. Not when you think your work is good enough or you've learned enough, or you've got a degree, or anything that tells you that you're ready. You may not ever be in the best position in life to "start' being an artist. You will never stop learning to get better.

a.)  I would suggest taking business courses with art, because they are both important.  I didn't want to learn business when I was in school, but now many years later I've had to teach myself, which is really hard.  Most artists do not want to know about business, its not as fun for sure.  But remember you have to do it all, on your own, for a long time.  And selling art is a business, and you'll have to treat it as such if you plan to make it work for you.

 b.)  I carry a sketchbook around with me everywhere I go, and draw in it at least once a day.  Make art that you like, and show it to people you know, and who like what you do.  These are your first customers.  Learn new techniques, and try new mediums, to keep the creativity fresh and new.  Once you have a lot of art on loose paper or canvas, ask around businesses to display it.  When you feel confident, enter art shows for free or cheap, and win prize money maybe.  ASK FOR HELP! You'll need people to help you carry your work around, hang it up, frame it, and talk about it to others. Galleries sometimes have free shows that allow ANY work to be shown, get in there!  Don't be shy and don't feel like you're not good enough yet.  There are artists of all levels and styles in these shows, they like a good mix.  And galleries are NOT the only choice!  Explore other ways to expose your art that you can do yourself, especially early on. These are all helpful to me, but anything that keeps you motivated in working, just keep doing.

10. What special advice do you have for a student seeking employment?

Make art everyday.  Learn something new about your techniques everyday.  Don't be afraid to copy for learning purposes, but always use your own references and photos for your finished work.  Everything has been done, but don't let that stop you from doing it better.  Market yourself for free on the internet but never post anything in full without your name or watermark on it!  Sell to everyone you know. Don't work for free (unless for a good cause).  Talk to other artists around you, develop a sense of community with them to help you keep going, it shouldn't be a competition. Fellow artists are sometimes the only people who will encourage you and be able to critique your work for improvement after you graduate.

Making art is very much an entrepreneurship and you will want to be self-employed, as most artists do.  The ability to make your own schedule and live off your own sales, will take a lot of work, but also a lot of help.  Artists tend to be used to working alone, which is great sometimes, but sometimes you need to know when to ask for help, to move on, and move on faster.  You do this by talking to new people, getting your art seen by more people, and creating relationships.  Its often been said that people don't buy artwork so much as they're buying into an artist.  It's maybe not true  100% of the time, but MANY of my sales come from people I know, and who want to support what I do.  The more people you have like that, the better.  Even when you have sales from strangers, they've probably looked up on you on their own, or heard great things about you. 

Questions from a fellow creative blogger: 

How did you first get into art?

I’ve been drawing pictures since I could hold a crayon. But I didn’t think of it as a career until around 6th grade, when we began looking at our futures for a class project. I have always been told I would be an artist, but I wanted to be many things before I chose to use my talents for work. My family was always nurturing, so I never had to fight to become an artist. My sister has great talent and helped me improve as a child, and then my own research took over from there. Plus I don’t sing very well, so that was out.

What inspires your work?

I have no lack of inspiration! My constant sources are mythology, folklore, animation, and comics. I find inspiration in nature, in people around me, and colorful environments like my recent trip to Mexico. I love authors like Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, and it’s no secret I love “Harry Potter”! I love directors like Guillermo del Toro and Baz Luhrmann, and old fantasy movies like “Dark Crystal”, “Labrynth”, and “Legend”. My childhood influences I believe are very strong in my work and come out in my color choices, my subject matter, and the fact that I really like to have fun with an image. Probably because I’m a big kid.

Your website mentions that your work features “figurative fantasy and cultural diversity.” What does that mean to you? How do those two things work together in your art?

To me figurative fantasy is a play on the traditional figurative model. In my work I don’t just want to portray the figure as it is in reality, because I believe there is so much unseen mysticism. I want to capture something that speaks more about who they are perhaps if dreams could be realized. For instance I painted one of my favorite singers, Erykah Badu, and instead of a traditional portrait, she is painted as a siren atop a jukebox in a sea of records with speaker-head fish, and a crane carrying a microphone. There is a nod to fantasy, and a bit of surrealism there. I believe in the veil between our world and others and I believe they are always influencing one another.

As far as cultural diversity, I try not to limit myself to what I know, but I want to heavily lean on ambiguity when it comes to cultures. Living in America I still hope for peace because I truly believe we are a melting pot of the world, and I find it so odd when people forget that. I want to express my cultural heritage from Mexico and Native America. I want to express my upbringing with Hip-Hop/African-American culture. I want to express the excitement of learning about cultures from all the continents, because it’s all so fascinating and it should be celebrated.

Beyond that broad sentiment I want to bring what I know to be a serious lack of diverse entertainment and imagery to what I do. I look at what other people are doing and I can’t help but see that I’ve been blindsided by popular media. I use my work to correct that. I’m not just talking about Hollywood, because sometimes they get it, and sometimes they don’t. But on TV, in movies, and on the internet, fantasy images (and images in general) are often devoid of colorful, unique characters. For a few years I took a break from American movies, because I got tired of the lack of flavor and tired repeating stories. I was missing some imagination. I was inspired by anime movies by Hayao Miyazaki, Makoto Shinkai, and those series that really pushed boundaries on what the medium could do. I try to do the same with my work...

Theres more to this great interview but you should give that blogger some love as well so here's the link to the rest of the interview!  The Quibblerview with Johnny Perez!
 

What Is Liminal Space & What Does It Mean to Your Art?

My significant other and I have these conversations about art and concepts pretty often.  It's one of the reasons I love him.  We often trade posts we find on social media, including mostly memes just to make each other laugh.  I believe we got into talking about liminal space after sharing photos from a tumblr we both like, called Glow Blog.  It features photos usually at night, that depict simple spaces or other subjects that are lit up with colors from faraway neon lights, or lights with atmospheric interference.  Basically anything that causes a "glow."  I had run across these images many times, and while I thought they were interesting I didn't look deeper until recently,  I can't really explain why.  I think it had to do with the feeling I began to feel when I saw some of them, which I later came to understand was a result of liminal space.

All images courtesy of GlowBlog.tumblr.com

Most of the photographs can be attributed to a simple recording of light, especially unnatural man-made light cast on various environments like neon lights or car lights.  Some take a step further in causing an eerie, empty, or mysterious feeling.  It can be seen in the middle of the night in almost any public space like a train station.  During the day this place is bustling with activity, at night it is lit up, but empty, as if waiting for any activity to start.  It is in transition, and being there or seeing this space at this time almost causes us to fear an unknown.  Quite literally a fear of change, if you will.

What is liminality exactly?

Seen on tumblr: @heartsl0b

Aisle Horror - Mixed Media - Savannah (heartsl0b) - used with permission

Clean Up - Mixed Media - Savannah (heartsl0b) - used with permission

I ran across these artworks on a friend's blog on tumblr and thought they were so amazing even with a mundane setting/subject, the colors transform it into a liminal space filled with mystery and magic. You can see more of Savannah's work on tumblr here: heartsl0b.tumblr.com  I love how she perfectly captures how an artist might see the beauty in these images that could be passed by in everday life, even repulsed by.  I can't stop looking at these!  Please see more of her beautiful work at the above link.

I'm writing about liminal space in an upcoming post because I find the concept very mysterious and yet so common to our everyday lives.  I'm tying the concept into art, and things I've read that seem to be a common thread.  A softly glowing curious thread urging me forward down a dark yet hypnotizing road.  :-P