How I get CREATIVELY PSYCHED: Illustration edition

Here’s a series I’m going to try and pound out over the next while: How I find the time, space, mental fortitude and inspiration to do anything,

Organization & Setup

My current living space is relatively small, which most of it is utilized for my full-time job and music production. I’d love to have a station to draw with pen and paper, but it’s just not feasible at the moment.

In some ways I feel like I’m creating a barrier for myself because of my space constrictions. Pen & paper doesn’t take up much space, really, and it’s not that hard to set up or put away. I could also just set up at the dining room table. At the end of the day, however, I don’t like to leave stuff out; I prefer a tidy living space. Drawing, at least in the way I’d like to go about it, demands a workspace.

With that I’m a strong believer in making tasks as easily accessible as possible. I’m not lazy, but I can quickly talk myself out of working on a project in favor of the easier alternative of goofing off on my phone if there’s a perceived barrier (such as space constriction). If my project is accessible at a turn-key of sorts, I’m more likely to do it.

To the iPad….

Tools

All of my illustrations take place on the iPad these days. It’s easy to take out, easy to put away and takes up less space than most graphic novels. The convenience of the iPad is just incredible and keeps me creating. I can take it out and put it away at moments notice.

Outside the space constriction, Procreate is just a pleasure to work with. At first it felt like cheating, but I’ve since embraced it. It’s easier to flesh out ideas, to try things, to make mistakes. The process is much faster and the mistakes are much less detrimental.

Space

When I say “space”, I do include physical space which I went over a bit, but also time, presence and desire. A decent chunk of dedicated time to plan what I want to convey or to sketch or color. Presence; clearing my mind, putting the distractions away and focusing on the task at hand.

Finally, Desire. Wanting to actually do the work. At the end of the day, illustrating is not a job for me, it’s something fun I like to do. If the desire isn’t there, I’m not going to produce something I’m crazy about.

All that said, of everything I do, Illustrating easily takes up the least amount of “space”. There is definitely a period of concentration at the beginning of projects: collecting ideas, reference material and completing the initial rough sketch.

Once the setup is complete, however, illustrations are something I usually work into my existing schedule. If I have a few moments of downtime here and there, I’ll pull the iPad out and work on a few lines or color in a few places. It’s a nice way to escape and let my brain reset.

Inspiration

Finally, I find inspiration in all shapes and forms: graphic novels, movies, books, nature, photography. Just about everything. I take notes on my phone when it hits. I have a list of things I’m interested in or want to flesh out more. Instagram, though I am not really fond of the platform, does have a lot of great resources to draw inspiration from.

With that, I have a few curation accounts I follow, as well as a few artists I idolize: