Like most people living in the 21st century i suffer from a level of anxiety that builds up sometimes during the year and I’m left feeling like I’m spinning my wheels or treading water. Either not moving or moving without purpose and i hate that…
But, Over the years I’ve developed a way to reset my head and figure out where I’m trying to go artisically in a really simple and effective way so that i can have a great start to each year.
And thats what I’m going to share with you today, but first…
Welcome to blog 50!
So, as i said last time , last year was a rough year for me, but i have a unique copeing mechanism for when things get tough.
Firstly i like to spend the end of the year doing backups, i learnt this habit working in publishing and as well as being really important it’s also like a digital detox or fung sheui for your computer!
starting the year with everything off my machines – a clean slate if you like – allows me to focus on moving forward rather than dwelling on the past.
having a complete backup ‘in the cloud’ also takes a massive stress away and starting the year as de-stressed as possible is important for me.
during the backup process (watching progress bars) i start to try and figure out the right direction for the coming year – usually in the early stages this is nothing more than a feeling that needs to be given words.
for instance this, year i feel like (1) a big part of my process needs to be reinvented and (2) in order to make great ideas i have in my head i have to have a more conversations with clients – the creation of my artwork has been private up to now and i think it’ll have to be less private in the future.
So I need to give this feeling life. usually initially i will have a fragment of something running around my mind a song, a lyrics a quote, a colour. It can really be anything that sparks the second part of the process.
the feeling of reinvention got me thinking about some of my musical heroes – reinvention is common for musicians – david bowie for example (15 mins achtung doc) – and this feels like a kind of pivotal point for me
it might be that i remember reading a quote by a musician that sums up what I’m feeling so i’ll try and dig up the publication or the footage so i can rewatch it
The sound of Achtung Baby truly is “the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree.
If you’re not busy being born, you must be busy dying
very good is the enemy of great
billy corgan
i find that rewatching or re-reading these ideas whilst drawing or doing something else puts my mind in ‘receive mode’ –
my mind pays attention only to the things that stand out, and i often think that the things that stand out are your subconscious shouting at you saying ‘that’s whats really on your mind’
often, if i join these quotes and ideas together they end being the thing that sets me up for the coming year
and thats my reset process, but instead of just telling you about it I’m going to show you how the idea informs the future
in the coming episodes i’ll show you the mechanics of it, logo design, id, branding, marketing, communication etc
hopefully this’ll give you some ideas to streamline your process and help you move forward rather than just spinning your wheels
see you next time…