Creative Block.

We all as creatives come to a creative standstill at one point in our lives.

This could be for a number of reasons. The brief might not be working for you or you have a lot of personal issues on your plate. But the important thing to remember is to not beat yourself up when this happens. Getting stuck into a rut about these things can be frustrating and can have negative effects on our self esteem as artists and our productivity.

I had to spell it out for myself today, as for the past 2 weeks I have been so wrapped up and panicked about my current projects that I have almost burnt out.

I wrote myself 9 motivational points on an A3 piece of card to stick on the wall in front of my desk so every time I look up in exasperation it is there smack bang in the middle of my view.

                                                           I am an ARTIST! 
This is who you are! Painter, Illustrator, Graphic Designer, Fine Artist, Musician, Animator, or Film Maker. How ever you want to dress it up. These are obviously a few of many you may even be multiple! Don't be modest. It is yours!

                                                           I WILL get a 2:1
I want to get a 2:1 more than anything. It is my dream grade and i know it is within my reach. I want it so i am going to work my stripy socks off to get it! You can get a 1st class degree if you really work hard but be realistic. Have you sat around all year doing nothing? That game of thrones episode can wait until you've done this. It will be there after uni. Even more reason to keep of Facebook!

                                                          I have worked hard
Give credit where credit is due. So you are struggling. That is a good thing it means you feel challenged and the relief when it's done and how proud you will feel for completing a difficult task is a feeling you should embrace.

                                                            I will finish Uni
You've come this far. Remember the pain it was to fill out a UCAS form? You still did it. You are here now so finish what you started.

                                                    I can finish these projects
It may seem overwhelming but STOP. Breathe. Plan how it is going to work. Have you overcomplicated it? Write it down.

                                                      I haven't lost my spark
Just because things aren't going right it doesn't mean to say you are a failure and that you aren't worth the title of being a creative. Unhelpful self criticisms aren't going to be of any use. Stop trying to find a beating yourself up or trying to find a blame.

                                                         I am motivated
The more you tell yourself I am unmotivated, I can't be bothered, I am just not feeling it. The more you will believe it so change it! Think positively get off your backside. Get off Facebook. Pull the dreaded project out and tackle it. I found an awesome website and I read the article in Drill Sgt Hartmans voice (yell) from Full Metal Jacket.

                                        I am worthy of being in the industry
Everyone has a chance. You don't have a god given right to walk into a design company and expect to be hired. You have to work for it. That is why you are working these projects and building a portfolio. Just because you get turned down (if you're luck enough) or you don't get a reply doesn't mean you are useless.

Do not give up, you worked hard to get here and you deserve it just as much as everyone else.
This is the most important part. Giving up won't get you anywhere. Regardless of how you got to uni you had to work your way some how so you have just as much right as anyone else to be there. I was absolutely rubbish in school all I wanted to do was read books and draw. I started from the bottom in college and worked for years to get to uni. If you want it, work for it.

Be the person you want to be even if it is horrifically hungover the day after hand in.....

The journey of being on crutches.. sketchbook bits

I hurt my knee over the holidays and I have been on crutches for two months. The latest project at uni is "do something you've never done before" I played about with a few things but they were more interested in my journey and how I can illustrate the everyday irritants of being on crutches. So here are just a few doodles. watch this space for some finals. :)

Supernatural.

Swimming through the ample amount of USB sticks I own, I managed to find my final major project for my foundation degree. I based it on one of my favourite series Supernatural. I love drawing people and decided to take a chance and use Promarkers, I hadn't used use this medium before and I wasn't very confident but after a few attempts I produced these finals.

These were the focal point of my exhibition and I really enjoyed the project. I used as close to the original typeface that the Supernatural team use. Every season they change the background behind the type and I chose the blood splatter effect for mine. I created the posters for promotional use to go towards the new up coming serious. 

Anorak Brief assigned at University.

I was asked to do a double page spread for one of my assignments based on the children's magazine Anorak. I chose the title of "What weird animals haven't been discovered...yet!" I wanted to mix in collage as I relate that mostly to children's books. I wanted to keep the animals clean though and make the background a little bit more rough with the collage effect.

I am quite pleased with my final outcome really, it would have been a bit over the top if the animals were collaged as well as the back ground.

*update*

After going through all my old USB sticks I found the individual components that I had created to come up with the final piece. I thought I would add them as it's not only nice to see the clean finished version but my journey towards this in a raw state. I enjoy making textured back grounds and I feel my time management wasn't great on this project but I did make time for experimentation.

I think just by looking at the individual pieces you can see the texture better and I think by using photoshop to put the spread together which was inevitable I lost the life and energy in the collage. I hope you enjoy. (excuse my scribbles hehe)

If you made it this far a cup of tea is in order. Thank you :)