“If it's not possible to sleep all day, then do the closest possible equivalent. Resting is crucial, your unconscious needs the day.”
The week started with this screenshot posted by Jack Cheng that came to him through an email from Miranda July. I thought the way it flipped what some of us normally do (pack the day full and sleep in the leftover time) was pretty clever. In this case the day should be packed full of resting with the leftover time spent working. That wouldn’t always work but it makes for some nice, challenging thinking.
On Thursday I was reading Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling. I quite like 8 and 9:
8. Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
9. When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.
Number 8 relates to my illustration class right now. I’m taking the saying around Facebook that “Done is better than perfect” and illustrating the typography. See, it’s not about making a ton of low-quality stuff (or what my teacher, Xerxes Irani, calls “green goo”), instead it’s about actually finishing things; not just having an idea, starting it and then abandoning it halfway because what you're making “isn't good enough”. And Number 9 just seems like a great way to get rid of a creative block.
GIF from the photo shoot
Thursday night was a photo shoot for photography class with my friend Kristen Foran. She has an interesting practice that spans a bunch of media and I wanted to capture her in her studio space before she graduates and moves out. This is a fun little GIF of her dropping pompoms everywhere.
I was on the other side of the camera this time.
On Friday I was on the other side of the camera for a photo shoot. Some friends of mine needed a model for their magazine project and I happily accepted. In addition to it being quite fun I tried to observe the lighting setup the photographer was using. Maybe I'll be able to try it out on one of my projects?
Today also marks a very exciting anniversary of a project I’m working on. But more about that next week. For now, a teaser of what’s to come.
