Dreaming an Old Dream

A few nights ago I had a dream I can remember clear as day.

I emerged from the muddle of some sort of plot line that most dreams begin with and found myself astride a beautiful white horse in a field of tall grass. We stood at the top of a bluff looking out over a sea of rolling hills. As the wind rustled through the long stalks, turning carpet into velvet, I smiled and said aloud, "This is it. This is the dream. This is all I've ever wanted, and its perfect."

Then I turned, and rode back in to the muddled fog that I came from. When I woke in the morning, it was fresh in my mind. It left me feeling refreshed, renewed, and reminded that the pressures of this world are not what our Father in heaven created us for.

I'll get there someday. :)

(photo taken in Rossland BC)

Becoming Original

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; 
Nothing is original. All human expression is really just endless variations; 
You can't create anything new. Repetition and reference are all that is left.

In a "visual arts and culture" class in my second year DAAD program, my professor stopped her lecture and asked us all to raise our hands if we thought we were capable of changing the world. One or two people did the wavering half-raise, but the majority of us just sat there kind of stunned. Until that moment I had never realized how pessimistic my postmodern worldview was. She proceeded to explain to us how 20 years earlier when she asked that question, almost every had was raised. This was a class of 20-somethings after all: aren't we the "future generation," the ones now responsible to stop global warming, AIDS, hunger, and WWIII? But we were already jaded. 

That class gave me a LOT to think about. It helped that my prof was a vocal feminist/activist and didn't care how many students she pissed off each week, but she was great at asking the questions no one else was asking us. "Do you think you can change the world? You say you dont, but do you actually believe women are weak? Why does GI Joe have biceps bigger than his head?"

All this translates somehow into my current view of my work and the Graphic Design industry. When I graduated, I felt like I was ready to be the designer I wanted to be. I thought I knew what I needed to know and I was "it." Sure I knew I'd need to keep learning to keep up, but in a naive way I thought all I needed more of was technical skill. 

The more I work at this job, the more I become aware of how much more I want to be. I'll never be content to find a little niche and stay in it. I think its the creative spirit in me, and a deep response to my professors challenge years ago. I don't know if I can change the world with graphic design. But I know that I don't want to stop trying. Which means I have to keep striving to create something new, even though I don't know if its possible. I have to be aware of which creations of mine are imitations, which techniques are going into my tool box for a future project where I will really stretch myself. I feel like I'm "in training," and that at some point I'm going to want, need to race. 

We'll see. Maybe the nature of the beast is that I'll always feel this way. But at the end of my days, I hope that Jesus and I can look back and see that I gave it all I had, in my work and in my life. Because really this translates to everything I do. Complacency is not for me. It's not for any of us. 

Illustration Case Study

As you may know, one of my favourite things to do is illustrate. Here's a peak at my process! My own version of "how its made." This illustration is from the June Insights Magazine for an article called "Battling Disappointment." You'll be glad to know after numerous corrections I am finally able to spell "Disappointment" ("its like "appointment" with "dis" at the front!" -Robyn).

I usually start with a shape in my mind. Once it forms enough I put it on paper or ipad, then begin to bring it to life. I usually use a pencil, Photoshop and Illustrator at some point in each illustration. This guy was brought into photoshop for final texturing and some extra shading/refining. A bit of graphic accessorizing if you will.

I won't lie to you, there are many times that I get my roughs done and then realize that I hadn't planned well enough for incorporating it with the article. Sometimes it takes a bit of refining to get it all to work together! Never mind working it with the other 6 or 7 articles in each magazine...

I often plan to incorporate the title treatment within my illustration. Sometimes that means starting with the title, other times it means adding it once I have most of my elements put together. In all cases I hope and pray that the title doesn't change! 

Tell Yourself the Truth - Desktop Download #4

Sometimes I stop by utmost.org to read the daily slice from Oswald Chambers (from My Utmost for His Highest). Today I noticed the quote on the sidebar, and felt it resonate with how I sometimes struggle with my outlook on life.

"Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth."

-Oswald Chambers, The Place of Help, 1005 R

Unfortunately I often find myself acting in the way he tries to steer us away from. I love how he finishes his convicting thought: "It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth." He passes no judgement: its up to us to see the truths in our own lives and know when its time to change.

Taking in the Tunes

I'm a huge fan of noisetrade, the source of loads of wonderful free music (but tip if you love what you hear!) I've turned in to one of those people I never wanted to be: a bit of a music snob. I think its a result of becoming a junkie: I listen to music ALL DAY every day, and I get sick of whatever has been on repeat after a while. So I go sleuthing for new stuff, and noisetrade usually tips me off to some lovely melodies. After a while, I started getting comments like "you're one of 'those music people' aren't you? Have you ever heard of this band?" I really don't want to be one of "those people," but I can't stop my consumption of incredible music. Well hey! That's what it exists for! 

Here are three of my recent favourites, I hope you enjoy! :D

The Tourist Company - Brother Wake Up

Noisetrade prescribes this album for fans of Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters and Men, and Fleet Foxes, and they couldn't be more spot on. They have an awesome sound and not once have I pressed "skip." Oh, AND they're from Vancouver! Win!

The Oh Hellos - Through the Deep, Dark Valley

This album has been a staple in my playlist for a while. Like the Tourist Company, they have a chill & awesome sound as well as some pretty wonderful lyrics.

Josh Ritter - Live at the Iveagh Gardens

Some people have a thing against live albums, but I enjoy the banter and crowd interaction. Josh Ritter has an upbeat and folksy sound, and his wry attitude make this album great for infusing a bit of energy into your day. 

Crazy Joy - Magazine Illustration

For the May issue of Insights I put together this illustration for an article called "Five Steps to Crazy Joy" by Phil Callaway. At one point in the article he mentions people who find dogs in sweaters funny, so I ran with it. I made use of my new "tattoo artist" light table :D and started with pencil sketches that became pen drawings, and were digitized then coloured in photoshop.

I love seeing these characters come to life. I don't usually have a completed concept or character in my brain when I start working, and its like putting my pencil to the paper draws them out of some corner of my mind. Yes, my mind is secretly full of little dogs in sweaters. I'll end on that.

Project: Business Cards

If you're connected with me on facebook or instagram you got a glimpse of these already, back when they arrived in the mail and I couldn't contain my excitement. I've finally gotten around to taking some snazzy pics of them, and I'm excited to share my business cards. I've been freelancing since the middle of my design diploma, and somewhere in the last year I decided I really needed to shape up and be presentable. Slowly but surely I've been building a personal brand that finally worked its way into print. Any designer will tell you that they've never had a more difficult client than themselves. (printed with moo)