A Musing #27

As someone who works independently, my advice to you is to listen to your body. I love going into the studio every single day, but you have to know when you’re going to be productive. The major sign I get is when I start to clean/rearrange my studio. I’m happy to be busy and to have a couple collaborations going right now, but I don’t want to ruin it with my stubborn will to keep working when I’m tired. Right now I’m sitting in my studio writing this so I don’t feel I’m wasting time. The more I pause in between writing, the more I have the urge to go down into my storage locker to find old drawings to put up.

Looking back at Brut 25 , this was a breakthrough point for me. Not the piece itself, but the birth of an idea. I haven’t shared them yet, but the next three paintings in the series take off from here. It’s on going research and I could be years or weeks away from having a major breakthrough point. To all other creatives out there reading this, just keep pushing. Plateauing for a while is okay and completely normal. Remove those unrealistic deadlines out of your head and go to work. What’s supposed to happen will happen when it’s supposed to happen.

As for the collaborations I mentioned before, I’m stepping out of my realm by working on an album cover. It’s been on my bucket list since I was remotely capable of creating something on a 2D surface. The group wants something very specific and it’s a nice challenge. I’m not an illustrator who can pull shit out of no where, but I can watch tons of Bob Ross videos when you ask for a landscape. There are going to be more steps from there and I want to do my best to keep it a surprise. I’m going to stop myself there.

Take this as a reminder not to be so hard on yourself. If no one has told you yet, I’m proud of you and your work. Keep going. It’s not an easy task and you’re doing your best.