The Creator’s Incubator # 1
Welcome to the first ever Creator’s Incubator. Since it’s the inaugural edition, I thought it would be appropriate to give you a few behind the scenes stuff about my creative process.
Sparks:
Individual cartoons have their own set of sparks, so I thought I’d give you some of the everyday variety.
I like to surround myself with cartoon collectibles and cartoon art in the studio. It makes me feel at home.Here’s just a few samples from my home studio.
Five things that help me Create:
1. Reading. Newspapers, magazines, websites, billboards, t-shirts, movie posters, anything visual It’s the most important part of creating sports cartoons. After I read I let it soak in for a while.
2. Silence is golden for thinking up ideas. I can listen to music or CNN after I pencil the cartoon and I’m ready to ink, but not before.
3. Word play. I write down topics and free associate a visual metaphor for what it is I want to say in the cartoon. In my case it’s usually an opinion I have about a topic I’m drawing on.
4. Ink don’t think. The worst thing to do is force an idea. Ideas form when you’re most relaxed, even if you are under deadline. If I get really stuck I’ll put the subject I’m drawing about in the most outrageous situation I can imagine. Case in point. This Phelps cartoon.
5. Bang my head up against the wall and hope that something besides hair comes out.
Creativational Quote of the day: An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.
Edwin Land
Created on this date: 1963 – Beatles record “She Loves You” & “I’ll Get You”
The Rhino Recommends: This fantastic book about the founding of Pixar and the innovation and creativity it took to pull it all together.
There you have it. I hope you’ll join us here at DrewLitton.com for the next edition of the Creator’s Incubator
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Great stuff! Good material for right-brained people such as myself…. And, great ideas have to come natural and can’t be forced!
Hi Drew:
I love this section on creativity!. BRAVO… in the few short weeks we have been in touch something seems to have shifted.
I love this quote on creativity…
ALAN ALDA:
The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.
This just about says it all.
It is Canada Day today…
I have the next 3 days off in a row.
So, has anything other then hair actually come out while banging your head? 😉
Drew,
Sometimes I find that forcing the idea and then editing works best. Often the idea and the final result have no resemblance. I believe when appropriate, the intense crucible of a deadline and the ansence of defined idea can be result in some of the best material. Sort of like rapidly boiling down all the fat to the basic crux of the idea. Throw some ink down and then keep messing with it. Little by little a blob becomes a definition.
Ok, enough of my high-minded ideals. Ultimately, each idea is the result of a different source of information and analysis. Forcing them together results in genius, insanity, or lameness. A high risk gamble with sometimes amazing results is the best.
Mike
Great insight Mike. Deadlines are the ultimate motivator. please feel free to offer more. That’s what this is all about.
Kathy,
I love that quote by Alan Alda. Well said.