Month: December 2019

The Difference of a Decade

| Ness

Time is an illusion.

Albert Einstein

There’s a trend going on these days, which I have seen on Twitter specifically, of artists sharing the difference in their work after a decade. Seeing so many people do this, and to see such drastic improvements over time, is inspiring. I didn’t want to just share a couple of images in a tweet, though. That couldn’t quite cover the time in a way that’s acceptable to me.

I haven’t looked at much of my artwork over the last ten years. Before reviewing it, I knew that not much would be there compared to others. I knew it wouldn’t be high in quality and that I would be embarrassed by how bad it all will be. But I also knew that I shouldn’t be comparing myself, or my artwork, to others in this way.

It turns out, though, only one of those things is true. There’s not much of it. However, the quality isn’t bad and it certainly doesn’t embarrass me. I tried to create and succeeded in making new things. Some are more complete than others, and I did my best. That much is evident.

I had, and have, room to improve. And overall, it looks like I managed to do it. I fell down a few times, took a couple stumbling steps back, but in the end my skill in digital art is moving forward again.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

Something New

Ten years ago, in the spring of 2009, I was finishing up a course at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. It was a two-semester course called Performing Arts Preparation, that I took out of personal interest. I wanted to practice acting, singing, and hoped to become more confident. I did manage these things, and while the year was stressful I do value what I learned and the people I met.

During that time, my health was extremely poor. I wasn’t sleeping and I was always exhausted, depressed, anxious, and spent most of my mental space focusing on staying conscious.

It took a few more years before I got myself into a better place.

I did a lot of drawing during this time. Sketches on paper and only sometimes colouring on the PC with Photoshop. It was intended as a distraction but it was a start.

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Digital Art and Illustration: December Update

| Ness

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a model maker, a potter, a dancer, a programmer, a writer, a political activist, a teacher, a musician, a milliner, whatever. It’s all the same. Making is making, and none of it is failure.”

Adam Savage, Every Tool’s A Hammer: Life Is What You Make It

Starting in September, I started to make some big changes.

I don’t know the exact cause or the specific thing that made these changes a priority.

It is likely a culmination of things. A bunch of small pieces, perhaps insignificant on their own, that started the avalanche of creativity. Because that’s what changed: the desire to create with the strength to finally do it. The want and need has always been there, lurking, but the catalyst was missing.

And I know why it was missing. But I couldn’t fix it. I didn’t know how.

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