Distractions

Often times I need to go back and think why I started life as a designer. What was it that got me interested in this life of creation? I’m pretty sure my mom would tell me she knew the moment I was in 2nd and we had to create a painting using dead fish imprints on paper. While the other kids were grossed out at the very thought of touching a dead fish, I was there with my brush and tray of paints very precisely painting each scale and fins in bright colors. My painting went on to be chosen for a local art show and I remember standing in front of my painting thinking it looked so small compared to the large cafeteria it was held in.

The moment I knew I wanted to draw for life had to be in 6th grade when my friend Crystal introduced me to Sailor Moon. Back in 1994 if you wanted anything Sailor Moon related you had to get up at 5AM to catch the anime on a local station or search high and low on the internet with your dial up connection to find pictures to draw. We would spend hours talking about all the scouts, drawing pictures we had seen, collecting trading cards and comics. I remember the comics being in Japanese, as there were no English translations available, but I was so enthralled by the drawings I knew exactly what was happening in the storyline. I still have sketches to this day of my Sailor Moon drawings, which I continued to draw throughout high school.

The only problem I faced with having a love for anime figurines was my artwork started to form that type of “look.” The anime cartoon look, that was very “cute.” I hate the word cute. As a college professor later told me she wanted to see me break out and do something dirty. Apparently, that was the point in life where I learned art had to be dark and tragic and so emotional it would bring you to tears to be meaningful. I just didn’t see things that way, at least, not at that time in life.

Sailor Moon always made me love to draw and that’s what I go back and look at when times are tough in the creative department. I just need to remember the fun in it all. This week has been full of distractions and new video games that have captured my interest for far longer that allowable when there design to be done!

So this weekend it’s back to work and fun! It’s all about balance and remembering why I love design.