The servant girl.

I was thinking about the idea of servitude the other day. I used to hate the idea of serving anyone because I wanted to be a free woman. The idea seemed religious, it seemed belittling, and it seemed too humble.

I've grown up since then.

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” ― Rabindranath Tagore

We've heard it before... because it's probably true.

Even in marketing they tell you to consider your demographic. If you don't know who your demo is, you don't have a product. As an artist, it's a little vague, yes, but you do indeed have a demographic and you do have a purpose. Your purpose might be to love and nurture a community through your comics, help kids feel empowered by your murals, or show developers they matter and help them create amazing things that change the world.

Samwise carrying Frodo and the ring.  Did you cry when this happened?  I sure did.

If you really think about it, Sam from The Lord of the Rings was as important (if not more than) the protagonist, Frodo. When all Frodo's strength was lost, when he essentially quit, Sam pulled all his strength for the nth time and made sure Frodo got the damn ring to mount doom. His purpose was to serve Frodo and help him accomplish amazing things. Sam's strength, endurance, and kindness, paired with Frodo's....uh....big blue eyes and dumb courage...kicks major evil ass.

Yes, I'm more of a Samfan than a Frodofan, can you tell?

Perhaps our purpose is more humble than we had wanted...

So what? Our society puts too much emphasis on celebrities anyway. Social media and the ever growing pressure to have "followers" doesn't help, either. But let's take a few minutes today and really think about who and how we can make a difference. Ask yourself, how can I help using the best of my abilities?

I challenge you to seek the answers. Share your answers- we'd all like to know. Let's stop aspiring to be famous figures and istead go forthright with our tools in hand, smiles on our faces, and determination to make a difference in the best way we can- whether anyone notices or not.

By the way- I came across this startup while doing some research for this post and I had to share. Hahah!

You're always learning

I wanted to share a project I've been working on lately. It started back when I had just finished college and some friends of mine wanted to produce an animated short to pitch to the networks in Burbank. It's amazing how long the team has been at it, even though life's obstacles tricked us and we stoppe running. Somehow this project keeps getting picked up thanks to the passionate man who started it all- Xavier. I think the only think that sets anyone apart in the entertainment industry (and probably in life!) is endurance.

A title card I've been working on for the short.

It's beena great project for me in many ways. I can't say I'm contributing my best work because it's been a huge learning process, and you can't always feel great about what you produce when you're tripping half the time.

Lessons I'll take with me:

1. Don't forget the sketch! It saves you time.
2. Don't fret over it being perfect. What matters in the end is that you finish.
3. Do be as communicative as possible. Keep the project at a top priority and schedule chats so you stay emotionally involved. Note: there is a reason why you started the project in the first place, and when you talk to the creator you'll remember why.
4. Do your research.
5. Have fun always. Make it your biggest goal and the rest will become a LOT easier to accomplish.
6. Eat your Wheaties.

Opening title card.  Will eventually have the title of the short above.  I've going for a graphic approach with the warm Disney style of the 50's.

I look at these slides and I see good things and things I'd want to change. In fact- feedback is welcome!

Regardless, I'm happy I am to be a part of a project that's depended on the passion and love for animation, executed by a team of some of my dearest college pals. In the end that's the best part- I get to share it with people whom I admire and love to death.

A friend is a gift you give yourself.
-Robert Louis Stevenson

Thanks Marilyn Scott-Waters for reminding me of that awesome quote.

Here's to creating amazing things and being the best you can be!

Love,

Annie

Art in Open Source

I gave a talk about art used in open source projects earlier this month at Heavybit Industries for the RethinkDB meetup in San Fran.  It was tons of fun, and inspired me to start some more research for future talks.  The tech world reminds me so much of the art world; creators, manipulating media, manifesting experiences for others- just on different canvases.  I'm so happy to be a part of both! 

T-Shirts ain't no walk in the park, she says

T-shirt design

I love it and I hate it. The process, the variables, the finished prodcut- they all can be your favorite thing one minute and the bane of your existence the next. I can't wait to see this puppy finished and on the torso of a coworker. Hopefully he/she will look proud. Superhero pose- go!

I wanted to share this process with you, though. It's a unique one, and there's a lot of things to consider when designing apparel.

Here's where I started:

After the feedback from the team, I moved with the chosen image and started thinking color choices.

After this step I ran into the biggest issue: T-shirt color. Now, it's not really about the color and if people will like it, but more- can we find a company that makes it? It would have been smart to consider the following before designing color paletts:

• What ink process do you want to use (i.e. look and feel of graphic)
• Shirt color and style. Have this determined early on if possible.
• Shirt material. Will the ink work well with preferred material?

This is where it got difficult: I liked the colors in the graphic itself, but I started pasting it onto shirts and it looked like a sticker. It wasn't whole, it didn't match, I couldn't get it to become "one" with the shirt.

So iterate, iterate, iterate!

After several other choices, this is where we landed. We all felt like we'd come to a great place where the graphic, color, shirt all worked together quite harmoniously.

But (and that's a huge butt) the physical t-shirt swatches of the "heather-slate" that we wanted did not actually look like the t-shirt above. grrrr It was waaaaaay darker and therefor, all the colors in the graphic would have had to change. I think the key here is to order samples, find a shirt you want to use early on, and design based on that. The web does not depict colors acuratly.

But in the end, the shirt is going to work. You have to wrap it up and move on.

And we're all so excited to start the printing process with the screen printers. It's the best feeling when you've put so much work into a project and you feel like you've finally landed on something you really really like. You say to yourself, "Oh yeah! That's why I spent so much time on this- I need to get it here."

Not all projects are like that....

If you have any questions, I'm always available! I highly recommend taking the t-shirt design class on Skillshare.com with Chris Delorenzo. He breaks down the process really well, and the designer who runs it does some rad stuff for Johnny Cupcakes.

Playtime.

This has been one of my favorite projects.  When you have a clear direction and you know exactly what your boundaries are, you can let yourself play.  Isn't that the case with a lot of things?  Safety is a huge goal, causing trouble and turmoil when we don't have it, but allowing us to let loose and think big when we do.  It's a gift.

As I develop this brand (which is ever and always will be evolving) I'm slowly feeling more comfort and ease as I begin each project.  I'm acquainted with the brand- it's acquainted with me.

Funny how it all works out, after riding the waves and fearing each bump and shake, you get use to it and soon you're sailing along.  I think I'll have a beer today.