This is topic No Matter How Good You Are,,, in forum Letterhead/Pinstriper Talk at The Letterville BullBoard.


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Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
 
No matter how good you think you are, don't you sometimes get so bummed out that you sometimes just can't create the kind of artwork that another else can create. Sometimes it's signwork, done so clean, you jus wanna hit yourself in the head. A logo design, that someone else done, it makes you want to put your head in the oven. Or jus plain old artwork that kicks into the outter limits of fantastic, it make you get, yes I'm gonna say it, Jealous, jealous, jealous!!! It's so simple, why didn't I think of that, Where's my brain? I wonder if guys like David Butler, Dan Swartzky, Noel, Jackson etc. ever have brain farts,,,where they jus can't come up with a good design. I bet that when they blow their nose, the snot comes out in a perfect symmectrical scroll design. So good it can be scanned and sold as vector art.
 

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Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
 
So that's where those nifty scroll designs come from.........
 

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Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :
 
I learned a long time ago, where there is respect, there is no jealousy
 

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Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
 
Since my name was mentioned above I'll reply to this post... thanks for the honor...

A couple of days ago I posted a picture of our new logo (the ship in the moon) in progress as a sculpture... Its been better than a year since we decided to replace our old logo and its taken that long to come up with something I am delighted with (after a number of failed attempts which more than one person noted to be 'underwelming'. So I guess that answers your question.

Other times I can come up with something pretty good in mere seconds plus drawing time. I wish it was always that easy.

I tried blowing my nose to see what comes out... It looked like a piece of modern art which I'm not particularly fond of. I'd sure hate to have to vectorise what was in my cleanex!

I believe we need to have lots of input for creative output. And I spend a lot of time reading, looking at artwork, observing and sketching ideas for possible later use. WHen I need an idea its just a matter of accessing these ideas stored away in my memory for rearrangement into a creative design. All that homework pays off in a hurry.

One thing I must note though is the pressure never ends. Whenever I come up with something brilliant those around me say something like... "I would expect no less from you" which means the next idea I have to come up with needs to be even better to meet expectations.

Good thing I thrive under pressure in Yarrow...

-grampa dan
 

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Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
 
Hahaha...loved the line about the snot.
Alicia, don't you realize that there are people out there who look at the artwork you do and the wonderful way you can letter and are jealous of your talent?

I never think I am good. Everything I ever do, to me, looks kinda like what really is in a used Kleenex. But I know good when I see it, and am blown away by it. In awe. Not jealous. I try to better myself each time I do something and aspire to produce what I admire. We are all given different gifts, it is up to us to discover what they are and to perfect them if we can.
Love....Jill
 

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Posted by Mr Curtis Dalton (Member # 7547) on :
 
Yeah, there are times I see art work that just makes me think "wow, that's cool, I wish I thought of that". I just find it's good to be influenced by other art work. Just a few days ago I had to create a "Safety Bear" for an oil company. My brain said "simple, I can do this". I sketched it out on paper, then recreated it in Illustrator. After adding color, I looked at it and thought "this looks like crap!" I trashed it and started over from scratch. This will happen sometimes. I find the best thing to do is look over your favorite artists work, remember what influenced you to do this type of job in the first place... don't take the ideas, start your own style that is inspired from others. I usually think of classic Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Michael Martchenko, and also Todd McFarlane (from the older Marvel days). So yeah, there are days I think.. hmm that wasn't good enough. However, this happens to most people. Also remember, sometimes customers don't give you enough time to do your best. that's a drag.
 

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Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
 
Nah I am entirely way too self-absorbed to be jealous of others.

Inspired into aspiration? Definitely. Jealous, no.

You have to strive to be better than you were, not better than someone else is.
 

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Posted by Jim Moser (Member # 6526) on :
 
I remember when I went to Rick Glawson's first Conclave, twenty some years ago...there was Noel Weber, Mark Oatis, Mike Jackson, and some other incredibly talented people whose work I had been admiring in SignCraft.

I really felt like "what am I doing here!" But everyone was really friendly, and after a while I realized that I may not be able to do what they do, but they can't do what I can do. We all have our own special talents.

I can guarantee you that everyone struggles with ideas...It would take me a lot of time to create something that looked like David Butler did it. Even when I go with my own style, some days everything just flows, and sometimes it doesn't. Many times I start with a basic idea and it takes on a life of its own as I'm painting.

I get inspiration from many different sources....sign magazines, Auto Art mag, surfing mags, dirt bike mags, and books of logo designs, plus going to art shows. Inspiration is all around us...we just need to see it through our eyes and convey that image to the rest of the world.

Don't be too hard on yourself chica...you do some absolutely awesome artwork that the rest of us admire and wish we could do as well.
 

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Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
 
Alicia, I think if you were to talk to any of those folks you mentioned you would find that they are not unlike the rest of us. They have their good days and bad days. Sometimes the great stuff just seems to fall out of their sleeve, but at other times they have mental blocks just like you and I.

In my opinion, the reason that so much good stuff comes out of their head is that they put so much good stuff into their head....and then they add lots of time and passion.

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to spend time with some of those folks and you would be surprised that not all are living in Camelot where sugar plums fall of the trees. Everyone carries some problems around with them, but the difference is that they seldom let those problems change their positive attitude.

Sure, they produce some fantastic works, but they also produce just a whole LOT OF WORK and give serious thought to everything they do.

Grandpa Dan kept telling us that he was no different than the rest of us. Of course, I don't believe that, but I do believe that the more good design we do the more good design we can do.

No one actually creates anything - all of us just copy from each other and our resource materials and put the pieces together. The more great stuff we can put on the hard drive of our brain, the more we can draw from when we sit down to design.

Don't worry Alicia...you're in good company.
 

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Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
 
"A Kick in the Seat of the Pants" and "A Whack in the Side of the Head" are two very readable books on creative thinking- essentially you need to train your mind to get out of its comfort zone (or rut), before it gets used to the idea that there are many other approaches to a solution than to stay in the comfy rut you've built. The more you get used to thinking in alternate ways, the more quickly you can become creative in ways you'd not formerly have thought up.
 

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Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
 
This is good. Isn't it nice to know that you're
"normal"; that nearly everyone has days when they are creative beyond belief, and days they can't find their butt with both hands?

It does indeed get frustrating at times to try to come up with something unique and different for a new customer, and just come up against a wall in your thinking. I know that many here don't really acknowledge God or the miraculous things He can do in your life. But, for me, it usually boils down to "Lord, I need your help (again). I've got a new customer and my mind is blank. Please help me." Then I go for a walk.
Invariably, whether it's a cloud formation, or a truck that goes by with some cool lettering, or the colors of newly excavated dirt on a piece of property...things come together.

Coincidence? That's not mine to say. I know what it is for me. I guess everyone has their own ways of getting to the finished product. I'm very blessed and honored to have so many others on this board who are constantly able to achieve such great results on their various projects. And I'm glad we have some common ground and are willing to help each other to excellence in what we do, no matter what hurdles we have to jump to get there.
 

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Posted by Guy H. J. Hilliard (Member # 2529) on :
 
Alicia et al;

With some of the projects I have done I have amazed my clients (and myself) with the results but I also have a good sized pile of the most ornate firewood you have ever seen. You shouldn't be jealous of someone else's "Talent or creativity" any more than you should be jealous of the cut fingers, muscle aches, countless hours of sketching, sculpting, painting, crossed eyes, cursing, frustration, and practice that got them there.

If someone does something better than you know how to, ask them how they do it or how they learned to get to where they are. A goodly lot of them will be more than willing to help you become better at what you want to learn but you need to make an investment to, in time, practice, and patience.

There's a dirty little secret about altruists, a lot of them do it for the basest, most self serving, and greediest of reasons - it makes them feel good doing it. And when you teach a skill you will frequently learn more than the student you are teaching.

"Greed is good"
Gordon Gekko
 

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Posted by Dale Manor (Member # 4858) on :
 
I seem to remember looking in total awe at a certain little pickup paint job out in Lodi, California.

I saw that paint job and said, "I gotta give this stuff up man, I'll just never get that good".

Actually it is those kind of moments I reflect back on when I'm faced with a creative challenge. Like a visit to a great museum, when I leave, I just want to go home and create something!

For the past half a year I've been learning a totally new job. For most of that time it has felt like taking baby steps. But tomorrow some of the fruits of our labors are heading off to the SEMA show in Vegas.

Alicia, you're an inspiration....take care
 

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Posted by Mike Clayton (Member # 723) on :
 
Alicia,

I agree with you 110%. There are times I think I'm making progress, then see another's work, and want to hide in the closet. Lot's of talented people here, yourself included, we all do the best we can.

MC

[ October 23, 2008, 11:25 PM: Message edited by: Mike Clayton ]
 

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Posted by jack wills (Member # 521) on :
 
None of this stuff comes easy. After attempting a
load of possible ways of coming up with the right
design or fit usually the one thing you look for
jumps up out of nowhere when you turn your head.
I have burned out many times but the the devil
comes back to visit and then it's off to the
races and many more hours of continuous playtime
produces some stuff that once culled for critique
will be added to a pile for sorting.
The original thought or design never seems to make
it to the page after the dozens of changes.
But, as far as I am concerned...most of the heads
involved in making signs have similar abilities
to come up with striking images that move others.
It's just that sometimes the cost of making all
the gears turn in a shop is more important than
agonizing over something that can be found in
on a disk that will satisfy a customers taste.
I see trucks on the road,ads in magazines, signs
in our business mags and signs on the street
using my fonts and clipart.
I feel satisfaction with that.
Ironically...the font that became very popular
for awhile was "Snappy".I was running behind in
a contract for some fonts and the principal came
to my house for the last font which was not even
in sketch form. As he stood by, I knocked it out
in about a half hour. It needed cleanup in
vector form but apparently it made the grade.
I call that a good song!

Designing is grueling work at times but when a
idea starts to take form, it's as if you are
almost leaving your body. I found that happening
a lot when pinstriping and hand lettering a fresh
project. It helps to have good music playin'to
feed the mind.

So... Alicia,of all people,with your talent
and personality you have made me way jealous too
much. So knock it off...

I have to make it a point to come up and visit
you and Jackson Smart, next spring when the rains
lay down.

Jack

[ October 24, 2008, 12:07 AM: Message edited by: jack wills ]
 

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Posted by Joe Golden (Member # 6870) on :
 
A guy named Sonny Franks once told me...... " I dont have to be the best..... just the best in my area!" I still really like that one.
 

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Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
 
Joe that's cute!

. . . well, it's not ever 'jealousy' I feel when I see the awesome work others do . . . it's more like reverent awe . . . lol

As a 'rule-of-thumb', in order to never feel puffed up for well-done work, NOR feel worthless, (and this applies to all areas of life) I always remember these facts:

There's always going to be someone who's doing better, got it better, and does it better then me. AND, there's always gonna be someone who's worse off than me.

Also, it's helpful to remember that all the folks we set up as 'idols' put 'their pants on one leg at a time' like everyone else. This is the polite way of saying they get gas, fart, burp, and are rotten when sick just like everyone else on the planet. They also draw-a-blank facial expression that matches their brain activity when stumped, just like evreyone else.

Meanwhile, here's a coupl'a' helps for creator's block.
Try a trip to the grocery store just to look at package layouts. And, I'm often inspired by looking at greeting cards. Lots of layouts there from cool and fun to elegant.

Sometimes, just spending several days to think on-&-off before creating can help. Lots of times I turn out something fairly fast, then I think about it for a while, and see something inspirational, or have an epiphany-light-bulb moment and end-up realizing I could've done something a lot better if I'd thought about it a while.

What I really like about Letterville is all the varied levels of experience coming together here to swap ideas and learning things from everyone.

It's all good.
 

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Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Alicia B. Jennings:
...you jus wanna hit yourself in the head. A logo design, that someone else done, it makes you want to put your head in the oven. Or jus plain old artwork that kicks into the outter limits of fantastic...

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ricky Jackson:
it made me want to get a bikini wax.

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