(FYI - I’ve recorded a voice over for those of you who would rather listen while you work)
Hellooooo friends!
Fall is my favorite season. It really is. I truly love all things autumn!
End of summer is always a transition back to school, but when autumn rolls around we are deep in the routine and looking forward to holiday breaks. The leaves start falling, I start pulling out my cozy jackets and sweaters, my pumpkin spice cravings become unavoidable, and I can pretend the real busy season hasn’t started yet (even though it has). Good thing everything is in it’s place and all is ironed out. Right?
Thing is…life is messy and complicated… AND layered. A quick boost or a creative pit-stop is always beneficial to anyone’s productivity. Thankfully, a Creative Kickstart is available at any time and just a short stop right off the main road. Today’s Creative Kickstart topic is the most important piece to any creative journey, the “Dream Machine” aka your very own unique form of travel. You must keep yourself healthy and your Dream Machine tuned to make your BEST work.
But what is an artist’s form of travel? What is the Dream Machine?
Step 3 of the 6 Step Creative Kickstart:
QUICK RECAP
Step ONE : Check your battery.
Step TWO : Fill the inspiration fuel tank!
Step THREE : Keep the Dream Machine Happy
Traveling can give clarity to both your work and work space. Have you ever taken a real life trip and realized you brought way too many things or not enough things? (I always bring too much. ) I also guarantee, while you travel, you are making hundreds of observations and mental notes for how and where you’d like to travel the next time. Then, when you return home (with fresh eyes) you might notice different things about your home too. Things you’d like to change or things you love even more now.
So, it should be no surprise that the way you travel and where you travel on your art journey is critical to the journey itself and always evolving. We are never the same person. In the creative industry you have an art process, style, and an ever changing portfolio. As we grow in our skills, creative experiences, and pick up new interests, we are also constantly upgrading our traveling skills. Hopefully, keeping the “Dream Machine” happy as we go!
THE DREAM MACHINE Breakdown:
Vehicle Design = Your Style
The Wheels = Your Process
Engine = Your Motivation
The View out the Window = Your Portfolio and Art
This is YOUR experience as an artist. The places you want to see on this creative journey will dictate where you go and how you get there.
When I first dreamed of being a children’s book illustrator I had no way of getting anywhere. I just had a lil’ dream without an engine. An idea and a hope. The moment I actually started pursuing my dream I suddenly had an engine, but not a body. I started taking classes and my finished assignments became the very beginning of my illustration portfolio. A style that looked more like the bare bones of a jeep from the junk yard, but it was a start. It all started very wonky, but as I slowly moved forward with borrowed wheels. I had something that resembled an art process, but it didn’t feel very productive. When I transitioned from traditional illustration to digital drawing I found that I could travel much faster! This boosted my confidence and I kept moving forward in my journey. Upgrading my jalopy as I went. As my style changed, my scenery changed along with it. As I got real illustration jobs, I kept upgrading my Dream Machine. My portfolio kept evolving. My engine grew stronger. The adventure a bit more complicated. And it’s still evolving every day!
Vehicle Design = Your Style
The way your art looks will naturally evolve over the span of your life and career. Some times that truth feels scary. Especially, when it feels like your style should stay consistent. However, if you think about how you drew when you were little compared to now, you might be thankful that your style has changed since then. I giggle sometimes at my old stuff. I can see how I was working things out in my head. Perhaps, I went through a phase where I was playing with my line work, shadows and contrast, drawing new perspectives, or discovering new mediums. It’s all an adventure and it all leads you forward. Play = Joy and Joy = Good Work.
Best advice I ever got about style is to follow your “yes’s” and listen to your “no’s”. All that means, is while you play and make art, listen to your inner voice. It will instinctively react to what you’re making. It will say things like,"Gosh! I love using that thick paint!” or “Oh, no…those colors are not for me!”. Even when it comes to sharing on social media. Listen to what works for you. Maybe you don’t enjoy making and sharing videos. That’s okay. Listen to that voice. Maybe sharing a carousel (collection of images) is more fitting for you. Maybe you love writing newsletters. Lean in. The Dream Machine should look and feel like you. If not, you’ll notice something doesn’t feel right. Make it genuine. Your colors, your vibe. A fingerprint of your creative voice. Then it truly is a portfolio that represents your taste.
The Wheels = Your process
Even if you you’ve never taken a trip or break in your life, you can stop for a moment and review your art process. It’s an opportunity to clean up your art space.
Consider what tasks are weighing you down. What might be keeping you from being productive. Consider the supplies or tools you are not using or you might be missing. Perhaps that means finally investing on a camera, finding a better work space, changing your schedule, clearing up your digital desktop, or just buying a few sticky notes. Invest in yourself. That could mean spending a little money or just giving yourself more time to do the things you keep putting off.
Organizing your desk or studio creates a clear path for travel and refining your process keeps the wheels turning.
The point is to take a moment to set yourself up for success! This is where the magic happens. Your space needs to be inspiring or at least calming. OR maybe you like it to feel exciting and loud. After all, it’s YOUR space. Your favorite tools need to be handy. Or maybe it’s time to upgrade your supplies. Candy wrappers need to be in the trash. Depending on time and your situation, it can be a quick spruce up or an extensive de-cluttering. Cleaning up and reorganizing in general always gets the juices flowing for me and reminds me where I left off. I start making to-do lists and suddenly a path appears before me.
My process is deeply entwined with my style. As I work, I listen to music to get into the flow. I set the stage so I can perform at my best.
Engine = Your Motivation
Your engine can stop you in your tracks. If it’s not running well then you could end up parked for a long time. You may need a tune up. This involves the first two steps to the Creative Kick Start, which is checking your battery and filling the fuel tank. Honestly, it’s easy to doom scroll which often leads to comparison traps. There are so many road bumps and detours you can encounter. So, that’s a topic for another day.
Yet, you can keep the Dream Machine happy by taking regular breaks and checking on your creative engine.
The View out the Window = Your Portfolio and Art
Last, but definitely NOT least on this list, is the view from your dream machine. You dream it, you build it, your power it, and now you’re creating the journey. You are building the works of art. It could be in the form of music, puppets, soap, or a million other things. It could be edible or temporary art. It doesn’t matter! Your life’s work is your creative journey. What you make is the road. The experience you have while making it and celebrating it, is what you see out your window. This is why you must make the things that you love. The things that excite you. Dare to travel to where your dreams lead you. That is why it’s called the Dream Machine. These are your dreams calling to you, you must answer that call, and you need a vehicle to travel.
The reason you must constantly curate your portfolio is because you are heading to bigger and better things, my friend. You don’t want to take a tour of the same place over and over again. Show the best of you! Make the work you want to do. Let it lead you to the jobs you want to get.
You set your course toward the destinations you want to see and when you do it with joy, I guarantee others will notice! And traveling with others is the best part of this journey.
This post is a part of a monthly post by the Illoguild. This month we are discussing the topic of “Portfolio Building”. I hoped you found some nuggets that can help you now or in the future. You can keep your cheat sheet handy for whenever you need it.
Join us for a FREE LIVE ZOOM on Monday, November 17th at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM MST (4:00PM - 5PM EST).
That’s all I have for you today! This Substack is free. If you read all the way down or listened, THANK YOU! As always, I am so happy you are here! I hope you found a little gem you can use and if you enjoyed it please share this post!
I’ll see you next time!