“It is good to possess a quiet mind, an active body and an open heart.”

Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece Totoro perfectly captures the wonder and innocence of childhood.

I saw a little girl eating ice cream the other day. She was so attentive — diligently milking her culinary experience, savouring every moment almost frame by frame. It made me think of how most of us, as we became adults, simply forgot how to stay in the present. Oh, the joy we miss of what it was like to be young and innocent! This is what I think we’ve lost in playing by the rules, in our drive to succeed and improve, to get more and achieve faster. We don’t even stop to wonder why or how life became so routine. Instead, we abide and just reel from the fatigue and mental stress of a remaining future that seems to slip away faster than it should.

We look to the wrong place. Ironically, nature’s interventional antidote to this dilemma is getting us lost —not just feeling lost in the present moment but consciously, almost existentially lost; to neither know nor worry about the future. To be truly vacant, as in not knowing where to go, actually frees us from our thoughts and from ourselves. Because accepting that one is actually lost, and allowing oneself to be lost, in the big scheme of things permits us to see and live in the present, the only thing that is real. And, like wandering into an unfamiliar forest, our senses sharpen, we go into high alert; everything looks magically fresh and new, and yet sometimes also scary and exciting.

Rebecca Solnit’s wondrous book is one I turn to periodically.

Writer Rebecca’s Solnit talks deeply about this in her sensitive book, A field Guide to Getting Lost, noting that getting lost is necessary so that we can be found again. In so doing, we learn to see not just more clearly but to engage more directly. When we do so, we are forced to stop operating so habitually and so mechanically because in times like these, when the world seems to make no sense, previously established norms no longer apply. Introspection — which is a journey inwards, is how we find our way outwardly.

I’ve admittedly succumbed to worldly strains myself, feeling almost too paralyzed at times to even draw or paint. I had to finally accept being okay with being lost and confused in the meaninglessness of our modern machinations. Only then was I able to re-find the order needed to create again. I remembered again that we need order to create art and that we imagine it first, rather than manufacture it, for art comes not out of an assembly line, nor is it mere copy or duplication. And that my making art is my personal rebellious act against the cruel and artificial machine world we’ve made, one where it seems might makes right and evil reigns. I re-assert to myself that I belong to a physical and spiritual world instead, one that is diverse, interconnected and filled with uniqueness waiting to be discovered. Nature is not interested in mechanization, it is not occupied with duplication, and neither am I.

A beautiful and unusual spiderweb hanging on my maple tree. Even arachnids are full of creativity and wonder. No two spiderwebs are ever the same.

Even my art career has proven to me that my best ideas come to me and through me, not from me. I do not and can not force them to be found (even if I tried). Like looking for keys, they only show up when I’m not searching for them in angst. When you pay attention, what you you find is that the universe finds you when you’re willing to be vulnerable. And then you find sometimes that you can still surprise yourself, which is a wonderful thing, especially as one ages. Being lost forces one to be present enough to accept the sometimes scary and strange things in life whose beauty is often unparalleled.

Painting by Robert Henri.

The website has now since become about much more than just the motion arts — it’s about all things tied to creative living (even though it’ll continue to focus mostly on the visual crafts to keep the scope of the blog reasonable). Yes, I still call it a blog — an homage to longer form content (now rare) as a place to talk, share and learn about all things tied to a meaningful and creative existence. Being non-profit, it’s still being written in the earnest spirit of giving and sharing so I hope it will continue in that vain, inspiring a way of authentic living that is more essential now than ever given these rather tumultuous cultural, economic and geopolitical times. Making art and talking about it is perhaps my own direct rebellion against the mere mechanical existence that is being thrusted upon us. I hope you will visit regularly and be inspired by the articles, the featured artists and their art that will be shared in the spirit of creativity and goodness.

*Note: The archived posts will feature over 260 original essays, interviews, and art analyses I’ve made over the last 10+ years of writing and thousands of hours of concentrated work. Please browse through them, and if you’ve come over from the original site and are already familiar with my work, look through them again; you might be surprised by the continued relevance of the articles. And, if possible, subscribe (or even make a small pledge/donation) here on Substack to help keep this site alive and growing.

Making art is often a lonely endeavour. It's also a career choice that always entails being misunderstood. Unless you satisfy the crowds — namely, via money and fame — you won't fit in. Oftentimes, it's hard to feel accepted even amongst family or friends. You're not normal, so mostly you're accepted/tolerated under the category of the strange or unusual. Even when your art or name is accepted— i.e you're considered a "success" — it's often only superficial adulation tied to the product and its associated symbols, whatever that maybe. Yes, the modern world really is this shallow and amoral. And this, too, is hard to accept at times. But every artist already knows this and yet, I don't think we can choose another path. Would you rather live the life of someone who blindly chases common ideals and all that that entails?

So the question becomes how do you endure? How do you stay true to yourself and engage in a world that seems to leave you out? I think it comes back to agency. There's only so much you can control. And you focus on that. These are the things that you have agency over:

1. where you direct your attention

2. what action you choose to take

3. the attitude you have

In other words, how you conduct yourself will determine your experience. But in a world seemingly gone mad with digital distraction, political division and pervasive greed and narcissism, we can often feel helpless to choose and design our own lives. Most of us struggle in making decisions, especially the big picture stuff. We don't know where to start. And, like most everyone else, we're scared of change. We're scared of sacrificing one thing for another, especially when the "other" is both a hope for something better and the potential to lose whatever little we may currently have. We feel trapped between our known alienation and the unknown consequences of change.

How do we free ourselves from our dilemma? The answer lies in knowing what we must do; it's about knowing our priorities. Years ago, I made the tough decision to choose a commitment to personal art and principles over the comfort and financial security of staying in the corporate film and animation industry. I made a similar decision after a brief career in commerce many years earlier. What I found then was the same as what I found now, that what I gave up in material wealth and social security — and I did lose many friends and connections — I gained in mental and physical health; more importantly, I gained my autonomy as a human being. I also found my own style of work and a commitment to a life I believe that fosters, if not greater meaning, at least less pointlessness. Plus I got to help many young people along the way during my transition as I passed along my knowledge and skills to the next generation of animation artists.

This could only happen because I gave myself space to breathe and think. We must stop before we go. I stopped rushing and I stopped trying to satisfy the world around me. I no longer wanted to be occupied with the trivial, which was anything that no longer belonged in my life. The brain can't operate properly in occupied territory. A constantly busy brain full of chatter, fear and egoistic entanglements prevents honest and authentic living; it prevents an existence that carries meaning in the moment and genuine joyful satisfaction.

It may seem ironic, but we need to stop thinking for intelligence to foster, in order to progress forward in life. And forward is the only way we can live. Our bodies inherently know this. I suspect this is where the desire for a vacation comes from — the necessity to vacate into open space away from all the noise and busyness. Only a calm and quiet mind is open and free enough to see and listen with accuracy and clarity. Then we can make good decisions like where to direct our attention and how to take the right steps in terms of action. This is true in making art and in living.

So, before you can even direct your attention to the right place — and because there's so much competition for it in a world where propaganda is the central means of social change — you must first make mental space. Space is secluded time. Secluded time is time that is not focused on anything in particular, free from any idea of gain or loss, free from the spreadsheet of calculated analysis. Make this space for yourself. A bit daily here and there, and then, when you're ready, setting aside larger dedicated space for deeper, more serious inquiries. Until you can make room for some purposeless and goalless time, your inner self will never get the chance to show you what your next move should be, what the right move needs to be. And remember, this is not a selfish act but one of responsibility. First, be a light to yourself, then maybe you can also provide a little light for others.

A famous (or rather, infamous) motto from one of the most powerful and influential companies of the modern world is to "move fast and break things." This says a lot about the kind of culture we have learned to embrace. The near-cultish acceptance of such a belief system simply is incompatible with the make up of our species and the planet's ecosystem. What is says, in the name of progress and wealth creation, is that we should throw away all traditions and culture — namely, destroying much of the hard-earned knowledge and meaningfulness that took many centuries for mankind to develop. It also disrespects the way of nature and its limited resources, of the way of life of indigenous peoples, of religion and of humanity as a whole. Not only is this incredibly toxic and immoral, it's downright dangerous. This is how we have end up with so much monoculture, now commonly applied to to everything from agriculture to the arts. It's why we have a plethora of disposable and garbage products polluting our world today.

Furthermore, it also doesn't take long, once such beliefs are firmly adapted, for most things to lose their diversity and uniqueness; everything begins to look the same, sound the same, taste the same, and feel the same. We don't have to look very hard to see this is true. Just think of the packaged food at our grocery stores; is this what we call real food? Or what about the endless reboots/remakes of movies and tv shows; is this the limit of our creativity? And because all this is designed to operate at breakneck speed and, aided by the power of propaganda, humanity doesn't get the chance to question, contemplate or possibly reject this way of living. This is the powerful financialized machine we are contending with. This horrifyling imposition has all been thrust upon us without say or approval. And worst of all it disregards consequences. Biological warfare, nuclear weapons, neoliberalism (financial deregulation), social media and now Artificial Intelligence; the common man never asked for any of these things.

A reversal.

Because this is so unhealthy on so many levels, I prefer to adopt the exact opposite motto: "Move slowly and make things." Why does this work? Well, for one it's simple so it's easy to remember. And two, it's innately human. What has stood the test of time is that things that take time to make tend to provide the greatest value and meaning. This is true whether applied to the individual or to society as a whole. Think of that teacher or relative who generously assisted your becoming, lending you her tireless love and support. Think of all the wonderful scientific inventions and amazing artistic masterpieces that have enlivened our world like the contribution of AC electric power by Nikolai Tesla (who never profitted from it) or the magnificent sculpture of David by Michelangelo (which continues to inspire beauty and wonder to any viewer who stands before it). These great things were not rushed forward but took deep contemplation and years of dedicated passion to make happen.

Applying it on a personal level.

First, stop rushing. Stop aiming to get here or there to achieve any particular thing by some sort of pre-determined time line. It doesn't work (and it'll make you sick and miserable). Yes, this maybe how corporations works and how quick wealth might be generated but it doesn't last. Many people don't realize that only about 10% of the stock market's original S&P 500 companies since WWII are still in existence today. That's not much time, not even a generation. Our lives are shorter than you can imagine. Do you want to spend all of your life — your limited time and energy — on things only to serve a temporary utility? Much of what we do already, just to survive, is often both repetitively shallow and futile. Of the few conscious hours that we might call our own, we must be reminded that they are very precious.

Perhaps in this time and age much of what we do feels rather pointless.

If we continue to think transactionally, our efforts don't seem to measure up to the material consequences of our efforts. The rich get richer, the poor get even less than they have already. Modern comforts and technology aside, the increased productivity of the masses of people worldwide have not coincided with a better or more meaningful life. Time is shorter, more is expected, and burdens have become more plentiful.

Even for us artists, working commercially or independently, can feel so much of this financial, physical and psychological toll that it often wipes us of our creative energy. None have been spared. None can escape the demands that commerce and technology places on us under the guise of freedom and abundance. Add the inevitable arrival of A.I. displacement, one must cede to the question "why work hard?" Unfortunately, this misses the point.

Follow your heart.

We know that if we chase the quick solution, we fail in the long run. If we play the mental game of the powerful, we lose. Every single time. No one goes into a rigged casino expecting to win. Hence, the common man must find a different approach. And I don't mean escape (through entertainment, religion, or nihilism). None of that works. Why? Because we must live with the now. And the nowness of life is only tolerable when we embrace its nature, which entails foregoing the self — an unselfing. By doing so, we leave the game. We mentally don't participate. We may work to feed ourselves or our loved ones, but we don't do it to follow any conditioned dreams or aspirations. We don't run after the imaginary. We follow the vibes from within.

Don't chase but don't delay.

Since quick success is often short success — achieved requiring little effort or sacrifice — it leaves very little impact on us. And it is the impact that matters. In fact, it makes all the difference. Mistakes, failure and dissappointment shake us, they knock us off of our feet. It's why they are so fundamental for our understanding of not only our craft but of ourselves. When we mess up, we feel pain. But as much as getting knocked down is necessary, we musn't let it stall us. We must do. Paralysis by analysis is a very real killer of aspirations, even if that aspiration is peace. Instead, activate your innovativeness and resourcefulness because effort matters, and so does time and persistence. It takes a long time and a series of serious failures to make us ready to learn. This has always been the point of schooling, learning how to learn. Discovery — seeing the world as it really is and learning about ourselves — may be the very point of our existence.

Finally, remember that duty is joy, as along as it serves your authentic self. Don't do that which is against every bone in your body. Because if you do that, it'll keep score and you'll get sick. I've been there and I can almost guarantee that is exactly what's in store for you should you betray your true self. This is something that also takes time to learn.

We're constantly told in a commercialized world that getting what you want is the dream, that that treasure will bring you happiness. That's the path of least resistance, doing what you're told. But anyone who's been on this planet long enough realizes very quickly that all that ever leads to is disappointment (if not a bucket load of debt). When you get you older, you'll be more precise and more particular as to where you want to spend your energy (and your resources). You'll begin to see what really jives with you. It doesn't mean it'll be easy but it'll be worth it, including every bit of the struggle and difficulty that comes with it. I've recently gotten back into doing calisthenics after decades away from it and I'm struggling like hell. But it's fun. And, like with my art, I know it's a good day when you actually look forward to your challenges ahead.

So, don't worry about the future, don't worry about A.I. Such things are beyond our control. As artists, we know that we don't outsource, we insource. We draw from our internal aspirations and uniqueness. We are driven by passion. That is what we do daily, bring out our best. Excellence, afterall, is not a state of arrival but a way of daily living.

Today, I want to share a poem I love, one that reflects the quote above — something we must periodically remind ourselves of. Mainly, that the good people and beautiful moments in our lives — though they may seem few and far between — far outweigh the barage of greed, violence and evil in this world.

The Playground of Life by Kahlil Gibran

One hour devoted to the pursuit of Beauty
And Love is worth a full century of glory
Given by the frightened weak to the strong.

From that hour comes man's Truth; and
During that century Truth sleeps between
The restless arms of disturbing dreams.

In that hour the soul sees for herself
The Natural Law, and for that century she
Imprisons herself behind the law of man;
And she is shackled with irons of oppression.

That hour was the inspiration of the Songs
Of Solomon, and that century was the blind
Power which destroyed the temple of Baalbek.

That hour was the birth of the Sermon on the
Mount, and that century wrecked the castles of
Palmyra and the Tower of Babylon.

That hour was the Hegira of Mohammed and that
Century forgot Allah, Golgotha, and Sinai.

One hour devoted to mourning and lamenting the
Stolen equality of the weak is nobler than a
Century filled with greed and usurpation.

It is at that hour when the heart is
Purified by flaming sorrow and
Illuminated by the torch of Love.
And in that century, desires for Truth

Are buried in the bosom of the earth.
That hour is the root which must flourish.
That hour of meditation, the hour of
Prayer, and the hour of a new era of good.

And that century is a life of Nero spent
On self-investment taken solely from
Earthly substance.

This is life.
Portrayed on the stage for ages;
Recorded earthly for centuries;
Lived in strangeness for years;
Sung as a hymn for days;
Exalted but for an hour, but the
Hour is treasured by Eternity as a jewel.

It's been difficult to even think of writing in this tiny blog during what feels like tumultuous times. What value or weight can a little talk about art or creativity have in light of all the anxiety, pain and suffering we're all feeling today. With almost daily news of political division and violence, economic uncertainty and hardship, not to mention the sense of hopelessness with regards to the future of humanity and our environment — everything feels meaningless, sad and most of all exhausting. Both repulsed and addicted to our technological devices, we are constantly captured by the attention merchants who aim to gain great material wealth at the expense of all else including our personal sovereignty and freedom.

Personally, even taking several months off of writing/teaching/working, I wasn't able to escape from reality — perhaps we never can. We're all human after all. Even the magic and joy we get from making art cannot stop the heart and mind from attending to what's most important. And what's going on in the world today IS IMPORTANT. When injustice, anger and oppressive violence dominate our environments, both physically and mentally (i.e. on screen), the mind can not help but try to make sense of what seems non-sensical. Unfortunately, tyrants and aggressors love chaos. Aligned with extreme wealth and advanced technologies, these dark factions of society ruin everything, from everyday work, to everyday living, even extending to the degradation of our arts and sciences. Everything gets contaminated; a toxic spread of greed and destruction that hits home and abroad.

What can we do? How do we stay aware and sensitive, yet remain grounded and sane? Perhaps these times call on us to mature, to grow stronger, so we can see the big picture.

The words of the wise ring truer and more significant during hard times. We must hold dear to who we are morally, socially and creatively. Being an artist has always been wraught with fear and uncertainty. But perhaps it is our duty again as creatives to set examples of what is possible by continually trying to find and build joy and beauty for not just ourselves but others. Instead of following suit into an excessively selfish and transactional way of living, we must lead the world with our spirit of generosity.

So, do not let chaos rule over you. Do not let the words of the powerful tell you how to think. Do not let their technologies dictate where you direct your attention because attentiveness is within our agency. Because ultimately, where we direct our attention, dictates our experience.

And do not despair. Do not let bad feelings get you. Rest, recover and get back up to fight and live free. We must never fall into resignation or hate, which always leads to sin, to disaster. We must refuse conformity, exploitation and subordination. And no matter how hard it feels, we must design our lives ourselves (else they be designed for us). We must look to nature, to beauty, and to all things good. We must listen to our bodies and our hearts. We can focus on making things instead of accumulating them. We must resist evil.

But most of all, we must continue to find and hold on to our solidarity, the common bonds we have with each other. This is the true sense of what it means to be religious whose entomology translates "to gather together in attention." As hard as it is at times, we are our brother's keeper; we must care for and help each other. Remember too, that this period of chaos, cruelty and madness will end. Mania and disorder, being unsustainable, always comes to an end. Because the universe is orderly and it is NOT silent. We must look forward to what will come after.

You have a choice to face each day: make art or give into comfort and convenience.

There's a great price to pay for making art. The necessity of discipline, the often times painful sacrifices, the immeasureable patience before seeing results (of any kind), the enduring of self-doubt, the risk of financial insecurity, the withstanding of judgement and rejection, the loneliness, the sufferance of failure (which is common for any creative), and last but not least, the insurmountable amount of time and effort required to become a true and dedicated artist. Almost everything tests the resolve and courage of an artist's well-being; he must perservere and persist through so much just to live authentically and to make something worthwhile, a small contribution to this world before his time is up.

Now, isn't it just so much easier — and more rational — to take the pre-approved path for what's sold as freedom and happiness? All you have to do is give in to the authority of the system, to the authority of tradition, to the authority of institutions whose continuous propaganda surrounds us. (The latest data shows that the average city dweller is exposed to between 4000 to 10,000 advertisements daily). Yet the price for giving in to complacency is much higher than we realize. This part of the package is rarely told to us. But what is complacency? Well, it's choosing the slippery path that's always easier to take. Call it entropy or laziness or call it the lack of love or cynical indifference — Dante called it sloth, one of the Seven Deadly Sins — but whatever name you give it, it's always there luring you towards the path of least effort.

The Cost of Complacency:

Conformity - first off, you become a follower. You are a copier, not a creator. You don't lead either yourself or others. You've become the ultimate definition of a herd animal, easily guided and swayed towards particular types of action. In a world of powerful self-interest and propaganda, you're sheep for slaughter, designated to serve the system by those who designed the system. And now, living more and more interactively with technology, man risks becoming no longer the artibiter/designer of his actions but a conduit of the machine. Medical studies in 2025 show that two-thirds of the time man is on autopilot, driven by habit with minimal forethought. So everyday's thoughts are the same, everything you do is the same, you are the same. Each day is but a mere replica of the previous day.

Stupidity - you get dumber. This sounds cruel but it's true. Use it or lose it; that's a fundamental law of this universe. The more you give in to comfort and convenience, the more dependent you are on outsourcing your thinking and the less able your mind becomes. The lastest studies are already showing that people born after 1980 — whose most formative years coincided with the widespread adaptation of digital technology — are demonstrating an unprecedented drop in intelligence (by 7 points per generation). Consider how frightening that is, given the average IQ was only 100 points before 1975. Digital technology (namely, the advance of algorithms and now A.I.) encourages automation so it saves thinking time but destroys thinking ability. Life, and the way of doing things, becomes not only more automated but hurried, neglective and amoral. Like art, love and goodness requires time, attention and thoughtfullness.

Weakness - you lose strength. Not just of mind but of will. When you're always choosing what's fast and easy, you become more impatient and unaccepting of reality or truth. The unknown and the uncomfortable disturb you. You lose the ability to tolerate difficulty, including when it surfaces in relationships. You barely try and when you do, you give up easily. You soon dread hard work or things that take time. Things you don't understand you deem stupid, while things that make you wait are boring. You get anxious and frustrated more easily. You turn to shortcuts and easy solutions which further compounds your mounting incompetence. You're no longer self-reliant and struggle with silence. You begin to lack the courage or will to do anything challenging.

Fear - privileged people always fear losing their advantage. Incompetent people know their privilege is short-lived. It's like deep inside they know they're not so capable. Instead of building skill, which takes time, they'll choose to alter perceptions and create falsehoods to justify their actions because fear always generates stress and urgency thus amplifying their insecurity. It may seem oxymoronic but those who get used to the privilege of comfort and convenience become extremely neurotic and panicky when things don't go their way. Like the bully who's actually deeply afraid inside, the slothful are often demandingly obsessed with urgency. They often become greedy, critical, defensive, irritable and angry.

Closed thinking - a complacent mind never thinks outside of the box. As modern man has become more externally focused he depends more on outside things; his sustenance, his pleasures, his security, and his escapes are all external. What appears as an array of choice in a commoditized society is merely a buffet of limited options. It's all illusion. Where as the creative person exercises resourcefulness (an internal action), the slothful man seeks resources (an external approach). He inherently prefers standard solutions over extending the effort to innovate new ones. Thus, he will always choose efficiency over effectiveness and the familiar over the unusual. He thinks in terms of gains and losses while the process, the journey, means little to nothing to him. In fact, in his eyes, everything either good or bad comes from the outside. There is no accountibility. He knows no such thing as humility or penitence. Locked into his beliefs, he's confident he's right while being unknowingly asleep.

Vacuity - a life of convenience and continuous comfort always carries that feeling of emptiness. Without the expenditure of effort and the test of time, the mind will ultimately struggle to find real value. We all have experienced that it feels much better to build something versus when we merely buy it. Pleasure and joy are not the same thing. Commitment of time and energy is directly proportional to meaning and genuine satisfaction. The slothful mind can't see that or won't. He'd rather sit there and complain about his woes. And to fill that hole in his heart, he can look towards the multitude of addictive and pain-relieving substances or activities offered to him. Distraction and escape become the perpetual patching and repatching of a wound that only gets deeper and harder to repair. Meaningfulness alludes him.

Enslavement - the complacent man is perpetually trapped. When he becomes accustomed to the fast and easy way, he doesn't realize he's inside an echo chamber that reinforces his thoughts and behaviours so he becomes ever more reactive rather than contemplative. Dependent always on the external, he has taken away all agency over his own attention, action and attitude, the very things he actually has at his disposal. Now with the arrival of A.I. he will be coerced more and become more accustomed to utitilizing artificial digital imagery, outsource thinking to and communicate with artificial entities, confusing them all with what's real. Without risking effort, he risks instead complete psychological imprisonment. The drive towards optimization is modern man's search for the holy grail. Effort is a dominion of man's imprint on this universe, without such arduous exertion he is but a spectator-passenger and not a participant. He may be breathing but he's rarely present and thus, hardly free.

Let The Right One In (Directed by Tomas Alfredson, 2008)

Swedish director Tomas Alfredson's film is perhaps the most original take on the vampire genre I've ever seen. It's both surprisingly touching yet starkly brutal. It carries none of the sensationist memes that typically accompany this genre. A film starring essentially two child actors, it's easy to forget the complete submersion one feels when watching their performances. It's a story of growing up, loneliness, friendship and young love set in a secluded little town in Sweden. It's not the typical setting for any kind vampire or horror movie. Things look so normal yet there's this eery quietness to the atmosphere. Shot during winter, where one feels both the isolation of its inhabitants and the coldness in the air, danger lurks unsuspectedly. The horror lies not in the shadows, as the murders happen in plain site, but rather out in the open, like how a child sees the world, almost innocently. While there is inevitable violence, it's a story that's built through careful character development rather than breathtaking action. I don't want too give much away except to say that its ideas, characters and narrative are so original and interesting that I couldn't help but marvel at the seemless clarity in the storytelling, most of it told visually. Here, you're caught surprisingly empathetic to the protagonists while being glued to their journey, one that culminates into an ending that's both brilliant yet inevitable.

A Clockwork Orange (Directed by Stanley Kubrick, 1971)

Stanley Kubrick's controversial film debuted with incredible fanfare recieving both acclaim and criticism as well as intense public protest. Banned in a number cities during its release, the story portrays a young man, who along with his three companions, make up a group of repulsively cruel hooligans. This doesn't make for a film you'd think you'd like to watch nor characters you'd like to follow. But follow them you will and into very uncomfortable settings. The film reveals what low street level evil looks like and where it lurks. It also reveals how society doesn't know how to respond to the problems that come with this existent reality. Played by Malcom McDowell in an iconic role, Alex is into random violence, rape and Beethoven. (This juxtoposition of his interests is telling.) He ultimately gets arrested and subjected to social reform/rehab via technology. With beautiful and original costume and set designs, A Clockwork Orange creates conflict that challenges the mind of the viewer; it's a film that you want to turn away from but can't. Why did the director make a film about evil look so darn interesting, even visually appealing? The answer is simple: to shock us out of our naivete exposing our inclination to avoid truths, especially ugly ones that don't align with our beliefs. Society and reality are complex. Here we witness how ideology — theories, judgements, labels and the associated automated responses — can lead to terrible outcomes and especially so when used for political advantage. Kubrick slaps this right in our face, all the way up to the ending of the movie and, in so doing, challenges our understanding of humanity.

Mulholland Drive (Directed by David Lynch, 2001)

Few films will frustrate you as much as Lynch's Mulholland Drive (upon first viewing). I remember friends furiously debating the events, both real or imagined, and the meaning of the movie. Great films do this; they make us think and wonder about them long after they're over. A story about a young Canadian girl (Naomi Watts) arriving in Hollywood to pursue a career in acting, the film grows into a mystery of sorts. Upon her arrival she finds a gorgeous brunette (Laura Harring) living in the home she's set to stay in while in LA. This woman seems to have lost her memory via some kind of accident and Watts is determined to help her. The two embark on a journey to discover the truth of what happened. Beautifully acted, the apparent sweetness of Watt's characters hides the reality of her nature while Harring plays the perfect yet twisted version of a neo-noir femme fatale. Slowly and surely we begin to see and feel that things aren't right. We take turns questioning characters, events and the themes that lie deep in the narrative. I wish not to give anything away, for that would take away the fun, but there is so much rich symbology and visual luggage that we don't know what's actually important. This is both perplexing and intriguing at the same time. Truth be told, the film requires multiple viewings to understand and to catch all the intricacies in the underlying story structure. Wonderfully paced, Lynch makes you feel like you're right there with its lead characters as you join in on her confusion. Can you handle such a mind warp?

Peppermind Candy (directed by Lee Chang Dong, 1999)

There are three great directors that have pushed Korea onto the forefront of modern filmmaking today: Park Chan Wook (Old Boy), Boon Jong Ho (Parasite) and Lee Chang Dong (Oasis). Of this trio, Lee's films create a kind of nuanced atmosphere that's easily overlooked compared to his contemporaries. His characters aren't loud or charismatic nor are his environments elaborate or even playful. The world Lee creates feel shockingly and intensely real. The fantasy elements in his films lie sneakily beneath the exterior; hidden from plain site or dialogue, his themes creep subtly into your subconcious and, like in his latest masterpiece Burning, they are a slow yet inviting burn. In Peppermint Candy, the film is masterfully delivered to us in backwards order. Bit by bit, you witness more and more of the possible truths that might explain the events at the very beginning of the movie (which is actually the story's chronological end). This is done to perfection. Each scene that arrives brings a deeper and deeper character reveal, playing out the history of one man's complex and often painful condition. We witness hope, joy, suffering, betrayal and innocence all in one go around. It's an amazing ride, a film that teaches us about the importance of one's actions in the moment. Now, how many movies actually educate and entertain you at the same time?

Get Out (directed by Jordan Peele, 2017)

Finally I want to share a film that's fairly recent, Jordan Peele's Get Out. Peele's writing and directing are starkly original while dealing with themes that have long haunted America's unsettling issues of dealing with dark skin. Without preaching, he turns complexities of race into fun explorations of daily human interaction that reveals the aburdity and then flips and turns it into horror. Get Out starts out with a young man Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) setting out to meet her parents for the first time. During their drive out, they hit a deer. Immediately they are interogated by a white police officer, one who seems to meet the stereotype of redneck America. Rose is defensive of her boyfriend during the encounter, which carries some ominous tone thru the imagery of the dead ungulate. The scene establishes what seems to be a close bond between the two lovers, one that will protect him in the events to occur when he meets her all white family and their friends. But bit by bit things unravel and Chris begins to see and experience oddities that make him incredibly uncomfortable. As the viewer, you relate to Chris' deeply felt fear; you know something horrible is brewing yet you don't know what it is. Peele's direction is both tight and metaphorical creating an atmosphere that is creepy yet funny at the same time. Get Out is a modern movie that gives today's film lovers hope that it's still possible to make fresh and engaging films.

I've been insanely busy, so I've been very slow to post here lately (sorry!) But now you know why. As noted before, when I announced my retirement from the Animation Industry, that I was transitioning my time and efforts into Fine Art. Today, I share with you here my first exhibition debuting my latest works — my new paintings in the field of contemporary abstract art. As noted above the Opening is set for August 20, 2025 and the show will remain on display for all of September and October.

So, if you're in Vancouver for either the opening reception next week (where I'll be in attendance) or in the next couple of months, please drop by to check it out! There will be some excellent pieces by some truly great and world renown artists on display, including the likes of my friend David Spriggs, Charlottle Wall, Edward Burtynksy and Robert Kelly amongst others. And do check out the Paul Kyle Gallery website.

Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;

Those who have crossed
With direct eyes, to death’s other Kingdom
Remember us — if at all — not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men."

— T.S. Elliot, The Hollow Men (part 1 only)

In thinking of our times, these words from T.S. Elliot's poem seem to resonate. When so many are suffering — poor societies stricken with tragedy, war and famine, rich ones paralyzed by perpetual anxiety and narcissistic exceptionalism — it is hard to just think about art, never mind expend the extensive time and energy to make it. When the world feels so barren of love, meaning, justice and compassion, its expressions reflect the emptiness. Today, the most dominant artistic forms such as film, contemporary art, writing and music seem little more than exercises in technique, stuck in pastiche and superficiality, a repeat of similar stories poorly retold with new materials. We are drowned paradoxically by the constant preoccupation with capital (survival) and the need for connection (meaning). No wonder making art seems like an act of compromised futility. Deep in our subconconcious, a terrible sense of hopelessness reigns.

But then, just as the night feels the darkest, I remember that it is precisely during such times that we need art the most. I remember that the artist is a bearer of light. A self-selected member of society, the artist deals with challenges that are pertinant; he sees beforehand, seemingly clairvoyant in the midst of cultural and social chaos. Now, rather than elaborate on this dilemma any further with my own clumsy words, I relay you to the words of a better spoken individual, former U.S. president John. F. Kennedy from his 1963 address to the graduates of Amherst College:

"Strength takes many forms, and the most obvious forms are not always the most significant. The men who create power make an indispensable contribution to the Nation’s greatness, but the men who question power make a contribution just as indispensable, especially when that questioning is disinterested, for they determine whether we use power or power uses us. […]

Robert Frost coupled poetry and power, for he saw poetry as the means of saving power from itself. When power leads men towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses. For art establishes the basic human truth which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment.

The artist, however faithful to his personal vision of reality, becomes the last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an officious state… In pursuing his perceptions of reality, he must often sail against the currents of his time. This is not a popular role.

If sometimes our great artists have been the most critical of our society, it is because their sensitivity and their concern for justice, which must motivate any true artist, makes him aware that our Nation falls short of its highest potential. I see little of more importance to the future of our country and our civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist.

If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth… In free society art is not a weapon and it does not belong to the spheres of polemic and ideology. Artists are not engineers of the soul. It may be different elsewhere. But democratic society — in it, the highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may. In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation. And the nation which disdains the mission of art invites the fate of Robert Frost’s hired man, the fate of having "nothing to look backward to with pride, and nothing to look forward to with hope."

— John. F. Kennedy

The Dunning Kruger Effect. If you've never heard of this, it's about time that you did. Study that chart above. There's tons of sites and videos that discuss the phenomenom so I won't regurgitate it here. Here's the thing: it's real. I don't like the terms guru or enlightment when discussing art but the important thing when understanding this is to know what's been talked about here endlessly: there are no shortcuts. It takes time and effort to get good. And, it's gonna be challenging.

It's the hard that makes it great.

The truth is most of us are Daffy even if we want to think that we're Bugs. When it comes to learning art, most people quit somewhere between the valley of despair and the slope of enlightment. Why? Because that's when the going gets hard. And people don't like hard! The mental anguish, the physical laboring — trying to get good at something is a real uphill struggle. But here's the secret: embrace the challenge and soon you'll learn to love facing challenges. One of the reasons I moved into abstract painting was precisely because it scared me! To simplify, to master color and design, to say so much with what seems to be so little was/is crazy hard for me. Now, I find drawing/painting realism almost too comforting and familiar, like I'm going back in time, so I lose interest doing it very quickly. But this is currently my personal challenge; you must find yours. You see, comfort and escapes lose their grip on you when you become a devoted learner, a real fighter. Being lazy starts to feel awful. You'll be interested in things (and thus become more interesting) . And this feeling will occur more and more often. You'll open your eyes, see wonder and opportunities to create everywhere. You'll never be bored again! So quit viewing art or learning about it as a chore. That's the real adversary, the real resistance no one talks about.

Combine quantity and quality

Our course you need to put in the work. You simply can't do something once or twice and think you've learned it. Practice is a necessity. But the real key is consistency and persistance with a focus on quality. If you just work endlessly but your attention or passion is poor, you'll just create bad habits, namely bad seeing and bad skills. That's not what you want. I don't care if it's animating, drawing, or playing the guitar. Sloppy practice is almost as bad or maybe even worst than no practice. We are what we repeatedly do. Do crap work regularly, and guess what? You'll be known as a crappy artist. How do you sustain this quality mindset you might ask? Well, the first thing is to watch your energy levels. A weak body almost guarantees a weak mind. Get adequate rest and eat well. Think being healthy rather than looking fit; a lot of people get this wrong, I know I once did too. Also, stay inspired by surrounding yourself with beautiful work and talented people. Trust me, it rubs off. Every time I look at beautiful art or see a great show, I'm pumped to return to creating myself. The good comes with it the good. Furthermore, make it a regular practice to create, make it a way of life. We artists aren't normal people, we don't just show up for work, then take off our superhero clothes and go back to being Clarke Kent (remember, Clarke Kent was the disguise). Being an artist is a lifestyle that permeates who you are as a person.

Do it with someone.

Working with a partner, group or a mentor is very powerful. Some people can do it alone, most can't. Sometimes help is not available or possible. I mentor people precisely because it works and it's something I wish I had in my own development when I was learning the craft. It would've been the best thing for me and I've had many students express their gratitude for having studied under me. Still, having a mentor is not necessarily right for everyone, nor are classes. But if you can, go thru this challenging period of growth with someone. There are other ways besides coaching or schooling. One of the things I missed the most about schools and studios was that you always had company. I used to go drawing regularly with a friend of mine when I lived in Toronto. We went to drawing classes on school nights, went to extra figure drawing classes at another art school literally every Saturday (for 6 hours) and even alternated drawing at the zoo or café sketching on Sundays. All this we did while meeting our obligations in learning how to animate. We did this for years building our skills and our friendship. When I was working professionally, I'd go drawing/painting with friends/colleagues from Pixar, ILM and the other local companies in the San Francisco Bay area. It was an atmosphere of endless devotion to the craft. It's not surprising that so many of us moved up prominantly in the industry, becoming the field's best.

Expect an uneven ride.

One thing the Dunning-Kruger chart doesn't show is that that line of upward growth is anything but linear. It's more like an awkward shaped zig zag. Like life, you will be thrown off course periodically. You will plateau here and there, even experiencing distraught from time to time. It'll feel as if you're dropping from the sky with no parachute. You'll question your limits, your passion, even how being an artist might've have altered your course of living more than you expected or wanted. You don't know for sure if you should be more "normal" again and just be like other people because it'd be so much easier (trust me, it ain't). Here's what I want to say you when this happens. Expect this to happen. Expect pain and frustration. Take any necessary breaks or retreats to recover from that sudden malaise but know that it's all part of the test and oppurtunity for you to hit the next level as an artist and person. It's actually very important that you experience this and make it outside that cave of despair. Mastery is a very difficult journey to take but once you're on that path, all other paths will feel unacceptable. I've seen it and continue to experience it myself. Personally, and quite humourously, I can't even take a long vacation anymore — I simply feel empty without being able to create and challenge myself mentally and physically on a regular basis. Creation is a ritual for me, as is maintaining a composed mind and a strong, mobile body. I suffocate otherwise. And I don't do it for success or longevity, it's just what I want. This experience I'm describing is the net result of aligning oneself to one's destiny. Work to find yours. Becoming competent and at peace are just the net effects of such living.

It's how you fight.

Think of Sisyphus (who was punished by the gods above for his cunning and intelligence). If you were bound to a life of pushing a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down, and that that same action is to be repeated ad nauseum, how shall you respond? With anger? With submission or despair? Such reactions won't get you anywhere. Life can seem awfully pointless and futile, even absurd at times, and if we're absolutely honest with ourselves, we know that we really have no idea as to why we're here or even if there's any meaning to our lives at all. Modern life in particular seems to mirror the horror of Sisyphus' plight; we stress, rush, and toil away while suffering such emotions as envy, anger, bitterness, loss and pain, repeating that cycle until we die. Meanwhile, postive feelings such of joy, love and understanding seem scarce and fleeting. None of it makes much sense.

But, perhaps there's another way to look at things, another way to deal with the apparent irrationality of it all. Maybe you can build strength in pushing that boulder, even come to enjoy the building of skill, control and discipline necessary to perfom such a task. Perhaps you're strong enough now to stop in middle of that hill and make a little carving or drawing on it? (i.e. create something beautiful along the way) Maybe you get to the hill's apex and, at that moment of suspended gravity, take the time to enjoy the glorious 360 degree view of nature? And what if, when the boulder begins to recede you choose to roll it down like a happy child would making a game of it? Perspective matters. There are innumberable ways to live out nearly any scenario. Your attention, action and attitude are yours to choose. What else could you do? Here are some ideas:

Get rid of things that don't matter.

That's the first thing I'd do. Art and life are about making choices. And when you've figured out what's most important, you almost won't have to. Why? Because any other option would be unacceptable. Personally, I make art almost everyday and I'm gonna keep making art till the end of my days and nothing is gonna stop me from doing so. I believe anyone else can do the same if they wish. So free yourself to do the work you must do for, as Gandhi once said, "action expresses priorities." This is even true of relationships. Forget those who disrespect you or make you their option. Find out who are saviours and who are sabateurs. Furthermore, try to live a simpler life. Be watchful of diversions, of which are there many. Do away with things, both material or immaterial (such as status), that serve as no more than burdens. You'll be surprised by how little you actually need to be happy.

Don't rush.

You won't get there any faster. Where are you going anyways? Aiming for efficiency is stupid. You'll just be more tired, frustrated and lost. The more you hurry, the more mistake prone you'll become. Being anxious and going full speed all the time is a bad combination. Who cares what your bosses or superiors say (it's all just regurgitated noise from an over-commoditized market driven economy). Lose the conditioned response of trying to be always productive. As long as you do good work, it'll all work out for the better. Besides, the judgement of others don't matter. Think of your health — what diseases could be brewing in your cells under such relentless pressure or strain? At the end of the day, it's about doing the right things the right way. You're the only one who has to live with what you've done and how you live.

Surprise us.

Don't always do what the world wants. It's truly the most dangerous thing. Even if you have to do a job you don't like to survive, find ways to sneak in the personal. Explore the unusual. It's ok to be strange (it took me a long time to be able to accept or understand this). Besides, strange things can be, and often sometimes are, the most very beautiful. So look outside of the box of your normal routines, look to different influences. Be wary of the internet and its algorithms that promote sameness. If things look too familiar, comfortable or convenient that's a sign to you that you should watchout.

Know you have a duty to uphold.

You have a destiny. Again, it's your choice to live up to it or not. We've all been given a talent, a freebee so to speak, something you're naturally attracted to doing and something you know you're pretty good at it even to start with. It doesn't mean you don't have to put in the work. Quite the contrary; you're gonna have to work harder than every other "normal" person who's not a creative. But don't be afraid. Know that there are others like you, look to them for guidance both the living and the dead (whose timeless art keeps them alive). You're not alone. In fact, you're never alone. These are your comrads in arms. They're paving or have paved the way. Don't let them down. There isn't a day that I don't look to my inspirations, they are my creative and philosophical soulmates.

A final word

In this big fight to be free (and moral, creative, just and human) it doesn't mean we aren't allowed to fail. To struggle, to fall, to err is to be human. It's ok, too, to be sad, angry, tired, anxious and depressed. At times it's both necessary and appropriate. But we don't fight the fights that we can win, we fight the ones worth fighting. Like Camus said so eloquently, you must rebelliously act and move on regardless. Non-conformity is the very essence of courage. We artists are self-selected. We're both innovative and resourceful. Hence, we're naturally equipped to deal with the absurd. And we're stubborn. Yes, stubborn. We can always forcibly supply the necessary existential sense and meaning when there looks to be none.

The dilemma we face.

Let's start with the dilemma I'm having with this very website. For months I've pondered whether to continue writing on this blog. During my long hiatus from posting I had contemplated shutting it down. Search engines are algorithmically designed to promote sites that generate clicks and money thus making sites like mine nearly invisible if not irrelevant. And my blog is admittedly strange: it has no political agenda, generates no money, asks for no money and contains neither advertisements nor lists any products for sale. And I've never suggested or promoted programs that promises to make you rich or amazing in mere weeks. There's none of that b.s. I don't even have a Patreon account. This arena was never about profit or popularity. It was always a gift, a place to share ideas and the beautiful work of artists.

What made me question the time and resources to keep this blog going was because of the seemingly unstoppable and disturbing trend of society, namely, the dominance of social media blurbs and clickbait — especially short form videos — that seems to have cornered the market of attention for most people most of the time, the worldover. Do any of us still bother to actually read, listen or wonder about things anymore? Is pondering about the creative life still desirable or even feasible in our current state of society, one that's normalized transactional behaviour in all our interactions, and one that looks more and more like a rebirth of near feudal traditions of authoritarian dominance, racial/classist/sexist division, national conflict, limited economic mobility and now, with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, a possibly dystopian technological future?

It's not surprising that our ability to pay attention is shrinking. We all feel tired. I feel it myself. Trying to survive and keep up with current events is a hefty task and what's often said about politics — that you may not be interested in politics but politics is definitely interested in you — applies to the corporate-technological developments we're now witnessing. However, I think that in times like this, I believe it's more important than ever to keep our wits, to hold on to our moral compass and to stay sane. It's the only option. Rushing towards success won't help. Neither will complaints nor panic. Fact is, we have to face reality no matter how confusing or frightening it may seem; there's no longer any way to escape the arrival of machine intelligence. It's not only here to stay but expanding at an alarming rate (as of this writing A.I.'s technical capabilities are doubling every 5-6 months). Soon, almost all work that is language based — art, music, writing, mathematics, science, finance, law, medicine, etcetera will be heavily affected. And, once robotics catches up with computing A.I. via simulated reinforcement training — where virtual environments are being used to teach physical machines to learn a task in 2 hours what normally would take a human 10 years — large swathes of blue collar physical work will also be significantly impacted. The way we live will change so drastically and so quickly that most of us will not be ready. And yet, the more frightful thing is the great likelihood that many of us will meekly conform to whatever the new reality will be even if that reality could have each of us becoming less attentive, less intelligent, less capable, and therefore less free.

You are what you do.

The point I'm getting at is this: we mustn't lose our ability to do things. What defines us as humans, what makes us so adaptable is also what makes our lives joyful and meaningful. And this is the act of creating, of making and doing things with our hands. It has never become more important that we keep doing so. As the world becomes more and more automated, the temptation will be to transition/outsource most of our physical efforts, and soon, most of our thinking as well, to machines. This is incredibly dangerous. We all know that once we stop doing something we also lose our ability to do it. I know this personally. When I stopped doing handstands, I began to lose the strength and balance required to perform the feat. When I overused GPS systems, I could no longer remember directions or identify landmarks. Why is this? Well, the coordinating of our body parts — scanning with our eyes, turning our heads, the maneouvering of limbs — forms a chain of unifying commands and imprints onto our entire being as knowledge or more descriptively "know-how."

It's why artists must draw and writers must write. A student recently said to me: "I listened to you and thought I understood everything you said about drawing in our class (in this case, a lecture on anatomy) but when I got back to my desk to actually draw I realized I didn't know how to do it, I didn't understand it." I told her that's because you actually have to draw, and draw a lot, before you can even begin to understand it. The doing and re-doing — i.e. the reinforcement of knowledge in applied action — is more important than the intellectual information itself.

Use it or you'll forget it.

In high end restaurants, chefs with the finest palettes (commonly referred to as sense of smell) are the most skilled and practiced cooks in the kitchen. The same concept applies to visual artists. While some of you might argue that you already have a "good eye" you, too, will lose your visionary ability soon after you stop using your hands. The physical exercise of making marks such as drawing, writing, carving, or strumming an instrument that help us connect our minds with reality also aids in the retention of those skills. Unlike machine intelligence, we can't learn things virturally just using our minds — there is no Matrix moment of being plugged into a machine and saying "I know kung fu" — at least not yet. Physical practice is a constant necessity for learning and innovation. Creativity, which is so complex that it can't be formulated, doesn't come from where people think it does or is even what most people think it is; it isn't mere access to information or the concocting of some clever fusion of pre-established ideas. It comes out of the act of play. The physical messing around with things is a paramount foundation of exploration and is essential for both discovery and developing true strength of mind. You think A.I. will discover for you? Would you really want it to? It's so easy to forget why we chose to become artists in the first place: the act of doing art is both useful and fun. Being a hack sucks.

In coming back to the survival of this blog, I realized long form content, content that insists on your paying attention and to ponder what's being written, strengthens the mind, and by default, strengthens your very person. Hence, I'm gonna keep the blog going, at least for now. I won't transition over to Youtube commentary or any of other platform that makes me just another influencer trying to make a buck. I abhore advertising and propaganda. And I'm not going to use A.I. to write my articles (despite being prompted to do so). I want to preserve some sense of the manual way of doing things while I still can. I still believe it's good to actually write and read, to spend slow contemplative time on things, to learn patience and to test the boundaries of our personal commitment. What does it say about you when you can't even spend a few minutes to read a few paragraphs without wandering off towards easy clickbait or some other inconsequential habit? I understand this precisely because I, too, am vulnerable. The noise out there, with the volume and speed at which it comes at you, destroys your sense of agency. It offends personal authenticity. However, you have a choice to allow that to happen or not. It ain't easy but it also doesn't have to be complicated.

But what about trying to "get ahead of the A.I. transition" you may ask? Well, the technology is moving too fast. Look at what's happening to coders who were supposed to hold the job of the future. I hate chasing trends and the future has never become more unpredictable. Anyone claiming to know what's exactly coming down the line is either delusional or an outright liar. Plus, nature has taught us that when you chase things, they run faster and further away from you. And in this scenario, there's only a limited chance you'll capitalize on the so-called "new opportunities" in the diminishing interval of time before super intelligent and probably soon to be autonomous machines alter the world completely. (This may or may not be a bad thing but we'll save that for a future discussion.) And finally, yet most importantly, I want to say to you: don't be scared. Because I'm not. I simply refuse to live in fear no matter what the future may hold. I hope you can do the same.

In animation, we all understand what it means to take into account forward momentum; things naturally move foward in space and time. As a body in motion travels, it goes along a path of action in a direction where its weight falls foward which is then anticipated by the planting of a foot ahead of the body just in time to catch itself. If forward momentum is lacking there is no advancement, when there's too much it becomes too difficult to maintain balance and the body falls. When our weight is "slightly" forward, we can maintain both balance and forward propulsion. Moving slightly forward is living with control.

Of course, what I'm getting at here is the psychological step forward, something much more difficult for the human mind to both understand and apply in practice. We prefer to hold onto things. Such is the brain's capacity: it's a collector/collator of data, a memory bank capable of both storage and recall of information. Unfortunately, the holding on of old data — and all data is old — can sometimes hinder the individual not to mention the fact that memory recall in humans is highly suspect in general. But faulty memories aside, knowledge is generally useful until it isn't. Having beliefs and opinions is a perfect example of that. It's indeed hard to let go of the "hands that hold" — our self-conscious mind is both adept and addicted to holding on to what we think we know. Many people experience this as the constantly chattering brain that never rests.

A noisy mind is very harmful for the artist and prevents him from trying new things because what is generally recalled by the brain is fear, insufficiency and anxiety — all that rational data is just an excuse. But to make art, we must accept a certain amount of risk, logic be damned. That's what art entails, making something new. It's what going forward always entails — a dive into the unknown hoping we might still land on our feet. But artists need this. It is, in fact, what makes us uniquely human: in exploring we discover, in discovery we live and learn. If we skip this process and go right to finished product there would be no human involvement. There would be no joy or meaning and hence, no real happiness.

Of course, this was never supposed to be easy. We will fail. That is guaranteed. But through trial and tribulation we learn to do. We begin to understand. We don't jump in the water, we never learn how to swim. Working with students for almost two decades, it's easy to see that the only way a person can learn is by the dual application of intense study and attentive doing. We need to learn the concepts and then apply them, often over and over again. Afterall, quality practice makes for quality performance. Competence only arrives when knowledge is fully incorporated and called upon into action only when necessary and applicable. All skills are intuitive. Rather than being a burden to carry (via obsessive thinking or memorization), the techniques and intelligence he's acquired become as weightless as the sky; he's free to make art that connects.

Sometimes, our goals are not always clear, our visions incomplete. This is normal. It's a sign we're taking on something new and challenging. Truth is, we never know for sure if we are doing the right thing, in art or in life. It's actually impossible to do so most of the time. But what we can do, is do things right. This is where the foundations of learning matter. Having a solid workflow. Owning a dutiful and moral mindset. Focusing on solving problems instead of fretting about them. These are things that the true artist turns his attention to.

Moving forward will always be emotional. Your mind will ensure that you feel uneasy or scared. But know this: your attitude is always within your control. We only need to re-focus. It helps to think of your mind as a handheld camera — you choose where to point it, you choose what level of focus. When you realize this, even the seemingly scariest things aren't so scary. Whether it's learning a new skill like anatomy or animation or even how to build a better relationship, no task is too daunting when the mindset is right. Just do it in a manageable way; keep your momentum slightly forward, towards that untravelled road, one step at a time.

What make art? What makes an artist?

These are questions that cross the minds of all creative individuals the world over. No methodology or formula seems complete and the far fetched notion that artists just whip up their artistry out of sheer destiny, luck or madness no longer holds despite the marketing effectiveness of modern entertainment media, galleries or book dealers.

The heart of the matter really lies in the intent of the artist combined with the quality of his work. If he's driven from or by factors outside himself — ideas of what he should make or be — then he's already at a loss. Ideas (and its associated culture symbols) have no significance in mankind's search for meaning. The artist has to discover his own way by looking from within. He can not derive his purpose for existence from the external. When he finds reason to create, then his art can, when executed with precision and courage, make culture rather than be made by it.

So let's look at what enables the artist to become who he needs to be and to make what he wishes to make.

Passion 

First and foremost there must be an unmistakable drive that comes from the deep love of something. This is the authentic self exercising that undefinable, unmeasurable force upon us. It's often mistaken for irrational emotion but it's far more sophisticated. It's not a conditioned response nor an experience to be fulfilled. This energy — which is benevolent — comes from the inside. It's not top down but bottom up, a feeling that won't leave you, prods and nags you regardless of your efforts to ignore or suppress it. It's what mystics/psychics refer to as intuition, sixth sense vibes or gut feeling. I suspect those who do shove down or bury these strong feelings end up sick, in either the body, mind or both. (Remember, Hitler chose to join the army instead of re-apply to architecture school; leading a fascist regime was apparently easier). And without this deep urge to create even the most gifted artist will fail to persevere throught the trials of becoming a master artist. If you don't want it bad enough, you won't do it or stay with it — you will succumb to your fears.

Time

The most common complaint from the modern day artist is the lack of time — time to think, to explore and to play. The artist's ability to designate and allow for time to work its magic is the artist that makes work that matters. Rushing and efficiency-oriented thinking has an uncanny ability to turn everything into crap. Know this: all good things take time and anything worth doing takes time. So stop trying to save time because it's a mindset that leads to the most effective way of wasting it. Those artists and organizations that continue to enforce machine-like productivity will get machine-like results; standard fare that's forgettable in every way. Instead of chasing success focus on building things, focus on adding value which takes time, effort and patience. The late great director David Lynch once lamented that he couldn't make movies under such rigid and rushed schedules for he needed "space to think and to dream."

Skill

There's perhaps nothing that imprisons the artist more than his lack of ability. Complain about pressure, time or lack of rersources all you want but nothing is more constraining than weak skills and poor understanding of one's craft. Having a strong foundation matters. Good design ability matters. These things must be learned and mastered so the artist is then free and confident to create and reach higher ground. With sufficient skill the craftsman can dare to be simple. But this simply can't be bought or bypassed; money won't save you here and neither can technology; skill has to be earned. In fact, having unlimited resources and easy accessibility often weakens one's ability and mental resolve. For example, witness the many artists today who lack appealing design and structure because they neither draw nor understand anatomy or, even worse, the animator who panics when he doesn't have video reference to copy from. Confidence can't be faked. Never forget that foregoing quick and easy solutions enables innovation and resourcefulness. Challenging ourselves raises our abilities to take on challenges.

Solitude

Our culture condemns being alone. Citing studies of misery, depression and even violent outbreaks as evidence, modern media tells us solitude is something to avoid if not dread. This is very wrong. Having lived around the world and in some of the biggest cities, I've seen more loneliness, fear and unhappiness in places populated with people, things and activities than anywhere else. Amongst all that chaos and noise how can anyone hear you? how can you hear yourself? In quiet places, usually amongst nature, the calming, harmonizing rhythms of the universe can be seen and felt. This relaxes the mind. It's important to note that being alone is not the same as being lonely. Isolation can heal. Purposeful time alone gives us time and space to wonder about things, to find clarity and re-gain sanity. All great and original art has been made during lucid contemplative states — they are rarely, if ever, the byproduct of luck (or drunkenness). Furthermore, all art is ultimately a private affair.

Spirit of lightness

It's not good to take stuff too seriously and especially those things outside of our control. It doesn't mean we must escape from the horrible and dangerous realities of our plethora of human problems or be ignorant of them — that would be irresponsible and stupid — but we must be careful that we don't let things outside our agency drain our spirit. Life is hard enough. There's so much distraction in our technologically and commerically obsessed world that being organically human seems almost impossible. So put down your smart phones, take a reprieve from the news. Touch and smells things that are real. Find a lightness to living and to making your art. Be free from fear, free from your thoughts. Let your mind and body breathe, otherwise your art can't. Laugh more if only for the saking of laughing (laughing is a great way of incorporating deep breathing.) Drop things that weigh you down. It's hard to do anything joyfully when the heart is heavy, burdened by what's on our minds. Remember, thought is always on the outside and often offside.

Labour

It's pretty simple: do the work. Forget fancy tools, shortcuts or the latest and greatest tech solutions designed to bypass the work. We artists are workmen, we put in the elbow grease. The bullshit notion that it's passé for the artist to do the actual work is only a propaganda ploy to promote hacks and purely conceptual art (if one can even buy into that!) With the inevitable advancements in Artitifical Intelligence, purveyors of such ideas will soon be out in full force trying, as they might, to redefine what art or an artist is. The future is yet to be seen and only time will tell what we will value. That said, those who know and understand art now, know better, after all those who don't swim can't really understanding swimming nor be good swimmers. Genuine artists know that art is not a thing but a process, a practice, a way of living, being, doing and making that opens our eyes and minds, joining us together on the great journey of understanding all the while finding joy and beauty along the way. This only happens with labour. Ideas, afterall, are cheap. Thinking isn't living. They might steal our art but they can never take away our joy and pride from making it.

Life is too automatic nowadays; We work the same way, we think the same thoughts and we resort to the same forms of escapism to deal with the unglorious monotony of it all. And now that technology is making it even easier, more convenient and even addictive to behave in such automatic fashion we have to really wonder what agency we really have over our lives. It all seems pretty dull and empty and getting to the commonly expected desired end — more money, status or acceptance as quickly as possible — is hardly the fix. That's because the ultimate end is death, so what's the hurry? Personally, I find a life chasing, competing, and stressing to get all these things society defines as successful living is all rather silly, even terrifying. Why live a life in fear?

Why have we become so automated? Why don't we give each moment its careful due attention? I suspect because it's easier, at least at first. Thinking requires effort. Stopping and actually looking and listening require effort. Our mechanical minds are always trying to avoid effort trying to limit the expenditure of energy that isn't by a calculated benefit. We live too transactionally. This is a problem because it leads to kind of a daily malaise — a sickness of the mind. Instead of seizing the moment of joy, peace or opportunity, we live in the past or future chasing desire and running away from fear ultimately ending up without much genuine happiness or meaning. This we call success as along as we have the aforementioned gains in fame or fortune. It's certainly not very original is it? This is the price of automatic living; it's mechanically and rationally efficient but ultimately pointless and miserable. The only way to counter that is to turn off the auto setting and go manual.

Here are some things to consider on reverting back to manual setting:

• periodically stop whatever you're doing and actually ask yourself what it is you're doing. Is there purpose, vision or even awareness? Sounds simple but people rarely do this, being aware that is, especially so in the midst of frustration, anger or conflict.

• when you're working, consciously feel the tools of your trade in your hand — brush, pen, knife or whatever — hover your skin over it, feel its substance and form, wonder about its construction and possibilities. How you think of and use your tools affects the quality it has on your craft.

• apply the same sensitive mindset you apply to your physical tools to your craft. If managing colors, lines and movements are the techniques of your craft, be really aware of it, never forget ther are the foundations for creating expression.

• depend less on automated tools designed specifically to save time and work. Everything comes in a package, what you gain in efficiency you'll likely lose in skill development, resourcefulness and/or innovation.

• listen to your body, especially when you're working. If it's tired, stop. Get good rest, return to the work later. Creativity can't be forced.

• don't always work the same way and don't treat each project the same. Ask what that particular assignment demands. Be true and respectful of the work.

• Beware of any formulas. Defined techniques used over and over again might bring consistency but it also ruins any possibility of having any fun or developing an original style. Discovery happens in the darkness of not knowing.

• ask yourself: do you want work to be easy or good? Go autopilot if you want your work to mirror the consistent "acceptability" of a fast food hamburger. Otherwise, make good art which requires order and effort.

• vary your sources of reference and increase your exposure to different forms of art. Broaden your tastes. Mix and match ideas.

• improve your tastes. If you want to make good art expose yourself to lots of good art. A good chef eats good food.

• periodically resist the use of digital tools, photography/video or the internet. Pick up a book, listen to an LP, bang some drums around. Don't let the smartphone/ipad/tv become your default form of play, rest or research.

• remember to work from the inside out (i.e. from the heart) and bottom up (i.e. foundationally). Your work will have more structure and more personal meaning.

• change your work setting. Shaking up your environment forces your brain to adapt to new stimuli and even think differently. If you want to think outside of the box you must get outside of it first.

• watch/listen to things you don't normally do. Get away from confirmation bias. Be humble and open.

• if your catch yourself thinking too much go do something that makes your sweat. It's amazing what hitting a heavy bag or running around chasing a ball can do for your tensions and focus.

• design your life — YOU must choose what you like to be and do — otherwise your life will be "automatically" designed for you. Try to live authentically every moment, everyday.

• sometimes, it's best to just stop everything where ever you are and just look and listen to the sky, the water and the trees and forget about time for a while.

Matter — i.e. physical stuff — matters.

It's why we have to be very careful how we conduct our lives. Since the advent of digital technology, we've moved further and further away from things we can touch and feel. Even what we see and hear are often mere fabrications — things created not by nature or artists but by machines and propaganda. We live in a world dominated by perception and illusion; our thoughts dominate our experiences, our minds rule over our hearts. Perhaps soon, we won't even be able to tell the difference between information and life. This kind of reality is very dangerous for anyone but for the artist it is lethal. It's the reason why this blog has taken such a long hiatus; I'm just as burned out by the overload of digital provocations as the next person.

Now, don't get me wrong, for I love technology and its possibilities for bettering our world. But the excessive amount of usage and constant bombardment of digital media is an interference to how we would otherwise experience the world. Our minds and bodies were never designed to handle this quality or quantity of artificial stimuli at this level of frequency. We need breaks between the sights and sounds of computers and smartphones. We need time to mentally breathe and let our bodies recover from its exposure. And as artists, we need the space and time to feel and foster our ideas and then, more importantly, allow those ideas and feelings to act against the physical world. To express, after all, means to "press on" to a tangible surface.

And it is in this interaction with matter — an action that implies force — that marks the beginning of creation. The writer is not a writer until he puts words into physical space; whether his fingers touch a pen or keyboard is irrelevant. It's the contact that counts. Same goes with the composer, or painter or architect. The life of any idea begins only when there's adjoining of human hands with the elements of the universe. And, like giving birth to a newborn, the creator must push that new entity into the real world. When we make our marks, the marks begin to take form. Life begins.

Now of course, any endeavor towards an artistic renaissance will encounter resistance; our egos will always try to stop us from making dreams come true; creating causes a disturbance to the comfortable norm or status quo. But this resistance, which we've discussed at length before, is primarily a psychological preoccupation, an illusory force concocted to test our will and courage. Matter, unlike your ego, is scientifically and tangibly real and its resistant power is actually beneficial even if it brings about frustration in our encounter with it. Materials and tools have shape, form and capacity. They have their own characteristics and behaviours. Its uniqueness says "this is what you can do with me and this is what you can't — at least, not without some serious innovation and resourcefulness." In other words, matter is a limitation that challenges us to ponder the possibilites, capabilities and boundaries of our visions and ideas. If I work in oil paint, I must understand its possibilites for providing rich, deep or sensually lush experiences but I must also mind its tendencies to go dark, muddy or speak with a broodish tone. If I'm a writer, I must know the limits of words, knowing that they can tease the mind but can never quite bring about the immediate visceral sensations that images or sounds or touch can bring. A stage actor doesn't have the luxury of a different take or re-do. And it would be poor form for a pianist to try to sound like a drummer. Uniqueness, in all its glory requires boundaries. This is why they must be respected.

Ultimately, the limitations matter imposes force the creative to define the world he is to create. If his art is merely a series of ideas, they are too free. They become barrier-less and groundless. It may have a jet engine but no breaks. We can't relate to it because without boundaries we can't know what world it is in or where things belong. Just check out any common science fiction movie that refuses to define its physical setting or characters; they lose both their believability and fantasy. But when the artist works with matter and understand its properties, the physicality of materials pushes back at him. It demands the artist to establish a very firm environment for his world. He makes a choice. He designs. Start a drawing or painting, and you are bound by the borders of your surface. The sculptor can not add to the wood block or granite, he has to work with what he's got. This is a powerful thing for the artist. It stops him from just thinking and makes him do, making him respect the objects he's making and the tools he's making them with.

So my advice is this: go analog with your work, at least periodically. Use your senses, especially the sensation of touch. It'll make you smarter, more creative and it'll also remind you that there's a world out there that's not just in your head (or on a screen). And, you just might find life fun again too.

It's not always easy to define what art is or what it's for. To many, art is a luxury, a plaything, a leisurely post retirement activity to bide time or the mere idea of what we could do if and when we might be free from the burdens of working for money. But to those of us who actually make art regularly, we know that it is none of those things. And like Tolstoy so aptly stated, art works towards a higher cause, one that doesn't just serve to satisfy our own individual whims but that of uniting humanity itself.

Now of course art doesn't always have to demonstrate such noble traits nor carry the burden for saving the world. But even in the individual pursuit of personal understanding it can serve the greater good for the world is ultimately a better place when its inhabitants are better members of its fraternity. The practice of art, with its encouragement of individual adventure sprouts authenticity and uniqueness. Life and lives become lifelong documents of wonder and self-discovery. The practice of delight brightens not only the practicioner but his audience. And we do need to learn how to be delighted; the world is so full of anxious complexity and violence that gracious uplifting joy is rare. Furthermore, the long and arduous challenges of being a true artist that tests him also grounds him. In sharing a common foundation, he promotes the big picture rather than stand apart from it. Existentially, it reminds him that to arrive early is not the purpose — skip the journey and we skip all the growth, understanding and fun that is life. It's so easy to lose sight of this but quick success is short success.

Art can also help us and others bear the hardships of living. Sometimes as reprieve and at other times enlightment, to step into a world better than the one that faces us. Inside the world of imagination arrives wonder and magic, things that awaken us from our stupor in surprising blends of the strange, surprising and beautiful. Art transmogrifies as much as it transforms those who involve themselves with it.

Art is like a fire; it always put us into an active state of attention that directs our energy in positive constructive ways. It institutes a feeling of productivity not as a byproduct of goal driven industriousness but one that arrives with deeply felt meaning and worthiness; stated goals and targets are only starting points of activity. Furthermore, we feel very good about ourselves after a hard, conscientious day spent tackling our creative challenges even when we don't meet initial hopes or expectations.

Making art requires intense focus. Focus is a powerful thing, it enables us to empty ourselves of ego and submit to the demands of the task. And it's a great challenge to wield the tools of any craft never mind make art. Rather than avoiding our difficulties, which infers ignorance, art teaches us to face them. Art invites proactivity; you don't postpone when you've got art to do. Making art changes our patterns of thinking — it alters the brainwaves. The mind goes from the distress of self-pity or aloofness to one of courage in action. We align with the only thing that's real which is the now; we keep it real while also making our own reality.

Art, in altering our thoughts, is also a transformer of time helping it to pass nicely and worthily. It's why the clock seems to jump when we're having fun — we don't want the journey to end. A healthy psychological hunger develops and we mysteriously find the energy to sustain our activities. We know this when we don't mind skipping dinner when that great idea strikes or when we're in the flow of creating. But when we invest in unfruitful things, time drags and we can't wait for things to finish. Mindless energy expenditure whether it be job-related or escape oriented is often frivolous in nature and tends to fall into the category of "wasted time." Meaningless activity — so common in today's culture of commodification and ego enhancement — always carries with it that distasteful quality of abject disposability.

Ultimately, creative action is a positive multiplier. Art betters so many things; it keeps us active, productive in the positive sense, gives purpose, and provides direction; it brings joy, elevates our sensibilities, draws out intelligence, develops coordination and discipline; it grants and demands order while providing a path where discovery, growth, ability, experience, sympathy, beauty, communication, relationship, and perspective are gained; it even keeps us healthy. In a medical study on the effect of creativity on stress, it showed that making art statistically improved physical well-being. Here's a short summary of its findings:

Now, how can we not develop gratitude and appreciation of life when we make art? And with the power to bond the whole world through empathy, beauty and wonder, art is everything Tolstoy says it is and more. What it is not is mere utility or luxury. True art has always objected to being object or methodology and fights stoutly against commercialization and its associated propaganda. It rejects what writer Jeanette Winterson calls "the lie against life" and exists beyond the rationality of exchange transactions. Cave men made beautiful art.

For me, traveling along the voyage that is artmaking always reminds me of that crucial message from The Iliad (Homer's Odyssey), namely that "the treasure you shall find will not be the treasure that you seek." In daily creation — turning the intangible into the tangible and vice versa — we learn to live along the journey of continual birth and re-birth or, what I'd like to call genuine living.