Details of Normality

  “A Nice Dream” Clip Studio Paint, 2021 “Creamsicle Haze” Procreate, 2022 At heart I believe I’m an artist, and the way I create art is through storytelling. So, I guess it makes sense that I want to create graphic novels. In some of the earliest memories I ever have I was drawing pictures and having my mom help me staple together storybooks I’d made. There truly is this instinctive, innate desire as a child to build and create things. It’s almost second nature. I’m lucky enough that I still have that desire, though a lot less time. This is what I wanted to talk about this week. I am a creative person, and part of being creative is realizing your crutches and not letting them get in the way of your work. My biggest issue I have is scheduling my time well. Between social obligations, homework, hobbies, and creative projects, it can be hard to make sure each area is getting the right amount of care. And unfortunately, when I am stressed out, personal creative projects are first to get p

  I didn't know what to expect from a class that's sole focus was on creativity, but I'm really glad I was able to take it. I've always liked to draw, and to write. My dream is to make graphic novels for a living. I have a lot of ideas for graphic novels, plot graphs, sketches--I still haven't finished anything--but I'm working to change that. This class made me start to think about how I can ensure those changes.  I never knew that to cure my creativity block I needed to stop looking for ideas until I took this class and thought about it. To clarify, I spent a lot of time working on my graphic novel ideas, searching for THE perfect idea for them, but now I know that's not how making art should work. Now that I am endowed with the knowledge to consider all options, scribble down all ideas first, even the bad ones, it has completely changed and expedited my own creative process. Now I know to not make a plan, until I have an excess of materials. Even if I don

      Jonny McCoy, White Flag Stephen Smith, NOCD Creativity is the basis of life and art. As humans we are born parents, not just of the future children we may bear, but of the amazing things we create. Humanity has an intelligent desire to make things, a desire to create and invent media or objects that will help ourselves and other humans. There doesn't always have to be huge paycheck motivating us either. As humans we like to invent, and that is something specific to our species we fail to cherish. As mentioned in my last post, I struggle with mental health issues. Bipolar disorder, OCD, and PTSD. Now, while managing bipolar disorder isn't easy, I have been lucky enough to have the resources to help me learn how to support myself and handle the ups and downs of my mood. There's mood stabilizers, and anxiety pills for those restless manic nights, and for trauma, there is also adequate treatment. A ton of therapists specialize in trauma and PTSD, and given that at the tim

It’s so unfair to judge someone for not being at the same place you were during that stage of your life. People move differently. What’s right for you might not be right for me. I wish I’d known that sooner. I’d just graduated high school in May of 2019, and I had no clue of what I wanted to do with my life. I was an artist. I liked to act. I was a pretty good writer. I knew I wanted to do something creative, but my father had convinced me there was no point in pursuing anything artistic. When I was thirteen, he told me that if I decided to pursue art that I could, “Have fun with an easel under a bridge.” How ignorant. And how silly I was to believe him. Eighteen, fresh out of high school with a passion for art with no faith in my ability to do so professionally. I decided I’d look into being a psychiatrist. It paid decently. It wasn’t an art career, but hey, I’d been through the psychotherapy ringer for years and I figured the least I could do was give back to other adolescents strugg