Here’s a collection of things I think and hope would help others.

Inspo? Advice? Reference? Nonsense?

  1. Playlists

  2. Books/Things to Read

  3. Blog

  4. FAQ

  5. Advice

  6. How to Talk About Yourself & Your Work

PLAYLISTS TO RELAX, i guess

books on animation

  • Illusion of Life - Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston

My audible

  • Black AF History - Michael Harriot

PLAYLISTS TO FOCUS, k?

books on design

  • Risography - Amell, C

books on color

  • The Secret Lives of Colour - Kassia St. Clair

blog?

My thoughts are here. Sort of.

ask me something

  • No but damn near close. If you want to be in the creative world you need to create daily. Maybe that means osmedays you’re messing around with paper mache, maybe other days you’re losing your mind trying to learn code. But everyday is an opportunity to express yourself, learn a new skill, or refine the skill you have.

    If you had time to eat, you had time to draw. If you had time to watch TV you had time to draw. If you had time to play video games, you had time to draw. No excuses. You could be drawing RIGHT NOW! GO ON GET OUT OF HERE!

  • I have an iPad…10? And an Apple Pencil 2. I make my own brushes but I’ve paid for a few. I work in Procreate on my iPad.

    My work computer preference is a Mac (at a studio) but my home computer is a PC because I like to play video games.

    Yes, I have worked on Adobe on my PC, yes it works fine, but it crashes a lot more than it would on a Mac.

    I try to keep a sketchbook on me at all times, and a pen of some sort. Doodle. Doodle noodle.

  • I prefer to use a 4B or 6B, sharpened with a retractable blade and a kneaded eraser. Brands I like are Staedler and Faber Castell.

  • Whatever is in reach, affordable, and can take a beating in my bag. I tend to gravitate toward larger pads 9×12 and can’t do the palm-sized ones.

  • I went to a for-profit college that is now gone, so if you’re asking because you want to go to the same college as me, I recommend you take on the responsibility/debt that is appropriate for your life circumstances and to focus on building relationships with your teachers and fellow creatives (in and outside of your major).

    No one can take your education away from you, collect experiences, build friendships, and shore up your self-worth.

  • Mary Blair, Kehinde Wiley, Alphonse Mucha, Jean Leon Gerome, Marc Davis.

advice

talk positively behind people’s backs (with sincerity)

1

Example:

“Have you seen the most recent thing So-and-So made? I like the design choices they made, such as, x, y and z. I admire their (perspective, tenacity, technical skill, experience, etc) and felt inspired/humbled/seen/curious about this after.”

The person you told that to might go and tell that person the nice thing you said about them, and they will get warm fuzzies. :)

Support fellow creatives. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. Be respectful, kind, and value everyone’s labor even if you don’t ‘get’ or ‘like’ their work.

“good to see you”

2

Are you terrible at names? ME TOO. I also suck at remembering who I have and have not met before. Make your best effort to remember names, details, and interactions, and when you panic, “good to see you,” is a safe hello/goodbye/nice to meet you.

“It was nice talking to you. I am going to step away now.”

3

Your time is precious, as well as the people around you. Keep it cute, keep it short, and never be afraid of end a conversation with, “It was nice chatting, I am going to excuse myself now,” without explaining yourself or inviting the person along.

yes, and…

4

Saying No is hard for a lot of people, I get that. You don’t want to come off as difficult, ruffle feathers, or blow an opportunity. I like to use “Yes, and” to manage those sorts of moments.

For example:

“Yes, and”
A. I need to move the delivery of these other projects
B. I need these resources (people, money, tools)
C. This will impact XYZ in this way: abc.
D. Have we taken into consideration (this perspective/impact)?

Other phrases that could help in sticky situations:

  • Thank you for that insight, I’ll consider it.

  • We will try it.

  • My experience with this in the past has been ___.

  • I cannot or will not because this is a violation of my ethics and sense of self.

  • I see this is important to you, can you help me understand better?

  • No, thank you.

How to chat about yourself and your work

  • "I want to make"

    NO ONE cares or needs to know that you work at the grocery store, or at some company making Snuggie ads in Flash. More often than not, as creative people, we are employed in a field or company that doesn’t represent our capabilities and interests.

    When you are talking to fellow creatives (within and outside of your field) no matter your seniority or level, talk about what you want to be making.

    It tells other people your interests, capabilities, and passions.

    • Here’s some of mine as an example:
      I want to make illustrations for children’s books.

    • I want to support mental health organizations with my design work.

    • I want to design a tee for punk band.

    • I want to work on an Oscar winning animated film.

  • Small Talk is Hell

    I hate networking, I hate socializing, and I’m naturally introverted. However, I love talking about things that I’m interested in and being exposed to new things. Here’s a few ice breakers to get those sorts of conversations going.

    • I like your (accessory, outfit, etc), it reminds me of (something abstract that is relatable").

    • Would you be interested in hearing about my most recent (pleasant or funny) experience with (person/place/thing)?

    • If you could get a photo to perfectly capture this moment, who/what do you think should be in the center of the frame?

    • I am challenging myself to make friends and want to connect if you’re interested in chatting?

    • How are your energy levels? Are they where you’d like them to be? What’s something really restorative for you?

  • Talk about What Went Well

    When talking about your work or efforts, focus on the things you believe went well. Maybe share something that started to go sideways and you overcame and are really proud of.

    • I spent a great deal of time on…

    • I’m most proud of…

    • If I did this again, I would…

    • It was my goal to convey…

    • This here was a design choice I made because…

    • If I could expand this, I would add xyz…

    • My intention was…

    Assume that people WANT to hype you up, cheer you on, and celebrate you. Pointing out the flaws in something robs you of that victory lap.

  • Openness to feedback

    When offering feedback, collect the consent of the person you’re speaking with. This also goes the other way, it’s okay to say you’re not in a place to hear feedback, and if they can circle back later when you’re more receptive.

    You know you’re ready to hear feedback when: You are not flooded with an emotion, you have drank enough water, you have slept enough, you have ate enough. Your stress levels will allow you to listen without becoming defensive, frustrated, or shutting down.

    You know you are NOT ready to hear feedback when you have a response/excuse for everything.

    When getting feedback, remember to:

    • Ask if it’s okay to take notes/record it so that you can remember it for later.

    • Listen and wait for the person to finish speaking.

    • Thank the person for their input and time (even if you completely disagree, gratitude for their perspective and energy is mandatory).

    • If appropriate, ask clarifying questions if something didn’t make sense or you want to learn more.

    • Be kind to yourself. This person wants you to succeed, they are telling you so that you can improve, not because they think you’re hopeless or a loser.

  • It's Okay to have Opinions*

    *and if you are a working professional, other creative professionals expect you to explain why you dislike or like something.

    For example, speaking to preference and taste:

    I personally am not a StarWars fan, but I recognize a lot of people love the stories and characters and world building, and it’s been a very successful IP (Intellectual Property) over the span of several media and generations. And I think that’s beautiful, that they find comfort, joy, inspiration, and excitement in it.

    The Mandolorian and Grogu movie I just saw with my husband was very cute, I liked the cinematography and editing. I noticed there was a lot of stylistic choices made that reminded me of the first movies, and I think that’s a really clever call back for older fans.

    Now, here’s an example of a movie I did not enjoy, and how I would explain why I didn’t have an enjoyable experience in a way that wouldn’t offend anyone who worked on it and speaks to my professional opinion.

    I have seen a lot of Marvel films over the last decade, I am not a huge fan of the series but I like watching them with friends so that I can stay on top of the current trends. Unfortunately there were multiple times where I was visually overwhelmed/confused, I suspect it might be the editing or the cinematography, it was hard to keep track of who was where in every scene. I’d have preferred more wide shots and less cuts between shots to have a sense of the space. The story didn’t really have a three act structure and ended in an unsatisfying way. It had a lot of visual spectacle and some funny parts, etc (end with a positive).