Here's the New Year and New Challenges!

So I got some super awesome stuff for Christmas this year! I've become more and more interested in motion graphics and type recently. I've based a lot of the focus of my senior thesis on creative motion graphics and compositing, partly just so I have an excuse to take some motion graphics and graphic design classes. Anyway, for Christmas I got some awesome books for inspiration:

haNdmade 3D, Handmade Graphics, and Fingerprint

I asked for these specific books because I'm especially interested in combining physically handmade work with digital media. As probably many other artists of the digital age, I often find myself missing the traditional arts. There's something about hand creating something that really gives you a feeling of accomplishment. Not knocking the digital though, the undo command is the greatest thing since sliced bread. So it mades sense to me to try to utilize my traditional background in, hopefully, some new creative ways.
I really response to a lot of the work in these book with a new found clarity. Not only did I feel a kind fascination for this work that I haven't felt in a long time, but I felt like it was an answer to question I've always struggled to answer: Who am I as an artist? What's my niche? It finally dawned on me that all the work I really admire always has an element of design to it despite whether its commercial or not. I think that somehow "design" is the answer I've been searching for. I'm not sure how to elaborate on that yet, but somehow I feel thats key.
I've always kind of felt like a fine artist trapped in a commercial body. Not that I dislike being a commercial artist or have anything against it, but I like doing art for the sake of a personal concept and vision instead of creating the visions of others. But I noticed that in at least one of the books much of the work was labeled "self initiated" under clientele. Most of the artists are designers working commercially, but who also show in galleries around the world and therefore are blessed with a dual artistic career. That's really inspiring to me because it means I didn't choose one over the other after all. Yes its hard, but if possible I want to be both and have substance and ethics in all my work. I'll strive to be "self initiated;" to create my own projects outside of any jobs I have and to take it a step further by taking chances on entering shows and really trying to show my work. I often fear my own lethargy, I can be extremely lazy and I hate how I have repeatedly fallen into a pattern of static slumps. It will also be a challenge because I find when I have one major project to focus on I feel guilty using energy on side projects and therefore choose to goof off during times when I could be working on personal stuff (not constructive I know).
But in the new year resolution style, I pledge to do my best to become a more go-getting and dedicated artist. I really really want to finally "find my voice" and hope that with the new experiences of the coming year I can get closer to it. However, I do feel that I am close to a personal and artistic epiphany and hope I can finally have a clear image of who I truly wish to become. Maybe 2012 will be my year... here's hoping!



A look as some of the talented people I look to for inspiration:

Julien Vallee
                      

Jenny Holzer



Bryony Birkbeck

The Id

The Superego