Sisyphus and that stone
Getting started on a big, new project is always an interesting challenge. No matter how many times I've done it, no matter how excited I may be about it, no matter what the budget or time frame, getting it started is not unlike Sisyphus pushing that giant boulder up an incline: that boulder keeps rolling back.
The difference between what I know about my work and what I know about that poor guy, Sisyphus, is that eventually the momentum will change, and that at some point I will get that boulder over the high point of the incline. Until that point, however, all the momentum must come from moi. If my cllient happens to be enthusiastic, so much the better. I can use his/her energy to fuel the work at the early point, when the most energy is needed.
Case in point: I'm just beginning to design what will be a 5' wide mural, quite large by my standards. This piece will include some 50 characters, great costumes and colors, and will be a great piece of art for a great client. Right now, however, I'm doing a lot of cutting and pasting at a small scale to indicate composition and placement of the characters, and it is time consuming. Maybe the fact that I'm still coming off of a rotten cold is leaving me with a bit less energy than I normally have, or maybe I'm getting older and the energy of old ain't there no more. I just know I keep sitting down and thinking about taking a nap!
Working alone can be great. It works for me, generally speaking. I get to play loud music of my choosing. But, right now, it would not be a bad thing to have a co-worker or two to bounce ideas off of, assign some of the grunt work, and usurp their energy like some sort of blood-sucking creature. Hey, it's Halloween! I must be thinking in ghoulish terms today.
The real good news is that with my experience, I know very well that this piece is going to be great in the long run. That helps me in the early stage, when the sketches look like a mess, and I may be the only person on earth who knows that the finished art is going to be hot a few months from now.
The difference between what I know about my work and what I know about that poor guy, Sisyphus, is that eventually the momentum will change, and that at some point I will get that boulder over the high point of the incline. Until that point, however, all the momentum must come from moi. If my cllient happens to be enthusiastic, so much the better. I can use his/her energy to fuel the work at the early point, when the most energy is needed.
Case in point: I'm just beginning to design what will be a 5' wide mural, quite large by my standards. This piece will include some 50 characters, great costumes and colors, and will be a great piece of art for a great client. Right now, however, I'm doing a lot of cutting and pasting at a small scale to indicate composition and placement of the characters, and it is time consuming. Maybe the fact that I'm still coming off of a rotten cold is leaving me with a bit less energy than I normally have, or maybe I'm getting older and the energy of old ain't there no more. I just know I keep sitting down and thinking about taking a nap!
Working alone can be great. It works for me, generally speaking. I get to play loud music of my choosing. But, right now, it would not be a bad thing to have a co-worker or two to bounce ideas off of, assign some of the grunt work, and usurp their energy like some sort of blood-sucking creature. Hey, it's Halloween! I must be thinking in ghoulish terms today.
The real good news is that with my experience, I know very well that this piece is going to be great in the long run. That helps me in the early stage, when the sketches look like a mess, and I may be the only person on earth who knows that the finished art is going to be hot a few months from now.
Labels: the working artist
posted by Rich Sigberman at
5:03 PM
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