The nature of process...

I've talked about my process before, but it is worth discussing from time to time. I'm talking more about process in general, what is it good for? Process is what you fall back on when you're crunched for time. It is the tried and true method of working that produces satisfactory results. A process can be a cage as well as a liberator. I often feel trapped within a certain style or method. I don't want to tread the same trail twice, so I feel frustrated when I find myself in a rut.

Planning is a crucial part of a client based project. You essentially need to cover your ass each step along the way. A strong conceptual backbone helps you defend your work and justify the decisions you made along the way to the final solution. But what about the work you produce in between projects? I feel that this personal work is what defines you as and artist, by you I mean anyone that makes a living in the creative field. It's the work that makes YOU happy that defines your creative identity. I am often most happy with work that exists solely in my sketchbook. This is the work that most reflects my raw creative energy. Of course a creative being needs to send work out in the world. It's this give and take, keeping and giving up that provides the tension necessary to sustain an artistic career. It's like a workout regimen, or yoga, tension and release.

Right now I'm in a period of release. These periods tend to be short lived, which is good because there are bills to pay.

-Jake