Get Moving!

"You need to find a way to bring your body into your work."

This week, while I was reading chapter 4, I was reminded of something I had lost.  

Before I had gotten into graphic design at Parkland, I did a lot of painting at EIU.  I loved painting in a studio with my friends in class.  I loved standing up and moving from one canvas to anything as I worked (sometimes I would need a stool to stand on and do my work).  I liked to put up designs and images that inspired me in my workspace.  I really enjoyed being interactive with my work.  
Kleon makes a point at the beginning of this chapter to say that using computers to make our work keeps us immobile.  Reading this, I realized what a difference there was between working on my digital projects and my 2D projects outside of my computer.  While I do enjoy making digital designs, I noticed that I haven't been moving nearly as much (my Fitbit has noticed, too).  

The computer is a great tool to use, but it may not be the best for using to come up with ideas.  It seems that when we use this, we start editing our ideas before we really have an idea of what we want to do.  The computer offers too many options of what we might want later on in the concept.  Using it to design concepts may not help us to create what we had in mind.  

Kleon gives us an example from his own life.  When he wrote creatively on a computer, it did not seem fun anymore.  He had lost the "hands-on" approach to it.  Kleon tells us that once he added analog tools back into his writing process, it seemed less like work and more like play.  The new process engaged his senses.  To me, engaging the senses just creates this kind of special feeling when I'm working or about to start on a project.  Seeing, smelling or moving in some kind of way as I work makes it more fun.  Bringing more of myself into my work seems to better help me generate ideas and concepts for my designs.  The actions make it seem like more of a fun creative process.  


From reading this chapter, I realized that my sketchbook and pencil are really the only things that could be considered as "analog tools".  Kleon lists numerous analog tools that engaged his senses and made the work process more fun.

I did a little rearranging in my workspace.  I cleaned off some or the clutter and things that were digital to make a better analog workspace.


I went around my house, grabbed my art supplies and put it all together in one place that's easy to access and keep organized.  




I moved more of my tools (brushes, sketchbooks, pens, etc) on or closer to my desk










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