Tag Archives: illustration

Books, Music and Film

An Artist’s Take On Miyazaki’s The Boy And The Heron

Though I’m a visual artist and not an actor, screenwriter, or animator I am a big movie enthusiast – I probably watch 4-6 movies per week! Every so often when I movie comes out that I find particularly inspiring or thought provoking, I like to share my take.

Though I’ve enjoyed some films over the years that happen to be anime and in general find Japanese culture intriguing and enjoyable, I am by no means an anime fan. I love Hayao Miyazaki’s films in particular, but I’ll admit not even all of his films warranted a re-watch for me (My favorites are Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle). Before watching, I’d read that this was one of his least magical films. Though I was still intrigued and excited I didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as the aforementioned favorites because I do enjoy a great deal of magic and whimsy. Despite being grounded in reality, there were plenty of surprises and this film, titled in Japan “How Do You Live”, did not disappoint. I am going to give my perspective on the art and general themes but not get into the specific plot beyond the basic premise that can already be found in the film’s teaser description as I don’t want there to be spoilers for those who haven’t seen it.

Visually, I love the distinct differences in proportion, expression, and other aesthetic details present in each character. One of the main things that can get old about anime for me is that a lot of the characters tend to follow an archetypal formula in how they are visually presented, or all look the same. Nowhere is this attention to creating distinct features more present than in the case of the elderly maids that live with the main character and his family. Each woman’s personality comes forward before she utters a word, even the ones of the group that are mainly just background characters. Also important to note is from my observation, it is common in anime for characters to always be portrayed very stereotypically “pretty” and have super idealized characteristics. Miyazaki leans into the characteristics of old age in a way that is not pretty, but not frightening like Disney’s witches and instead adorable and endearing.

In this film in general, the background details are respected and given just as much care as the main focus of each scene. Each blade of grass, the details in the wallpaper or décor in a room, the woodgrain on a cabinet, are rendered in exquisite detail even though it isn’t really necessary for the story. This stands out to me as a 2D visual artist myself, and makes the experience all the more impactful.

The richness in color, texture, and pattern especially within the animals that often appear in multiples is breathtaking. Even the creatures that are far away in the back, or covered by most of the foreground group are given just as much detail.

There are definite Wonderland elements along with the main historical story that was influenced by Miyazaki’s own life, growing up in Japan during WWII. Reminiscent of the soot sprites in Spirited Away, the Wara-wara are the adorable hoard of identical beings that you can’t help but smile at. Unborn souls that have yet to float up to earth, the scene involving these whimsical creatures was actually quite emotional for me though it was a small part of the overall story. The birds with hybrid human characteristics peppered throughout were also loads of fun.

I actually think the original title “How Do You Live”, though maybe a bit more convoluted and not as “grabbing” for potential viewers, fits the movie far better than “The Boy and The Heron”. This story is about so much more than just their journey together. This film was more accessible than many of Miyazaki’s others that were way out there in the fantasy realm. I mention Spirited Away often, and though I loved that movie for it’s unique visuals I didn’t grasp any understanding of it really until I took a course in Shintoism at college to fulfill a university program requirement! “The Boy and The Heron” was still quite open ended and doesn’t just hand the viewer the answers, which makes it all the more compelling.

The intersection of truth and curiosity is a major theme, as well as the question of whether one will choose reality over fantastical distractions, even if it is more difficult. The messages I heard after much reflection were that life is worth its many hardships for the good bits; we must discover and acknowledge our own flaws, not in self hatred but so that we can strive to be better; everyone has a backstory. Those who seem timid now, have gone through times where they had to be brave, those who seem settled and boring have had adventures, who you see now when you meet someone is not who they have always been, but who they were before has made them who they are now.

There are now more options than ever should we want to remain unfocused and distracted from our real everyday life, so this tale is a timely meditation.

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Artist Bio

Breaking Free Of False Dichotomies

It’s interesting to see how this blog has changed since its early stages, the one constant being a celebration of creativity and self expression. At the start I was focused on sharing current artists I’d discovered, and easy lesson plan ideas. Now, I find more of the focus to be on the journey of living this life as a creative person, mental health, and authenticity. I like that what I share has evolved to become more relatable to all folks, not just artists.

I don’t think I ever realized growing up that life would literally be just constant change. I was the kid growing up that wanted to know everything that was going to happen the next day, and had to be warned well in advance if any part of the “itinerary” happened to change, no matter how miniscule. As I am confronted with another unavoidable period of uncomfortable change, sometimes I wonder why I don’t seem to fit into any of the categories laid out before me, like a multiple choice exam where all of the answers appear to be wrong and there is no “none of the above” option.

As a woman, we hear the term “having it all” a lot. This all means that you have kids, a husband, family, maybe a pet, AND a career. That’s it. That’s what all means … 2 things. Yes those are two BIG DEAL things that take up a lot of time and energy, but still, that’s all we get is 2 choices? That’s absolutely crazy to me. I’ve known for a long time I didn’t want my own kids (though I sure do enjoy when I get to visit my new-ish niece!). At the moment, my career is a bit up in the air and I’m finding that I may not have the ‘boss babe’ personality or the workaholic drive I assumed I must have since I didn’t want kids. Doesn’t everyone get one or the other? I’ve discovered what I thought was career ambition was just hyperfocus tendencies in general directed towards an area of interest. If that interest is missing, then poof the vigilance is unfortunately gone. I get a lot of anxiety when my entire schedule and life’s structure is beholden to the whim of some other entity, and when I was working as a non-profit Program Coordinator though I liked being able to tell people I run something ;), I ended up super burned out on a regular basis. So, if I’m not a career woman and not an aspiring wife and mother am I nothing at all? [Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure men face a lot of these either/or black and white fallacies as well but I’m not going to presume to speak about something I’ve not experienced. If you’re a guy that wants to share an example you’ve run up against, feel free to share in the comments!]

Life is rarely clear, but I find it interesting that I can often find clues even within my own art. I see 2 mature ladies created in 2017 and 2020 that are confident, joyful, and at peace, on their own, within themselves. I identify with them, and think that could be me one day. I see a woman whose tears are butterfly wings (The original is currently hanging at Studio 23!), created in 2019 during one of my toughest periods of significant change, pain and evolution hand in hand. I even noticed the concept sketch for my newest installment in my current series, titled “Patience”. Seeds to a great tree are in hand, as the figure imagines what may one day be.

I’m finding that in order to successfully manage change, growth, and any sort of patience I can’t try to look at myself through the generic lens our society tries to use to discern who belongs where, or I just end up seeing myself distorted and confused like looking in a funhouse mirror.

If the answers don’t fit, sometimes I have to use a giant purple crayon to write in a new one, or at least that is how I like to imagine it.

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Artist Bio

What To Do When Your Brain Says “NOPE!”

Some spicy discussions are happening about what classifies as an actual disability, and when accommodations are reasonable just as we’ve tied up Disability Pride Month after a video of a distraught young woman shared an unpleasant job interview experience. She was allegedly yelled at by the interviewer after being asked if there would be leniency and accommodation for her time blindness. Being tossed around are accusations of faking disability when one is really just lazy, “this never used to be a problem!”, comments of how this younger generation has no resilience or willpower, and more.

I’ve worked with individuals with disabilities for over a decade now, and I can say that time blindness can be a very real thing. It is often a symptom of ADHD (though, nothing is across the board – I also know people with ADHD that are early for everything!). It is fair to say we are seeing more cases of ADHD now, which is why this and other issues may seem more common. Whether that can be linked to the different way we interface with technology compared to the past, diet, the fact that are school system is built upon making children sit in one room and listen to someone talk for 6+ hours, or other factors I’m not going to get into because I’m not an expert so what I have to say would mostly be speculation. I also think it’s fair to say we as a society are struggling with resiliency, but I’d also argue life has become exceedingly more complicated, and resiliency is really a moot point when your brain just won’t cooperate with you on a given task. I’ve had employees work under me who I would legitimately have to remind on a weekly basis when they were to come in to teach their class, even though they taught at 2:00 on Tuesday for example, the same time every week for 4 months. At first I thought they were putting me on, until I realized they honestly couldn’t get a handle on remembering their schedule, even sometimes after writing it down.

I have my own “stuff” as we all do, and I can tell you there is nothing more infuriating and painful than repeatedly being told you’d be better at something if you’d only try, when you have poured every fiber of energy you have into trying only to see no improvement. I have a funny little thing that is referred to in layman’s terms as “location blindness”. What’s interesting is, usually people that have this acquired it due to traumatic brain injury, but I just got lucky and have always been like this. I have the complete inability to retain directional information or orient myself in space. I have always had an above-excellent visual memory, so it isn’t like I don’t remember what different places look like, I just can’t fit the puzzle pieces together. It’s all details, no big picture. I have to use GPS to get to the same grocery store I’ve used in town for the past 10 years. When I was first learning to drive, I noticed things just weren’t clicking into place as I’d assumed they would, so I would study directions to places I frequent like one would study for an exam. It did absolutely nothing for this almost straight A student … I still couldn’t tell you how to get from point A to point B. If I get up in a restaurant to go to the bathroom, I have to very deliberately focus on the exact turns “right, left, right again…” that I made as I left my seat and repeat them in my head the whole time like a mantra or I won’t find my seat again, which is always super embarrassing. I recall asking my doctor about it and her saying though the degree to which I seem to have trouble is not as common, it’s not dangerous just wildly inconvenient.

Another struggle that’s a bit less important, wheels and I are not friends. I just barely learned to ride a bike without training wheels before junior high, and I never learned to roller-skate or rollerblade. I made renewed attempts during COVID lockdown when I had copious amounts of time on my hands, and made 0% progress sadly. I recall countless roller arena end of the school year parties growing up, because 90s kid, where I was sitting on the sidelines trying to look like I was having fun and well meaning adults would come up to me and say, “Well I feel bad that you’re sitting here by yourself, but we all make choices about what we want to spend time practicing …” If looks could kill, well …

Oftentimes I wonder if these two funny little mental blocks are related, as both seem to have to do with orientating oneself in space, one physically the other mentally. Who knows … The whole point of these odd little tales is to illustrate the fact that sometimes our brain just says “NO, I WILL NOT,” when it comes to certain things. It’s more difficult when the things our brain refuses to do are common skills that it seems like the majority of others have no problem with. Most people that don’t understand a mental block or question its validity aren’t actually trying to be jerks, they just honestly don’t know what they don’t know. And yes, it’s ok to ask for accommodations and sometimes it will be necessary. However, when we can come up with tools and tricks for ourselves to get around our brain’s refusal it’s not just about pleasing other people. Doing this will also make our own life way easier and less stressful. For my location blindness, aside from using GPS I can when possible check out new locations ahead of time if I have to be there for something important, and leave early enough to accommodate for directional errors or unforeseen circumstances like construction that may throw off my route. Saying “Well, I guess someone has to drive me everywhere because I can’t do this” would only hurt myself and my ability to have a life at all and enjoy opportunities both professionally and for my own pleasure. With time blindness, alarms and reminders can be set to assist with being ready. Even if you have to set 15 alarms before work in the morning, one for waking up one for brushing your teeth, another when it’s time to make breakfast, and so on to dictate the schedule of your whole morning routine… do what helps no matter how silly it may seem to other people. Conversely, when someone shares that they are struggling with something, believe them. There’s not really any logical motivation for faking a difficulty when of course we’d all prefer that everything came easy to us.

I had the wonderful opportunity to lead a community mural in Madison Heights for their ADA Pride Celebration the end of last month, the prompt being “If the inside of your mind were a physical place, what would it look like?” This concept really connects well to these thoughts I’ve just discussed … We don’t know what the landscape of each other’s minds looks like, so listening before assuming is always best.

I will be part of a show at Creative 360‘s satellite location in downtown Midland opening mid this month that celebrates neurodiverse creators and creators with disabilities, so if you are in the area be sure to visit!

What is a struggle you have that you wish there was more understanding about? Let me know in the comments.

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New Work

Fruits Series : Gentleness / Mixed Media Surrealism

A year later, I have finished the second installment of my Fruits Of The Spirit series, Gentleness. (Visit this link to view my first, Peace.) I certainly don’t plan to take an year to get to each installment of this 10 part series, but I spent 2022 dipping my toe into a lot of new things career-wise, and ultimately deciding what my personal goals were and how I wanted to go forward. I was also focused a lot on teaching art and developing curricula, which helped propel what I’m doing this year forward. Having time once again to revisit my own personal art has been like going on an exciting vacation, and I think I like this 2nd installment even better than my first! Below is a video in which I give some extra background on my thoughts behind this piece and the series itself.

Ever in love with mixed media, I used colored pencil for the face and hands, acrylic for the torso, sky, and water, ink for the birds and egg, and fabric for the mountains, sun, and flowers. The face, hands, egg, and bird were all one piece on mixed media paper. I finished this first, then cut it out and traced it where I wanted it on my canvas. Next I painted all the acrylic straight on the canvas. Once the acrylic was dry, I glued the paper piece down, and following that I used tracing paper to create patterns for all my fabric pieces and glued those on last. Gluing the paper especially is really a ‘trust the process’ moment. Even though I have done mixed media work like this so many times now, I always get nervous adhering the paper bits to canvas because there is a period while it is drying that it looks VERY wavy. It inevitably settles down once it dries, but that doesn’t help my nerves! For any artists out there looking to adhere paper drawings to canvas, I’ve found Aleen’s Tacky Glue works best after trying various super glues, Elmer’s, mod podge, special paper adhesive for scrapbooking, clear sealing mediums … After gluing I lay the canvas face down on a piece of vellum paper (to prevent sticking if any of the glue seeps out from the edges), and set heavy flat objects like books, boxes, etc. inside the frame to keep it pressed overnight. I use mixed media paper because it is a great base for any drawing medium and can even withstand a moderate amount of wetness, an important quality since I know glue will be involved.

I have started my 3rd part of this series already, and will try to be better about taking video throughout the process this time. Follow me for more updates as I go forward on this series, and I’m sure some other projects in between :).

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