Tag: tips

Is Your Computer Killing Your Ideas?

Everything in the digital world is easily undo-able, resize-able, zoom-in-able, copy-paste-able and changeable. But is that really a good thing?

My uncle David used to have a typewriter. This was 30 years ago, when a personal computer was still quite a new concept (let alone a home printer). As a kid who loved to read, the typewriter was an exciting and magical instrument for me: with it, I could literally create ‘real’ books!

One thing I do remember very clearly about using a typewriter Continue reading “Is Your Computer Killing Your Ideas?”

The Myth of “Write Drunk, Edit Sober”

Be reckless; be bold; be messy; be silly; be crazy. You can worry about elegance and craftsmanship later; that is, when you revisit and revise your work.

The advice “write drunk – edit sober”, often attributed to Ernest Hemingway, was never given by him – probably because it’s a terrible advice. (link: a report from someone who actually tried it).

However, there is a nugget of wisdom in it. A couple of nuggets, even. Continue reading “The Myth of “Write Drunk, Edit Sober””

Workflow Weekly: Disney’s superpower, Dispassion, and more (week #32)

In Praise of Dispassion

Everyone loves talking about passion. And yes, passion is a crucial component in your success as a creative professional (and anything else, really). But there’s also something to be said for dispassion.  I’m talking about the ability to take a step back and make your decisions not as a passionate emotional artist, but as a cold and calculated pro.

Here’s Mr. Wolf (Harvey Keitel) demonstrating the value of cold, dispassionate professionalism in Trantino’s Pulp Fiction: Continue reading “Workflow Weekly: Disney’s superpower, Dispassion, and more (week #32)”

[Video] Your Inner Workflow Team

“…every creative effort is a bit like an A-Team episode. It requires four different mindsets – four distinct personalities with different skills and attitudes.”

This video presents one of the core ideas of Worklfow in under 4 minutes. If you prefer reading, a transcript appears below.

When I was a kid there was a famous series I used to watch, called The A-Team. In case you’re not familiar with it: it’s about a group of 4 guys, each with a unique personality and a specific set of skills. Hannibal was the man with the plan and a master of disguise; BA was a hot-headed muscle man and an excellent driver; ‘Face’ was a con artist with a soft spot for pretty girls; and Murdock was the barking mad pilot who could fly anything. And of course, every mission these guys had, somehow required most of these skills.

I was reminded of this TV series because in fact, every creative effort is a bit like an A-Team episode. It requires four different mindsets – four distinct personalities with different skills and attitudes.

Continue reading “[Video] Your Inner Workflow Team”

[Video] Structured Chaos: an Introduction to a Universal Creative Workflow

This here is a 45 minutes lecture I gave at Bron Animation Studios in Vancouver. It’s an overview of the main concepts of the workflow. You might want to watch it before reading the book, especially if videos work well for you as a learning medium. It’s also a bit more detailed than the overview given in the beginning of the book. Check it out: