 Hi, art lovers! | | |  | (Nolan Pelletier/CBC Arts) | | | Are you stuck?
Not, like, in the existential sense — because really aren’t we all? I’m thinking more along the lines of a creative shutdown, like the feeling I get when I don’t know what to write. Who else has lost an hour (or more) spacing out in front of a blinking cursor?
Maybe the frustration plays out differently for you, but everyone’s been stumped at some point — even the best of the best.
What can you do to power through it?
A whole lot, actually! And CBC Arts has launched a new digital project to help you out.
Introducing Think Like An Artist. It’s an interactive tool designed to unlock your imagination, so the next time you’re at a loss for fresh ideas, click this link.
Think Like An Artist is a virtual deck of cards featuring original illustrations by Toronto’s Nolan Pelletier. Draw one and you’ll receive a prompt to shake you out of your “swamp phase.”
There are 67 cards in total, and they collect proven advice from some of the country’s most celebrated talents: designers, filmmakers, musicians — all sorts of artistic all-stars. What do they do when they’re stumped? Follow their words of wisdom and you might just free yourself from brain jail.
And if you want more insight into their strategies, check back with the site this week. We’ll be running interviews with some of the contributors, who revealed how they made magic by following their own advice. The first one is already online. (Keep scrolling to hear from Hannah Moscovitch, acclaimed playwright and co-creator of TV’s Little Bird.) | | | | | And because we promised you eye candy ... | | | | |  | Rylee Hollis | | Come to think of it, every time I visit GradEx, my first stop is the illustration department. That’s where you’ll find Rylee Hollis’s booth. Love this animated scene of a drag show at Toronto’s Crews & Tangos. | | | | |  | Sophie Parisi | | Catching Hermit Crabs by illustration grad Sophie Parisi. As she writes on the OCAD U website, it’s about “holding onto small details you hold the most dear while time passes in the background.” | | | | |  | Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press | | | | | “Do what’s in poor taste.” Since the beginning of her celebrated career, that advice has never steered her wrong. | | | | |  | Melbar Entertainment Group | | | | | Born Hungry tells the remarkable story of Sash Simpson. The film’s director, Barry Avrich, reveals how he brought it to the screen. | | | | |  | Yuanye Zhang | | | | | | | Meet OCAD U’s graduating class of experimental animators. A showcase of their films screened in Toronto this weekend. | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
forwarded to you. | | | | | | | Got questions? Typo catches? Story ideas? | | | We're just an email away. Send us a note, and we'll do our best to get back to you.
If someone forwarded you this message and you like what you've read, here's where to subscribe for more.
I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time! | | | | | |
