Sophie Blackall: Creating Community

So we get to read and look at a lot of, um, especially illustrators' work and read what they're, what they're dealing with and what they're, what they're struggling with.

Mm.

And I would say at least a third, maybe more, say some version of, "I feel like I'm in a rut, and I'm trying-

Mm

... to get myself out of this rut.

I'm trying to mix things up.

I'm trying to rethink the way I do things.

I'm trying to learn some new skill that will..." Either, "I've been working digitally this whole time, and I'd love to get back to analog," or, you know, "I, I had a hand injury, and I've..." Sam, I think we were both, had hand injuries at the same time or p- hand, you know, stress, right? Am I making that up? Is, did you have-

Uh, no.

I mean, I have rheumatoid arthritis, and so I had-

That's right.

Yes

... a big flare time that was pretty awful.

[laughs]

Mm.

[laughs] Yeah.

It was so horrible.

Awful.

And you have to sort of figure out how are you going to work around that.

It is.

It's all about working around it, absolutely.

Yeah.

And then I think in general, too, there are just lifespans in general for working a certain way, and I think acknowledging that, that things do have their time, and it's okay.

If you, you can kind of sense when that's happening, when that lifespan is just like, "Okay, now it's time to..." And Lee knows that from, even from 3D to 2D to...

It's, but it's being okay with that happening and knowing that that is part of this whole lifelong apprenticeship, is being open to things shifting and s- changing gears.

So we get to read and look at a lot of, um, especially illustrators' work and read what they're, what they're dealing with and what they're, what they're struggling with.

Mm.

And I would say at least a third, maybe more, say some version of, "I feel like I'm in a rut, and I'm trying-

Mm

... to get myself out of this rut.

I'm trying to mix things up.

I'm trying to rethink the way I do things.

I'm trying to learn some new skill that will..." Either, "I've been working digitally this whole time, and I'd love to get back to analog," or, you know, "I, I had a hand injury, and I've..." Sam, I think we were both, had hand injuries at the same time or p- hand, you know, stress, right? Am I making that up? Is, did you have-

Uh, no.

I mean, I have rheumatoid arthritis, and so I had-

That's right.

Yes

... a big flare time that was pretty awful.

[laughs]

Mm.

[laughs] Yeah.

It was so horrible.

Awful.

And you have to sort of figure out how are you going to work around that.

It is.

It's all about working around it, absolutely.

Yeah.

And then I think in general, too, there are just lifespans in general for working a certain way, and I think acknowledging that, that things do have their time, and it's okay.

If you, you can kind of sense when that's happening, when that lifespan is just like, "Okay, now it's time to..." And Lee knows that from, even from 3D to 2D to...

It's, but it's being okay with that happening and knowing that that is part of this whole lifelong apprenticeship, is being open to things shifting and s- changing gears.