Enlightenment 🌟

General / 18 May 2023

Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

I am firmly convinced the world is entering a new Age of Enlightenment. Call it Renaissance 2.0. It’s going to be very painful to get there. Some people will not want the world to change. 

We will be able to understand each other more easily. New tools are being developed all the time.What dose that mean for us as digital artists?It’s a bit of a double edge sword:The new tools will make creating art much easier to make!Some people in charge will see this as you being able to deliver art faster or make more art, aka, more work. If the person in charge understands you as an artist, new tools simply mean that you’ll be able to do your work better.For artists, AI is not to be feared. It’s, currently, a tool. Like a paint brush or a pencil. AI is written by humans, and humans are limited. It can’t be creative. Artists will ALWAYS be creative. That is something AI can’t touch.I’ve played with some image making AI tools. It’s really bloody tough! The final result is only as good as the input from a human. Even then, I had to go in and adjust the final to my specs.I don’t think that the “machine overlords” will take over creativity. Artist will remain for sure.We are made for creation 😬🖌️

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Theft 👎🏽

General / 18 May 2023

Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

I may have said this before. I REALLY believe this:

Plagiarism is theft. Simple. I’ve been in the industry a very long time. And I’ve seen way too many people attempt to pass on another person's hard work as their own. One time, a friend was reviewing a portfolio with it’s artist there. Only to come across her own art being passed off as the interviewee’s pro art. Needless to say, it did not go well for the interviewee. My friend conducted herself professionally and let the interviewee dig his own grave. 

When I was teaching we conducted interviews of potential students. One of my fellow teachers was very suspicious of a 3D piece and asked to see the original. Needless to say, after the piece was inspected the candidate was rejected with prejudice and it was recorded why.

In the industry plagiarism is one of the ultimate sins. In fact, plagiarism anywhere is a very bad thing that WILL come back on the person who commuted it. Especially if they are expected to replicate it or its quality.

Remember, it not only the theft of the item. It’s the theft of the hard work leading up to the item that was put into it by the originator of the item. Additionally, it’s the theft of the years of schooling and , potentially, pro work done by the originator.

And you never know who will see it. 

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Adaptability ⚡️

General / 13 December 2022

Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

I’ve had this happen: you have a very well researched plan and will execute it exactly. Then something goes wonky and your beautifully made plan is destroyed. 

It’s ok to be angry and frustrated. It’s human. There are a few things to keep in mind:

You’re going to screw up and you’re not in a bubble. Others can see and hear you. Exploding with adverse emotions in public can have a negative effect on others. Especially if you’re a lead. The folks you manage will end up emulating you. Once I made a huge mistake, where my plans imploded, in a game company. It put a hold on progress for the whole studio. I was managing 5 junior artists at the time. I was able to correct my mistake rapidly and things returned to normal within a very short amount of time. Things in the studio proceeded as if nothing happened. The artists I was managing kept working like nothing happened. I did notice how they were observing me, though. I wanted to stay calm and they did so.

Being adaptable and appear to be chill in whatever industry you’re in is a must. Skills you can only develope over time with experience. Throwing a tantrum in public will not help. What will help is to continue to do the best you can. Even if you’re screaming inside 😬

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Offer and Accept Help 🙏

General / 07 December 2022

Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

One of the items that came up relating to this blog is that there will be times that you will need help, no matter what industry you’re in. And it will happen. There is no shame in getting the help you need to save an issue. Especially one that can be solved by other person rather quickly. One person can't do everything. I'm not a coder, yet a coder may have a good solution in short time. Or someone may have some across the same issue you have and may know the solution. 

I needed help while I was reaching in order to finish a lesson so I could present it. One of the other teachers had a brilliant solution that sped up the fishing of the lesson. In fact, I was able to incorporate what I learned not only into the lesson, I was able to incorporate it into my standard personal work flow.

It’s important to have the final goal of the project in mind, Not just what you’re working on at the moment. There are always going to be a lot more things happening around you that need a bit of help too. You’re never the only one that needs help.

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Rewarding 🏆

General / 29 March 2022

Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

I've seen this way too often in the industry: a person's goal is to win an award. That really is the wrong attitude to have. It's self centered and myopic. Your team will never do a good enough job in your eyes and and you'll always miss something important because you'll be obsessed with your own vision of how it will look/sound/feel. In the industry, there were times where a college only cared about what lay beyond the end goal. o the point they ignored issues right in front of them! And it caused the team a great deal of problems.
The goal is to make the best product you can as part of a team. 
Rewards are temporary. The experience will bring you to the next level of your career.
I recently got a small dose of this when I learned that a game I worked on over 20 years ago just won a Peabody Award! I had no idea it was submitted for review! My goal was never to get any awards. It was to make the best art I could and to work seamlessly with a talented team. 
All else was gravy. Even if the gravy is over 20 years old 😏

https://youtu.be/MfndfjyrTe8


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Time Out ❤

General / 26 December 2019
Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

It's been a very busy year for me. At this time of year I’m reminded about the others in my life. Whether they be other folks, family, even pets. It’s important to remember the others in your life. No one can be in the industry without support. Even a little.
Happy Holidays to you! ☃
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Discipline vs Devotion 😇

General / 19 February 2019

Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

“People think I'm disciplined. It is not discipline. It is devotion. There is a great difference.” 
― Luciano Pavarotti

This is one of my favorite quotes. People have often said that I’m disciplined in what I do. This quote goes further, and I agree with it. It really does take devotion to be successful in the industry you want to thrive in. I’ve seen disciplined people. Excellent at their craft. Anyone can have discipline, though, IMHO. Countless repetition of any task will make you very good. Technically good.

Devotion, however, will have you change, adjust, and evolve in the industry. Devotion requires love of what you want to do. Devotion will make you question what you know. It will make you memorable to the people who count. Part of devotion means stepping out of your comfort zone, like talking to people and networking (the comfort zone will be further discussed in another post).

The people I know who are successful have a great deal of devotion to their craft. Devotion also means facing down disappointment. Whether it be in yourself, other people, or your project. It makes no difference. Being devoted will help you get past the hard times. Because devotion will teach you that hard times are temporary so long as you have the ability to move past it. Devotion will show you that sometimes you will need to rely on other people. You can’t do everything yourself (no matter what you think). Or maybe you were wrong about something 😱 Yeah, I know. Shudder! No matter what, being devoted should allow for adaptation and improvisation when needed.

Now the question I was asked, by a colleague tonight: What comes first? Discipline or devotion? 
I don’t think it makes a difference. I’ve seen it in both situations. I’ve seen a person who was not good at a craft become not only good, they became extraordinary. I’ve seen a person who was already in love with their craft become exceptional. The commonality was that each, in the end, had a great deal of devotion to their craft of choice. Results had varied.
What they shared was joy in their craft 😃


Special thanks to James Cardo for editing this post ^_^

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Time Out ⌛

General / 12 February 2019

Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇


With me being trapped by the unusual snow fall, and working from home, I took my own advice yesterday. I went outside and helped my wife build a snow skull. It was a moment that I will always cherish, it broke the monotony of work, and it did not take long.

Everyone needs to "stop & smell the roses", to use an old cliche. Yet its true. You can't be so absorbed in your work that small, and important, moments in life will pass you by. In fact, I'm taking a quick break right now to type this out.


This post is short, sweet, and simple 😁




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Give it Time ⏰

General / 27 December 2018
Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

Its been a log while since I was able to write in this blog. Things got extraordinarily busy, my bad ^_^
I had dinner with one of my proteges recently and he was telling me that he has yet to do what he had trained for in school. Even after being a couple of years in the industry. In fact, he decided to cane direction. To learn even more technical stuff. And he's totally OK with it. In fact, he's excited about it!
One of the things I keep telling my students, fairly often, is that chances are when you do get into the industry you WIL NOT be doing what you trained for. More than likely you'll start at the bottom doing grunt work. And LEARNING more. My protege said it best: "I went to school to learn how to learn." It's so very rare that you'll start at the top. If you do it may only be for a shot time because people who stay at the top remain there via experience. I don't recommend rushing to the top. Not being at the top means that you don't have a target on your back. You get to go home and most likely not take the work home with you. There is nothing wrong with putting in a hard days work to make someone else look good. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Being at the top means that you should have a great deal of dirt under your nails. That you put in the time, effort, and energy to get there. To know what it is it be at the bottom. The best people at the top raise others and help them, not crush them. Those people at the top sometimes carry the scars of their past and help others avoid getting them while teaching the same valuable lesson. Learn those lessons in order to avoid the same pitfalls.
Don't rush to the top. Revel in your time. Be smart. Learn and absorb all you can.
Sometimes, you get only one chance.
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Desperation is Bad Cologn 👎

General / 20 July 2018
Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

When you are looking for your next gig don't sell yourself short, be smart and honest with yourself. There are many people out in the industry who want to take advantage of someone who needs a gig, AKA will work for free. Some will actually adhere to what they say and get you money or a job after their product ships and success comes their way, passing it on to you. There are others who are merely looking for free labor. There are predators.
Sometimes its difficult to know the difference. My advice is the following:

Do your research!
If you can find out who it is that wants your work. Seek them out in some fashion via your network. What is their reputation like? Have they made anything before? Are they legitimate? Do you know more about the project than they do? Don't be afraid to ask about them questions. The more you search for the truth the better prepared you will be for anything.

Talk to a mentor!
Mentors are more likely to have seen a great deal. They can guide you on whether or not this gig sounds legitimate. They can think of questions that you may not have thought of and can give you advice from their experience.

Weigh the risks!
Remember my Rule #1: Cover Thine Ass. You have to look out for yourself before you can help anyone else in this industry. Will this gig impact you financially in a negative sense? Will it take up valuable time (especially if you have a family)? Will you be able to show off the assets you worked on any time soon? Will you retain ownership of anything?
Basically ask yourself: What are you willing to risk? And be truthful to yourself.

One thing that many people have in this industry is a sense of desperation of others. People can smell it on you if you are not careful. Some will take advantage of that desperation, to advance themselves and not care about you. That's not to say that there are not good opportunities when it comes to giving away work, not at all. What you need to do is be realistic with yourself and ask the hard questions you may not want to answer.
Too bad. This is a tough industry. Don't make it tougher for yourself,
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