Tag: Adobe Illustrator

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cartoon

Floating Bethel

Cartoon of two men. One says, “If it rains any more we’ll have to rename our church the ‘Floating Bethel.'”

The cartoon I did for this month’s Church of God newsletter was an inside joke. I had written this idea when Hurricane Irene drenched the east coast. I had hear of many churches that had been caught in the floods.

This was about the time the cartoon was due. Part of the history of the Church of God always stuck out in my mind. Part of the evangelistic efforts was to outfit a barge for missions. They called it the Floating Bethel.

There was something about a floating church that has always intrigued me. Is it the Noah’s Ark story? Is it the idea that it could be a challenge reading a hymnal while the waves rocked the sanctuary around? Who knows!

I was definitely playing to my audience on this one. Not many people would get it without the lesson in Church of God history. But I thought the imagery would lend itself to some humor nonetheless. I like the language of that time too and how disjointed it feels with today’s vernacular.

I hope the recovery is going along well after the deluge and that no churches had to resort to becoming floating chapels.

Categories
Children's Books

Jabbing at Picture Books

Cartoon of a dad reading a bedtime story to his son. The son says, “Read me the one about the dad who loved his son no matter what!”

USA Today has an article about the guys from JibJab getting into the picture book market. Gregg and Evan Spiridellis are using iPads and what they’ve learned from the e-card market  to bring kids into the picture book… literally.

I loved the fact that technology can bring picture books into a new realm. Just think what could happen in a couple of years! We could have animated picture books where the child is embedded into the story as if it was a home movie. There could be pop-up books that utilize 3D technology to put the child in the story. How would a kid react to see themselves pop out of the story? Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Some people may see this as a bad thing. But I believe any technology used to tell a story can be just as legitimate as any other. Content is the important thing. A poor story will flounder whether it is done traditionally or with every bell and whistle a programmer can throw at it. At the same time, a good story will shine whether it is done on back of napkins or in an iPad app.

However, technology can get in the way of a parent. If an e-reader is used in the place of a dad who doesn’t want to read that dad-blamed story for the one-hundredth time, then something very valuable is lost. Kids need to have their parents read to them whenever it is possible.

What are your thoughts?

Categories
accountability

Can’t Fool Me!


Cartoon of a boy with a halo. a girl says, “I’m your sister. You can’t fool me!”

The people that love us most are the ones that rarely let us get away with faking it. I tried several times as a kid to get away with a little infraction only to have my siblings blow a whistle on me.

Now that I look back on it, that was a good thing. Too many of us try to get away with things we know in our heart we should never attempt. It can be something moral or a goal you want to attempt, but just find it hard to get started.

If you’re having trouble getting started today, or quitting a bad habit, make an effort to find an accountability partner. Many times, the best accountability partners are the ones that love you the most. They know when you are telling the truth and when your halo is a little crooked.

At the start, you may find it annoying to be called on your little game, but that is just what we need. We all need someone to be honest enough with ourselves to point out the halo is not matching with your attitude.

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cartoon creativity webcomic

Basis of all Creativity

Cartoon of a man in a fetal position. He says to another, "I'm okay. This is just how I get creative."

In high school, I had a graphic design teacher that loved to spout adages. One of his favorites was, “limitation is the basis for all creativity.”

I’d love to know whether he made that up or if he got that quote from someone. I googled the phrase and nothing came up. There were a few lines that began with “limitation is the basis of…” but then it went into something altogether different.

At the time, I thought he was talking about the limits of design technology. Back then, a personal computer was a novelty. Anything you created had to be for the limits of the printing presses or silkscreen printing. High tech was anything that could be done in a dark room with film or Photostat paper.

Thirty years later, the phrase still rings true to me. When you are limited with your resources, you learn to use your creativity. If all you have is a paper bag, you can learn to make the most use of it.

Sometimes, I get stuck on what tools I have at my disposal. I think I can’t be creative unless I have the latest hardware or software upgrades. I must remind myself that if I face a limit, it’s a golden opportunity to use my creativity.

Have you ever faced a limitation that ended up giving you a creative boost? Feel free to post it in the comments.

Categories
creativity Illustration Friday teaching

Kids, Creativity and Influence

Lawrence Wilson had a good blog post today on five ways to unlock your imagination. He pointed out the things that bring him closer to God also fuel his imagination.

Playfulness was the one thing that really struck out to me. I realized playfulness fuels my creativity and make me feel child-like. That’s a good thing. Preschoolers and early elementary kids are so creative in their play. One of the tragedies of this world is we lose that creativity as we get older. Why is that?

One reason is kids don’t have the experience of failure. The world is new to them. They haven’t faced a friend who ridicules them for doing something out of the ordinary. What’s wrong with wearing a tutu with swimming flippers and a sunflower hat? Plenty if you are in elementary school! You’ll be branded as a weirdo before you can turn in your tutu.

But it’s that same kind of playfulness that can give us a creativity breakthrough! Oh, to be a child and have no worries about doing something society brands nonconformist!

Another reason is when we’ve tried something, and it doesn’t work, we hesitate before we do that again. That’s good for a preschooler when he is doing something that could be dangerous. It’s not so good when it comes to creativity.

When I teach, I look for ways to be creative. Ask yourself silly questions. What does love and pepper jack cheese have in common? What does an aardvark have in common with teaching perseverance? It’s those little mind games that can set your imagination free. After all, humor is all about surprise. We laugh when we connect something that normally doesn’t connect.

Here are a few ways to generate a creative brainstorm:

  • There is a program on the web and available on the iPhone called The Brainstormer. Give it a try!
  • Do something you’ve never done before.
    • Go to a different ethnic restaurant.
    • Try a class at your local library or community center.
    • Try an adventure. You may be surprised what kinds of recreation are available in your area.
  • Participate with kids at play. It’s amazing what they come up with. Four to six-year olds make up totally crazy worlds that, to them, are perfectly believable.
  • Look around the room and find an every day object. Take a few minutes to devise some unconventional uses for that object. Is that fork a back-scratcher for an elf? Is it a strange compass? Could it be a recliner for a hamster?
  • Ask questions. Even if you think you know the answer. Besides, do we REALLY know the answer, or do we just assume we do?
Take a look around you and see things differently. Better yet, see the world through the eyes of a child. It will make you a better teacher and artist.
When I found out this week’s theme for Illustration Friday was “influence,” I through this was perfect. With creativity comes influence!