I'm going to back-date these posts with random numbers until we catch up, but I promise they're coming more regularly!
Today I wanted to mention something that many lone artists need to work on in their...uh, well, work. That is the concept of NOT working as a lone artist. Art is subjective, so when trying to make something appealing it is helpful to take the advice and criticism of other knowledgeable people in your field. Keith Sawyer, a professor at UNC and an expert on creativity and learning, says "You cannot be creative alone. Isolated individuals are not creative. That’s not how creativity happens." He sounds like he knows what he's talking about.
For the artists who are working on their dream project, alone in their dark and--let's be honest--kinda smelly room, it is vital that you get inspiration, criticism, or just pal around with other people during your day. Get lunch with someone, post regularly to art forums, or take a walk with your dog every hour. Seriously, my dog helped me figure out a solution that had me pulling my hair out just minutes before. He didn't save the file when he fixed the problem, but give him a break--he's a dog. I don't put those kinds of expectations on him.
Besides the good Professor himself, I have two other people I collaborate with in order to make sure the project is the best it can be. I even joined a group that is tangential to animation because of the help I could get from its members. The Dallas Screenwriters Crew (part of the Dallas Filmmakers Alliance) had a table read event which I went to. I got great feedback and now I can be sure my script is better than if I had tried to do it all myself.
This doesn't apply to just artists, by the way. That very smart man I mentioned earlier says this concept applies to all types of work. So get out there and work with others, and don't let the haters get you down by saying you're not a genius because you have too many collaborators. It's your time to lemonade, baby.
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