Monday, July 30, 2012

OPTIMAL CONDITIONS

Something I'm always fascinated by, is the creative process. And part of the process of writing and drawing is how this is accomplished. What does one do when they finally sit down at the art table or the computer, for the magic to happen? More specifically, what does one listen to? For me it's split, depending on what part I'm doing.

Talia tells Bruce to be quiet, in an upcoming Arkham Unhinged.  My kind of writer!
If I'm writing, I need silence. I'm talking library, dead-of-night, no phones, people, or distractions. No mailman. No tv or movies. No interruptions. I need to get into my head to form my thoughts, whether I'm working off of notes or a draft of what I've previously written. Or if I'm coming up with something from scratch. For some people, they love having music or background noise on to spur their thoughts. But to me, that actually gets in the way of what I'm trying to do as a writer. A lot of the times, I'm reading and rereading what I've already written. Constantly going over drafts and trying to hear the voices of my characters. And if need be…say the dialogue out loud. To hear if it works. So having a vacuum with no sound present is perfect for me.

But when it comes to inking or drawing, it's the opposite. Then I require sound for long periods of time. I might sit at the table inking a page in an 8-10 hour stretch, and rarely do I do that in silence. Inking is a creative task rather than forming thoughts or stories, so it's nice to have something to listen to. I'll toss on podcasts, have music on in rotation, put on the tv, or even better, a dvd or blu-ray commentary of something I've already seen. I imagine books on tape might be a fantastic way to go, but I haven't ventured down that path just yet. I have plenty of other things to listen to and keep me occupied.

I know writers and artists who do the exact opposite and it's fascinating to me. Those that put on musical scores or soundtracks so they can capture a mood to what they're writing. And those that ink in complete silence. Odd to me, but each of us has our own process.

What's yours?

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