An observation from the gaping void

[elfs]

I've been reading Gaping Void, a blog by a "creative director" in advertising who actually has some worthwhile things to say. And one of the things he calls Pillar Management says, basically, "The more talented you are, the less you need props."

And I kinda realized where it applies. He asks, "Why are there so many hack writers with state-of-the-art laptops?" I don't have a state-of-the-art laptop; I have a hunk of reliable steel that's five years old and still chugging away. On the other hand, I have great blank sketchbooks and expensive mechanical pencils, and I still can't draw worth a damn. (Part of the problem, I suspect, is that I like drawing naked people, which is not something I can do around my kids, and so I don't put much time and effort into it. I don't want to draw things that don't interest me.)

Speaking of great creativity, Ferry Hamlim has a new free game, High Delivery. I hope you're as charmed by this man's simple brilliance and elegance as I am.

Comments

[woggie.livejournal.com]

Of course, by reacting that way you are identifying yourself as a hack writer, which I really don't believe you believe.

...or else you're saying that if you get a state-of-the-art laptop you will somehow be transmogrified into a hack writer, which is almost as silly as the idea that you measure the talent of an artist by the level of suffering they've experienced in their lives... :)

Can you do the negative space around a naked babe, then? Have a copy of Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain?

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Well, no, I don't think I'm particularly a "hack" writer. I can, more or less, write anywhere for any reason. It's drawing that I have a headache with, and so have all the useless gegaws for. I have a copy of DOTRSOTB somewhere, along with the workbook. I'll dig it out. Right now I'm in a bit of a dry spell, wracking my brain for the simplest of plots, but I'll get better. I usually do.