IMF Intermission: Sage Advice from Digital Artist Android Jones

While in Australia recently for the International Millinery Forum, I had the chance to go to a music festival named 'Rainbow Serpent' afterwards and spend time with my dear friend Harlan who builds 'transportals' for festivals, most specifically 'Burningman' (I've been once, in 2000!).  Below is the portal that I experienced at the festival. It emits an amazingly dynamic sound frequency he composed. Inspiring!

Turquoise Portal by Harlan Emil Gruber. Photo by Cylind Ra.

Quoting his website: "The transportals utilize sacred geometry, color and sound to harmonize ones multidimensional vibrational energy body with the Earth’s and Galaxy’s for participants to experience an evolution of consciousness". He built the entire thing in Australia with his team! Another one is in process for Burningman 2012.

Here is Harlan holding a model of the portal in December 2011 when we hung out in New York City.

The digital artist Android Jones (neé Andrew Jones) held a workshop at the festival that I attended. He inspired me so deeply, that I'm going to now make a silk scarf line to add to my hat collection! I'm going to give you some enlightening advice he shared with us in this posting. I didn't even know that he lives in San Francisco until I went to his website. He calls himself a 'digital art evangelist' and has been working with the Corel Painter software since 1999. You can click the link and get a free trial of the software! You know that I'm going to.....


Here is what I gleaned from Android Jones' advice (take the word 'art' and substitute it with the name of your craft or creative activity)

1. Give out more energy than you take in. Otherwise you become a vampire.
2. Create Art that people need, not just what you want to do and enjoy.
3. Make Art that resonates and has power.
4. Be patient with your Art, breakthroughs will come. You may have to do 10,000 bad drawings to get to the amazing drawings.  So start working! Get them out of the way asap!
5. Everyone has a hidden saboteur inside.  You are the only one holding yourself back from success!
6. See yourself as a 'Fear Dentist'.  Chip away at the plaque of insecurity and the thought that you 'can't do it'. 
7. Be more like a young kid.  Before the age of 11 or 12, kids are pure in creating art, they don't question and judge.  When they reach that age, they have fears of peers judging them and so can become inhibited when expressing themselves through creating art. 
8. You need to believe in yourself! 

When reviewing portfolios of students, he says, "I'm so excited for you, for what you will discover!" when he sees beginning work.  I've reviewed portfolios of students at fashion colleges and now will use this same phrase!

Dragon painting by Adroid Jones

In Chinese astrology, this is the year of the Water Dragon. According to a website I found on the net: "...under the influence of the Dragon it is a yang year. Yang Water is like a flowing river rather than a stagnant lake. Things will move, ideas flow, creativity abound, economies boom, and love blossom in this environment. It is likely to be an exciting year indeed".

So set your goals, people and work towards them! Whether it means joining a support group like a Mastermind group or attending MeetUp groups specific to your passion or finding a Life Coach, do it now because I feel that 2012 is a very powerful year.  We're so lucky to be alive! 

Watch his digital art as projection on the Sydney Opera House along with accompanying music below

Till next time when I show you more photos of the amazing creations of the delegates (students) at the International Millinery Forum (I promise!)

xoxo
Jasmin Zorlu
Jasmin Zorlu Millinery
Sculptural Headwear for Earthlings
www.jasminzorlu.com