Cameron Weston Nicholson and Harrison G. Prince here with news and musings on work music, vegetables, blocks, and other things.
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Cameron Weston Nicholson is an exciting and talented artist out of Richmond, VA who’s work can be found on Comics Workbook. Here he is on music, mindset, and poetry.
Sometimes you just can’t find that right side of the pillow right? One side is too cold, the other too hot, and the middle ground is where you end up sleeping with no pillow at all. While working I try to find music that powers my mind (depending on the project). Lately, poems have been my main priority. So how do you find that middle ground between music that doesn’t take your thoughts away from words you’re trying to conjure? I’ve got a couple remedies that work for me, but could possibly help you aswell.
With news updates comes busy times. Here are some choices of music that mellow out and empower my mind simultaneously.
“Breakfast with Ringgo” is a series of YouTube videos that have been keeping me going day and night. Listening to recordings of beat makers is soothing for a couple reasons. You have music (mainly beats) which automatically puts your mind in a trance, but you also have the subtle commentary of those in the room. This series makes you feel like you’re listening to a podcast. Hearing a “voice” is comforting when it’s miscellaneous and choppy.
True Body is a local band based in Virginia Beach, Va that has caught my attention. Experimental with beautiful synths and a great voice on top of it.
These are just two things that can get your fingers warmed up for any intense/good day of working.
Give them a try, relax, and remember to drink some water!
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Mexican/Texan artist Ines Estrada made a funny update to her Pachecomics series a few days ago. Don’t open this one around kids, prudes, or the humorless. Also, make sure to check out the Gatosaurio collective from San Antonio for more comics and art too.
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Continuing off of what Jillian was talking about yesterday about finishing work, the video above from filmmaker Ze Frank shares some interesting thoughts about idea generation and getting unstuck. This particular passage (8:08) about rhythm and recognition resonated with me….
“Almost everything you do has a rhythm, and the rhythm gets established without you knowing it. For example, if you listen to yourself talk, you record yourself or something like that, you’ll notice that you have very specific rhythms, and often people when they speak in public get into a pattern of speaking in the same, exact, way. I think there is a pattern of expectation and release that in and of itself kind of starts to wash out because we tend to stop listening to patterns once we’ve identified them. So the challenge is to identify as many rhythms as possible, in all facets of the media that you’re making, and then break them.”
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Along with Cam’s choices, here’s my old school pick for the week. Listen with your good headphones. Until next week.
-Harrison