Random Output

I work at a desk job doing design work from 8:30am to 5:30pm good ‘ol Monday through Friday when I’m not at SCAD.  Gotta be up at 6:30 – 6:45am to make my carpool at 7:45.  Once I get home I’ve got freelance work. In addition to paid work, I’ve got my girlfriend [who thank God is understanding], friends, family, practice time, and some time to relax, and oh ya updating my blog and keeping track of the world in general.  In all this, sleep usually gets unceremoniously tossed out into the proverbial darkness, with the screaming and gnashing of teeth.  Next morning I’m walking around tripping on my shoes from the night before and can’t even see straight or think till I’ve had a very large sip of some very strong coffee.

If your an art student or work in the commercial arts industry [or for that matter are a geek, nerd, dweeb, etc] this probably sounds pretty familiar.  But why do we do this to ourselves?  Most of society seems to get by on the standard daytime awake, nighttime sleep schedule and they do just fine.  What is it that makes the night so appealing to so many of us?  So appealing in fact that we put ourselves though this hellish morning just to be able to keep it up.  Why is it that we thrive at night?

4. We like to be different

“Artists are most likely to question society and tradition…Personally I’d feel too much like a robot if I had to be in bed at a certain time every night.” A friend of mine told be this while I was writing this article and I think it rings true to a lot of us.  Conformity is a four letter word in our wold.  You can’t keep to the world’s schedule, you have to rebel, you have to carve your own path, you have to be different!  Not that it’s a bad thing, we’re expected to be different and when we get hired a lot of clients want that unique touch you get by hiring a real designer or artist.  For many of us, being different keeps us going and inspires us to keep going.

3. Solitude

The night offers a much quieter, time to work.  Most everything is closed, and most people are asleep.  We can really concentrate.  During the day we’ve got jobs, friends, family, and distractions everywhere.  At night we can really start to focus.  People like us tend to be easily distracted.  We’re always looking at the world around us so the smallest thing can get us off track on some new and grand idea.

2. We’re Busy

The commercial art world is nothing if not demanding, and so is art school.  Our assignments can take around 20+ hours just for one drawing.  There are times when we do have to work through the night whether we like it or not.  If you don’t like it now chances are your going to have to grow to like it.  A lot of artists I know have classes all day, and then end up working till midnight on their homework and personal work.  Its the kind of dedication it takes to succeed in this world.  A lot of people out there think that its just a 9 to 5, but to be the best you gotta always be looking, always be working, always be improving and always be learning.  Day and night.  Sleep is for the weak!

1. Inspiration

This may seem a bit of a cop-out, but I think it holds true and deserves a point to itself. One of my good friends put it this way, “I get inspired throughout the day… and since my day is usually busy I don’t get to do what I want until late.”  We all get these great ideas throughout the day and we don’t want to lose them.  We carry around sketchbooks, and take notes, but nothing really keeps that image like sitting down and actually making it.  A lot of non-artists might scoff at this.  “Just write it down and make it later!”  But you know better.  You want to capture that exact emotion and idea and it just can’t wait till tomorrow.  Or worse you might loose it as you sleep.  Or how many times have you woken up with a great idea a few hours after drifting off.  I’ve tried the sketchbook next to my bed but these days I end up just getting up, booting up photoshop and going at it.

Call me crazy but I like being a night owl.