Monday, August 15, 2011

Inspired Project: The Little Mermaid Cover Art

I am an artist.

I still can't say (or write) that phrase without cringing inside, waiting for someone to laugh at me and call me a delusional poser. I suppose it's because I think in terms of title capped, mythical gods of creativity: Artist, Writer, Actor, Musician. However (and I think I read this in The Artist's Way, but I can't find it now), I am a writer because I write. Whether or not anyone ever reads--or judges--what I write is not the point. The point is that the act of writing makes a writer, just as the act of creating art makes an artist. Basically, practicing the craft makes me a doer of said craft by pure default.

So I've created some bad art and some very cerebral, stilted writing. But I've also produced a few pieces that made me pause and think, "Hey, I'm not that bad. Some parts of this actually look (or sound) kinda cool." I am no Da Vinci or Shakespeare by any stretch of the imagination, but I am comforted by the thought that the most brilliant artists create a lot of stuff they discard before getting to the pieces that really connect with people. And it is this logic that gives me the courage to put pencil to paper and attempt to express what I see. I know that I'll make tons of what I consider to be terrible art and trite writing, but I have to start somewhere. If it's what makes me come alive, then I simply must do it. I must exercise my verbal and visual muscles until it becomes second nature to shape sentences and direct brush strokes, until it feels natural to say, "I am a writer and an artist."

Recently, my dear friend (and a constant source of inspiration) launched Uncovered Cover Art, a site to connect children's book illustrators with art directors, agents, and children's book lovers. She put out a call for submissions of re-imagined children's book cover art. People can vote for their favorite covers and the top three artists win a copy of Show & Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration. This was the perfect push for me to take on an illustration project that has a real deadline (voting closes August 30th, 2011 for the contest, but artists may continue submitting illustrations afterwards to show off their work). I realized that if I committed to doing this, then I couldn't cop out when I thought it was too difficult or convinced myself it was outside the realm of my experience and ability.

So here is the process I went through for this Inspired Project:

Step 1: I decided to submit an illustration. Then I set deadlines for myself, which I shared with my friend and accountability coach Pam during our weekly Artist's Way meetings.

Step 2: I went to the library and bookstore to recall children's books I might want to re-imagine. In the end, I chose The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. Sure, I loved the Disney version and enthusiastically sang "Under the Sea" for months after seeing the film, even though I only remembered the chorus. However, I recalled reading a much more poignant version of the tale, in which the poor mermaid, unable to let the prince know that it was she who had saved his life, watched him marry another woman. Then she turned into sea foam. First of all, didn't people read and write in the story? Seriously! Just because she couldn't speak, doesn't mean she couldn't communicate with the guy. And how could she sacrifice everything for a guy? Had she no sense of self-worth? Anyhow, I was both traumatized and enchanted as a kid when I read this story.

Step 3: The initial sketch.




Step 4: A refined sketch.



Step 5: Tracing and transferring the drawing.


Step 6: Final illustration using a black pen and watercolor pencils.

Looking back, I actually prefer the looseness of the earlier steps in the mermaid's face. Also, I didn't quite express the sense of yearning I'd intended to capture. However, I'm quite please with how the lettering turned out. I believe that whatever style of art I choose to explore, it will involve words. If you want to comment or vote on my illustration, click here. Be sure check out all of the other re-imagined book covers as well. There are so many talented artists represented there! I am so honored that my work is posted with the other amazing artists' pieces, and I will strive to work at my craft to develop my skills and own my experience as an artist.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Tuesday Night Cafe, August 2, 2011


From the bottom of my heart, I'd like to thank all of my dear friends for coming out to support me last night at Tuesday Night Cafe!

I'd begun attending (and occasionally performing at) this community-organized event series back in 2000 after I graduated from UCLA. I was so grateful to the Tuesday Night Project for offering this safe space for musicians, poets, comedians, spoken word artists, actors, visual artists, and other creative people to come share their visions, causes, and art. On the first and third Tuesdays of the month in the spring and summer, I would come out to Little Tokyo to soak up the amazing creativity, activism, and heart-felt support of the Tuesday Night community. I always left feeling newly inspired to write or draw or craft something. Unfortunately, after I moved to Orange County, it became more and more difficult to make the trek up to LA on a weeknight when I had to wake up at 6 am for work the next morning. I really missed these events, but recently, I have been able to get my monthly dose of inspiration from Common Ground on the first Thursday of the month down here in the OC.

Last week, I received an invitation to perform at Tuesday Night again! I only had one poem prepared, but my work with Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way taught me not to slam the door in fear when opportunity comes knocking. So I said "yes!" ... and then I panicked. What would I write? And more importantly, what could I write that could possibly have any performance value? I brainstormed, made lists, sorted through old poems, started to write ... and then deleted what I'd just written. I was a mess. I'd been to enough Tuesday Nights to know that feature artists who perform there are super talented and can own the stage. Who was I to think that I could just go up there and read a few measly poems, when I'd let my poetry skills get rusty over the years? But then I remembered what Tuesday Nights is all about: It is a warm, welcoming, womb-like space where you can bare your soul and take HUGE creative risks (read: make a total fool out of yourself), and everyone will accept you for who you are and cheer you on.

So I stopped over-thinking the matter, and just began to write from the heart about things I've been thinking about. Here's a video of my performance if you missed it:


These are the pieces I performed:


The Inspiration Habit



Habits.
Bad habits, and addicts
through revolutions of RESISTANCE.
A blocked brush. A paralyzed pen.
PROCRASTINATION
is a pretty little package of practical predictability.

Habits.
Happy habits, and addicts
of inspiration and creation.
Flirting with children's illustration,
making time with poetic rhymes,
feeling up the freelance flavor,
getting down with fiction's friction...

The Inspiration Habit
beats back resistance,
blows up blocks,
bats away excuses,
breaks down fear,
and brings the fight here—
to the stage
and on the page,
at the canvas
and true art's kiss.


Verbalness, an Affair with Words

“Sandy, you are in the top one percentile of verbalness.” 
Words of wisdom by Jenny Yang, dear friend, performance artist, writer, and creative lifer extraordinaire


When did I first fall
in love with words?
Perhaps I heard
the verbal siren’s call
in my mother’s songs of longing,
lingering notes
of loss like twinkling dust motes
in my mind’s eye,
murmuring of homeland memories.

I recall meeting the alphabet,
letting the letters roll
across my lips, and teeth, and tongue,
the vowels stroll
along the dips, and leaps, and rungs
of language—lovely, lilting, languid language
that granted me the key,
to stories—strange and stunning,
tales of change, and courage, and cunning.
To poems of passion and pain,
stained with stirrings of the soul.

Yes, words are my most loyal lover.
For even when I stray,
words do not betray.
They always speak true
Of what I know I must do.


Conversations with Tiki

[ME]
Tiki, just quit my job

Gave up my benefits,
I resigned, now it’s all gone,
Tiki, life had just begun,
But now I’ve gone and
Thrown you in the mix—
Tiki, ooooh
Didn’t mean to make you cry—
If I’m not back again
In just two hours,
Carry on, carry on, as if
Momma’s there beside you…
(Inspired by Queen's “Bohemian Rhapsody," 1975)




And Tiki begged:

Please don’t leave me
Please don’t leave me
I always wait by the door for you
But you always put me outside on my own
Please, don’t leave me
(Inspired by Pink's "Please Don't Leave Me," 2009)

But I just couldn’t take it. I was tearing out my hair. I didn’t know what to do with him. I cried:

I go crazy, crazy, Tiki, I go crazy
You poop and pee,
And hump on me
Yeah you drive me
Crazy, crazy, crazy, Tiki baby

What can I do, Tiki
I feel like strangling you…
(Inspired by Aerosmith's "Crazy," 1993)

But Tiki, he looked up at me with his sad puppy eyes, his precious little brown eyebrow dots, and his one floppy ear. He said:

So I cry, and I pray and I beg…
Love me love me
Say that you love me
Pet me pet me
Go on and pet me

Love me love me
Pretend that you love me
Walk me walk me
Just say that you’ll feed me

I can’t care about anything but food.
(Inspired by The Cardigan's "Love Fool," 1996)

And I replied:

And we’re getting closer than I ever thought we might.
And I can’t fight this feeling anymore.
I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for.
It’s time to curl up cozy in my lap
And take a little nap, together.
‘Cause I can’t fight this feeling anymore.
I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for.
And if you have to pee upon the floor,
Come crashing through that door,
Tiki, I can’t fight this feeling anymore.
(Inspired by REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling," 1984)


Overall, I felt comfortable on the stage. I took a huge risk singing in public (outside of a karaoke joint), but I really had fun with it. As Jenny put it, I went "balls out." As I was the first performer of the night, I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the show.

Next up, was Scott Okamoto, who performed excerpts from his non-fiction writing. He shared his musings on certain forms of American entertainment that aren't exactly created for an Asian-American audience and very funny stories about his students. Open mic performers included a beautiful musical performance and some great comedy. Then Damnyo shared her powerful poetry and Room to Improv did a HILARIOUS musical called "The Never-ending Keg" (title supplied by a very clever audience member). Jenny Yang shared her poetry and had us all chuckling with her stand-up comedy. The night ended with sweet, quirky, and empowering songs by the Sam Kang Band. Our wonderful host Johneric even convinced them to perform one more song for an extra musical treat!

As always, I had so much fun and fueled up on inspiration. I can't wait for the J-Town Summer Sessions event this Saturday!


And don't miss this Thursday's Common Ground event August 6, 7-9 pm at the 
VAALA Cultural Center, 
1600 North Broadway (cross-streets 17th & Broadway)
Santa Ana, CA



Art, music, and community rock!