String Theory and World Views

Last month I came across the blog and website of The Pixar Touch, A history of Pixar Animation Studios. 

The article of interest is Pixar Story Rules (Version One) - 22 story basics that storyboard artist, Emma Coats, compiled and tweeted.  The whole list of 22 is worth reading. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

#2: You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.

#3: Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about til you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.

#5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.

#17: No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on - it’ll come back around to be useful later.

I take input from all different disciplines, two of my favorite topics are Quantum Mechanics and Cosmology.   Playing concepts from other disciplines against my career as a professional artist is how I put myself to sleep at night.  (Well, most times I don't sleep and that's a problem.)  So it's no surprise that I would want to take the 22 story basics and fit at least some of them into my "art" view of the world.

"String Theory"
 7 x 10
Colored Pencil on Paper

Here is how #2, 3, 5, and 17 might play out for an artist:

#2: If you want more art sales you gotta keep in mind what’s appealing to your collectors, not what’s fun to do as an artist. They can be very different.

#3: Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what your body of work is actually about til you’re at the end of it. Now keep painting.

#5: Simplify. Focus. Combine or lose subjects and shapes. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.

#17: No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on - it’ll come back around to be useful later  (stands unchanged!)

Today's Nitty Gritty Nugget:

      "Visit" other disciplines and find ways to apply it to your art career.


NOTE:  (I subscribe to MediaBistro and the 22 story basics was a featured article.)