 If you're searching for the key to a happier and more creative existence, noted author and illustrator Danny Gregory has an idea: Get out a sketchbook and start drawing. In his compelling new book, An Illustrated Life: Drawing Inspiration From the Private Sketchbooks of Artists, Illustrators and Designers, Gregory describes how visual journaling can enhance your career and life. He also explores the creative process by looking at the personal visual journals of top creatives from around the world, including R. Crumb and Stefan Sagmeister. "The pages of this book are filled with doorways to private worlds, drawn and written to record impressions, to work without judgment and to chart new directions," says Gregory in the introduction to his book. "It's that intimacy and unguarded freedom that makes these books my favorite art form." We interviewed Gregory, who in addition to publishing books and blogging on his website, serves as the executive creative director of New York ad agency McGarry Bowen, about his new book and the many benefits of thinking imaginatively, observing astutely and exploring the world by putting ink on paper: The Creative Group (TCG): "An Illustrated Life makes a compelling case for regularly drawing in a sketchbook. In fact, you write that illustrated journaling has transformed your life. How has it helped you both professionally and personally?"  Danny Gregory Danny Gregory (DG): "I've grown and changed in many ways since I started keeping an illustrated journal. First of all, the habit of recording my life on a regular basis has transformed me from a person who couldn't draw with any sense of confidence to someone who can draw anything at all with ease. "Drawing also has given me a profound connection to the everyday – to the beauty of the world around me – showing me, as I titled one of my earlier books, everyday matters. It also has helped me make all sorts of connections between different things and ideas – connections that are key to greater creativity. "And, finally, it has led to my writing and publishing several books, creating a vast online community, and being asked to make illustrations for books, magazines, newspapers and CDs." TCG: "You note that creative journal keepers come in all shapes and sizes, from 'methodical' to 'wildly improvisational' to 'unromantically utilitarian.' Is one approach more productive than another?" DG: "There are as many ways to journal as there are ways to live. Some are methodical and precise; others are spontaneous and sloppy. I am sometimes at one end of the spectrum or another, often in the middle. As long as you're authentic to your feelings at the time, as long as you're regular and habitual, and as long as you continue to develop, you can't go wrong." TCG: "In your book, you write: 'Computers are key to so many parts of the creative process, but they don't fit into a coat pocket or really let ideas stream out of the brain, down the arm and onto the page. I [find] that a pen on the page inspire[s] many new connections and creative breakthroughs.' Do you think our minds operate differently when we hold a writing instrument versus a mouse? Or does putting pen to paper simply help us to remember a time when were playful, unself-conscious and free to color outside the lines?" DG: "There is little doubt in my mind that using a computer impacts what I make. That can be good or bad. From my own experience, the specificity of making an image in Photoshop or Illustrator is a very different experience from simply drawing on a piece of paper. "I know there are people who are very adept at using a tablet and stylus, but they can't just pull out a laptop as they walk down the road or wake up at 4 a.m. with an idea or collaborate across a table with a friend. I have tried drawing and journaling on a computer, and the experience has shown in the results. "I also feel that the ability to correct one's output in minute details [on a computer] impacts the results. I like the serendipity of raw materials, inkblots, leaking dip pens, fingerprints and thick textured watercolor paper. They are all elements in how I express myself and work toward an idea. "I pull from more places and make more connections when I am working without the limitations and demands of a computer. I spend hours each day sitting at the keyboard, but I think of new ideas best when I am sitting in front of blank page." TGG: "Your book features an inside look at the sketches of more than 40 people. Is there one person whom you found particularly fascinating? If so, why?" DG: "I was very excited to showcase and talk to R. Crumb. He has been an idol of mine since I was a boy, and he wrote me a very kind letter after reading my book, Everyday Matters. He was very candid about the deep emotional relationship he has with his sketchbook. He revealed how, at times, [his sketchbook] was a refuge for him, or a compulsion or a confidant; and how it later became an obligation and a constant reminder of his fame and the perceived value of every line he drew. I love seeing the record of his growth as an artist over 40 years. "That said, there are so many interesting characters and relationships in An Illustrated Life. Crumb just seems to embody so many different aspects of them all." TCG: "Is there such a thing as 'bad' visual journaling? In other words, does the quality of a person's sketch determine if the activity is productive or not, or are the benefits realized by the simple act of drawing?" DG: "I don't 'sketch' in my book. In fact, I hate that word. It suggests a scratchy, imprecise looseness that has little to do with why and how I draw. I draw to observe and to immerse myself. I try to make drawings that reflect how I feel and what I see at the time. If my drawing is dishonest or rushed or contrived, it is a failure. The accuracy, style, technique and results, however, are all secondary to that main impulse to be authentic." TCG: "In today's fast-paced work environment, some managers might not deem drawing – or 'doodling' – as a critical activity. How can busy professionals make drawing part of their daily routines?" DG: "I think that drawing should be in the same category as going to the gym, meditating or praying. It's just something one does to feel balanced and right. It can have professional applications, but that is not its primary purpose. As you draw more, you draw better. And better drawing is like any communication skill: The better you do it, the more useful it becomes. "I draw and doodle all day at work in a big sketchbook on my desk. This is not my illustrated journal, however. Still, the drawings I've done for a decade help me to communicate my ideas, make connections between disparate things and work out an idea – all of which are part of my job. "If you are paid to have ideas, a regular practice of drawing will make you better at it. I know that to be true if for no other reason than that so many creative people are afraid to draw, and that limitation impacts their ability to be true to themselves, see the world clearly and express themselves fluently. Plus, it's fun. And having fun making things should be a key priority of any professional, no matter how busy he or she is." TCG: "What is your advice for people who want to start creating a visual journal but don't know where to begin?" DG: "I urge people to start by drawing their breakfast before they eat it, then their lunch, and so on. Draw whatever you see from where you are sitting. Then, write about what you feel, what you think, what you've been doing, and intertwine the words and the pictures together. There are so many interesting things to draw." Danny Gregory is the author of several books, including An Illustrated Life: Drawing Inspiration From the Private Sketchbook of Artists, Illustrators and Designers, The Creative License and Everyday Matters. He is currently executive creative director of McGarry Bown and contributing illustrator to The Morning News. His illustrations have appeared in publications, including HOW Magazine and The New York Times. Visit his website at www.dannygregory.com. Extra: Online Resources Interested in giving yourself a creative kick-start through visual journaling? Danny Gregory's popular "Everyday Matters" Yahoo! Group, a "friendly community designed to encourage members to expand their creativity," can be found here. The group posts their drawings on Flickr. |
