Carmine Magazine

There is something to be said about being in a creative environment surrounded by like-minded peers that is as instrumental to learning as formal training.

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Amanda Wong: The funny thing is that although other people consider me to be a creative person, for whatever reason, I never think of myself as one. I think a creative person is someone who is always generating ideas that are new or at least entertaining. Fortunately, the field that I am in - animation - is very commercially-oriented. *g* I am inspired by many things - Disney’s Nine Old Men, Hayao Miyazaki, Tim Burton, the people in my class, music that I like…

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
AW: I am currently enrolled in a Commercial Animation program at Capilano College in Vancouver but I’ve been mostly self taught. Prior to taking this program, I actually completed a Business degree which has nothing to do with art at all. I felt that my abilities were hitting a ceiling from learning on my own and this - as well as a myriad of other reasons - was what drove me to go back to school. I think going to school for art has certainly helped me, although not always in ways that I expected: there is something to be said about being in a creative environment surrounded by like-minded peers that is as instrumental to learning as formal training.
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Being surrounded by creativity is fantastic, while understanding how much artistic success is governed by one's ability to sell themselves is a kick to the aspiring artist's groin.

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Zoetica Ebb: I tend to answer the same to this question, so I hope this isn’t too redundant: it’s just who I am. Drawing is something I’ve always done, it’s never been an option so much as part of me. In recent busy times it’s more vital that ever to continue with it. That aside, my biggest motivator is the understanding of life’s brevity. With such a small amount of time allotted to each of us I fell compelled to produce as much as I can. Tick tock.

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
ZE: I graduated from the LA County High School for the Arts and spent a short amount of time at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Being in such an environment - the environment of an Art Institution - is incredibly inspiring and simultaneously disheartening. Being surrounded by creativity is fantastic, while understanding how much artistic success is governed by one’s ability to sell themselves is a kick to the aspiring artist’s groin. It’s a double edged sword, but I will say I loved and miss having unlimited access to the museum while at SAIC.
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I also have a picture of Oscar Wilde with a speech bubble which reads "My dear friend, this is utterly delightful! Keep up the good work!", so I can decieve myself from time to time.

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Dapperfish: I’m not sure what drives me exactly, I just can’t imagine my life without it. I am constantly thinking of things I want to do whenever something new inspires me. Those things come at random, it might be a song and a pretty picture, but it can also be waking up really early in the morning and going to town for breakfast.

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
D: I always have tried to learn by myself everything I took an interest in, and I have been drawing and painting ever since I can remember. So, in many ways, I consider myself self taught. The courses I decided to take are just an extension. I started studying oil painting at fourteen, and have continued to do so for six years. Art was my main subject in highschool, and on the side I took many other art courses and workshops. During that period I also taught myself graphic and web design and was very enthusiastic about it. Afterwards I went to the local Theatre & Cinema college to study Stage & Costume design. It’s a subject I love very much, learned a lot of wonderful things, but personal issues made me quit after three years. Although I think it was a good experience, I lost a lot of the freedom and confidence I had, and stopped all extra curricular activities. I felt I wasn’t good enough and that nothing I did was worth it. So it was kind of a bad period, and for over a year after I quit college I was unable to start a painting. But I still think art college is a good thing, it gives you discipline and experience, even if it didn’t work out for me. I never want to stop being a student! So in the meantime I got myself a diploma in make up, and occasionally work as a make up artist. Next year, I plan to take a three year course on Illustration and Comics.
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I can't think of any experience with art that I'd describe as the best. It hasn't happened yet.

Carmine Magazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Sarah Ferrick: I think what drives me to make stuff is the fact that I get bored easily and quickly.
I get inspired by other artists but I also draw from other sources such as astronomy, music,
mythology, geology, optics and lots of things I don’t understand very well at all. Sometimes I spend a lot of time on Wikipedia and just follow a whole bunch of links. I’ve got a folder labeled “ideas” with a big list of bookmarks to various random Wikipedia articles.

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
SF: Both I guess. I think everyone is self taught in many ways, otherwise he or she wouldn’t progress. I’ve got some formal training too. I’m in college at the moment. I definitely think having some art classes has helped me a lot. It never hurts. I haven’t run into any bad teachers yet so I’m lucky in that respect.
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