“How does working by hand differ from drawing utilizing the computer or from typing on the computer? Do you think you are using different parts of your brain? Why? Are these different ways of thinking/doing? Which media do you prefer and why? “

I believe that balance is crucial when it comes to anything whether it’s your diet or your drawing/writing habits, especially nowadays because we have so many different options to choose from.

I’ve loved to create for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up we didn’t have the technology that’s available to the kids nowadays. And, honestly, I’m glad we didn’t. Instead of playing Fortnite we played outside in some bushes learning things firsthand – we were simply being kids. I oftentimes think about those times and how lucky I was to have had a wholesome childhood. And I look at how some parents raise their children now. They will go as far as handing a tablet to a 3-year-old with some mind-numbing game or cartoon just to shut them up. Witnessing such things upsets me greatly because this generation of babies is going to miss out on so many exciting REAL LIFE experiences. I’ve also heard that using a lot of technology at a young age affects one’s brain development but I’m no scientist. That’s just something I think about.

There is also, of course, a positive side to having this much technology available to us. For instance, graphic and web design started thriving after computers became accessible to the general public which gave the creatives like me so many more opportunities to express ourselves and our ideas in a cool and unique way. I have the best time executing my illustrations on my computer BUT before I even think about opening my laptop I have to get my sketches done by hand. I do this because it gives me much more freedom to experiment and come up with unique ideas and my mind feels more flexible I guess. It just feels so much natural and easy to let loose and fill up an empty page of my sketchbook rather than click some buttons.

Overall, I think balance is key to reaching your full potential when it comes to technology.