Butterfly Universe

This love of design and creativity that tortures us poor sinners and compels us to sit in front of the computer for hours twiddling with the mouse, dodging, burning, using curves, isn't just about creating logos for companies. It isn't just about working on commissions or to deadlines. Sometimes we lock ourselves in the dark recess of the studio for fun. We lock the door, load the images into photoshop and just let our minds wander where they will.

The piece above was created on such a day. I just wanted to get away from the usual work that I was creating and do something a little different. I had no brief and didn't know what this image would look like when I started. It didn't even have a name. The name came later when I looked at it after it was finished. I started with a pretty normal faded image of a butterfly and from there it just evolved. It took about two hours and is something I would happily frame for the wall. For me the image is about movement and existence, but I don't want to get too deep and meaningful. I'm not sure why, but I have never went back to this style since completing this work. There's no real reason for that. It just occured to me now here speaking to you that this piece is a true original. At least it is within the confines of my portfolio.

When you want to spent some time being a little creative on photoshop, I suggest you plan for at least six hours. The time will fly, I shit you not. Maybe take a day off work for yourself. Go on, you deserve it, you've been working a little too hard lately anyway. Take a day, make a coffee, and switch on the computer. Take a minute to remember that you are in no rush. If the computer is slow, breathe for a few minutes. You're not in the office now and time is definitely not money.

Sip your coffee. Look through your image archive for anything that inspires you at that time. When you find something you like, load it in and just go with the flow. The hardest thing to do is to let go of convention and just explore your ideas. But if you can manage to embrace techniques and ideas that are foreign to your usual style, I promise you will be pleasantly surprised. If you start to get into what you are doing, you will advance to autopilot and before you know it, six hours gone, just like that. Go for a walk or something and when you look at your work again, you may even find a smile creeping onto your face. I did when I looked at my 'Butterfly Universe'.