HOW TO REVOLUTIONALIZE YOUR DIGITAL CREATIVE PROCESS
By Andrew Jones

‘Revolution’ comes from the Latin ‘revolutio’, meaning ‘a turn around’. It is a fundamental change in power or organizational structure that takes place in a relatively short period of time. The revolution we’re interested in here though is the revolution inside you – at the core of which, like at the core of any political or cultural movement that shakes the world, you’ll find a motivating ideology, the driving force behind your actions.
The following points are not to ‘become’ this ideology… but to inspire you to create your own. Revolution takes discipline – and all your potential, and, it is worthless without the commitment to see it through. Before you choose to embark on the journey though, it is important to be clear on what you’re fighting for and what you’re revolting against – where you want to go and what you’re willing to leave behind.

The digital art that you create is, in reality, a reflection of yourself. It is an accumulation of your life, your surroundings, your programming and your consciousness.
Your revolution will be sparked by your inner voice that can finally make itself heard.

10. TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT.
Come on… I know you want to… You’ve been dreaming of it for years… You’ve grown out of it… working for a boss or a company that cares more about profit than it does about you… Are your talents being exploited… Has your service become a novelty… If you’re looking for a new opportunity, you have to close one door before a new door will open. It’s time to leave your job with dignity before they have the satisfaction of hiring someone younger and faster who will work for half the salary. Sacrifice your security and take a leap into the unknown. It may seem scary… but what’s more frightening than living your life supporting something that you don’t believe in, polishing someone else’s agenda? There isn’t a better time than this very moment to follow your dreams. The best art director is your heart.

9. RE-EVALUATE YOUR INSPIRATION.
Kill your television. You’re bombarded by an avalanche of media that is a little more than the idol mashing of teeth. It may be time to take a break from the worldwide web… step into a forest and investigate the molecular density of a spider’s web. By limiting your exposure to the gibberish of modern pop culture you will allow more space for your imagination to breathe and will be able to hear your own unique voice more clearly. All the great masters created timeless works of art by stepping out of their own time.
No matter how compelling the two-dimensional image will never measure up to the molecular resolution of physical holographic reality. Take your laptop to the mountains, the lakes, the parks around your house and paint until you run out of battery.
And as tempting as it is, if you draw your inspiration from the work of other artists, you’re bound to be caught within the established perimeters of their visual fractal. Finding your voice is your key to the realm of infinite creativity. Taking the key of someone else will only let you through the doors they had depicted. It won’t furnish you with the liberation of the creative mindset that is your doorway.

8/A TRANSFORM YOUR ENVIRONMENT.
Everything around you will have a direct or indirect influence on what you create. The outer world that you surround yourself with can often manifest as a visual metaphor of your inner world. As above so below. Taking time to clear the accumulated clutter that can build up around your workspace can energetically free up your headspace. If there is chaos in your studio there is most likely chaos in your art. I recommend periodic purges of all material possessions that no longer serve you.
8/B CREATE NEW PLAYLISTS.
Music has been a muse for artists throughout the centuries. Our current time is no exception. Every day new musicians give birth to thousands of songs that are hungry for audiences to inspire. In my experience I found that a mixture of classical and electronic down-tempo do a perfect job of soothing the savage beast within. I highly recommend music that’s free from the influence of any lyrics. As pretty or profound lyrical poetry may be, it has the tendency to program your subconscious in directions that may not serve you.
When I begin a new project I’ll often set aside a portion of my budget and invest in the purchase of new soundtracks. I find that the creative spirit that I work with appreciates variety over repetition.

7. GET VULNERABLE.
The comfort zone you operate in can quickly become stifling and suffocating for your creativity. We will never reach higher if we always stay at the same elevation. The bigger the risk you take the higher the reward that awaits you.
I still get nervous when performing or speaking in front of large audiences… but over the years I found that my greatest breakthroughs happened more on the stage than in the studio. Your fear can be an indicator that you may be on the brink of a new breakthrough. If you don’t put it all on the line you’ll never know what you’ve really got. The only real failure is not trying. “You will miss out a hundred percent of the girls that you don’t hit on. “ -Kevin Llewellyn

6. GET SOME SUPPORT.
Nobody wins a revolution by themselves alone. You are not alone. There’s more people out there who believe in you than you may think. The support of those who love you, of those who see you… will become invaluable as you are transitioning onto the path of a professional artist. The more you believe in yourself the more the world will believe in you.
At the beginning of my professional art career I drew portraits on street corners and lived with my parents. I learned on the streets that everyone loves art and that it is your responsibility to expose yourself.
This may sound especially off the hook if you’re a student or if you’ve just read number 10 and quit your job. However, there’s a logical perspective behind the suggestion. Many great artists are not great sales men. Once you can afford to, add up all the time you spend doing non-art-related tasks. Then imagine if you set aside 10% of what you make to pay someone to do 90% of what you don’t want to do, how much more value would result in the sum of your efforts? Make alliances with people who possess skills and archetypal traits in contrast to your own.

5. ENTER THE DREAM.
Every night we enter a realm beyond logic, beyond rules, beyond explanations. We interact with subconscious elements of ourselves and receive messages and experiences beyond our comprehension. And yet many of these mental fantasies are vanquished by our alarm clocks and their memories disintegrated with the push of a ‘snooze’ button. The most effective way to increase dream recall and enter lucid states of consciousness within the dream realm is by creating a dream journal. Log on to ‘Dreamcatcher.net’ and start recording your adventures into dreamland today… to aid you in the recall of your dream adventures that will potentially give you a catalogue of creative points of departure that came from a core you can’t even define.

4. LEARN TO MEDITATE.
Once you have successfully weaned yourself from the tit of mass media, it’s time to begin your journey inward. The deepest and most profound realms of imagination lie within you. All the potential you’ll ever need is to be found in what you already have – what you already are… The enemy that you’re revolting against is not external. The force that will always hold you back the most is – you. Your greatest ally and your greatest enemy is – you. The aspects of yourself that sabotage your potential, the inner critic that second guesses your every choice and allows you to give up too soon and settle for mediocrity is what you need to identify and eventually banish from your reality. The practice of meditation and stillness will help to isolate this impostor, so you may recognize it’s ranting in contrast to your true voice. Find a local meditation center. Sign up for a ‘Vipassana’. You can’t imagine what inner visions and places your mind will travel after seven days of sitting in silence. The magic is inside you.

3. FALL IN LOVE.
Bring color back into your life! Love has the power of illuminating the highest reflection of yourself in the reflection of the one that loves you truly. Take your armor off and surrender to love… The more you love another the more you love yourself. The more you learn about the love the more you can put that wisdom into your digital art. Create a revolution in your heart. Release the romantic mythology of the lonely starving artist and embrace the archetype of a provider that makes more when there is someone else to feed. An inspired heart brings new inspiration to the work.

2. AWAKEN TO THE DIVINE
Do you have some vacation time coming up? Consider taking a trip to Peru. In the jungle of the Amazon exists a thriving economy of esoteric tourism, the purpose of which is to serve you a medicine that will open you to a source of inspiration that exists beyond any explanation or definition. Every artist that I’ve personally known that has walked down this path has come back with an awakening and a deeper understanding of his or her creative purpose and ultimate connection to the universe.
We all have parts of us that are disowned or episodes from our past that we subconsciously deny or choose not to look at. Releasing these blockages will release a more unobstructed creative flow. Ayahuasca is not a recreational drug. It is the most profound therapy for the soul and the soul is where true creativity arises from.
After my initial experiences with this particular plant teacher I was inspired to create the image of the Divine Mother. This image was selected for the cover of ‘Spectrum’, launching a new direction for my entire career.

1. EMBRACE YOUR INNER ELECTRON
Recent discoveries in modern science has revealed that what we perceive as the material world is energy condensed to a slow vibration. The external reality is holographic in nature
As digital artists our medium is the manipulation of light and energy. The tools are modern tools are the fruit of millions of years of evolution. Digital art is not an accident. It is a new vehicle for the current manifestation of the creative spirit. Step up to its invitation.