Original Source: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/creative-toilet-paper-rolls/
If your creativity is wild, no medium is a limitation. This fact is exceptionally true with Anastassia Elias, a french artist who collects toilet rolls and turns them into great works of unbelievable…
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Original Source: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/parental-control-apps-android/
Google Play Store may not have tougher restrictions than those found on Apple’s AppStore so if your kids own an Android device (or have access to your device at their liberty), you might want…
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Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/1stwebdesigner/~3/sVIpbiCY5Io/
Procreate makes it easy to create stunning designs and pieces of artwork for personal and professional use. However, gathering all the resources you need, like Procreate brushes, can seem like a daunting task when you’re first starting out.
Instead of having to hunt down brushes to use in your art, we’ve put together a resource you can reference whenever you need a new brush. Here, we’ve compiled some premium brushes, free collections, as well as premium (free & premium) collections you can use in your work starting right now.
All The Best Procreate Brushes
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Vintage Comic Brushes
The Vintage Comic Brushes set contains 51 brushes for Procreate that are heavily inspired by the vintage comic halftone look.
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This set of texture brushes offer a variety of sand effects for your Procreate projects. The set comes with 6 sand texture brushes.
Fabulous Pencils for Procreate
The Fabulous Pencils set comes with 44 different brushes that offer realistic pencil textures for any project that requires a hand drawn look.
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The Graffiti Brush set makes it easy to create analog graffiti looks in your digital artwork.
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The Jungle Brushes is a set of 20 brushes for Procreate that can be used to add an earthy and grungy look to any project.
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Watercolor & Paint Brushes
This is a lovely collection of free watercolor and paint brushes.
250+ Creative and Free Brushes for the iPad Pro
This is a real treasure trove of free resources! Here, you can find over 250 free brushes that offer you new creative ways to make what you want to make.
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If lettering is what you’re interested in, why not browse the 350+ brushes listed in this resource?
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Here’s another lovely set of brushes that you can browse and use for free.
Free Brushes: A Stockpile of all My Freebies
In this collection, you can browse through all the free brushes a fellow artist has compiled. How generous!
50 of the Best Free Brushes
Another great list here, this time of 50 fantastic free brushes.
Premium Procreate Brush Collections
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If it’s within your budget, you can always splurge on a new brush or two after browsing those listed here.
34 of the Best Brushes
This list of 34 all-time favorite brushes can really take you far when it comes to professionalism — plus there are some freebies included here as well.
The Best Procreate Brushes for iPad (Free & Premium Packs)
Another free and premium list here, chock full of some of the best brushes you could ever ask for.
The Best Procreate Brushes to Download in 2019
Over 300 brushes are listed at this resource. Odds say you’ll find what you’re looking for here.
100+ Brushes for Artists (Best Free & Premium Brush Sets)
Last on our list is this collection of over 100 brushes that includes free and premium selections, all of which are great for working artists.
Use These Procreate Brushes to Create Your Next Stunning Work
Don’t let a lack of on-hand resources stunt your next project. Instead, see what’s available to you for or for a nominal fee. What’s available might really surprise you. And hopefully, this collection of Procreate brushes will send you well on your way toward putting together something truly eye-catching. Be sure to check out our other brush resources here.
Original Source: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/google-now-custom-voice-commands/
Google Now, the smart voice assistant from the search giant, allows you to accomplish many tasks using nothing but your voice. You can use voice control on your device with this application, but…
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Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/abduzeedo/~3/W0uqFEhNjQw/beautiful-liquify-logo-animation-after-effects
Beautiful Liquify Logo Animation in After Effects
abduzeedoJan 24, 2020
I have been going back through old tutorials to fix some of the images that might be broken or with old formatting. The blog has changed quite a lot since we started 12 years ago. It’s incredible to see how many Photoshop tutorials we’ve written and how some of them stood the test of time. One of them was the Beautiful Water Effect in Photoshop. I love that tutorial, and it gave me the motivation that I need to continue studying After Effects. My goal was to try to reproduce the effect with some cool motion to it. With that, I would love to share a little After Effects tutorial on how I achieved the result.
A little disclaimer, I am not a pro with After Effects, on the contrary, I am learning, and my goal is to share the step by step on the things I discover along the way. I am sure there are more natural ways or better ways from other great resources, this one here is just a bit of my way of learning.
After Effects Tutorial
Step 1
The first thing to do is to try to understand how much in common After Effects and Photoshop have. In Photoshop this effect is quite simple, you use a displacement map. For my surprise, After Effects also have one.
So let’s get this started. Create a new project and add a new composition. Composition>New Composition.
Step 2
For my Photoshop image, I used a photo of ocean waves. So now we need to find a video for this project. It’s amazing how similar things feel when I started doing Photoshop tutorials. It was tough to find high-quality resources; we didn’t have Unsplash back in the day.
Now for photography, we have a plethora of excellent places. For video, the story is a bit different. I started this project using a sample for Adobe Stock, however, after searching I found a right place, it’s called Pexel Videos. The clip I am using is from there; it’s titled Close-Up Video Of Water Ripples by Stas Knop.
Step 3
Download the video and drag it to your Project panel. In Project pane, select the clip and hit “Enter,” to rename it. I like to keep the names short. I just called mine “Ocean.”
After that, drag the “Ocean” clip to your composition timeline panel. That way it gets centralized automatically.
Step 4
Let’s change opacity to 90%. In the timeline, expand the Ocean object, the expand Transform, and you will see Opacity. Just turn it to 90%
Step 5
Now let’s adjust the colors. Go to Effect>Color Correction>Hue/Saturation. Reduce the Saturation to -100.
Step 6
Let’s tweak the Levels now to remove the greyish look. Go to Effect>Color Correction>Levels. Use the values below.
Step 7
Let’s import the artwork we want to use for the displace effect. I am using the Abduzeedo logo. My logo is in vector format in Illustrator. Importing it to After Effects is straightforward. Again, I don’t know if it’s the right way, but this is how I did.
Select the vector in Illustrator and copy it.
In After Effects add a new solid layer. For the name use Logo and make sure the color of the layer is white.
Paste the logo in the composition as a path mask, and that’s it.
Select the layer in the timeline and go to Layer>Pre-Compose. The reason for this is if you want to replace the paths later you can do it without worrying about the timeline, imagine Smart Objects in Photoshop.
Step 8
Time to add some magic, at least it feels like that for me. One thing that I love about After Effects is that it does have some neat tricks, for example, the Effect & Presets panel has a search box. So you can type Displacement and boom, you will find what you need. In our case the Displacement Map. It can also be found via Effect>Distort>Displacement Map.
Make sure the Logo layer is select and just double-click on the Displacement Map option. You will notice on the left side there’s a new panel called Effect Controls. Let’s tweak these numbers to apply the effect to our layer.
For the Displacement Map Layer select the Ocean layer.
Tweak the Max Horizontal and Vertical Displacement. Depending on the logo and how much distortion you want. The cool thing is that you can animate these values too. I will show you an example at the end.
Step 9
To make it more realistic, duplicate the Ocean layer and reorder, so it’s on top of the Logo layer. After that change the Blend Mode to Multiply. After that change the opacity to 70%.
Step 10
The effect is pretty much done, but you can also try to add a little radial gradient to focus everything on the center of the composition. I haven’t found an easy way to add one, but here’s my hacky way.
Create a new composition. Make sure the background is black
Add a new solid layer with white color.
With the Ellipse Tool Q add a Circle in the center. It will mask the white layer.
Go to Effect>Blur & Sharpen>Gaussian Blur. Apply a significant value according to the gradient you want.
Step 11
Back to the main composition. Drag the Gradient composition to the timeline, below the logo but above the Ocean layer. Change the Blend Mode to Overlay.
Step 12
That’s it. The necessary effect is done. What you can do now is try to animate the in and out of the composition. You can do that by tweaking some of the values of the displacement, for example:
Select the Logo and go to Effect Controls>Displacement Filter.
Make sure the timeline is in the 0s. And click on the little Clock/Time watch icon next to Max Horizontal Displacement and Max Vertical Displacement.
Move the timeline to 3s and add keyframes. It’s the little diamond icon on the left side
Move to 7s and add more keyframes
Move to the end of the timeline and add two more keyframes. For these, change the values of the displacement to 300.
Move to the beginning and change the displacement values to 300 as well.
Select all keyframes, then with the right-click select Keyframe Assistant and then select Ease Ease.
Step 13
Let’s make the ocean fade in and fade out. To do that is quite simple.
Select the Ocean Layer and go to the 0s of the timeline. Expand the layer and select Transform>Opacity.
Click on the little stopwatch icon to add a keyframe.
Move to the 2s time and click on the “add keyframe” diamond icon.
Move to 8s and add another keyframe.
Move to the end of the timeline and change the opacity to 0%. It will automatically add a keyframe.
Select all keyframes, then with the right-click select Keyframe Assistant and then select Ease Ease.
With the keyframes selected, copy them. Select the Logo layer, go to Opacity and paste them to replicate the keyframes on that layer.
Conclusion
The effect is pretty much done. You can adjust the timing and add more finesse. That for me is the most challenging part, so have fun and let us know if you have any questions.
Download After Effects File
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Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CreativeBloq/~3/CzVIukEsIpc/apple-sale-cheap-ipad-deal-is-flying-off-the-shelves
Looking for a hot iPad deal this January? Then you won't want to miss out on these amazing Amazon deals. You can get your hands on a 32GB 10.2-inch iPad for just $249.99, and the larger 128GB 10.2-inch iPad for an impressive $329.99 – the cheapest we've seen it! That's a saving of $79 on the 32GB model and $100 on the 128GB model.
The 10.2-inch iPad is Apple's latest entry-level tablet and offers a crisp Retina display, brilliant battery life (expect nearly 12 hours) and support for the Apple Pencil and Apple's keyboard cover. Check out our Apple Pencil deals and the best iPad apps for designers to help you get the most from your shiny new purchase.
Across the pond, there are some equally impressive iPad deals worth checking out…
Impressive discounts (like the ones above) on the iPad don't come around too often, so you really need to take advantage while you can. And, why not choose yourself something from the impressive range of iPad accessories available to keep your iPad Pro shiny and new.
If these deals aren't available to you, here are some of the best iPad prices wherever you are in the world. You can also check our roundup of the best cheap iPad deals right now.
Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/abduzeedo/~3/bJh8rfVWGAE/motion-design-monday-rise
Motion Design Monday – Rise
abduzeedoJan 27, 2020
Monday is our motion design day. Why? Well, just because it’s fun to say motion Monday? Honestly there’s no reason but the Aamir Khan totally deserved to be feature and shared here on Abduzeedo. It is a mix of beautiful 3D work with super smooth animations using Cinema 4D, Adobe After Effects and Adobe Photoshop. It’s also a personal project of Aamir. “I tried to create Rich Ancient look.” – Aamir adds.
3D and Motion Design
Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tympanus/~3/N0pbA9bsrOY/
Today we are going to create an animated cloud using a custom shader material, extending the built-in Sprite material of Three.js.
We’ll assume that you are familiar with React (including Hooks), Three.js and React-Three-Fiber. If not, you might find this article that I wrote as a beginner’s intro to the library helpful as a quick start.
The technique that we’ll explain was used in two recent projects made at Low:
1955-Horsebit: a website for the campaign launch of the Gucci’s bag.
Let girls dream: a project to support a gender-equal future
We won’t cover the other elements, like the background, and we also won’t create the most performant cloud because it would get a bit too complex and the purpose of this article is to get you familiar with the technique while keeping it simple.
Note that the use of React it’s not obligatory here but I started using React-Three-Fiber for all my demos and projects, so I’ve opted to use it here, too.
We will cover two main points in this article:
How to extend a SpriteMaterialHow to write the shader of the cloud
Extending the sprite material
Since the goal is not to create a volumetric cloud (a real 3D cloud), I decided to extend a Three.js SpriteMaterial. We can instead leverage the fact that using a Sprite, the cloud will always be facing the camera, independently of the camera position or orientation. So if you move the cloud or move the camera you’ll always see it and it helps to fake the missing of 3D volume (check out the debug mode to get the idea).
Note: If you head to the demo and add /?debug=true to the URL it will enable the Orbit Controls which will give you some visual insight into why I decided to use the Sprite material.
There are multiple ways to extend a built-in material of Three.js, and you can find a good explanation in this article by Dusan Bosnjak.
import {ShaderMaterial, UniformsUtils, ShaderLib} from ‘three’
import fragment from ‘~shaders/cloud.frag’
import vertex from ‘~shaders/cloud.vert’
/**
* We are going to take the uniforms of the Sprite material
* and we’ll merge with our uniforms
*/
const myUniforms = useMemo(() => ({
…….
}), [])
const material = useMemo(() => {
const mat = new ShaderMaterial({
uniforms: {…UniformsUtils.clone(ShaderLib.sprite.uniforms), …myUniforms},
vertexShader: vertex,
fragmentShader: fragment,
transparent: true,
})
return mat
}, [])
We need to compose our vertex shader, adding the necessary #include code snippets. If you are interested in how materials are built in Three.js you can have a look at the source code.
uniform float rotation;
uniform vec2 center;
#include <common>
#include <uv_pars_vertex>
#include <fog_pars_vertex>
#include <logdepthbuf_pars_vertex>
#include <clipping_planes_pars_vertex>
varying vec2 vUv;
void main() {
vUv = uv;
vec4 mvPosition = modelViewMatrix * vec4( 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0 );
vec2 scale;
scale.x = length( vec3( modelMatrix[ 0 ].x, modelMatrix[ 0 ].y, modelMatrix[ 0 ].z ) );
scale.y = length( vec3( modelMatrix[ 1 ].x, modelMatrix[ 1 ].y, modelMatrix[ 1 ].z ) );
vec2 alignedPosition = ( position.xy – ( center – vec2( 0.5 ) ) ) * scale;
vec2 rotatedPosition;
rotatedPosition.x = cos( rotation ) * alignedPosition.x – sin( rotation ) * alignedPosition.y;
rotatedPosition.y = sin( rotation ) * alignedPosition.x + cos( rotation ) * alignedPosition.y;
mvPosition.xy += rotatedPosition;
gl_Position = projectionMatrix * mvPosition;
#include <logdepthbuf_vertex>
#include <clipping_planes_vertex>
#include <fog_vertex>
}
In this way we created a custom Sprite material. We can achieve the same effect in other ways for sure, but I decided to extend a built-in material because it could be useful in the future to add a custom logic. It’s now time to dig into the fragment.
Cloud’s fragment
To create the cloud we need two assets. One is the rough starting shape of the cloud, the other one is the starting point of the texture/pattern.
Keep in mind that both of the textures can be created directly in the shader but it will take some GPU calculations. That is fine, but if you can avoid it it’s a good practice to optimise the shader, too.
Using some images instead of creating them with code could save you some computational power.
Sliding textures
First of all let’s create two sliding textures, using the texture image above (uTxtCloudNoise), that we will use later to handle the alpha channel of the output. These are sliding textures that helps us to create a “fake” noise effect by concatenate, adding and multiply them.
vec4 txtNoise1 = texture2D(uTxtCloudNoise, vec2(vUv.x + uTime * 0.0001, vUv.y – uTime * 0.00014));
vec4 txtNoise2 = texture2D(uTxtCloudNoise, vec2(vUv.x – uTime * 0.00002, vUv.y + uTime * 0.000017 + 0.2));
Noise
We now need some GLSL noise: the Simpex noise and the Fractional Brownian motion (FBM) that allows us to morph the shape and create the vaporous border effect.
Let’s first create the Simplex and FBM noise to distort our UV.
We will use the FBM to achieve the effect for the border of the cloud, to make it like smoke, and we will use the Simplex to do the shape morphing of the cloud.
The distorted UV, now called newUv, will be used during the declaration of the txtShape:
#pragma glslify: fbm3d = require(‘glsl-fractal-brownian-noise/3d’)
#pragma glslify: snoise3 = require(glsl-noise/simplex/3d)
// FBM
float noiseBig = fbm3d(vec3(vUv, uTime), 4)+ 1.0 * 0.5;
newUv += noiseBig * uDisplStrenght1;
//SIMPLEX
float noiseSmall = snoise3(vec3(newUv, uTime)) + 1.0 * 0.5;
newUv += noiseSmall * uDisplStrenght2;
……
vec4 txtShape = texture2D(uTxtShape, newUv);
And this is how the noise looks like:
Mask & Alpha
To create the mask for the cloud we will use the shape texture (uTxtShape) we saw at the beginning and the result of the sliding textures we mentioned earlier.
The following output is the result of the masking only. The border and the shape effect is fine but the internal pattern/color is not:
Now we calculate the alpha used on the sliding textures from before. We’ll use the levels function, that was taken from here, which is more or less like the Photoshop levels function.
Concatenating the distorted shape (uTxtShape) and the red channel of the sliding textures will give us the external shape and even the internal “cloud pattern” to create a more real look and feel:
vec4 txtShape = texture2D(uTxtShape, newUv);
float alpha = levels((txtNoise1 + txtNoise2) * 0.6, 0.2, 0.4, 0.7).r;
alpha *= txtShape.r;
gl_FragColor = vec4(vec3(0.95,0.95,0.95), alpha);
Concatenating everything
It’s time now to wrap everything up to display the final output:
void main() {
vec2 newUv = vUv;
// Sliding textures
vec4 txtNoise1 = texture2D(uTxtCloudNoise, vec2(vUv.x + uTime * 0.0001, vUv.y – uTime * 0.00014)); // noise txt
vec4 txtNoise2 = texture2D(uTxtCloudNoise, vec2(vUv.x – uTime * 0.00002, vUv.y + uTime * 0.000017 + 0.2)); // noise txt
// Calculate the FBM and distort the UV
float noiseBig = fbm3d(vec3(vUv * uFac1, uTime * uTimeFactor1), 4)+ 1.0 * 0.5;
newUv += noiseBig * uDisplStrenght1;
// Calculate the Simplex and distort the UV
float noiseSmall = snoise3(vec3(newUv * uFac2, uTime * uTimeFactor2)) + 1.0 * 0.5;
newUv += noiseSmall * uDisplStrenght2;
// Create the shape (mask)
vec4 txtShape = texture2D(uTxtShape, newUv);
// Alpha
float alpha = levels((txtNoise1 + txtNoise2) * 0.6, 0.2, 0.4, 0.7).r;
alpha *= txtShape.r;
gl_FragColor = vec4(vec3(0.95,0.95,0.95), alpha);
}
Final thoughts
Keep in mind that this is not the most performant way to create a cloud, but it’s a simple one. Using noise functions is expensive, but for the sake of this tutorial it should suffice.
If you have any thoughts, improvements or doubts, please feel free to write to me in Twitter, I’ll be happy to help.
How to Create Procedural Clouds Using Three.js Sprites was written by Robert Borghesi and published on Codrops.
Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CreativeBloq/~3/sV_KW8NwxlE/apple-imac-could-be-getting-a-very-futuristic-new-look
Apple has filed a patent that suggests future iMacs could have a radically different design. The patent details a slick, mostly glass, all-in-one (AIO) design with a distinctly futuristic vibe. There are some similarities to the current aesthetic – the curvy junction between the screen and its stand; the generally minimalist, sleek approach – but other than that it's a whole new ball game.
Below is the current Apple iMac (incidentally, our pick of the best computer for graphic design, and the best computer for video editing right now).
This brushed aluminium look has been around for a while now
Below, you can see the diagrams of the potential new design included in the newly published patent. The distinct screen, housing and separate keyboard encased in brushed aluminium have been replaced by an AIO made mostly of glass.
The accompanying text details "a glass housing member that includes an upper portion defining a display area, a lower portion defining an input area… a continuous, curved surface between the upper portion and lower portion."
A new patent shows a mostly glass all-in-one design
The patent also includes a support structure on the rear, which TechRadar suggests could contain the machine's computing power, with the glass section being fitted solely with sensors for the inputs, display and camera. See the full patent here.
Apple has gained plenty of news inches for its design decisions over the years – even something relatively minor, such as the replacement of Forest Green for Navy Blue in the iPhone 12 lineup – has people talking. So we're doubly excited at the prospect of something potentially radical to follow in the footsteps of the Mac Pro 'dustbin' and 'cheese grater' designs, for example.
When, or even if, this spacey new look will become reality is quite another thing. At the moment, it's still in its research phase, so it's certainly not on the cards any time soon. Although it's worth noting that while the patent was published on 23 January 2020, it was filed last May, which means Apple has been exploring this direction for a little while now.
Read more:
The best Apple Watch apps in 2020Apple Pencil vs Apple Pencil 2: which should you buy?The best cheap Apple laptop deals
Original Source: https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2020/01/how-to-keep-designing-when-tragedy-strikes/
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all! We all have personal tragedies. Sometimes those tragedies are more than anyone could handle, and that’s when you encounter some very basic, intense emotions. For some it’s the fiercely stark task of overcoming, shutting out all else; for others, it’s thoughts of helplessness. Unfortunately, most people will run the gamut of these polar emotions.
I’ve been through all this and not only survived, but thrived. The idea when faced with a debilitating horror, is to take stock of what you have, what you need, and think outside the box to solve them as quickly as possible—oddly, focusing on plans to survive keeps your thoughts off the actual disaster.
You’re going to face these things sooner or later, here’s how you too, can overcome your personal disasters…
The Immediate Impact of Disaster
If you’re a freelancer, even the common cold can put you out of work for a week or so. That’s income lost and a financial strain that most people can’t afford. My motorcycle accident set me back several months due to fractured fingers and arm (among injuries to my foot and other body parts), all on my right side. Working as an illustrator back then, naturally I wasn’t able to work, but the bills kept coming in and three weeks in the hospital, including two surgeries, wasn’t cheap.
An emotional event such as a divorce, or having a sick child who spends a lot of time in the hospital for treatments, can easily cause depression. The financial strain only adds to the madness.
…few people see it coming
Being fired or laid off from a regular paycheck is a shock to the system and causes major stress for you and your family. It can come up when least expected, or happen after months of corporate rumors. Either way, few people see it coming.
Sometimes family calls, and you must answer. The loss of a family member, parents, siblings will cause depression. Going back to work is the last thing on one’s mind. Sometimes that mental block goes on for weeks… months… a year… or years.
Recently a friend announced on Facebook her impending divorce—I’m betting that changed her algorithms so she now gets dating site, and divorce lawyer ads. She cried about no longer being supported by her partner and her desperation to find a full time job. She admitted to a trap many of us fall into, complacency. The days of leisure and hobbies allowed her to fall behind and now her ability to find a staff position, needing income for rent, health insurance, and such, was causing her severe anxiety. As with any tragedy, she reached out to her friends and connections for help.
There are several steps one must make when financially smacked. Here’s a list of steps that will help you survive:
1. Reach Out To Your Network
This isn’t a time to be shy or embarrassed…you’ll certainly find out who you can count upon.
First stop is to make sure your CV/Résumé is up to date, and that means not only with all information, but with the newest CV/Résumé “rules.” Check the latest articles on the web for tips on how to make yourself fabulous. Then reach out to your network and send those queries out with your CV/Résumé. Friends, family, connections on business sites, people you went to school with. Hit everybody!
This isn’t a time to be shy or embarrassed. Everyone gets into a jam at some point and needs help. You’ll certainly find out who you can count upon.
2. List Your Income And Expenses
How much will you need to survive until your income can be replaced? How much will you need to cut from your expenses to keep your debt low? What social safety nets does your country have for unemployed citizens? Who will lend you money?
Living on your credit card may look like an easy answer but it’s a trap. Paying back a large balance will take years as interest keeps increasing. It’s usually impossible to not use credit, so if you do, use it very wisely! Friends will understand if you can’t buy them big presents for their birthday, or take vacations with them.
There are even small things you can cut, which adds up to big savings.
3. Bring In Money Any Way You Can
Yes, I know you’re chuckling at, “…any way you can.” But it’s time to drop your pride. A part-time job is easy to come by but they are not glamorous, not high-paying, and not a design job. I’ve bartended, flipped burgers, driven a delivery truck, and sold personal possessions to keep money coming in. I took less money from quick freelance jobs because I had to keep a flow of money. I borrowed money from friends and family. Through it all, I now know who my true friends are. That’s one of the good things about needing help. Here’s some immediate income solutions:
it’s time to drop your pride
Ebay: If I know my fellow creatives, like me, you have too many toys. Time to make tough choices and ebay those collectable figures! While I miss some of those toys, I was able to pay a lot of bills with sales.
Social safety nets: Many enlightened countries have programs to help the unemployed. A Canadian friend hit rock bottom before she found out that Canada has an incredible government program to help citizens survive. There are food banks, and grants from organizations and while it’s embarrassing to use them, eating is better than starving and keeping your pride, especially if you have kids. Google “food banks,” “artists’ grants,” “low cost loans” to see what might be available in your area. Religious organizations are also a good way to find grants and food banks.
Contract work: In lean times, I would work as a contract Art Director/Designer via an agent who specialized in design jobs. It paid well, would last a week or a few months, and it was a great way to grow my network. One of the better ways to make money.
Design contests: The much detested design contests are an evil that outweighs going into debt. Sign up under a fake name and give it a try. Winning will at least bring in money.
Beg freelance work: Ask your network for freelance work. Ask if anyone knows of an open position at their company. Sometimes it happens, depending on the economy and hiring freezes. As with everything else, it pays to ask.
4. Take Stock Of Your Other Talents
After my motorcycle accident, and three fractured fingers on my right hand and a fractured right arm (held together by surgical pins) among other injuries, I was not up to illustration, even though it was my main income stream. But as I had my thumb and index finger workable and not constrained by the massive cast on my hand and arm, I found that the postage stamp-sized drawings I could doodle were pretty awesome. When I blew them up on a copier to 11 x 17 inches, the line quality was interesting and distinct. A touch of wash here and there, and I could keep working. My clients willingly accepted the new “look” of my work—maybe pity had something to do with it—and I also picked up new clients.
If you have to work outside of the field, better that it’s something you will enjoy
I never really recovered from that accident and cold days remind me of every accident I’ve ever had. Thank goodness the computer came along and my loss-of-fine-control drawing hand was perfect for a mouse. Transitioning to being a designer, then art director, then creative director was the best move I was ever forced to take!
When a former employer laid off two-thirds of its creative department, in four or five waves, people wondered where their next paycheck was coming from. I assured many of them that being creative applied to many careers. Creative thinking put towards any product or initiative is critical. I also encouraged them to think of other ways to use their creativity to make a living.
Ten years later, my former coworkers are painters, illustrators, sculptors, jewelry makers, truck drivers, store merchandisers, writers, classic car restorers, and Uber drivers. Some have jobs on creative staff or freelance. Even the ones with non-creative jobs make creativity their hobby. It’s not a forever thing, unless you want it to be. If you have to work outside of the field, better that it’s something you will enjoy.
5. Stay Sane!
Throughout any problem, you will suffer anxiety, depression, anger, and a few other emotional states. It’s normal, don’t be embarrassed, or ashamed. There are several ways people deal with staying sane. It might be exercise, watching movies, getting together with friends, or family, and whatever gets you feeling happier. Most importantly… laugh! Do anything for laughs because it’s the best medicine and you’ll need lots of it!
There are also ways to get free counselling. Google “free counselling,” and “support groups.” It helps to talk to others suffering the same emotions and needs, or a professional.
At one point I started seeing a counselor/therapist and it really did help. The most amazing psychological breakthrough was the therapist asking me if I had any recurring dreams. I had one that popped up in every dream. No matter what was happening in the dream, I would, out of nowhere, get anxious about the realization I hadn’t fed my cat in two years. I was desperate in the dreams to get home and feed the poor cat. That always became the focus of my dreams. In the non-dream life, my cat had died years before. The therapist smiled and said, “you’re the cat; you need to feed yourself.”
After that, I never had that same dream. I got a new cat, and always remembered that no matter how bad things got, I had to keep my sanity to get through it all. It’s the foundation of one’s existence.
In Conclusion
There’s always a way to climb out of a hole and it’s a huge help if you have lots of helpful connections. As mentioned before, your network will be your best way back. Luckily, I did a lot of favors over my career, so there were a good number of people who stepped up when asked for help. Some didn’t, but that’s how we find out who are real friends are. Sometimes that’s worth more than anything they could give you.
As I write this, I’m getting over a killer flu that had me sleeping for three straight days and loopy for four more… and my car needs $4,500 worth of work or it will explode. I’ll catch up, but it means my 1980s transforming robots from Japan are going on ebay.
Featured image via Unsplash.
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