Josh shares his journey as a reader, one way he makes use of Evernote, and his approach to find homes for a number of books after he got married.
Leigh Lim: Hi Josh, thanks for taking the time to do a Q&A! Looking through your reviews, I noticed that your reading focuses on different areas. Do you go off recommendations now?
Josh Olds: Leigh, I’m honored (and frankly surprised!) at the opportunity. I do tend to read in many different genres. It’s a luxury of being a somewhat professional book reviewer. I’ll always pick a good story outside my favorite genres than a mediocre story that’s within my “normal” parameters. As my review site, LifeIsStory.com has grown, so have my reviewing opportunities.
About half the books I read come from publishers or publicists who believe the book is a good fit for Life is Story. Usually, they’re right. The other half comes from doing a thorough search of publisher catalogs and seeing what interests me. A good book cover and tagline definitely makes a book stand out. I’m not likely to pick up a fiction book by an author I don’t recognize unless the cover and tagline catch my attention.
LL: Would you recommend a reviewer reach out directly to publishers?
JO: It depends on the size of your readership. I recommend that you start with book review programs such as BookLook Bloggers from Thomas Nelson or the Tyndale Blog Network or NetGalleys. All of these programs allow you to get your foot in the door and, once you have a history of quality reviews, you can seek out the publisher directly. That’s exactly how I’ve grown Life is Story over the years.
LL: How have your reading preferences changed through the years?
JO: I’ve definitely widened my reading range. 2014 was the year that I challenged myself to read books that I would normally decline. I also read a lot more what I would call “pastor” books. As a pastor (and writer), not only do I learn from the books but I’m learning how to structure my own writing.
LL: Writers that you loved from first read, until now?
JO: I can already tell that I’m going to be talking about Ted Dekker a lot. Ted has had a profound influence on my life (more on that later) and, yes, my reviews of his books do tend to emulate his style. Fun fact you may want to follow up on: I emulate his style so well that in 2011 I was asked to co-write a special promotional book he gave out to a select number of fans.
LL: Do you make it a point to catch live readings regularly? (or would you rather listen to the audiobook version?)
JO: I listen to audiobooks on occasion, but not often. I can read faster than I can listen.
LL: Do you usually re-read books?
JO: No. If I re-read a book, it’s a sure sign that I love it. My annual re-reads are When Heaven Weeps and The Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker.
LL: How do you decide which books to keep after reading them?
JO: This is a difficult one. Just ask my wife! We literally have piles of books around the apartment and I’ve a couple thousand more volumes in storage at my parents’ house. I’m a book hoarder. If I love a book, I don’t want to part with it. If I don’t love a book, I don’t want to give it to someone else.
For our wedding, my wife and I took the duplicates of our merged libraries (close to two hundred duplicates!) and gave them away as wedding favors.
LL: Did you allow your guests select a wedding favor instead of a wedding gift?
JO: It wasn’t an either/or thing. Obviously, we weren’t going to demand gifts from our guests, but we are very thankful for everything we received. My wife and I owned a lot of books, but I had just come out of college and she is in college, so you know what we didn’t have? A toaster. The books were our way of saying “Thank You” for providing us with the things we deemed less important than books.
LL: Have you travelled to a specific area just to get a copy of a hard-to-find book?
JO: The first book signing that I ever attended was a huge event put on by Ted Dekker in 2009. Through his web forums, I’d become friends with a lot of fellow readers and the event marked the first time we ever met in person. Ted tends to have a book signing once a year, so I try to make it a point to go to a signing every year.
JO: I’m lucky enough that 99% of the books I want to read are ones that publishers are willing to send me in exchange for a review. Buying a book means I really loved it. I allow myself one book a month to buy, generally an older title that I couldn’t get elsewhere or an academic title.
I’m all for the print version. An ebook copy is better only if the price is significantly lower or, as is the case in academic titles, is a book I’ll use more for reference and can easily search.
LL: Do you still gravitate towards physical copies of books?
JO: I thought I’d never read ebooks. I was wrong. But nothing can replace the feel of a physical book in your hand.
LL: For the eBooks you have, do you use a specific eReader?
LL: Do you find yourself wanting to get more material after reading a book?
JO: If it’s a book I love, always. I’ve had the privilege of interviewing many authors (from David Baldacci to Jerry Jenkins) because of this. Listening to an interview is great. Actually getting to pick up the phone and call them is even better.
LL: Any memorable answers?
JO: Usually I delete the raw audio recording after I’ve edited and published a podcast. Last year, post-interview but still on the recording, Max Lucado praised my writing and the website. To a pastor and book geek like me, that was probably the highest honor I’ve ever been given. I didn’t delete that audio.
Another good answer was when I had the opportunity to interview NYT bestseller Terri Blackstock. I don’t recall the exact reason why—construction on her neighbor’s house, I believe—but at the end of the call, she mentioned that she’d been sitting in her kitchen pantry with the door closed to best minimize the outside noise. It was a great interview and without any background noise. I appreciate Terri’s willingness to go above and beyond to give a good interview.
LL: Have you watched a film before reading the book?
JO: Confession: I have watched all the Harry Potter movies and read…none…of the books. They’re on my to-read list, you know, for when I run out of books to review.
Very rarely do I ever finish a book and think it should be made into a movie. Unless, that is, the books are very visual and action-oriented. Usually, the fear that a movie would mess up my favorite books outweighs wanting to see my favorite stories in a different medium.
LL: How many books do you bring when you are out and about?
JO: I once took a vacation to Florida and packed an entire suitcase worth of books. If I’m on a road trip and not driving, I’ll pack a book or two to pass the time. If I’m flying, then space is usually a concern, which is another perk to ebooks. But, I mean, usually four or five.
I never leave the house without a book. You never know when you might need to read.
LL: After reading a book, are they usually devoid of marks?
JO: I cannot stand highlighting or writing in a book. If I want to make a note (or capture a quote), I’ll generally use Evernote to make my notations.
LL: What’s the best (book related) gift you’ve received?
JO: Christmas 2004. The Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker. It revitalized my interest in fiction and jumpstarted my own desire to write.
It was through this that I eventually made friends all over the country with people I consider my best friends. One of those friends is now my wife. You can call it a slippery slope argument, but I call it a very, very good gift.
LL: There are people who think that reading is quite a solitary activity, and forget that it is after a book is read that connection with other readers (in forums or during live readings) kicks in. What would your advice be to form and cultivate deep friendships like you did?
JO: If you find a good book, talk about it. Seek out others talking about it. Chances are if you both like the same literature, you have other things in common as well. A friendship built on books is a strong friendship indeed.
LL: The last book you were really excited about?
JO: Checkmate by Steven James. Steven’s been writing a superb thriller series for a past seven years and Checkmate concluded it.
LL: Favourite place to read?
JO: Nothing beats curling up in bed and spending a few hours with a good book.
LL: Do you think there is a uniting quality from all the books you’ve read and enjoyed that draws you in?
JO: In terms of fiction, I look for a good story with a good theme. I abhor books that beat you over the head with their message. I don’t find any enjoyment or purpose in books that have no message. The best books are those [that] use the power of story to make you think.
LL: Are you a fan of boxed sets?
JO: Depends. I personally tend not to get boxed sets because I’ve usually followed the series through its individual releases. There’s something satisfying about seeing a boxed set, though. It’s like a nice way of partitioning a series and setting it apart from the rest of the bookshelf.
LL: Are there any misconceptions about you that you’ve had to clarify?
JO: After reviewing a book by NYT bestseller Eric Wilson, I got an email from him asking “This could be a weird question, but are you the Josh Olds from Family Force 5?” Turns out I share a name with the bassist of a Christian band. I’ve fielded that one a number of times.
LL: Are there questions you find yourself answering multiple times?
JO: Everyone comes to me for Ted Dekker questions. Most people come to me for reading recommendations. I always tell them to check the website, it retains the information better than me!
LL: Are there times when you struggle to find time to read?
JO: Always. I work two jobs outside of Life is Story and have to carefully schedule and protect my reading time. Especially as the site has grown and I’ve had to do more administrative and publicity work, it’s gotten harder. Fortunately, I’m a fairly fast reader and can usually average two books a week.
LL: Were there instances when you hesitated about posting a review?
JO: Any negative review goes to my wife first. I want to make sure I’m tactful and offering constructive criticism rather than just tearing something down. I always sit on a negative review for at least a day and come back to it later. If my feelings about it stick, then that’s what I publish.
There have been a few instances where, for independent publishers, I’ve elected not to publically review a book but send back private feedback. For indie publishers, a review is the same thing as publicity and if I can’t help them publicly, I’ll do so privately.
LL: Are you currently in the process of getting someone into reading?
JO: My brother. He’s a senior in high school and we couldn’t be less alike. Last year for Christmas I gave him a Kindle and preloaded it with some books I thought he’d like. He just finished the first one.
LL: Are there certain things you ‘geek out’ about?
JO: The Art of Story. Ted Dekker. Doctor Who. Jesus. My wife. Not necessarily in that order.
LL: Is there a topic that would get you talking endlessly?
JO: It changes weekly. This week I’m preaching on living in light of eternity, so right now I’m struggling with not preaching the whole sermon to you.
JO: Confession time. I’m not huge into music. I appreciate it. I enjoy it. I don’t follow it enough to know who sings what. As far as worship music, The Stand and This I Believe by Hillsong United are my favorites at the moment.
LL: What are you reading at the moment?
JO: Fiction: Then Sings my Soul by Amy Sorrells, Non-Fiction: Overrated by Eugene Cho, Websites: A daily read of mine is Cracked.com. Improvement: My friend Kevin Kaiser is putting up great content about making a living as an artist at his website 1ktruefuns.com. Bible: In the middle of an in-depth study of Ephesians.
LL: Do you go out of your way to discover new things? JO: I always check the publisher’s upcoming catalogs. They usually list books 3-6 months before they release. A couple months before release, I’ll put in my request.
LL: In what way do you approach motivation and inspiration?
JO: Well, as I define it, inspiration comes from the outside. Motivation comes from the inside. Both are necessary to succeed. As far as the writing life goes, I’d take motivation over inspiration any day.
LL: What makes you smile?
JO: My wife. It’s cheesy, but it’s true. She’s the funniest person I know.
LL: What’s your view about social media?
JO: I use it more for business than personal. I might post a personal update once every few days on Facebook, but all other social media is for Life is Story. I’ve taken a liking to Instagram as of late.
JO: I used to. The whole group of friends I had hung out a lot on a forum we created. Forums have died down as other forms of social media have taken their place, so not so much any more.
LL: Are there websites that you like to visit just because you like the design?
JO: I looked at a lot of different modern designs when researching the recent theme change at Life is Story, but other than that, no.
LL: What would you do when you need cheering up? (a particular website, listen to an album….?)
JO: Some time alone with God. Then commiserating with my wife.
JO: Technology interests me, but I’m definitely not a whiz kid with it.
LL: For someone reading one of your reviews for the first time, what is the message you’re hoping they’ll take with them?
JO: Overall, I want it to be “This guy knows what he’s talking about.” Life is Story can help people craft their whole years’ worth of reading and we take pride in offering quality reviews.
LL: What do you find is the best way to connect with other readers?
JO: Facebook is wonderful. I belong to a number of groups dedicated to various fanbases or reading in general.
LL: What kind of opportunities are you looking forward to?
JO: Well, I’d never turn down an opportunity to collaborate with Ted, but I doubt that’s even on the radar for him—though you never know.
Opportunities? There are so many out there that are within my reach in 2015. For Life is Story in particular, I’m working on capitalizing on this great opportunity I have called Behind the Pages, which is a twice-weekly guest column that I’m hosting on LiS. I’m bringing in a whole host of experts to talk about the various aspects of publishing, writing, editing, and so on. I’m going to learn a lot and it’s going to help Life is Story grow.
LL: In what way do you enjoy helping others?
JO: My wife and I…and I say I loosely, my wife runs the thing…have an organization called Gathering Family (GatheringFamily.org) that fundraises for families going through international special-needs adoptions. In the past 9 months, we’ve raised over $12,000 and been involved in helping five families bring their children home from an ocean away. It’s an exhilarating experience.
* Josh Olds writes for ‘Life is Story’. You can learn more about him through his tweets or viewing his photos on Instagram.
Source Material and Notes: The material posted is based on correspondence (December 2014 – January 2015) between Josh and Leigh. Content has been edited for length, and the final version has been reviewed and approved by the interviewee.
If there are things that you’d like to know about Josh that has not been covered, please do leave a note (using the second form gives me the opportunity to share your request with the WNE community and also to give Josh the option of answering).
Corrections and additional information: Spot one?
Q&A Suggestions (individuals or groups) and feedback (specific or general) are always welcome. 🙂
If you share a quote from your favorite Q&A on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag ‘#WNEQA’!
Following each Q&A session I post a separate entry including quotes from various sites and publications from the web. Clicking each of the links will open a new window containing the full article or video (if publicly accessible).
The names below were mentioned by Mikee during his Q&A.
“I felt the more you work, no matter what the material, if you could bring something fresh and try to elevate that material in your own way, then that’s a great exercise for an actor.” – Adam West
“You’re not doing the right thing kind of if you’re always agreeing…” – Ben Affleck (Collider)
“… I didn’t want the first five minutes of this movie to cater to a tiny minority of people who are just going to show up at this not having seen the first one.” – Peter Jackson (IGN)
Notes:
Corrections and additional information: Spot one? Let me know!
Q&A Suggestions (individuals or groups) and feedback (specific or general) are always welcome!
If you share a quote from your favorite Q&A on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag ‘#WNEQA’!
“Mikee shares his journey as a photographer, his love for Batman, the importance of being humble, and a quote from LOTR”
Leigh Lim: Hi Mikee, thanks for taking the time to do a Q&A!
Michal Wilczek: Hi Leigh! Thank You for taking Your time on preparing these questions. I was really touched by Your in-depth research and re-discovered some pictures that I haven’t seen in a while – what a journey it has been for me :)! I just came back to my home in Krakow, I spent some time abroad and on out-of-town projects. Here we go.
LL: Looking at your photo stream, I noticed a bunch of Batman related photos! Are you quite the fan?
MW: I’ve been a Batman Fan since I was 3. To this day I remember my uncle bringing over a Russian VHS version of the Tim Burton classic. The opening sequence haunted me for years to come. Batman opened my eyes to the “terrifying” world of darkness and comics. From then on it was a great experience – 2 years later I got to see Batman Returns and got hooked on Batman – The Animated Series.
The rest of my Bat curiosity was set in motion and every year I found some new Batman related stories that I still love to this day. I actually shared all of the cowls on my Flickr – I have the highest respect for all of the Batman films that came out – each is special for its time period, the people behind the camera, the producers and the actors. I think every actor that had to put the “cowl” on did a phenomenal job – Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Kevin Conroy (the voice of Batman the Animated Series) and Christian Bale – love their work and dedication.
I have high hopes for Ben Affleck’s take on Bruce Wayne, I’ve been a great fan of his classic work in “Good Will Hunting” and even more respect for his return in “The Town” and “Argo”.
LL: Do you think part of you sometimes switches to the point of view of ‘Batman – The Animated Series’? I know it’s likely a coincidence! I just couldn’t help thinking about the cinematic (and dark) vibe of the series when looking at these two photos: the cheeky ‘Which way to the food court?’ and one from the West Coast tour.
MW: There is a part of me that does not want to leave the wonderful and inspiring moments of my childhood behind. Some call it a “condition” :), but I a strong believer in the power of nostalgia on who we are today.
Whether it is the wonderful colours that where amongst Leonardo, Donatello and the rest of the gang from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the rapid action and detailed “Centurions” (Power EXTREME !! 🙂 ) or the dark corners of the dangerous and mysterious Gotham City from Batman the Animated series… I’d say.. “yeah” :), the cinematic vibe is totally in my head when I am thinking of the mood I want to achieve in each published frame.
LL: Can you give a quick summary in terms of how you got to where you are with Photography?
MW: I didn’t have the resources to go with even an entry-level SLR when I started taking my first pictures. Luckily enough I was able to “borrow” my dad’s Canon AF-1 with a 28mm f/2 lens when I was still in elementary school. From time to time I would take my gear to school to joke around with my friends. In high school I decided to keep a low-profile and focus more on scanning and post-processing the pictures.
One of my greatest personal achievements of that time was having my older brother carry some of my printed work on his notepad to school :).
My break through came in 2003, when I got into Clear Lake High School’s Photography classes and was guided on SLR work with Mr. Caldarera. The creative freedom and fundamentals I learned during that year were the core of what my work is today.
I looked up photo work on the web, magazines, store posters, banners and tried to replicate the process in my head, guessing what lens, exposure, iso, post-processing method was being used and after a while “my-mental-hard-drive” needed some cleaning, which I usually did by giving an extra-personal-touch to my work.
The biggest milestone occurred, when I got my first prime lens.
LL: If you were to put together a ‘learning plan’ or practice pack for someone who has never consciously paid attention when taking photos before, so they could have the capacity to capture photographs at your level and skill. What would it look like?
MW: I guess time is the biggest factor. That and being humble. Learning about Your mistakes, taking criticism and learning from it too. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially amongst people who share the same hobby as You do. As You get older, Your skills and perspective will change, You’ll look back at Your work saying “My God… what was I thinking??” but that’s part of the learning process.
As for monetisation – I made myself a promise when I bought my first DSLR: ‘that I would never, ever let my creative work make me think that it’s okay to look down on others. It would be great to be part of the photography business and make a living based on telling stories with photos, so let’s try to get there some day. So far, things have been great – but if one day the phone stops ringing and the offers stop coming in – I will still be happy that I spent a significant time of my life on taking photos for others :).
LL: For those wanting to learn how to get this effect in photos, where should they start?
MW: I guess it’s all about finding what makes You happy. Some people like fashion photography, some like documentaries and some like taking stills of landscapes. I tried taking pictures in almost every category there is out there and after 8 years I can say that my top 3 are – animals, portraits and documentary.
Once You find Your niche, You can explore the possibilities of framing, effects, colouring and so on. I tend to mix-up styles and most times it looks really bad, but again – that’s part of the learning process and it’s always better to try than sit on your ass and not do anything :).
LL: Favourite time of the day to photograph?
MW: My favourite time is usually…when I have the time. Everybody loves the possibilities the golden hour gives, but sometimes – You just can’t take pictures during that time of the day.
I started loving outdoor photography, when I learned to use my flash+softbox as an extra light outside. That way, even in the most harsh sun, I would use the sun as a counter light and the electronic flash + soft box as the fill light. This technique allowed me take all of my Malawi portraits in less the 4 hours time. We were basically chasing the sun to make sure there is enough lighting in the background.
Eventually we also took some night pictures to imitate a studio shoot for one of the local musicians and to this day, I consider those pictures one of my greatest achievements.
LL: Do you plan when you take photos?
MW: I love being spontaneous, but only during my personal time :).
I love my job and the opportunity that life has given me with this kind of work. Therefore, I am very serious on getting ready for the task that is given to me. I brief the customer, ask about the tastes in image framing, colouring, set up a pre-meeting to get to know my project on a personal level and try to create a story based on the given task.
The day before the shoot I clean my lenses, buy extra batteries, check the wireless transmitters, clear the memory cards, prepare the soft-boxes and tripods. Preparation, with the time needed for charging, is about 30 minutes.
LL: Do you use wireless for all remote triggering (like flash) and as well as for transferring image data?
MW: I have two flashes fit with wireless receivers that had taken quite-the-beating these last two years, but whenever I am in the situation that I can control the lighting to achieve a desired effect, I definitely go a flash combo. Some people will get fussy about using flash, as a way of limiting natural light coming into a frame, but I beg to differ.
I set the flash to “compensate” the lack of light within an environment and point it at an angle, never directly – even when I “hot-shoe” the flash, I have to bounce it off a ceiling or wall (or a piece of cardboard 😀 ) but never directly on the model – I just don’t like that effect.
LL: How would you describe your style of Photography?
MW: I was never big with words (that’s a skill my brother has), therefore I can’t find the word to describe my work. I spend less time describing and “just get out there” to do my work. The less time I spent on thinking what my work represents, the more time I have to learn some new tricks and explore for some new inspirations.
LL: Are you learning something specific at the moment?
MW: Recently, I was invited to take some shots of airplanes flying into Krakow Balice Airport by my friend Tomek. The night before I saw, by chance, the intro to Michael Bay’s “Bad Boys”, which features a commercial plane flying over the Miami sign – not bad for an overnight inspiration. My work should be available sometime in the next two weeks.
I used this setup during my one-day report in Paris, where I was limited to only 8kg of luggage including clothing and gear.
Optimum setup: all of the above | 50mm 1.2L | 70-20mm f/4 IS | 430 EXII | Pixel King Wireless Flash | Softbox+Tripod combo
I used this set for my work in China and Macau. It proved perfect for its weight and reliability.
Perfect setup : Minimal+optimum | Canon 5D Mark II | 14mm 2.8L II I 2x430EX II | 2 x Pixel King Wireless Flash | 2 x Softbox+Tripod combo
This is my setup for domestic photo projects. With this setup I am ready for most challenges given to me by clients, lighting and time.
LL: Did it take awhile for you to settle on the kind of set-up that you like?
MW: Trial and error, all the time. I’d look up some work on Flickr, reddit and then try to recreate an idea. Sometimes I would set up these “cheat sheets” with various pictures linking the idea I wanted to capture and most of the times the final composition was a mixture of a couple of concepts.
LL: Has your equipment undergone customisation?
MW: I did a little “tuning”. I updated the firmware and picture profiles to give me a better idea of what the final result might be. Due to massive usage and a couple of times in the rain, I decided to put some “duct tape” on my trusted 5D, which now serves as my secondary camera.
LL: Do you have a piece of equipment (or software) that you thought was a good buy at that time, but you eventually didn’t use it as much as you hoped?
MW: The only time I sold my gear, was when I was switching to Canon from Nikon. At that time I wanted my trusted lenses to go to someone, who would not only take care of them, but also use them to document stories and family life, and they still do to this day :).
My first film lenses were actually my fathers old PL-mount lenses, which I still use to this day.
LL: Have you been always mindful of ergonomics each time you shoot?
MW: I try to carry my backpack on three straps at a time, using a chest mount, a stomach mount and the standard shoulder straps. That way, the excess weight is evenly distributed on my spine and I have less stress on my back. For those extra heavy work days or usually on the third consecutive day I put on my basketball shoes, which tend to be better for my knees.
LL: What shoes do you usually wear?
MW: Mother nature blessed me (and cursed and the same time) with a pair of large and wide feet (shoe size 45 – 45.5) – therefore it was always easy for me to swim a bit faster :), but at the same time it was difficult finding shoes that would resist the amount of “inside” pressure from all the movement I was giving them.
Luckily I started skateboarding at an early age and I have been wearing skateboarding shoes for almost 16 years.
LL: Equipment Maintenance and Storage?
MW: Sensor cleaning every 2-3 months, lens cleaning before every shoot.
LL: Do you keep prints of your photos?
MW: I print my favourites, share them with my family and friends. Whenever an exhibition is finished, I tend to distribute the “left overs” 🙂 amongst those that care about my work and would like to have it in their home.
LL: Can you share a bit of how some of your photos came about?
MW: Jasio Wolfy – This is a photo of my brother’s son, one of my favourite shots – I guess it was his first smile for my camera. That kid is going to flood my photo stream soon.
Cookie, summertime 2014 – This is an “Action” shot of our dog Cookie, [she] makes the most awkward poses when she wants to play [with] all the other dogs.
Myslecinek // Walking in the rain – My significant other on a walk with my dear Mom. I was fortunate enough to get the right focus on them while running towards a puddle.
I’m 10 today – My dear Uncle Jasiu’s 10 year old cat that likes to sit in the dark. I caught it looking at some pigeons flying over my uncles house.
Odd one – While visiting the local cemetery in Yang Zhou, my dear friend Mei showed us the only “Christian” grave there.
Mr. Tim Roth [in Krakow] – I had the unique opportunity of meeting the great Tim Roth while he was visiting Krakow in 2011. I even had a brief chat with Mr. Roth on his work with director Quentin Tarantino, which made the meeting even more memorable. Great guy.
LL: Do you have a favourite self-portrait?
MW: I tend to point the lens at others. Sometimes I manage to squeeze in via a reflection, but that rarely happens.
As for my Gramps, well – he’s my “dziadzia” and I’ve been looking up to him for almost 30 years now. We share some great moments together and ever since I convinced him to “be himself” and not worry about me taking my camera everywhere with me, he’s never been happier. I usually have a “same-day” delivery arrangement with them, whereas my Grandma downloads the pictures on her laptop and shares them with the rest of the family.
LL: Do you have a regular schedule of posting photos?
MW: As You can tell, I haven’t posted to Flickr for a while, but that will change. I used to have a rule of posting at least one photo-per-day, and I have about 80 photos waiting to be uploaded. I’ll prepare the proper description and then flood my photostream :).
LL: What would you like to learn about next?
MW: I recently discovered a new method of retouching skin tones, without destroying the skin structure – one of the biggest improvement to my work. I also am learning the power of using color-foil filters on flash and will be posting more pictures featuring both of these methods to my photostream.
LL: Are there certain things you ‘geek out’ about?
MW: Nostalgia, old-but-good movies, puppies/kittens and backgrounds that remind me of a cinematic universe somewhere out there :).
LL: Are you a big listener of music?
MW: I was never too big on the “you-probably-never-heard-of-them” movement. I usually grabbed my musical inspirations [from] my fathers records, then my older brother. In the times of Napster, Myspace and Youtube it became relatively easy to get the music one wanted to hear at a given moment. If you look at some of the playlist I have made for myself on Youtube, it’s hard to define one genre or artist that motivates me on a daily basis :).
Author’s Note: Mikee has provided a link to playlists — you can find them here, here, here, here, and here.
LL: Do you go out of your way to discover new things?
MW: I spent a lot of time on Reddit and treat it as one of the most reliable sources for inspiration, learning and entertainment .
LL: Where do you go for inspiration?
MW: I usually scan through random photos on Flickr, watch a late night movie or scan through some old comic books.
LL: What helps you focus on your uniqueness?
MW: My family, dog and significant other :).
LL: What makes you smile?
MW: A good joke, my dog doing some random shenanigans, a phone call from an old friend, sunrise when I’m driving for [an] early project, the smell of spices my grandmother uses for cooking, an e-mail from my mom or the smile of my other half.
LL: What’s your view about social media?
MW: One of my good friends, who is one of the top social media experts in Poland, brought me into this strange world of clicking, likes and sharing – and sharing my work has never been better. The idea of spreading your thoughts and work, to those that care the most with a click of button is still stunning to me :).
LL: What are your favourite sites at the moment?
MW: Reddit, Cracked (though I miss the “old cracked.com”) and a few others.
LL: Do you currently post at any forums?
MW: I have a few Flickr and Reddit forums I post to, photography related. Usually it’s about technique, the right gear or just plain “great job!” comments and upvotes to support the person on the other side of the screen :).
LL: Are there websites that you like to visit just because you like the design?
MW: Not really, its the content – though I am a big fan of visibility / ad-free – and Reddit delivers :).
LL: What would you do when you need cheering up?
MW: Play a map of Heroes of Might and Magic 3, go with my dog for a walk, take a ride in my car, call my brother – some options are always available.
LL: Would you be open to collaborating with other artists?
MW: One Greek philosopher once said that we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak – I try to be listener amongst collaborations and give my insight, when asked for it. There are areas, where my creative ego wants to take over, but I try to keep it in the closet for those “we-have-24-hours-to-publish-this” moments.
LL: Are you interested in technology?
MW: I wouldn’t call myself of tech geek, but to keep this area short – I work on a Mac, edit videos in FCPX, photos in Lightroom and Photoshop CC, shoot on Canon cameras and lenses.
LL: If you were asked to pick from your photos, which one would be your favourite?
LL: For someone seeing one of your photos for the first time, what is the message you’re hoping they’ll take with them?
MW: I guess the overall message its that, so far, for me life is set of random stories from various places around the world- and that the one thing linking all of these stories, is the person behind the camera. The older I get, the more I notice how many things I forgot and how much more I remember thanks to those extra clicks on the camera.
Go out there, shoot, edit, publish – You’ll thank Yourself in 10 years time :).
LL: What makes your soul sing?
MW: I’ve never thought I would directly use a quote, but this best illustrates my everyday motivation:
Sam: It’s like in the great stories Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it’s only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it’ll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there’s some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.
Editor’s Note: You can find that scene in the film version of the Two Towers.
LL: What do you find is the best way to connect with people who admire your work?
MW: Definitely sending and replying to individual messages via my Facebook Fan Page. After a video project last Year I responded to over 300 emails, each individually and thanked all the people that wrote me with this.
* Michal Wilczek is a photographer based at Kraków. You can find out more about him (and see more of his photos!) via Flickr or Facebook.
Source Material and Notes: The material posted is based on correspondence (September 2014 – January 2015) between Michal and Leigh. Content has been edited for length, and the final version has been reviewed and approved by the interviewee.
If there are things that you’d like to know about Michal that I have not covered, please do leave a note (using the second form gives me the opportunity to share your request with the WNE community and also to give Michal the option of answering).
Corrections and additional information: Spot one? Let me know!
Q&A Suggestions (individuals or groups) and feedback (specific or general) are always welcome. 🙂
If you share a quote from your favorite Q&A on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag ‘#WNEQA’!
Following each Q&A session I post a separate entry including quotes from various sites and publications from the web. Clicking each of the links will open a new window containing the full article or video (if publicly accessible).
The names below were mentioned by Emily during her Q&A.
* Emily gives us a glimpse of her journey as a painter, how she is able to make some of her brushes last a long time (20 years!), and how swapping gratitudes with select people helps.
Leigh Lim: Hi Emily! Thanks for taking the time to do a Q&A. I’ve noticed in one of your posts, you mention that you had to recreate 22 paintings in 48 hours. How did you manage that!?
Emily Page: For my sip and paint studio, Artistic Abandon, we do consulting to help other sip and paint studios open without them having to do a franchise. Part of the consulting package is that we allow them to use 50 of our copyrighted paintings, and we provide those 50 physical paintings for them to hang on the wall.
Normally, I have several weeks to come up with all 50, but we had a studio opening in Maryland within a couple weeks and my husband was going to be driving through that area in a couple days anyway, so we decided he should just deliver them on his way and save them the cost of shipping. Luckily, we had several of the images already painted (every time I teach a class, I’m recreating the painting for the students to follow along with), but there were 22 paintings that I had to get done within a couple days. It was madness.
The paintings that we teach at the studio are designed to be taught between a 2 and 3 hour period, so they take me 30 minutes to an hour and a half to recreate if I’m not waiting for students to catch up. So if we average an hour per painting, that means it took me approximately 22 hours total. I pretty much formed an assembly line of paintings with similar colors and would work on one painting while another dried, then go back once it was dry to do the next step.
My hand just about fell off at the end of it. I wear a wrist brace when I paint because I’ve got tendonitis and it definitely earned its keep over those couple days!
LL: If you were to explain the ‘Sip and Paint’ concept to someone who hasn’t encountered before, what would you say?
EP: Basically, customers can bring their own wine, beer, or nonalcoholic beverage and any snacks they’d like to class, and we’ll walk them step-by-step through creating their own version of one of our paintings.
Everyone in the class does the same painting, and we break it down so that, even if you’ve never painted before, you can walk away with something your proud of. You can follow along exactly, or put your own personal touches on it (we’ll help you do that, too, if you ask). It’s a social event with people laughing and chatting while they paint, but if you want to take it more seriously, you can.
We have customers that have been in over 50 times, which I never thought would happen. We work really hard to come up with paintings that are both good, and teachable, and to make sure that everyone is having a good time, too.
LL: What approach do you take when having to ship your paintings?
EP: I’ve gone back and forth between FedEx and UPS. I’ve never used any of the big art shippers because they’re so crazy expensive. I suppose if my work started getting super expensive, I would switch over. My strategy is just bubble wrap bubble wrap bubble wrap. Way more than you think is actually necessary. And I add an extra layer of cardboard in there, too.
LL: Can you give a quick summary in terms of how you got to where you are with painting?
EP: I started drawing when I was little and my parents always encouraged me to explore (mostly because it kept me occupied and quiet, I think, during the many hours we spent touring the country and chasing trains in a VW camper – yes, my parents were dirty dirty hippies). In high school, I did an independent study with a family friend, Tim O’Kane, and he introduced me to several different media, including oils. Check out his work at http://www.timokane.com. He’s amazing and continues to mentor me unofficially.
I fell in love with oils and ended up being an art major in college, focusing on painting. There’s such a satisfying gush. I’m big on textures. I tend to get hooked on a style and do a ton of work in that style, and then I get restless and want to try something new. I mostly figure out how to do new stuff myself, but occasionally I’ll consult books or go online if it’s a new medium. Tim recently gave me some panel to experiment on and I’m totally obsessed with that now. It’s allowing me to get very detailed and precise, so I’m doing a series of realist paintings at the moment, sprinkled in with some other work.
LL: Are there any challenges that come to mind during your learning process?
EP: The hardest thing about learning is accepting that you’re going to end up with something that you’re not happy with. You want it to be perfect the first time. But I’m learning to let go and know that I’ll probably have to sand down and gesso over a few pieces and reuse the canvas when I’m at the beginning of a new style or medium.
Making something that ends up being something you consider sub-par is okay – no one needs to see it and you’re going to learn on each piece what works and what doesn’t work, and the next one will get better. That was particularly true when I started doing portraits. Let me tell you, I have butchered some of my loved ones’ faces! Luckily, they’ll never know. I also know that sometimes a piece needs to sit for a few months and then be revisited when you’ve learned more.
I’ve even shown works that I wasn’t thrilled with and a year later gone back and totally reworked it. If a piece isn’t working, you can’t be afraid to go way off course and screw up the pretty parts to get to somewhere new and fresh. Some of my best pieces are works I hated the first time around and that are kind of accidental.
LL: Do you have specific books that you keep within reach that you regularly refer to?
EP: I don’t really consult books on a regular basis, but in my studio, I do have The Artist’s Handbooks (1 by Ralph Mayer and 1 by Ray Smith), and the Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist by Stephen Rogers Park. They’re sort of for just in case.
LL: If you were to put together a ‘learning plan’ or practice pack for someone who has never painted before, so they could have the capacity to draw at your level and skill. What would it look like?
EP: I don’t think there needs to be a set path for learning to paint. The key is to not be afraid to make mistakes and be willing to practice daily. You WILL make mistakes, and that’s okay. Just learn from them. I believe in having a strong foundation in drawing, because it teaches you how to really see what’s there, not just what you THINK is there. If you can’t draw, you can’t paint.
But really, learning to create art is just like anything else: the more you practice, the better you get. When I give private lessons, I assign homework that both lets you explore and requires you to practice. If you have a good artist to guide you, that’s really helpful, because they can help you see in ways you didn’t already. I would also say that any chance you get to watch a really great artist work, do it. I’ve learned so much by just observing.
LL: Would you say it was discipline that got you to where you are as an artist?
EP: I was not disciplined when I was younger and it has taken me a long time to get to where I am. I’m not sure how much being more dedicated would have helped me get here faster, or if my brain just needed time to develop and mature and work things out. Even now, I don’t think of it as discipline – I look for ways to keep myself interested, which is why I have such a wide variety of art and styles.
Don’t force yourself to do more than 10 minutes a day as you’re beginning. If you’re enjoying it, do more. If you’re not, stop. Art should be a release. It should be fun, and if it’s not fun, you’ll lose interest quickly. I tend to work in spurts, where I have dozens of paintings in the works and I wish I had more time to paint, and I have phases where things slow down.
The lulls used to panic me, but now I know that’s just my pattern and that soon enough, inspiration will hit again.
LL: How important was it to have someone help you learn a specific technique?
EP: I can’t think of specific examples of times a teacher has helped me work through a real problem or learn a new technique, but as I said, people often give little tips that help you along the way – like Tim O’Kane giving me a couple pieces of prepped Masonite for my realist work.
LL: Do you plan when you paint?
EP: I do plan when I paint sometimes. I’ll work out composition on paper first, but I rarely make any studies in paint first. It really depends on what I’m working on. If I’m using any photos as reference, I’ll print them out in black and white before I start painting so I can see values without hue.
LL: Do you have a mental (or written) checklist that you go through, before each work is finished?
EP: I don’t really have any kind of checklist. It’s more intuitive for me. I think if you have a solid enough foundation, you can let go of the technique and interpret your way through. If I’m struggling with a piece, or if I’m not quite sure if I’m done, I’ll ask my husband. He has no artistic training, and I like getting the layman’s opinion, because they don’t care about technique.
And generally buyers are not artists themselves. He’ll just look at a piece and say something like, “I think it needs more red over there.” He’s often right, and even if he’s not, he sometimes makes me think of something that I hadn’t considered before.
I do like having photos as reference – whether it’s of a color palette I like, or a pose I’m using, or even another artist’s work that I like the mood of, I find photos helpful.
EP: This is a really tough one for me, because, artistically, I call myself a restless spirit. I tend to like bold color, but, of course, there are exceptions to that in my work. I swing wildly between styles – some of my work is fairly abstract and expressive, other work is tight and realistic. I tend to be drawn to figurative work in general.
I often have a theme of subject matter that I’ll focus on for a while, then back off and switch to a new subject, then go back as more ideas arise.
LL: What are some misconceptions you find about you as an artist?
EP: People assume that I’m naturally talented and that it comes easily to me. They assume they could never do it because the stuff they’ve produced so far hasn’t been “successful.” Wrong. Yes, I do have some natural ability, but I’m good because I’ve worked hard at it.
Paint seriously for 20 years, and it’ll get easier for you, too. And I firmly believe that everyone can produce something of value with the right guidance. That’s the thing that I love about the sip and paint studio: it allows people to try painting again even though their 2nd grade art teacher told them they couldn’t do it (that drives me crazy by the way – never EVER tell a child they’re not gifted at art. If they’re struggling, it’s your job to find their unique ability). We let them sip wine while they paint, so they relax a little, and then we walk them step-by-step through creating a painting.
With the right instruction and having each paint stroke really broken down for them, they can walk away with something they’re proud of and that they never thought they could do. Again, it’s like anything else, the more you practice, the better you get.
LL: Favourite time of the day to paint?
EP: I like painting at night, but that’s not generally an option these days. Because I have to teach classes at night and I’m usually worn out afterward, I’m often stuck carving out a little time during the day to paint.
I try to reserve Fridays to work on my personal art, but it doesn’t always happen. What’s also hard is that some Fridays I’m just not in the mood, and there are other days when I desperately need to paint but can’t. Finding the time for my personal work is a real struggle, and because it’s in the same space as the business itself, I often don’t want to come in on my days off because it feels like I’m returning to work.
I’m looking forward to the future when I have my own dedicated studio space at home away from work so I can work at any hour of the day and don’t feel obligated to do “real” work.
LL: Are you learning something specific at the moment?
EP: I’m working on realism right now, and trying to learn some glazing techniques. I’m also doing a lot more underpainting in acrylic and then taking oils on top. I like the speed of doing an underpainting in acrylic and then having the leisure to work in oils.
I’m also about to start sculpting with foam for the haunted attraction my husband and I are building. I’ve never sculpted in foam, and I haven’t been able to find anyone to teach me, so I’ve been watching a lot of videos online.
EP: My favorite oils are actually Utrecht. Good quality, not too pricey. I don’t feel like I have to be stingy with it because it’s so expensive. I usually use some kind of quick drying medium like Liquin or ResinGel (I used to really like Oleopasto, but they stopped making it). I’ve also been doing some mixed media work, so I’m tearing through Matte Gel Medium.
LL: How would you describe your go-to set-up?
EP: If I’m painting plein air (find a good site include as a link), I bring my pochade box, some quick drying medium and turpenoid (I use little baby food jars for carrying the turp), and plenty of water/coffee/snacks to keep me going. I bring my phone, too, because snapping a quick picture can really help me double check my composition and flatten the space before I start sketching. I’m not a purist, whatever helps me get there is fine with me.
LL: Did it take awhile for you to settle on the kind of set-up that you like?
EP: I’m STILL not settled on a set-up I like. Sometimes I stand when I paint, sometimes I sit, sometimes I kneel.Having a good adjustable easel is important for me for that reason. I usually get out all of the colors and supplies I think I’ll need before I paint because having to stop and get more as I go frustrates me.
LL: Have you been always mindful of ergonomics each time you start a project?
EP: Ergonomics is really the constant battle, isn’t it? I have a number of health conditions that sometimes affect my set-up. I guess that’s why I don’t have just one way that I paint. If I’m really achy or I’m working on a small realist piece, I like a low chair, if I’m working on an expressive piece, I prefer to stand so that I can have good range of motion.
I’ve even been known to use those exercise balls to sit on. Having enough padding on the floor is key (and again is one of my big frustrations because of the limitations of the sip and paint studio space). Honestly, I know it’s crazy, but a carpeted floor with a drop cloth on it is my favorite.
LL: Do you have a piece of equipment (or software) that you thought was a good buy at that time, but you eventually didn’t use it as much as you hoped?
EP: I have some high end lights I bought for photographing my work when it’s done, but they’re such a pain to set up that I keep them in storage now. I’ve found that photographing my work outside on a cloudy day gives me the best chance at capturing the real colors in a piece. I also have been known to give away media I don’t care for to other artists (I was once gifted an amazing encaustic set, but didn’t find encaustic to be a satisfying medium to work in, so I gave it to a friend. Why sell when you can gift to another starving artist who you love?).
LL: Would you recommend buying consumables in bulk?
EP: If you can buy in bulk and have the storage, hell yes! But don’t clutter your studio space with extra stuff if you need to feel like you have room. I make that mistake a lot – I want the good deals, but I hate feeling like I don’t have the space I need to create.
Clutter is kind of inevitable for me, but periodically I clean up because I feel so much more open in a large, clean space.
LL: Maintenance and Storage?
EP: I’m religious about cleaning my brushes and palette knives. Religious. Brushes are so expensive, and it’s not that hard to take a couple extra minutes to clean when you’re done. I have brushes that I’ve been using for 20 years.
If I love it, I want to be able to keep using it and not have to hunt down a brush that they may stop making in a couple years. I have canisters for my brushes so I can store them bristle up. They’re sorted by style and size (though I’m pretty loose about that) so I can find the one I want easily.
People being cruel to brushes drives me absolutely loony. That’s the hardest thing about owning a sip and paint studio – people are abusive to our brushes, so we have to replace them on a regular basis. It’s painful!
LL: What approach do you recommend for using and maintaining brushes?
EP: If you’re using acrylics, the key is to always leave the brushes in a cup of water when you’re not using them. People always think that, because they’ve rinsed it and it looks relatively clean when they dab it on a paper towel, that it really is clean. It’s not. Paint gets way up in those bristles and hardens when it dries. Once it’s in there, it’s going to make the brush stiff and frayed. For oils, you’ve got way more time, but I still clean my brushes after every painting session.
If you know you’ve got to clean your brushes before you can even start the next day, it can stop you from ever starting. Take away those kind of excuses so that you can come to each session fresh.
People are really heavy handed. A light touch takes practice. I rest my hand or pinky finger on the canvas when I’m painting to help me steady my pressure, and I usually hold my brush pretty close to the bristle if I’m doing anything even vaguely detailed. I use what dentists call the Fulcrum Grip, lol. . I don’t change brushes to change colors. I just clean it well in between. I’m attaching a picture of what our brushes look like when they arrive from the store and what a couple weeks of use by our customers does to them.
LL: Can you share a bit of background on how some of your paintings came about?
EP: When I start a new piece that isn’t really part of a series, it’s because I’ve seen something that has just stuck in my brain and won’t let go. For the Drippings Triptych, I had the color palette in mind and it kept badgering me to come out. We had a painting we teach at the studio, and about a third of the way through, it looks like a lovely piece of abstract art and I just loved the colors.
(I’m attaching a photo of the studio’s painting so you can see. When we first start we just do the background color and some of the trees, and that’s what really set me off and running I had been doing some really tight work and wanted something more abstract and free, and had a wall at home that I wanted to change out the art for).
I had just been given those pieces of Masonite to try, and liked them and had purchased more for myself and had them cut so that I could make the triptych from some of the leftovers. I had done a couple other drippings pieces, and oddly, those had stemmed from a computer glitch. I had tried to print a pic of one of my paintings, and the printer screwed up and created this box within the painting and I liked how it looked. So I set out to do that intentionally on canvas.
The triptych was an extension of that. The only down side was that I was planning on doing something a little looser to give my hand a break, but I had forgotten that in order to have clean edges around the boxes, that you’ve got to get really tight and controlled in the clean-up of the lines. Murder for the hands, but I love how they came out. Serene.
LL: Have you received referrals to take your classes as an antidote to writer’s block?
EP: I haven’t, but that’s a really interesting thought. I think most people just view it as a fun night out, but I have some regulars that often say to me, “hey, it’s cheaper than therapy,” so obviously it helps them in some way. That’s really what art should be.
We all have this need to be perfect, and people are really hard on themselves in class sometimes. They forget that I’ve been painting for 30 years. If I came to their job, I wouldn’t be good at it right away either. And if it was easy, they wouldn’t need my help in the first place.
I ring a cowbell during class reminding them to take a drink or to breathe. Even when I’m working on a tough painting and it’s not going well or I’m finding it kind of stressful, it’s still good for me because it makes me stop thinking about my “real” life. I think that’s true for my customers as well. They stop thinking about job stress or home stress and they’re truly in the moment for those couple of hours that they’re painting.
LL: Are there any misconceptions about you that you’ve had to clarify?
EP: I’ve never really been pigeon holed as an artist (at least, not that I know of) because I do so many kinds of work. I think the hardest thing for me to get past is people not taking me seriously because I’m a petite “young” woman. I’m still called a young woman, but I’m 37, and I wonder when you stop getting called that?
Granted, I take it as a compliment that they perhaps think I’m younger than I am because of how I look, but I do think that I’m often not taken seriously because of it. When I was in art school, I was advised not to sign my paintings with my full name, because buyers won’t pay as much if they know that you’re a woman. I just sign with my first initial and last name. I don’t know if that’s actually true, but I don’t want to take my chances. I do think men get taken more seriously as artists than women do, even in this day and age.
LL: Are there some questions you find yourself answering multiple times?
EP: Why the dancers? Why the elephants. They’re honest questions, though, so I don’t mind answering them.
LL: Do you have a regular schedule of posting entries?
EP: I’m trying to post on the days that I’m already in the studio (Tuesday through Saturday) and give myself a break on Sundays and Mondays. This is mostly so that I’ll rest my hand and help the tendonitis ease.
But if I’m really excited about something, I’ll post more frequently. I’m still new to the whole blogging thing, so we’ll see if I’m able to maintain that rhythm.
LL: Were there instances when you hesitated about posting/sharing something?
EP: I’m a pretty open and honest person. I sometimes question whether readers will get my humor, but I’m viewing the blogging like I view the art. You have to let go of the response you’re anticipating and do what makes you happy.
This is REALLY hard to do, because I’m a people pleaser, but I find that when I let go and just be creative, people generally respond well. The only time I censor is when I’m talking about someone else, like my dad. I don’t want to betray anyone’s trust. If I do talk about someone, I try to keep it in a positive light. There’s enough trash talk out there, I don’t need to add to it.
With my dad, because he can’t advocate for himself anymore with the dementia, I try to think about what he would have been comfortable with sharing, but he was a really open person, too, and decided early on not to hide what was happening (my mom embraced the same attitude, luckily).
If we can be honest about who we are and what’s happening to us, it can be therapeutic for other people reading it. That’s really what support groups are, after all: people saying, “I’ve experienced this,” and other people saying, “Yeah, me, too! I thought I was the only one!”
LL: What would you like to learn about next?
EP: I’d really love to learn a new language. I was pretty good with French for awhile, but it’s been so long since I’ve had to use it, I’ve lost most of it.
I’d love to learn Spanish, just for its usefulness.
I’m also going to have to learn special effects makeup for the haunt, and I’m pretty excited for that. I don’t really like creepy things, but I love the thought of getting to do prosthetics, etc.
LL: Are you currently mentoring someone?
EP: I don’t know that mentoring is the right word. I have a friend who swaps “gratitudes” with me once a week. We each keep a gratitude journal – just stuff that makes us happy day to day, and then we email each other everything once a week.
I have a really strong history of depression (something I haven’t talked about in the blog yet, but which I undoubtedly will), so making the effort to see the good in life is vital. Emailing each other holds us accountable, and I find that, even if I’ve had a really crappy day, at the end of emailing my whole list of gratitudes for the week, I feel better. And then reading hers makes that even better, because it alerts you to things you didn’t know make you happy.It can be really simple things like the crunch of ice when you step on a frozen puddle, but it makes you see some good when you might otherwise be cranky about freezing your butt off.
I have another friend who’s daughter is about to turn 10 and is struggling with self esteem, and I think is tending toward depression. So I sent her a gratitude journal and asked her to be my pen pal and trade gratitudes, too. I really want her to get in the habit while she’s young, because it could make a difference in her teenage years.
I’m also trying to be more cognizant of who I surround myself with. I’m looking for people that believe in me and push me, and I try to reciprocate as much as possible. We need to work harder at being of value to each other’s lives. Let’s grow together.
LL: Are there certain things you ‘geek out’ about?
EP: I watch FRIENDS religiously. And HGTV. I freakin’ love makeovers (home or beauty). And Harry Potter is kind of awesome, I have to admit. That being said, I’m not really someone who goes and looks up every fact that ever was about something I like. So I don’t know if it qualifies as geeking out.
I’m also really fascinated by medical stuff. I have several conditions that have required me to be my own advocate, which means you have to learn about the science-y stuff. I used to run a local support group in FL through the Endometriosis Research Center. And I worked for awhile as a paralegal helping people get their disability benefits, which meant that I had to be able to write coherently about their illnesses. I really enjoyed that work. If I had better memorization skills (as an actor, I was good at remembering lines, but holding minutia in my brain was never my strong suit), I probably would have become a doctor. Ooh, or a surgeon since I have steady hands.
LL: Is there a topic that would get you talking endlessly?
EP: Anything that’s not “fair,” lol. I have an overdeveloped sense of justice. I do have to be careful though, because if I play the “ain’t it awful” game (as my dad called it), it puts me into a negative mindset which makes me more susceptible to falling back into a depression.
I will say that I’m kind of obsessed with public radio shows right now. My top 3 faves are This American Life, RadioLab (I love the random science crap I learn on that show – I just wish I could remember it to spit it out in conversation later), and Serial.
LL: Are you a big listener of music?
EP: I actually used to be a radio deejay for WTJU (wtju.net) with my dad (he was a jazz sax and clarinet player). We played jazz, jazz, and jazz. It was called Nick@Nine, Monday morning jazz to make you feel good. I love all types except smooth, which makes me want to cut my ears off and shove them into the soprano sax to clog it up and make it stop.
I’m a jazz singer (I know, I act, I sing, I paint – I’m good at everything that’s exceptionally hard to make a living doing), so I lean more towards vocalists. My favorite jazz vocalist is Carmen McRae, though I love Nnenna Freelon, Stephanie Nakasian. If you don’t know about Stephanie Nakasian, you need to. She’s probably the most underrated jazz singer and can scat like Ella.
I was fortunate enough to be her very first voice student. Her husband is Hod O’Brien, one of the greatest piano players of our era. Really amazing. My cats have all been named after jazz musicians (Ella, Satchmo, Dizzy, and Frankie – because he had blue eyes like Frank Sinatra). I had stopped listening to jazz for awhile after we put my dad into a dementia care facility, because it was just too painful for me. But I’m starting to be able to listen again and enjoy it – still depends on the day, though.
My favorite non-jazz musician (though who does often have a jazz vibe to her work) is Ani Difranco. I looooooooove me some Ani. I sing and sing and sing to her. She writes the soundtrack to my life.
LL: What are you reading at the moment?
EP: I’m reading a novel right now that isn’t really all that interesting, so I won’t bother plugging it. I’m one of those people who can’t stop reading once I’ve started, even though I’m not enjoying it. My favorite book of all time is Fugitive Pieces (the first half is incredible).I just read The Art Forger and was absolutely fascinated with the descriptions of how to recreate the aged look in art. I also really like The Goldfinch, though I was a little disappointed when I looked up what the actual painting was. Not as captivating as the book described. Tracy Chevalier’s books are a little romance novel-y, but I love that they include some really interesting stuff about how art was made way back when.
I like books about World War II. No idea why. I also really love Wally Lamb’s writing. He just sucks me in. I have my mom’s old Kindle, so lately I just read whatever she’s downloaded – which means I’m reading a lot of mystery books.
In terms of blogs, my favorite is http://thebloggess.com/ (If you haven’t read her book, you need to. Right now. I’ll wait.) I also have a friend from college with a great blog, http://www.lilblueboo.com/ I like their blogs because they’re both honest and look for the bright side of things. And they can get twisted. Twisted is good.
LL: Do you go out of your way to discover new things?
EP: I’m actually really horrible about keeping up with the art world. It does stimulate me when I come across good art, but it also can block me. It can make me feel unoriginal, or like someone is doing it better than me. I love discovering new musicians, though.
LL: In what way do you approach motivation and inspiration?
EP: I don’t actively seek it. I prefer to let it come to me organically. By surrounding myself with people I admire and love, they tend to feed me inspiration without me having to go looking for it. I find that the universe gives it to you when you’re ready. I think I mentioned before that I go through dry spells. Kind of like writer’s block, and that that used to panic me.
These days, I trust that it’ll come around again and I’ll have more ideas than I know what to do with.
LL: What makes you smile?
EP: I love bad puns. My dad and I used to trade them. It’s one of the reasons the Muppets are so genius (watch the Muppets Christmas Carol this year). I love irreverent humor (for an example, go to http://www.lilblueboo.com/category/elf-on-the-shelf-2). I love musical humor (like Victor Borge). These two things [‘Data’s Life Form Song’ and ‘Peter Catching a Bullfrog for Chris’] also always make me crack up.
Editor’s Note: for the link to the second clip Emily mentions — put in your request here.
LL: What’s your view about social media?
EP: I wasn’t keen on it at first, but now I love it. I’m connected to so many people that I wouldn’t otherwise still be in touch with. I’m so grateful for that. I know it can take over your life, but you just have to exercise a little self-discipline and limit your time on it. It’s also made opening a business and promoting my artwork so much easier.
I have to admit I’m not a twitter fan, because brevity is not my strong suit, but I love Facebook. And blogging has been an unexpected surprise. I thought I wouldn’t have anything to say, but that’s clearly not the case.
LL: What are your favourite sites at the moment?
EP: I’m still getting into reading blogs. My go-to remains The Bloggess.
LL: Do you currently post at Forums?
EP: I don’t do Forums. Haven’t really explored that yet. I do sometimes participate with the Endometriosis Research Center, but way less frequently than I used to.
EP: I don’t really try to cheer myself up. Sometimes I just need a little pity party. I’ll snuggle with my cats and husband and hide for a little bit. But if I do it for too many days in a row, I try to kick myself in the ass and focus on the things I’m thankful for.
And I’m learning to reach out to my friends and say that I could use a little help. I have hilarious friends with an arsenal of bad puns to make me smile. My mom is also an incredible support, and I can be honest with her when I’m getting depressed.
LL: Do you enjoy collaborating with other artists?
EP: I haven’t really explored that option either. I would really like to try it, though. I think it could foster some really interesting stuff.
LL: Are you interested in technology?
EP: No. I’m a luddite. I’m grateful that the internet and computers exist, and they make my life easier in many ways, but I hate learning how to use everything. I’m about to try learning how to use Pinnacle, but it’s under duress.
LL: If you were asked to pick from the pieces you have created, which one would be your favourite?
EP: Wow, tough question. I’ll give you one in each style: From the Dancers, Vogue is my fave. From the Still Life paintings, I like my tomato paintings. From the Fractured Memories, I think the Happy Elephant Singing Emily will probably be the one I’ll keep.
LL: For someone seeing something of yours for the first time, what is the message you’re hoping they’ll take with them?
EP: As much as you can, let go of the outcome and don’t be afraid to experiment and make bad art. And enjoy the process of playing with whatever medium you’re using. Relish that gush of paint. Look for the pieces in a painting that you really like and figure out how to do it again.
LL: What makes your soul sing?
EP: Music and laughter. When someone I love laughs, it’s like heaven on a sound wave. When my dad laughs, it’s like when a really little kid laughs – incredibly precious and something that sustains me. If I blow a raspberry noise at him, he cracks up, and it makes my whole day.
The right song can have the same effect. There are some things for which there are no words, and music and art can convey those.
LL: What do you find is the best way to connect with people who admire your work?
EP: I think replying to comments and emails is important. It lets people know that they’re as important to you as you are to them. We all need to feel special and we can only feel that way if people are as generous with their love as we are with ours.
LL: What kind of opportunities are you looking forward to?
EP: I think my top priority is to find buyers for my work. It’s hard to justify making more art when you’ve got a storage unit full of it – not that that stops me, but it would stop my husband from grousing, lol. I love commissions because it allows me to make a piece and know that it’s got a home waiting for it.
LL: In what way do you enjoy helping others?
EP: It’s the little kindnesses that I think make the most difference. I’ve organized Random Acts of Kindness Days at my studio and encouraged my customers to participate.
I’ll be passing out holiday cards to the Walmart staff next week to say thank you for their hard work. People get so little appreciation for the work they do. I’m good with illness and death, so I used to volunteer with Hospice doing 11th Hour care and respite care.
I grew up volunteering at Camp Holiday Trails, a camp for kids with special health needs. I’ve done some murals for free for sick kids. These days, I have so little extra time to volunteer, and my husband and I have been talking about how much I miss that. We do monthly fundraisers for local charities, and that’s great, but it doesn’t really feed the soul in quite the same way.
I need to find a way to carve out more time for actual volunteering, because nothing makes you feel better than giving without expecting anything in return.
Source Material and Notes: The material posted is based on correspondence (December 2014 – January 2015) between Emily and Leigh. Content has been edited for length, and the final version has been reviewed and approved by the interviewee.
If there are things that you’d like to know about Emily that I have not covered, please do leave a note (using the second form gives me the opportunity to share your request with the WNE community and also to give Emily the option of answering).
Corrections and additional information: Spot one? Let me know!
Q&A Suggestions (individuals or groups) and feedback (specific or general) are always welcome. 🙂
If you share a quote from your favorite Q&A on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag ‘#WNEQA’!
Following each Q&A session I post a separate entry including quotes from various sites and publications from the web. Clicking each of the links will open a new window containing the full article or video (if publicly accessible).
“People are coming not because of the hype of one single they’ve heard on the radio or on MTV; they genuinely like the show and they tell their friends.” – Gavin Harrison (Examiner)
“Me and my brother have made music together since we were little children, and Morcheeba is very much our personal project – it’s a family business.” – Ross Godfrey (Digital Spy)
Notes:
Corrections and additional information: Spot one? Let me know!
Q&A Suggestions (individuals or groups) and feedback (specific or general) are always welcome!
If you share a quote from your favorite Q&A on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag ‘#WNEQA’!
Anton shares his journey as a photographer, the importance of imagining the how you would like the image to look like, and how he ended up with a ton (more than 15k) of favourite photos on Flickr.
Leigh Lim: Hi Anton! Thanks for taking the time to do a Q&A. In your photostream I noticed that your photos alternate between coloured and black & white. Do you find yourself shooting purely in Black and White for a time, then find that you want to go for colour?
Anton Zabermach: If we’re talking about my choice, it does depend on how I’m feeling that day. If it were up to someone else, I am okay with them going with colour or B&W.
LL: Can you give a quick summary in terms of how you got to where you are with Photography?
AZ: First, the encouragement and healthy criticism from loved ones, secondly, the wish to create something new and something that won’t be similar to other peoples work. Thirdly and then – technical boring stuff 🙂
You can perfectly master the technical part of the process and successfully apply knowledge into practice, but if you have no distinguishing vision in your mind – that won’t work.
LL: If you were to put together a ‘learning plan’ or practice pack for someone who has never consciously paid attention when taking photos before, so they could have the capacity to capture photographs at your level and skill. What would it look like?
AZ: There are tons of different learning plans and I won’t create anything new here. My advise is not to shoot thoughtlessly, you should try to imagine the final photograph in your mind, after all alterations have been done (software filters etc), you should think “will that photograph be interesting for anyone?” If so – you can capture that moment. If not – well, suggest why and try to change something to meet that goal.
LL: Favourite time of the day to photograph? Do you plan when you take photos?
AZ: I don’t usually think if it’s the best or worst time for the photoshoot. I probably won’t be shooting if it’s freezing outside, in all other circumstances – why not? You should know what you want, and then decide the time of day – whether it will be morning or evening, sunny weather or cloudy one and so on. My Nikon FE2 is always on hand and also a pair of lenses (24mm and 50mm or 50mm and 135mm or 35mm and 85mm) and a couple of film rolls of course.
LL: Are you learning something specific at the moment?
AZ: Of course! I learn from my own mistakes 🙂
LL: What’s your go-to set-up?
AZ: Well, actually I don’t have any specific set-ups either.
LL: Do you have a piece of equipment (or software) that you thought was a good buy at that time, but you eventually didn’t use it as much as you hoped?
AZ: I have been wanting to buy a medium format camera. Bronica, for example. I rarely use digital camera, but there are some situations when I can’t use anything else (i.e. commercial photoshoots which I do not post on my Flickr photostream).
As for useless stuff – I do not keep it, but actually I can’t remember anything I previously brought after awhile it dawned on me “why I had made that stupid purchase?”
LL: Have you been always mindful of ergonomics each time you shoot?
AZ: Actually before your question I didn’t even think of ergonomics and all that healthy stuff you are asking about 🙂
LL: Equipment Maintenance and Storage?
AZ: The main thing is not to drop your cameras or lenses, all other things are survivable.
LL: Do you keep prints of your photos?
AZ: I used to print my photographs the time I was just starting, now I don’t see any need for that – digital copies are enough. I have got an old photo enlarger but it needs to be repaired, so if I repair it someday probably I will be printing my photographs again.
LL: Do you find yourself browsing other photographers’ work quite often?
AZ: I always browse other photographers’ works if I have spare time. All photos which I tagged as favourites are just photos about which I liked the colour or composition, idea or realisation or something else or all that together. These 11000 favourited photos should not be considered as 11000 masterpieces, they are just photographs which caught my [eye].
LL: Do you have a regular schedule of uploading photos on Flickr?
AZ: I always have something to share. I post about 3-4 photos per day, but if I don’t have enough time for that, I don’t mind.
LL: Is there a topic that would get you talking endlessly?
AZ: Politics and stupid jokes 🙂
LL: Are you a big listener of music?
AZ: I listen to music a bit more often than an average listener and I don’t care if other people listen to the same artists. There are some bands, just to understand my taste: Led Zeppelin, Queen, Porcupine Tree, Morcheeba, The Jam, Infected Mushroom. The list is long, actually. Also I can listen to any album of Lunatic Soul for infinity. And I’ve got some friends who are musicians, I make photos for them from time to time.
LL: Where do you go for inspiration?
AZ: I look at my environment. I Feel inspired by the air, people, city, rain, sun and so on.
LL: What’s your view about social media?
AZ: I rarely interact on social media. Though I have profiles on Flickr, Twitter, and Facebook — I just view photos and read news.
LL: Do you currently post at any Forums?
AZ: I post to some groups on Facebook. Just found these groups, joined and started to post – that’s all.
LL: What would you do when you need cheering up?
AZ: I just walk around and enjoy the city
LL: Would you be open to collaborating with other artists?
AZ: It depends on the type of collaboration. If it seems interesting for me (even if it’s not profitable) – than yes, why not.
LL: Are you interested in technology?
AZ: Not really. I use open-source software, Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. I use Darktable and GIMP for work with photos.
LL: If you were asked to pick from the photos you have, which ones would be your favourite?
AZ: They are all favourites and I have something to tell about each of them. I think I haven’t done my best shot yet.
LL: What do you find is the best way to connect with your audience?
AZ: I prefer live small-scale conversations.
* Anton Zabermach is a photographer. You can see more of his photos on Flickr.
Source Material and Notes: The material posted is based on correspondence (September-December 2014) between Anton and Leigh. Content has been edited for length, and the final version has been reviewed and approved by the interviewee.
If there are things that you’d like to know about Anton that I have not covered, please do leave a note (using the second form gives me the opportunity to share your request with the WNE community and also to give Anton the option of answering).
Corrections and additional information: Spot one? Let me know!
Q&A Suggestions (individuals or groups) and feedback (specific or general) are always welcome. 🙂
If you share a quote from your favorite Q&A on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag ‘#WNEQA’!
Following each Q&A session I post a separate entry including quotes from various sites and publications from the web. Clicking each of the links will open a new window containing the full article or video (if publicly accessible).
Dean talks about his journey making drums. If you are a gear head, you might want to skip this Q&A, as you will be tempted to have him make a snare for you (I certainly was!).
LL: Hi Dean! Thanks for taking the time to do a Q&A. Upon visiting the Diamond Drum site, I noticed that you only do stave shells, has that always been the case?
Dean Diamond: My pleasure! Yes, I have always built stave drums. There are several other construction methods – ply, segmented, steam bent – which I would love to try out someday, but many of them take much more specialized equipment. Thus far, staves have always been my focus.
LL: Can you give a summary of how you got to where you are with making drums?
DD: I was over at a friend’s house and he showed me this gorgeous snare drum. He then told me he built it and I was in disbelief. I knew at that moment I would be giving this a shot myself.
After doing lots and lots of reading on the subject, I acquired a few basic tools in my garage and started down the rabbit hole. Not having ANY previous woodworking experience, this was a daunting task, but apparently its a skill I have a knack for.
The very first drum I ever made is being used on a regular basis by a great jazz drummer named Paul Romaine. He fell in love with the snare – a 14″ x 5.5″ maple stave – from the first time he played it and says it gets better with every gig. Since then, I have had several other musician friends ask for a drum, and my hobby blossomed to the (very) small business I have now.
Its a great feeling when friends and strangers alike contact me asking for a custom snare drum.
LL: Was it a difficult decision not to keep the first drum you’ve ever made?
DD: Yes and no. I had originally planned to keep it for myself – either to play, or just keep in the house as a trophy so to speak – however, when I gave it to the drummer who currently has it, I was so thrilled to see it getting used that I didn’t care about having it myself anymore. Plus, he is local so if I wanted to see it in action its very easy to do.
LL: Would you say it was discipline that got you to where you are as a luthier?
DD: Discipline is certainly part of it, but I feel luck also played a role in my success. I put in lots of time learning about the craft, but with no hands on experience, it was hard to tell whether or not I could successfully build drums. It worked out better than I had hoped, and I continue to refine and hone my techniques all the time in order to produce the best product I can.
LL: Were there times when you were frustrated with your progress?
DD: Absolutely. Although they never really slowed me down. I viewed the challenges as a learning experience and it made me push on. I cherish the mistakes I made and like to think I have learned from them all.
LL: What do you think is the most versatile wood?
DD: Maple. Hands down. It is my favorite to work with, and has all the characteristics to make an exquisite snare drum.
LL: Would it be good to have the same wood all throughout?
DD: I can’t say I see any immediate benefit to this, although I admit its something I have never thought about doing. The rim shot/cross stick sound is much more “woody” on a drum with a wood hoop though, so if a drummer is after that, I would certainly recommend a wood rim instead of metal.
LL: Are there certain wood types that you’re most excited about?
DD: I can’t say there is one I am more excited to work with than another. Every drum I build gives me the same excitement, and I’m always happy to start the journey again.
LL: Are there still specific wood types (or a combination of them) and dimensions you think drummers should embrace more?
DD: I think every drummer has a size they prefer. I have also seen some drummers who have 20 or 30 snares in their collection. There is always the right tool for the job – or snare for the gig in this case. Yet one snare can be tuned for most any sound should you have the appropriate drum heads for the application.
I have seen a lot of people wanting smaller, deeper snares recently, and I love the way they sound. But everyone has a preference.
LL: Are there certain materials you would avoid working with?
DD: I tend to stay away from softer woods such as pine, but there are companies that do build with them. In Colorado there is an abundance of beetle kill pine that has great character to its appearance, and I will be trying it at some point. I also love the idea of using reclaimed wood for drums. Having recently acquired a thickness planer, I will certainly be trying this in the near future.
LL: Do you aim to use fewer staves as possible for each drum?
DD: The number of staves in a drum is determined by the number of lugs the drum will have. This is so the lug can fall in the center of a stave, and be equally spaced all the way around the drum. For instance, a 10 lug snare will have 20 or 30 staves. I recently built a 13″ snare that had 8 lugs and 24 staves. This is not a requirement, but I prefer the consistent appearance it gives the drum.
LL: Is there a benefit having slightly more lugs compared to the norm?
DD: The general rule of thumb is the more lugs on a drum the better you can tune it.
When lugs are spaced closer together, you have more control over the tuning. A 10 lug snare is much easier to tune than an 8 lug – in theory. I must say though, that die cast hoops kind of make up for that. The rigidity of the die cast makes it very simple to tune, and produces a very nice tone. No wonder they are 4 times the cost!
LL: Did you have to experiment with different glues as well?
DD: The glue most drum builders swear by is titebond 3. It has worked great for every drum I’ve built so far and have no plans to change.
LL: What was the process of getting the DD logo plate?
DD: The logo was designed by a graphic designer/ web developer friend. There was just a small production run of the plates, and I am still looking for the best material to print them on. But to be honest, I prefer to have my drums without any badge at all. The fewer holes the better, so the sound is not affected in any way.
LL: How about your other drums that don’t have the logo on them?
DD: Although this is something I have thought about doing, I have not actually done it yet. The people that buy my drums certainly know where and who they got it from. As I never really intended on this becoming the business that it had, I kept saying, “Oh, I’ll start doing that on the next one”.
But since orders keep coming in, I should probably start looking into actually making this happen. I have kept a log for my personal information, of all the drums I have made and sold over my tenure. Its hard to believe its been so many, and I hope to keep filling those pages as time goes on.
LL: I visited your Etsy store and at the moment the only option is to custom order. Are you looking to lessen selling ready made shells (with hardware), and would like to focus more on service those who would like little tweaks on their drums?
DD: My business is 100% custom. If someone has an idea for a drum, I work with them to build exactly to their specifications. If I happen to have a spare shell laying around the shop, I may offer it to a potential customer, but I do enjoy the fact no two drums I build will be the same.
LL: What’s the minimum shell depth you’d be open to work with?
DD: The smallest I have done is a 3″ deep piccolo snare. Not sure how much shallower I would like to go, especially since the hardware would be cutting it very close. I do love the shallow piccolos though.
LL: What would your approach be for maintenance?
DD: I pride myself on having great customer service. There is no written policy, but should anyone have an issue, I try to make it right to the best of my ability.
LL: Do you use software when you design and make your drums?
DD: No, I don’t use any software to design my drums. As I mentioned, the customer usually comes to me with the design, and its just math and woodworking from there until the finished product.
LL: What would you say to those who would hold to the view that ‘in the studio it all sounds the same’ or ‘it could all be made to sound the same with effects’?
DD: I think there are arguments for both sides. The diameter, depth, thickness, construction technique, and material of a snare shell certainly help determine its sound, although with the right heads and tuning you can achieve nearly any sound from any drum. Of course you can add any effects and really tweak it to get the sound you want too.
LL: If you were to guide someone who’s keen to start making his/her first snare, how would you go about it?
DD: Read, read, read and read some more. There is an abundance of information on the internet and in books, but its up to you to be prepared with the knowledge to build. After that it is trial and error to see what works and what doesn’t. There’s more than one way to skin a cat.
LL: What are your three most used tools?
DD: Table saw, orbital sander, and my hands. Before I had all my jigs and tools set up, this is what I used to build my first drum. It took a very long time, but was incredibly satisfying, and made every drum after that seem much easier.
LL: Have you been always mindful of ergonomics when you are at working on new shells?
DD: Unfortunately, no. This is a labor of love, and sometimes that means poor ergonomics in the shop. Being 6′ 2″, I am used to counters and worktops being a bit too short, so its something I have learned to live with. I am always looking for ways to improve my setup though, and its something I keep in mind when its not too difficult or invasive to implement.
LL: How about regular breaks?
DD: Breaks? What are those?
Really, I can literally spend a full day – from morning until night – in the shop and not even realize it. This has changed in recent months as my wife and I had our first child. It certainly limits my shop time, but that’s not a bad thing at all.
Nice to give myself a time limit, and then continue where I left off the next day or weekend.
DD: The friend who inspired me to make drums asked if I would be willing to collaborate. I built the rough shell, and he did the finishing work. It was a beautiful 14″ x 8″ walnut shell to which he added some brass inlay. Came out very nice, but I do enjoy working on a drum from start to finish.
LL: Are you a collector yourself?
DD: Ironically no! I still have the same beginner drum set from when I was in middle school! I hope to build myself a full stave kit someday soon though. At this point my collecting is focused on more tools for the shop 😉
LL: Since middle school!? Wow! I’m interested to know the details of your kit now! 🙂
DD: Haha, this is really funny since it has stayed exactly the same over all these years. In fact I don’t even have it at my house any more. It is set up at my nephew’s house since he has been learning to play, and I am happy to have it getting some use.
I do keep a set of Roland V-Drums at my house for practicing though.
LL: Do you have a regular schedule of posting on Twitter and Instagram?
DD: No regular schedule. Sometimes I remember to post, other times I don’t. The social media will be especially quiet when I am not currently working on a project. You can tell its been quiet recently…
LL: What would you like to learn about next?
DD: Anything involving wood working. metal working has piqued my interest recently as well. But again, free time is rare and valuable nowadays.
LL: Are there certain things you ‘geek out’ about?
DD: All things creative. I love making things with my hands, cooking, photography, and music, both listening to and creating.
DD: Indeed I am! I really have an open mind, so I don’t limit myself to any specifics. I was raised listening to classic jazz. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, etc, and continue to listen to all that today. I also enjoy newer artists, like Lake Street Dive 🙂 But I will listen to classical, pop country, punk rock, and lots of other genres as well.
LL: Do you go out of your way to discover new things?
DD: Yes and no. I certainly enjoy learning about all kinds of new things, but I find that when I look into one thing, I then follow down that path and have too many things all at once. Its not a bad thing though, never a dull moment.
LL: Where do you go for inspiration?
DD: I am a very creative person. I wouldn’t say there is a single outlet I go to for inspiration. It is a combination of things I have seen other people do, as well as what mood strikes me while I am in the shop.
LL: What makes you smile?
DD: As long as I can remember, my father said the best thing in the world is his children’s laughter. Now that I have a baby boy of my own, I can fully relate to this sentiment. It is truly incredible. Although there are many other things, most of which involve my family (and my workshop)
DD: Without social media, I could not have made the (albeit very small) name for myself as a drum builder. I was initially very reluctant to involve myself personally on social media sites, but they are great for keeping in touch with friends and family you wouldn’t normally interact with.
LL: What are your favourite sites at the moment?
DD: ghostnote drum building forum, woodworking talk forum, and youtube are always sites I frequent. Lots of great informative and entertaining things out there
LL: Are there websites that you like to visit just because you like the design?
DD: Can’t say I am that drawn to any sites purely for the web design.
DD: As they say, laughter is the best medicine, and I tend to agree. Although music certainly helps as well
LL: Are you interested in technology?
DD: Yes and no. I am very much drawn to the latest and greatest (insert name of tech thing here), but in the end I use whatever will get the job done. Computer wise, I have a Dell desktop, which really doesn’t get much use anymore. Mainly photo editing. Otherwise I have a Macbook Air I use for pretty much everything else. Hard to beat the portability of it.
LL: For someone playing a snare of yours for the first time, what is the message you’re hoping they’ll take with them?
DD: As a drum builder, I am my biggest fan, as well as my biggest critic. Can’t say I am much of a sales person, but I like to think the drums sell themselves. I have found that good customer service goes a long way as well.
There was a guy who found me through a post on the Evans drumheads facebook page, who had a vision for a drum, and said no one else would build what he wanted. Me being the naive overzealous builder that I am, took the job not knowing how it would work out. In the end, he was very satisfied, and I was too. Everyone who plays my drums says there is something special about them. That they can tell I put my heart and soul into the instrument, which is very true.
I like to have people play the drums before they buy if possible, and like I said, they will sell themselves. It also helps that I am not motivated by money. This is a labor of love. If I can sell a couple drums a year, make enough that it is sustainable, I am a very happy camper.
DD: Music, making things (in any form or capacity), and family.
LL: What do you find is the best way to connect with your audience?
DD: Social media has been a great way for me to connect and get my name out. I have a website but Facebook has been the greatest tool for me to use as a business man.
* Dean Diamond is a drum builder currently based in Colorado. You can learn more about him via his Twitter or Facebook feed. Also, see things with his eyes through his photos on Instagram.”
Source Material and Notes: The material posted is based on correspondence (September-December 2014) between Dean and Leigh. Content has been edited for length, and the final version has been reviewed and approved by the interviewee.
If there are things that you’d like to know about Dean that I have not covered, please do leave a note (using the second form gives me the opportunity to share your request with the WNE community and also to give Dean the option of answering).
Corrections and additional information: Spot one? Let me know!
Q&A Suggestions (individuals or groups) and feedback (specific or general) are always welcome. 🙂
If you share a quote from your favorite Q&A on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag ‘#WNEQA’!
Following each Q&A session I post a separate entry including quotes from various sites and publications from the web. Clicking each of the links will open a new window containing the full article or video (if publicly accessible).
The quotes below were taken from links provided by Gerry (in response to my request regarding things he was interested in).
“Once-great media brands that now traffic in cheesecake and quick clicks didn’t get there by mistake.” Seth Godin
“Curiously, and importantly, mastering the art of solitude doesn’t make us more antisocial but, to the contrary, better able to connect.” Maria Popova (Brain Pickings)
“The best way to view your operation is to consider anything you do an expense that must be offset by your billings.” – Jol Dantzig (Premier Guitar)
Notes:
Corrections and additional information: Spot one? Let me know!
Q&A Suggestions (individuals or groups) and feedback (specific or general) are always welcome!
If you share a quote from your favorite Q&A on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag ‘#WNEQA’!
Wonder not Envy 