Leonid (Leon) Basin

Name: Leonid (Leon) Basin
Website: http://www.leonbasin.blogspot.com

What do you do?
I Write and Speak

Where can we find your work?
Mostly on my Blog: http://www.leonbasin.blogspot.com

You can follow my writing's on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/basin_leon

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leonidbasin

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I find creating is part of my therapy. I also enjoy hearing all types of criticism, good, bad, or even terrible.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?  
I think they are all important. When I was younger, I believed in content, but I'm noticing a change in me. I can now see the importance in having a technique or a style and the a finished product that you can be satisfied with.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Everything inspires me; but my girlfriend, parents, grandparents are some of my other inspirations.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Myself.

When do you get your best ideas?
Mostly at night, but I also get ideas in the shower and any other water.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
My Samsung Galaxy Phone and Lenovo Laptop with Word.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I'm self taught. It has influenced me to focus on style. I have ignored mechanism and techniques of writing for too long, so my goal for the next few years is to focus on the mechanics of writing.

What would your creative work taste like?
Sweet and soft.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Meditation, music or be around my girlfriend and my parents.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
It all came from inspiration within.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? 

Start from the beginning, which is to be yourself, your true selves. I also suggest having either a Blog or a Journal to jot your ideas down.

Jason A. McHenry

Name: Jason A. McHenry
Website: www.anti-product.com

What do you do?
I’ve been an artist for all of my adult life and one of the projects that I’ve been working on for years is called One Thousand Thousand. The idea behind the project is to create an edition of one million original pieces of art. So for the last 20 years or so I’ve been plugging away at this goal and I’m just recently nearing the first third of the way to a million. [As of right now the final count is just shy of 325k paintings.]

Where can we find your work?
I’m pretty good at keeping the project website updated with images of the latest pieces and you can always see the work online at anti-product.com.

A number of new and recent pieces from the project are currently showing at KALEID Gallery and I try and replenish the sold pieces and rotate the pieces with new work as often as possible. I would like to stay on there as long as I’m able. In addition to KALEID Gallery I try to make the work available at various art events like SubZERO Festival and at South First Fridays. I’ll be showing at South First Fridays in August and September for sure. There are usually pieces available for sale as well.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I’ve been really thinking about this question a lot after recently spending some time visiting with other artists at SubZERO Festival. The whole One Thousand Thousand project was borne of the idea of doing something that would serve as a motivator to continue making art. It was initially just a little creative exercise that served as a way to experiment with ideas and colors and composition and all of that and over time the little pieces ended up looking better than the other work that I was trying for at that time.

In terms of this specific project I am motivated to work almost every day now. Some by the excitement of it and some out of necessity since I announced to the world so long ago that I planned on making a million paintings and want to put my money where my mouth is , so to speak.

But ultimately, when I look back on this project and the body of work that I’ve done so far I feel tremendously inspired. It’s remarkable to look back and see how my own styles and approaches have evolved over time and that’s the part that inspires me the most. It’s cyclical in a real way. Motivation to create will invariably produce inspiration. Honestly, you just have to keep at it. If you’re an artist then make art. For good or for bad you need to just keep going at it. Trying new things. Figuring stuff out. Something will come of it.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?  
In some ways I am inclined to say both are equally important. It’s obvious that what we see first with a piece of art is the content/finished product. The visual aspect is all that a lot of people ever see. “It looks nice. It’s not done well. I don’t get it.” Looking a bit more closely at who created the thing and how they did it and can be the part that makes a piece of art so much better than just the sum of the visual elements themselves.

But there is also this aspect of art that is not so easily defined. I call it ‘soul’. Sure, a work might look amazing. Or some technique the artist used was head-shakingly incredible. But if it lacks soul the art just doesn’t do it for me in the long run.

[This is a tough question. I could go on about this topic forever. No kidding.]

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I may be confusing the artist or where I saw it but I think it was at an early Henry Darger show in Chicago that I saw this piece of wood that just had layers of paint on it. It was cut in half so you could see all of the different layers of paint that had been applied over the years. The thing was a couple of feet tall with paint layers and colors and it looked like the ring section of a tree in a way. Marking time with paint. Darger also cut out the Nancy and Sluggo comic strip from the newspaper every day and would paste them into pages of a phone book. Like, four strips per page and the book was just unmanageably big when it was full. He did this more than once.

That sort of dedication to a goal or project has always been impressive to me and was a very early source of inspiration for the One Thousand Thousand project.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Seymour Glass. With very little hesitation.

When do you get your best ideas?
Looking at art. In galleries and shows and museums and books and magazines. I love seeing what other people have created and that generates ideas for my own work.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Mixed-media in the strictest sense of the word. I don’t play favorites when it comes to art supplies and truly do work with just about everything. I’m a fan of making great art with little.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Both.I went to a Visual and Performing Arts high school and later studied Fine Art in college. Still, in the long run I’d call myself self-taught. I learned just about everything that I find to be valuable to me as an artist are things that I learned on my own or from other artists. For years I said that I was doomed to spend the rest of my life trying to unlearn the things they tried to instill in me in school. I feel like I’m better for being my own judge of things. Art is pretty personal that way.

What would your creative work taste like?
Horchata. Or maybe Guinness Extra Stout. It’s probably a liquid of some sort. And it’s got to be simple and comforting. Something proletariat. So, yeah. Either of those would do.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
It doesn’t get much better than being on some road trip or long car ride listening to music that you love.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
It was a necessity for me. My childhood was kind of crummy and I knew I needed something to support me emotionally and spiritually and intellectually. Art provided that and I believed that since I was a kid. So I pushed towards that with all I had and I’m better for it.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? 
I’d say that creating art will invariably make you feel big and strong. It’s some kind life in and of itself. You’ll see and learn new styles and techniques and mediums and you’ll hate some and fall in love with others. You’ll find success by accident and you’ll fail miserably when you try hard to succeed. But the opposite will be true too. Just like life.

Like Hunter S. Thompson said, “Buy the ticket, take the ride.”

Eugenio Negro

Name:Eugenio Negro

Website: Google+ : Eugenio Negro Comics

What do you do?

I draw comics and push them into peoples’ hands. Then I steal clutter from human’s yards and decorate the mounds in front of my warren with it.

Where can we find your work?

Isotope SF, Streetlight San Jose and Santa Cruz, 2013 SF Zine Fest in Golden Gate Park, Space Cat in San Jose

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?

Knowing other artists and having our work as a part of a bigger family scene keeps me making art. When I’m not interacting with other artists and art I just stop and wait. Every year for the last few years I’ve started all over with brave introductions, trading and trying to keep contact information. Hopefully in San Jose I’ll be able to sustain a group.

What do you think is more important, content/finished product or technique/process?

Content. Technique is only important because of limited time. The content is important because as an artist you’ve signed up for the huge responsibility of having a greater than normal influence on people’s thoughts and ultimately their behavior. Do you want to cultivate jerks in your audience, or lovers? Do you want to improve community access to the truth, or confuse people with your whining? In terms of process, if you know what you believe in, the necessary means to tell it will reveal themselves.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?

Other “punk” or community-oriented, noncommercial artists. Also Márquez, Rushdie, Quino, Burroughs. My grandparents. Just about everyone influences me because I’m always listening.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?

I don’t know... Yoda. He had a peaceful life. I don’t read happy stories so I don’t want their lives.

When do you get your best ideas?

Washing dishes or walking.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?

Pens with various tips, Xacto knife, glue. Sometimes a ruler.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?

I’m formally educated as a writer, and that shows in my work. I’m a jackoff illustrator from never paying attention or working at it, and that shows too.

What would your creative work taste like?

Dry spit from arguing for hours and laughing.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?

Enjoy life. Art is either a spiritual practice, an act of resistance or an unnecessary aesthetic luxury.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?

I try as hard as I can not to be “creative” in terms of narrative. I’ve learned to listen rather than judge, at least for a little at a time, and just wait for people to say outrageously bizarre or true things. I write that stuff down and then try to explain where that comes from or where it’s going with pictures. When I know I have the truth, then I’m not the center of attention and I can confidently present it.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?

Let go of the fact that it’s hard to start. Poets write for four hours in the morning every day before they get something. You’re a lousy novice every morning and a master every night. That’s life. Keep working, forget what if and what do I get and just do it. Having your own business or thing is scary and frustrating, but not having one --just being a stupid consumer --sucks.

Vanessa Sanchez de Tagle

Name: Vanessa Sanchez de Tagle
Website: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaSanchezDeTagleFotography/

What do you do?       

I’m a photographer. I mainly like to shoot candid photos, but I also do events and themed photo shoots.

Where can we find your work?
You can find my work on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaSanchezDeTagleFotography/

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Life is what inspires me. Everything from meeting new people to scattered rose pedals on the ground. I believe there is beauty in everything if you look close enough. I like to surround myself with positive people and travel as much as possible whether I’m going to the beach or visiting nearby cities. I need to constantly be active otherwise I’d get bored and lose motivation to do anything.  

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I believe both are very important, but I also believe that investing some time with the piece shows how much effort that was put into it and is more effective to its audience.  

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
My family, close friends and anyone who is passionate about what they do.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
I would be Ofelia from Pan’s Labyrinth because I like to get lost and explore unusual places. Except my Spanish is terrible haha!

When do you get your best ideas?
My best ideas come to me when I am up late at night and when I’m running.  

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I mainly use my Canon 60D, but occasionally I like to use my Holga or Polaroid camera when I’m feeling adventurous.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?

I started photography at a young age. I got a camera and began taking photos of everything in sight. I carried a camera with me everywhere I went and over the years taught myself that certain angles and colors can make an image unique. It wasn’t until college when I took a film photography class and learned the importance of lighting among other things.

What would your creative work taste like?
Sweet like key lime pie with glass of moscato on the side.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I love to dance hip hop, hiking, running, thrifting, going to shows, and spending time with loved ones.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
As I mentioned earlier, I would always carry a camera everywhere I went and try to capture special moments or things that caught my attention. It was my way to make a memory last. I didn’t realize that I had talent until people complimented me on my photos. My grandma was the one who encouraged me to take my photography seriously. Over the years I would always post my work online, but it wasn’t until last year that I had my first solo show at Silicon Valley De-Bug in San Jose where they were kind enough to let me display my photos for the world to see.  

Here’s the link to see my window gallery:

http://www.siliconvalleydebug.org/articles/2012/09/13/de-bug-gallery-presents-mi-vida-sj-photographer-vanessa-sanchez-de-tagle

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Do what makes you happy and don't let anyone or anything hold you back from what you want. Never settle for anything less than what you deserve. Most importantly, always remind yourself why you love what you do.

David Canavese

Name: David Canavese

Website: www.otherlifeart.com

What do you do?
A bit of everything, including painting and drawing, but I’m primarily a sculptor of welded steel, paper, and mixed media. My steel sculptures could be seen as abstract, but are definitely inspired by coral, other undersea creatures, and the possibilities of extraterrestrial life. My hyper-detailed paper sculptures depict gigantic technology (architecture and spacecraft) in a tiny scale.

Where can we find your work?
My website (www.otherlifeart.com), my Etsy store (www.etsy.com/shop/OtherlifeArt), and my DeviantArt (satchelmarr.deviantart.com).

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
The desire to be a creator just wells up from inside of me.  I’m not truly happy unless I’m making something. Most of all I enjoy building worlds, and imagery allows me to share my imaginings with other people far better than words alone could.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
It’s difficult  to pick just one, but my works in particular are very process-driven. Often I create straight out of my head without sketching or planning, so it often feels like “the process” is another artist I’m collaborating with. Welded steel and paper behave in certain ways, but I also enjoy trying to stretch the limits of that I can do with them.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I really enjoy the work of concept artists like H.R. Giger and Ralph McQuarrie. For conceptual architecture I’d pick Dan Slavinsky. Escher was clearly a bit of an obsessive artist and I can really identify with that. When it comes to sculpture, I like Greg Brotherton. Lee Bontecou is also amazing and might be my favorite artist.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
It’s hard not to want to be Han Solo, sightseeing the width and breadth of the galaxy while trying to make a quick buck!

When do you get your best ideas?
Usually while I’m working on a project. My metal and paper sculptures are very time-intensive, so I have a lot of time to think as I work.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
A MIG welder for my steel pieces, and paper products (copy paper, index card, mat board) and white glue for my miniature papercraft works. I don’t use a tweezers or any magnification (at least, not yet!).

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Both. I trained myself in papercraft (starting at age 8) and have experimented and refined my craft continuously since then. I studied studio art (fine art) at Santa Clara University (with an sculpture emphasis). My instructors taught me that art is problem-solving. Long before I ever heard Tim Gunn say, “make it work!” I was hearing the same thing from my teachers.

What would your creative work taste like?
One artwork would be metallic and a bit rusty, but another would be quite pulpy.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
My other career is teaching ballroom, latin, swing and salsa dancing, so I enjoy getting out and cutting a rug.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
Creativity has always been a part of my life, but as an introverted person, maintaining a public presence and promoting my artwork has been a real challenge. I still struggle with trying to sell my artwork. But I do enjoy getting direct feedback from people. That’s the rewarding part.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures? 
I know my art won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and I’m absolutely fine with that, because there’s lots of artwork that I appreciate, but there are only a handful of artists whose work grabs a hold of me and won’t let go! At the end of the day, I’m trying to make art that fills a void in my head when I’m looking around at the world. If there was a lot of stuff out there like mine I’d feel redundant and probably wouldn’t feel the same drive to create. Find what’s missing from the world (from your perspective) and find a way to bring it here!

Erica Atreya

Name: Erica Atreya
Website: http://Atreyart.see.me
You can purchase my work at http://www.saatchionline.com/atreyart
You can keep in contact and up to date with current work and shows at www.facebook.com/atreyart

What do you do?
Mostly I work with art pens and acrylic paint on art and canvas paper also starting to delve into digital art. I most of all love working with metallic pens and paint.

Where can we find your work?
Every second Saturday in downtown Campbell. On the corner music. Two upcoming shows in June at Kaleid gallery and DDEF gallery.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get to tough?
Mother Nature and beautiful woman inspire me. Ahh how do I keep on through tough times? Hmm….Zoloft!! And knowing “The sun will come up tomorrow”

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
All of these are of importance. But when I’m looking to buy art I look for the spirit/soul to the piece I’m buying.
  

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Frida Kahlo, Gustav Klimt.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Betty Boop. Why? Cause she’s just so darn HAPPY and CUTE! Things that I still strive to be B-)

When do you get your best ideas?
Late at night and other inopportune times.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Art pad, metallic art pens and paint on canvas. Also just started using Samsung note for digital work.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Self taught. Lack of formal art education has made me doubt myself at times, but then I see so many talented and well recognized artist without formal art education and I realize there are so many types of art rather educated or not.

What would your creative work taste like?
Coffee, cigarettes and sweet honey.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I’m a big time movie buff! Horror movies are my favorite! Also love music big time. I have a rose-note tattoo on my left arm. People always think I’m a musician, I say nope I just really appreciate music ;-) I don’t think I could create my art without music.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?

Firstly my mother always encouraged me. But now it would be my husband. I can not work because of my disability (Fibromyalgia) my husband gives me the support and courage to pursue my art.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
 Just got to try!  If you don’t Succeed, try again. Make art for your own enjoyment and in turn hope that others will find enjoyment in it as well.

Adam Valentino

Name: Adam Valentino
Website:
 www.AdamValentino.com
facebook.com/AdamValentinoArt

What do you do?
I create paintings with acrylics and spray paint. I draw with charcoal and pastels and also cut custom stencils.

Where can we find your work?My work can be found on my website, FB art page, and on Etsy.  I paint live at times so follow me to find out where I'll be in 2013!

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?I get inspired from everyday life and other artists.  I use my art as therapy so when I'm having a bad day it helps me get through it.  I also tell myself my art is all I have so I keep pushing myself to be a
well known artist.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?

I feel they go hand in hand but I'd say technique/process, your finished product wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't for the technique/process used.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
My kids, my family, my supporters and fans, too many to mention but I LOVE YOU ALL!

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Waldo from Where's Waldo books... He's everywhere!

When do you get your best ideas?
My best ideas come in the early mornings and when I shower.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?

I use a basic razor to cut my stencils.  I also paint on MDF wood a lot.  I paint with acrylics and spray paint.  I enjoy drawing with charcoal pencils and incorporate some soft pastels in some work.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I'm self taught and learning everyday.  I'm more of a visual learner. I feel the formally educated once had an artistic advantage over other artists but with the rise in popularity of street art and graffiti influenced art, it's easier for one to be a known artist without a formal education. The internet helps a lot too.  The street art and graffiti art scene have always been an influence in my life and can be seen in my work.

What would your creative work taste like?
Something fresh you've never had

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Spend time with my kids.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I got into charcoal drawing in H.S. and around that time I was painting graffiti. I sold my first drawing around that time but didn't continue to sell work, I enjoyed painting more. For a while I wasn't
painting anything then I watched a street art documentary that opened my eyes.  I noticed people would buy this art I was already into and able to do.  I always had people tell me my work was good but I never thought of it as a business until last year.  The response has been great and I appreciate the support!

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?Never stop learning and never stop creating,  Make the most of your time here!

Chris Reed

Name: Chris Reed

Website: http://www.ChrisReedMusic.com

What do you do?      
I am a recording artist and songwriter. I play guitar, ukulele, saxophone, mandolin, piano and I sing. I am currently recording my debut; solo album entitled “Sweet Destiny”.

I am also the co-owner of a company called “Arts Initiative”.  Arts Initiative provides personalized performing arts programs for local elementary and middle schools.  We specialize in performance-based classes & workshops for band, choir, theatre, guitar and general music enrichment.  I have also been working at Willow Glen Elementary school teaching music, directing plays,  and operas for the last 2 years.  I recently directed a production of Aladdin and Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol,” which I adapted special for the students.

Where can we find your work?

http://www.youtube.com/cristoreed

https://www.facebook.com/chrisreedmusic

http://www.ChrisReedMusic.com

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
My wife is my greatest muse and inspiration.  We have been together for 11 years now, and she has inspired most, (if not all) of the love songs I have ever written.  In fact, she is a brilliant singer who is featured on my album in a duet we sing together called “Fire & Ice”, and is my main back up vocalist.  Her love and belief in me is what motivates me to keep following my dreams.   

The countless people that are in, and have been apart of my life, continuously inspire me to create new music.  It is [their] life, personality, and struggles that have inspired me to create my most honest work.  My favorite part about being a musician is that I have the capability to tell stories.  Not just my own, but the stories of other people who do not have a voice.  There is so much that can be changed through music and I will never forget the power that it holds.  Music has the power to connect us in so many ways and helps us to gain perspective when times are tough.  

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
At first, when I write a song, the content and message is the most important part.  Then when I begin recording, the process and journey of the song becomes the most important part.

It is easy to get caught in the trap of just wanting a “finished product” but after treating half of my album with that approach and then taking a step back for a couple months. I realized that it is more important for me as an artist to discover who I am through this process. I want each song to live up to it’s true potential and not be held down by anything.

I let the songs be the guide and do my best to listen to where they need to go. This approach has led me to enjoy and learn from the journey more than ever before, and I cannot wait to see where it takes me next. 

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Since I started educating & directing I have found inspiration through my students. Their sincere passion & love of music and the arts has helped me to embrace who I am as an artist. Working with them has pushed me to hone and understand my craft to the best of my ability in order to provide them with the best education I can offer. 

Some of my greatest musical influences are Ben Harper, Manu Chao, Gypsy Kings, the late Ali Farke Toure, Mat Mchugh and Josh Garrels just to name a few. I also have a profound connection to music from across the world.  It may sound funny, but I love music in languages I cannot understand. I really get to enjoy the vibe and emotion of the song.   Some artists I would recommend are: TRYO(folk), Saian Supa Crew(hip hop/beat box) and Raggasonic (Ragga-hip hop & reggae).

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
Superman.

When do you get your best ideas?

I get my best ideas when I am traveling.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
A pencil, paper, ukulele, guitar, and piano.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?

I was educated and trained formally on the alto saxophone from the age of  8 until I was 13 years old. All the while improvisation on sax & writing songs were my favorite part of music. Which (at that age) didn’t fit into the curriculum. After that, my education came from playing at blues jams, open mics and in bands (hip hop, funk, pop, reggae).  My father also contributed to my musical education, as he is a trained musician himself. 

As each year comes and goes, I strive to better myself and learn new instruments and become a more knowledgeable musician.  I don’t get wrapped up in the technical aspects of unusual time signatures or clever chord changes, I just try to keep things simple and true.  Whether my approach is good or bad, there is no reason to regret what I am or am not.  I enjoy what I know and learn from what I do not.  

What would your creative work taste like?
Like an always aging Primitivo.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I love to hike, run, go on long walks with my wife & 2 dogs. Travel, garden, cook. Solve all the world’s problems with my friends and family.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
When I began this journey back in 2001, I dove in head first.  I didn’t worry where I was headed or how I would get there. I just had faith.

Early on, when I began writing lyrics and melodies, I could not play any instruments other than the sax & harmonica.  This made it impossible for me to write or perform my songs without the help others.  Frustrated by this, I eventually taught myself guitar in order to fully complete my own music.    

       

I will admit that up until now I have always released and presented my work with a band.  This is the first time in my life that I am pursuing music in a solo capacity and it certainly is much different and does require more confidence. In a band situation you have the natural strength in numbers.  As I release my music as a “solo artist” I am trying not to think about what others might think or how they may judge me or my music.  I am simply trying to give it my best shot & present myself in the most honest way I know how.  That gives me confidence knowing that I am just being me, and if anyone has a problem with me, then that is quite ok.  We can’t please everyone.  But to be honest…  I really just try not to think about all that too much.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?Trust your instincts, have fun and explore. 

Joseph Arruda (Zeruch)

Name: Joseph Arruda (Zeruch)
Website: http://zeruch.deviantart.com/gallery or http://zeruch.net

What do you do?
By day, I am a “Senior Product Manager” at a software company; I’ve worked largely in technology for the last dozen years, and its something that surprisingly has lead to discoveries about concepts I can apply to creative work.  I’m educated as a political wonk, and even though I’ve rarely used the knowledge professionally, I still am an active consumer of political research materials.  One day I hope to move to something like the Congressional Research Service or the State Department, assuming I can ever get past the idea of DC winters.
Otherwise, I have moonlighted as an illustrator and fine artist.  My sole departure from this was 18 months as a principle conceptual artist for a now defunct video game startup in the early 2000s...and experience that nearly killed my creative spark.

Where can we find your work?
It’s predominantly online, with a few private owners (mostly in the Bay Area, but a few in far afield spots like Washington DC, Portugal, Australia, Netherlands, Scotland and probably a few other spots; people buy my prints, but I know not always where they end up).

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
It’s axiomatically a compulsion, so I just do it.  Motivation rarely factors in since I usually have more ideas than I can ever execute on. If I don’t feel like creating, that’s ok (although that’s an unusual state, I’ve had spells where I’ve walked away for a few months at a time, only to come back and produce at a ridiculous clip) and if I am, I just do.  Different projects have different secondary motivators; some commissions are very pecuniary, others are only labors of love that happen to be paid for.  I generally work the same way regardless in terms of execution -- the only difference is the cathartic effect I get from the activity.
When the muse is there (and she is there often, in a lot of forms, because I am just as apt to get an idea from following the curve of a womans figure as I am from the curve of a teapot design, or the curve of a beach or...yeah, it just works).
Maybe that’s why it works: since I never force it, ideas/motivation mostly self-regulates to the “on” position.  I keep sketchbooks in every room of the house, including the bathrooms. I jot stuff down all the time.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?  
I don’t have that type of separation.  The process is the compulsion, so it MUST get done.  But I view works as things that can have many lives; you can “finish” something, and then as your technique or approach changes, you can revisit that as many times as you wish afterward.  The objects one create have lives that can extend well past the initial potential.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
I’m a fan of the arbitrary top 10 lists, so here is my (un-sorted) top 10 list:

Bill Sienkiewicz

Pablo Picasso

Antonio Lobo Antunes

Kent Williams

Miles Davis

Vernon Reid

Alvaro Siza

Jasper Johns

Akira Kurosawa

Mark Romanek

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
George Smiley.

When do you get your best ideas?
Because I'm responsive to contexts more than specific triggers, it really could be anywhere and at any time (its why I keep small sketchbooks in every room of the house). That said, there are some times when the good ideas seem to materialize more concretely, and thats usually deep in the night or otherwise very early in themornings when I'm waking up (I sleep minimally and at 6-6:30 when I wake up it strangely can often be a time when at least a lot of big project ideas seem to just "show up" in myhead).

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I use a pretty broad array of items, depending on the size and type (representational or abstract), and I made a small blog post that takes a swipe at laying it out visually:
http://zeruch.net/wordpress/?p=3144

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I have taken some formal courses in college, and was an AP art student in high school, but most of my studies were self directed.  Lots of library visits for books on art history and techniques, and heaps of trial and error in the studio.  I got more out of trying to learn formal rules and ignoring them as I needed than just being indoctrinated from the get go.

What would your creative work taste like?
A multi-course Chef’s tasting menu, with wine pairings.  It would be pretty savory, and hopefully leave you very sated.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I play with technology, mostly in the Open Source space.  I probably qualify as having a half-assed “active” lifestyle (I like things like trail running, doing “Tough Mudder” type events, and otherwise fooling around outdoors).  I read lots of really wonkish stuff in terms of international politics, and otherwise am never “bored”...I keep busy every moment I can.  Life simply is too short to sit on your ass.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I didn’t.  It was my negation of confidence that helped me along.  I always am both my own worst critic and biggest egomaniacal advocate.  My work is almost exclusively for my own edification only.  When you feel confident you’ve addressed your own needs, putting it out there regardless of what reaction may come (or the absence thereof) seems pretty easy to handle.
Frankly, I am still amazed when anyone notices my stuff, positive or negative.  It means I in fact have inspired some kind of reaction, which I assume is something that only works on me.  Often the reaction interprets what I’ve done differently than how I experienced it.  But its not my place to correct someone on how they experience/perceive what I’ve done.  Their experience is just as valid.  Its theirs, and based on whatever context they happen to be in.  

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
This is one of those questions thats just hard to even wrap ones head around.  You have to be open enough with yourself to look for the path you need to take to get where you want to go.  Maybe thats bunkering in a basement for weeks at a time, maybe thats putting yourself out there in the public eye every moment you can. Maybe you work with a mentor. You have to be honest enough with yourself to define what that is...then take steps to do just that.
There are no cookie-cutter steps.  You make your own adventure.  You can be scared or unsure of yourself, but you just keep at it.  To grossly mis-paraphrase my favorite Henry Rollins-ism, “Get Up, Go Again”.