Letting Go
On losing control in the creative process, Lynch and Bacon, plus various blots and stains.
The video below is a recent experiment (in progress) which I’ve been working on, and this post too is something of a step into the unknown. In a break from the usual interview-with-an-animator format I thought I’d try and write something about experimental animation through the lens of my own work as an artist and animator. It might be a bit more personal and tangential than previous posts, and as with any experiment I’m not too sure how it will turn out…
When I am making my work I generally strive to let go of my conscious mind. The urge to control, to know what I am doing is something I can easily outrun over the course of a quick drawing, but the during the protracted months or years-long process of making a film it is far more difficult to avoid overthinking, pre-emptive explaining to myself, and unhelpful pinning-down of the work in progress.
The controlling voice of the conscious mind has its uses, particularly later on in the process of making a film, when it becomes more about problem solving, bringing things together and making things that nearly work actually work. But for much of the process of making a film I am trying to bypass this part of myself and work from some other place within me. This often feels like I have no idea what I am doing.