Life Advice from Steve Vai

Emma Frost WIP

Terribly busy as of the moment but I try to devote at least an hour daily for my personal drawing time.

Sometimes, when there is just so art to make and it feels like it has become a chore I find that working on something personal and allowing myself the time to just draw for kicks sets me up quite well for the challenges of the day ahead. Whenever I draw for myself I go back to my high school days living in Obando where I'd spend the early mornings before going to school drawing and the summers I spent indoors poring over Loomis' Anatomy and reading comics. I remember being blessed with friends in high school and college who were into drawing as well and how hard it was for us to acquire references for anatomy because the internet wasn't such a big thing then and whatever we had we photocopied. Fun days, really really fun days.

There is so much wisdom from what Steve Vai said in one of his guitar clinics where he said that when you get frustrated always go back to see the big picture and to that place of excitement for you. That place of excitement for me was in our old room in Obando, with my brother's hand-me-down drafting table and that photocopied book of Loomis surrounded by stacks of Spawn. When I go there, specially when I am neck deep in deadlines, I feel ok and I know that the rest of my drawing day will be alright.

By the way, here's the link to the video from Steve Vai. I don't play guitar that much anymore but his advice here applies to all things in life.