A night at Qantm with Android Jones

I was lucky enough to get to sit in on one of Android (Andrew) Jones masterclass talks this evening. It was a very inspiring session with plenty of progression videos, fun stories and Coral Painter demonstrations. I personally found Andrews talk beneficial. The guy has a real knack for making you sit there and think 'Yeah, your right... we are fucken awesome!'.

For anyone who is unfamiliar with Android Jones, check out his website at http://www.androidjones.com/ Chances are, you may have already seen his famous works published in various places.

Andriod Jones -Share the Planet

Andrew had always had an arty bone in him, starting his artistic caree from a very early age. When he was 16, he started drawing portraits of homeless people and run-away kids for fun. He quickly realised that he could make a living off drawing when tourists starting offering payment for art. After attending a number of art and design schools and working for Nintendo, Andrew went on to co-found ConceptArt.org and the studio Massive Black Inc.
This all sounds like a perfect lineup for someone wanting to get work as a concept artist, but Andrew did not find joy in working on art that had to meet other peoples expectations. Nowadays, after travelling with musicians and creating theatre stages, Andrew is an independent artist. He finds some of his greatest joy creating art with no set goal at the start. 'Draw what you feel' and share it with everyone around you, he says. There is no limit to what we are able to create.

Hearing the story of Andrews past made me smile and think about my current goals and future ambitions. I can see how my story kind of sits in comparison with Andrews, getting a job in games then leaving it due to the stress of keeping up with deadlines trying to constantly impress those above you.

After the talk, I asked Andrew 'What would be your inspiring words for any artist who has started to undermine their artistic ability and have lost their passion to create art?' He paused for a while and thought before saying; 'If you don't believe in yourself, then who will?' Out of all the inspiring stories he gave that night, I felt that this one answer had a deeper, personal meaning to him. It was honest, straightforward and rang true.

We need to learn to find joy in what we do. Whether it be related to art or not, the pure love for our talents can only be found within ourselves once we relise what we are capable of doing, and what we are capable of becoming.