So I'm here again and it feels odd returning to a blog I created in 2006. A blog I created to write completely fictional news (Which is very big now on the internet by the way) and update nobody about my animation, art and videos.Well, 2016 has been the year of stepping back from most of my regular creative business. I have been doodling sure, but for the most part it's been 'earning money' and 'experiencing the outside world.' By outside world, I mean this place I am currently living, Western Australia. It is weird to say it.
But I've been here almost 2 years now. Today I was on the bus and some young men behind me started playing some loud Australian Rap Music on their phones or whatever (Not a boom box). So, I've heard Australian Rap Music before and I really enjoy it! But it made me realise, that I'm still not fully comfortable with where I am. I can't switch the TV on without feeling a little like, 'where am I?'. There's nothing wrong with that, but I feel like I am on a very long holiday.
I grew up here in Australia, so you'd think I'd be used to it. But I guess I was never listening to anyone back then... only Del Boy and Damon Albarn. In real life conversation I don't notice it that much. As I say, there is nothing offensive about it to me, it just makes me feel like my feet have never quite touched the ground.
In the UK, while I may have felt more at home with the accents I didn't feel quite at home with the flooded shoes.
I have been posting a lot on instagram since the end of last year when I went to Sydney to watch The Peanuts Movie. A lot of what I post is random pictures or videos of places I've been. One of my favourite places in the world is called Fremantle. I don't care too much about the rest of Perth, Australia but Fremantle feels like it's own place in it's own time. I have a job right in the centre of it. Also it's good to have my family around as well.
No matter whether I have a bad day or a good day I can walk outside and feel this natural relaxed vibe that flows through the town.
In Fremantle they have old style architecture, lots of coffee shops, charity shops, people riding on bikes everywhere, an old prison, a cool market, hippies and an art scene. Plus, almost every week some other crazy event is happening. I've seen random wooden castles appear for a week and then disapear, busker festivals, arts festivals, days where people just draw on the roads with chalk.... Even today I saw a whole road closed off for a charity christmas dinner event. There were dining tables all the way down the street.
Not quite in Fremantle, but I saw that in Perth City they were having a cow month.... ... not sure what that's about. There were Cow banners everywhere. And painted cow sculptures scattered around the city. (A bit like they did with Shaun the Sheep and Paddington in the UK).
Coincidentally a cow jumped off of a boat in Freo, swam to the shore, walked along the railway and eventually was caught (and killed). So much for Cow month! And on Facebook there seems to be two groups I've noticed. One is a group that just lets locals gossip about Fremantle, and the other is a bartering group. It's pretty cool, I personally have nothing to offer, but I've seen fruit exchanged for haircuts and bikes for wine bottles. Pretty cool!
Kind of makes me think of that 'Are you local?' thing from The League of Gentlemen though.
So let's get back to the core point of my writingz. What year is this?? Who am I? Well, it's 2016 and I'm older than i was in 2006. Which is a very important point. I yearn for that year and a few after that. But lives change and we must pitter patter on until death surrounds us and then takes us. Grim I know, but without bringing it up, how can we find happiness? If we don't think about death (In a non depressed way) then how can we appreciate life? So that's what I do. I look at the sun (Because we got that down here in Oz) and I look at the flowers and the smiles and I eat the food.
So that's where joy has been coming from. But if you know me, you'll know that all of my life I have created cartoons and stories. I started drawing comics when I was 10, moved on to animation when I got to highschool... made brilliant videos where I was a fictional detective and animated on a BBC kids show. So at the back of my head is the constant drumming (dr who reference deliberate) to CREATE. I used to animate a lot of cartoons. I'd also take breaks in-between to do fun, lazy live action videos with my friend/s. Well, things have changed a bit now. I'm not sure I have the same energy I had for making improvised live action videos. (I'd love to try again) but I think for now, those times are gone.
The reasons for my decline in doing animations (That i want to make) .. are..
The Internet
Since facebook turned up it really has become a massive part of everyones lives. For goodness sake, it was a huge influence on getting a cartoon character elected president in the US. That is HUGE. It stays avaliable to anyone at any time. It has replaced phones, it has replaced PEOPLE.
Up until now I have decided to avoid getting a smartphone. For a few reasons, but a main one being the fact that I'd be constantly destracted from life. I'd also be more stressed out by my social interactions (or lack of) and the current thundering news.
I've seen posts from friends who live on the other side of the planet reporting something massive just happened next door to them hours before it even hits the news. WHAT IS THIS? It's distracting is what it is. But even without a smartphone I still have my laptop and wifi connected Ipod. Ideally I would not have it.
But we're in an age where it is necassary.......
Look at youtube! They now have videos hours and hours long! When a video ends it fires up the next one in the *list* before you can even breath. These are massive distracting changes.
I know what you're thinking, if it's your passion then these things should not matter right?
Well I love animation, I love drawing my characters and making them do wacky things and say funny things. But getting over the first step of pen to tablet, and setting aside a few hours freaks me out. Also over the years I have become a lot more picky about what I release.
I've entered this horrible place where art wise I either have to be really happy with it or it has to be completely lazy (but still personal).
Because I expect so much quality and detail of my full length animations (On my youtube channel) I get totally freaked out by this massive mountain in front of me.
This is why most recently (If you follow my instagram/facebook) you'll see I mostly only upload doodles and sketches. The expectations don't exist there. I know no one actually has expectations but my mind tells me I do. Plus, the project I most want to produce next is one that weighs so heavily on my shoulders. I want to do a short film based around characters I've had since I was 10. Some of them feel like real people to me.It's not just all that, I'm also just not happy with my art.... well I kind of am. I like my own art but I don't trust my characters in MY hands, standing in front of MY backgrounds.
This is why Adam & Kat exists as both the animation and comic. As well as those Nathan Ruins (Video Games) videos. I love them for their comedyness but I also love them for being pretty easy for ME to work on. Hardly much expectation. Lesmovids puts all the effort in and I just turn up. But creatively, I still feel like I've added something to my creative mind gallery that needs stocking every once in a while.
On a side note, I don't have too much time anymore. Like with any full time job, I feel exhausted by the end of the day.
But I am volunteering in a Perth Art Gallery called Paper Mountain on Sundays. It's relaxing, encouraging creatively and sometimes I'll meet some very kind people. The art scene is great in Perth, I'd go as far as to say there is too much of it. (What?? How can there be too much of ART?)
Well, in the UK, no matter what village you drive to there will always be an old church on a hill. Well in Perth and Fremantle, it's just gallerys. Gallerys everywhere.
So, to conclude, while I am enjoying life as much as I can (and feeling both settled, and hovering above the earth at the same time) all I want to do is bring Tomothy to life. (Tomothy is my character from childhood)
I have plans, i have animatics... i have a bunch of stuff. Tomothy is ready to erupt but life is busy. If i died before Tomothy did get his little animation I would not mind so much. It's still nice to be around. Hey James Berridge!
While writing this blog post, Youtube (Without choice) played a David Bowie Playlist. I suppose the internet is not SO bad... back to Blur now though guys.
(Above picture taken by James Berridge)
- Mr Nathan
On btw my instagram is https://www.instagram.com/thedailycrumb/
