Archive for April 2010
Overlooked: The best teachers in the world
April 27, 2010
Me and Hanna
When I first met my wife Jeanette 11 years ago – I saw something in her I had never seen in a woman. Beauty? Yes, she was and is very beautiful. But she was not aware of it in a “I´m walking around knowing the world is watching me”-way. I value that a lot. That´s confidence at the core level of a human being. But there was more – an extremely high intelligence – on an emotional level.
And, boy there was a LOT more to come – but not in a way I could possibly imagine!
Anyway, I asked her out on a date. It was a gorgeous summer day. Not a single cloud. The heat was intense as I parked my shiny new black Camaro outside the hair-dresser and turned off the engine roar. She was a moral support for a friend getting her hair done that day and I was excited to meet her.
The door opened – and there she was… What the F—???
She had two dogs! Two small gremlin looking French Bulldogs. And all three were heading towards my car with a big smile! The car I´ve spent 2 hours cleaning and polishing! What should I do? Pretend I´m a lost tourist? Make a getaway?
I did the right thing.
I smiled, went out of my car and opened the passenger door. Gosh – lucky me – three for the price of one!
Hanna 10 weeks old
To cut a long story short, I´ve never had dogs in my life before. Especially not the farting ones that spoil every second of a the cool looking-dude-look in a black american car. (No, Wonderbaums didn´t help) And definitelly not the ones that eat the entire backseat of a car. (That wasn´t the Camaro by the way)
As time went by, I started to develop feelings for these small creatures. They were both special and unique in their own way. We then got a Boxer, then another one – and now just a couple of months back we rescued a Greyhound baby girl from a dogpound on Ireland. Someone threw that cute puppy away in the woods – to die. All our dogs are special, but this one really is a miracle. The joy in her eyes – that´s just priceless. Certainly worth the fact that she loves to infiltrate the washing machine and shred my underwear into small pieces!
Unbeatable sleeping style!
Today, I wouldn´t want to live without dogs. They are the best friends and teachers in the world. Of what?
Well, three things.
1. To give
For many years in my live, I was a GIMME GIMME GIMME person. How cute is that? I just wanted things. And I wanted them NOW. Today, it´s different – it´s the total opposite. That´s something I´ve learned by having dogs around me – one of the most valuable life lessons I´ve ever learned.
2. Love
Dogs love you no matter if you have bad morning breath, look like crap before taking the shower – and even when you´re tired. It´s UNCONDITIONAL. So, if you´re ever want to learn more about love – get a dog. Spoil it. Give it love. And you´ll be amazed! To learn to love is a wonderful thing. I see things I´ve never saw before. And I appreciate life a whole lot more.
Taking a walk in the park
3. To be present in the moment
Here´s where dogs excel us humans BIG TIME. They know how to be present in the moment. Have you watched a dog in the eyes, when you´re about to throw them a toy? The focus? The 100% presence? It´s unbeatable. NOTHING else exists. Just you and the toy. It´s really wonderful. What dogs have taught me – is to stay in the present. To see the small details and be happy about them.
So what does all this have to do with 3D? EVERYTHING!
If you blend all those three things together, you´ll elevate ANYTHING in your life to a new level. Whether it´s your relationships, your art or your business – those three things have an HUGE impact.
With that said – dogs are the best teachers in the world! 
Now, it´s 18 degrees Celcius, the snow has melted away – the sun is shining once again – and I´m taking my family on a date!
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The power of simplicity
April 26, 2010
The Gallery by Dreamlight
When working on the Gallery model, I wasn´t trying to create an advanced prop. I´m more into lighting than modelling, so I had to choose a different route.
Often, we forget the power of simplicity. We aim high, we get discouraged and we quit. I don´t know how many projects or images I´ve discarded during the years. Why? Because I was simply aiming too high.
What, aiming for the best ain´t good then? Hold on, I´ll explain. Yes, you should aim high. Be good, be great and create wonders. But hold your hourses! Take small steps ahead. That´s where the magic happens. See, progress takes time. To walk a mile – you can´t just JUMP your way from A to B. You need to WALK each step. Same goes for art, creating content you wish to sell or frankly anything in life.
The Gallery by Dreamlight
So, back to the Gallery model. By looking at the renders, you might think: “Wow, that´s looks advanced!”. The truth is, I built the entire model by using simple primitives: cubes and cylinders. And that´s it – no fancy stuff in here! Just lots of patience…
No way! I have to tell you: Yes way! And that´s the power of simplicity. I´m not a modeller, yet I was able to pull this off. The lighting does the rest. Now, the next time you you aim high – use repeated simplicity to get there!
The impossible hunt for perfection
April 24, 2010
Preview of the Sci Fi Core Complex for DS / Poser
Recently, while working on the Sci-Fi Core Complex prop and light set, I hit one problem after another. There was just no end to them! For many years, I´ve been perfecting stuff beyond oblivion. And I mean, perfecting them even beyond that. You know, dealing with small details, small adjustments and so on?
For me, I found that this actually originated in fear of me not being accepted. So I tried hard to make things perfect. Guess what – yeah – there will always be someone that complains or dislikes what you do. No matter WHAT you do, HOW you do it – and to WHOM you do it for.
So, back to the project I was working on. I´ve learned a few years back, that I need to get things DONE. Not perfect. So, instead of pursuing and hunting down each and every issue I found with the project – I let half of them go. Just like that. Bye bye!
Frankly, nobody will notice these small details. And I think I´m the only one to see them anyway. Your goal as a vendor, or as an artist – is to get things good enough and get them DONE. You will enjoy YOUR art more!
