I Like 3D

Allison Lake Moments from Frank Seager on Vimeo.

So you have found a hobby or activity that you love and are passionate about.

Great! everyone needs one of those. It keeps you sane.

But there comes a point when you want to get better, and that's what i want to talk about today.

I'll talk about the two things that I'm most passionate about,  Design and Music. Whether or not I'm good at either of those things is up for debate. But regardless I feel I have improved over the years. Just because I'm talking about Design or Music doesn't mean this won't translate to what you are passionate about, so take that into consideration.

I'm going to talk about the easiest and first thing you should do before you start trying to create your new project, and that is analyzing things that inspire you. It's a really overlooked basic thing you should do. What i mean by analyzing is Look, Listen, or Watch things that peak your interest.

I'll give you a couple examples. When I was first trying to make music I noticed the songs I was making didn't flow, seemed to be too repetitive or completely random. What I started to do was focus on specific parts of songs that I liked. So if I came across a song I thought was amazing I would listen to it a couple times and each time specifically listen to something different, for example. I'll focus on main things I'm interested in, I'll focus on a hi hat pattern and the way it sounds. Or the drum pattern or bass line. I will listen for how this element changes and evolves over time, or what the isolated sound sounds like.

When it comes to design, I look at things like: What elements are Highlighted, or has Shadowing. If something looks good while symmetrical, or would it look better asymmetrical. How an element will come on/off the page. Finding the small details and comparing them to others are what make up a good project will really help you create things that you're proud of.

So next time you're getting ready to start on a new project, take the time to really take in what inspires you. Don't just look at someone's work and say "My, i want to create something like that. Let's get to it!" Its good your proactive, but it's also important to take in those small details.