Analog Media and the Creative Spirit

Grounding Ourselves in a Digital World

It’s been over 20 years since I picked up a physical pencil and attempted to draw something. The last time was in the late 90s. I was on working as an interactive designer for the digital team at The Chicago Tribune. My workdays were filled with HTML coding and multimedia production—which at the time was cutting-edge technology. I started doing illustrations in my off time, starting with pencils, then pen and bringing them into Photoshop. Looking back now, I think I may be repeating past behavior.

A creative director on my team reminded me of the benefits of doing any art form—especially when it involves non-digital media. It slows the heart rate, relaxes the mind, and puts the creator in a state of flow like no other media can (in my opinion). So, with his encouragement, I ordered a simple pencil set and a 5x7 sketch pad to see if I could still draw. This is not a made-up concern—I can barely sign my name or write how I used to after decades using a keyboard and touchpad.

The total investment was well under thirty dollars—a no-brainer. I decided I would return to the inspiration of my youth, the heroes of Marvel before Marvel became Disneyfied, and I found an incredible interpretation of my absolute favorite X-man, Wolverine.

And wow, am I out of practice…