Greg Cohen: Do you begin with the end in mind or do you let it evolve organically?

Cam Kendell: I definitely have a specific idea I am starting with, and then as the process goes along, sometimes I'll have little happy accidents. And that might spur a new idea that I feel is stronger than the original concept I had.

What is your process for improving your creative work?

I have certain times set aside in the week where I sit down and study areas of art and then have time to practice that and apply what I'm learning. I always try and be open minded and aware of how others are creating and what works for them and seeing what can easily or effectively be adapted to what I'm doing.

When you have your initial idea, how do you nurture it or coax it or cultivate it into a finished product?

I like to consume media that is adjacent to whatever I'm creating. I won't go out and find comics that are doing the same thing. I'll go and watch a movie or a TV series or I listen to podcasts or listen to music that evokes the idea of suspense or mystery and kind of allow those other media sources to saturate my brain.

What makes one idea more promising than another?

I try and create for myself, trusting that there are others in the world who have similar views and interests as me and eventually my creation will find those people as well.

At what point do you challenge your creative choices?

If I've let a piece sit for a day and then I come back the next day and look at it again. That is the best time for me to have kind of fresh eyes.

What are your most frequently revisited sources of inspiration?

Seeing the process that somebody went through to create something.

How do you make progress when you're blocked or feel like you're at a dead end?

Sometimes it's just a matter of getting a view of the whole picture instead of zooming in on these little details.

Can you think of a time that a constraint was beneficial to your creativity?

Whenever you constrain yourself, it breeds creativity because you've now given yourself a problem to solve.

And what's a telltale sign that it's time to abandon an idea?

I think there's always gonna be a point in any creative project where you are no longer excited about it and you have to just kind of muscle through and get it done.

What do you think is the relationship between skill and creativity?

Creativity is a skill. You can learn to be observant and see things around you and then think about how those combine. As I've developed new talents and learned ways, it has led to new creative thoughts of things I can do that I didn't even think of before because I didn't know it was a possibility.

Greg Cohen: So we'll start with questions about you personally. What do you create?

Cam Kendell: I create a lot of board games and some books.. I like to phrase what I create as visual storytelling.

What is your signature or what distinguishes your work from everybody else's?

My art walks the line between cute and gritty.

So when creating something from scratch, how do you start?

If I have enough time, then I'll usually start by looking for inspiration from other creators or entirely other sources.

Do you begin with the end in mind or do you let it evolve organically?

I definitely have a specific idea I am starting with, and then as the process goes along, sometimes I'll have little happy accidents. And that might spur a new idea that I feel is stronger than the original concept I had.

Now, talking about evolving your work, what is your process for building, improving or evolving your creative work?

I'm studying color and lighting and then human figure. I have certain times set aside in the week where I sit down and study those areas of art and then have time to practice that and apply what I'm learning. I always try and be open minded and aware of how others are creating and what works for them and seeing what can easily or effectively be adapted to what I'm doing.

So you were talking about honing your craft and it's kind of a non linear process. Sometimes you make leaps and bounds and other times not so much. So to what events or practices would you attribute your greatest gains in skill?

Putting in the time. Just sitting down and doing something. It will result in better progress than sitting down and hearing about something I want to improve or reading about something I want to improve.

What are your Legos or your building blocks or the algorithms of your creative process?

If I notice I have a shortcoming or an area of my creativity that isn't up to a standard that I want. Then I start focusing and working on that.

When you have your initial idea, how do you nurture it or coax it or cultivate it into a finished product?

I like to consume media that is adjacent to whatever I'm creating. With this ghost detective story, I won't go out and find comics that are doing the same thing. I'll go and watch a movie that's a mystery or a TV series or I listen to podcasts or listen to music that evokes the idea of suspense or mystery and kind of allow those other media sources to kind of saturate my brain.

What percentage of your creative time is spent prototyping or experimenting?

I would say 40% of  my effort is the initial sketching and roughing things out.

And how much of your creative process is routine or habit and how much of it is spontaneous and improvised?

As I'm comfortable, I start to develop greater attention. And I start to recognize things that I'm falling short in. At that point as I start to work on those areas, my process really starts to change and I'm really just experimenting and trying out new things until I reach that goal. Then I get back into this comfortable place and it'll look more like a routine.

What makes one idea more promising than another?

If it makes me excited. I try and create for myself, trusting that there are others in the world who have similar views and interests as me and eventually my creation will find those people as well.

At what point when you're making something do you challenge your creative choices?

When I have some time to take a break, if I've let a piece sit for a day and then I come back the next day and look at it again. That is the best time for me to have kind of fresh eyes.

What makes a creative project successful?

If somebody else looks at it and gets a similar emotion that I'm trying to portray with it.

Where did you find your inspiration?

I would say projects other people are doing. Comics, movies, music, art, games. And then also experiences. New food, meeting new people, going to new places, or hiking or whatever. Gives me new thoughts to pull from and merge with other thoughts.

What are your most frequently revisited sources of inspiration?

Sitting down and reading a new story or a story I've already read for a second or third or fourth time. Seeing the process that somebody went through to create something.

When and where do your lightning bolts ideas occur?

The shower has been a pretty common place, perhaps because it's just free from distractions.

That's a very frequent answer. In the shower or doing dishes and things of that nature.

I think it's a place where you're alone with your thoughts. Hiking can do the same sort of thing. I also find that watching a movie or reading a book can.

Is your creative process solitary or do you collaborate with others?

There are times where I will reach out to other artists I look up to or trust and I'll get their feedback on it.

And what stops your creative flow faster than anything?

It's self doubt. That's usually a time when I need to take a break and come back.

How do you make progress when you're blocked or feel like you're at a dead end?

Sometimes it's just a matter of taking a break and getting a view of the whole picture instead of zooming in on these little details.

How do you avoid ruts and preconceptions?

Being curious. I like to ask myself “Is this the best way to do this? Is this the most efficient way there?” An easier way or a more interesting way of approaching a certain problem.

Can you think of a time that a constraint was beneficial to your creativity?

Whenever you constrain yourself, it breeds creativity because you've now given yourself a problem to solve. If you limit yourself with a color palette. If I'm doing physical painting, I usually like to use just one brush.

And what's a tell tale sign that it's time to abandon an idea?

I'd be tempted to say if you're not excited about it, but I don't think that's true. I think there's always gonna be a point in any creative project where you are no longer excited about it and you have to just kind of muscle through and get it done.

And what do you think the different creative fields have in common or is there anything universal to them?

Art in general, I think is used to tell a story.

Hm. What do you think is the relationship between skill and creativity?

I would say creativity is a skill. You can learn to be observant and see things around you and then think about how those combine.

Yeah. Absolutely. Once again, getting back to your North Star idea, you start out with a vision in mind and you either do or don't have the skill to accomplish your vision.

As I've developed new talents on the accordion and learned ways of playing it, it has led to new creative thoughts of things I can do that I didn't even think of before because I didn't know it was a possibility.

Greg Cohen: Well, it's good to talk to you. So we'll start with questions about you personally. What do you create?

Cam Kendell: In general, I create a lot of board games and some books in the publishing industry. I like to kind of phrase what I create as visual storytelling. I guess art that tells a story.

Nice. OK. And what are you working on recently that you're excited about?

Oh. I am currently working on pitching a graphic novel series about a middle school ghost who is a detective, and I'm pretty exited about that.

Well, I hope it goes over well. Sounds good. I'd like to get it into my kid’s hands and I'd like to see it myself. What is your signature or what distinguishes your work from everybody else's?

I would say that my art kind of walks the line between cute and gritty. I think it's kind of the unique look of my work.

And when do you do your most creative work and why do you think that is?

You know, I've thought about that. I think when I get up really early in the morning, that can be a really productive time for me. Probably because there's fewer distractions. Family is asleep and I worry about waking them up. So I have to stay quieter and it's just a really good time to focus though. It's a good time to focus, but I don't know that it's necessarily my best creativity time. I think I'm most creative when I am excited about what I'm doing, when I feel like I have a clear path forward.

OK. And how much of your day are you actively engaged in your creative work?

Mm. I'd say about 3 to 4 hours depending on the day. That's a pretty good chunk. And the rest of it is a lot of admin.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Which of your influences can you see reflected in your own work?

Oh. That's a good question. I'm just kind of going through my influences. I would say early nineties cartoons like Ninja Turtles or Duck Tails or Tail Spin. And then probably Rankin and Bass animations, not the stop motion animations, but some of the ones they've done like The Last Unicorn and I'm blanking. Flight of Dragons, The Hobbit.

Good choices.

At least I hope that that is reflected in my style. That's what I think.

I do for sure, from what I've seen. Yeah. These are questions around process, when getting started. So when creating something from scratch, how do you start?

Kind of depends on how much time I have for the project. If I am short on time, then I just start putting pen to paper or stylus to tablet. And I just start scribbling and sketching things and I find that I can think better when I am actively doing art. If I have a lot of time or enough time, then I'll usually start by looking for inspiration from other creators or entirely other sources. It doesn't have to be art or books or anything. Just something that is inspiring to me.

Do you begin with the end in mind or do you let it evolve organically?

I would say both. I definitely have a specific idea I am starting with, at least typically, and then as the process goes along, sometimes I'll have little happy accidents. It's very much like Bob Ross and his paintings. Happy accidents will happen. And that might spur a new idea that I feel is stronger than the original concept I had.

And how do you set up your environment or conditions to create? Like how do you get in the mood or create fertile soil for yourself?

That's kind of a constant thing I'd say. I mean, in the moment it looks like separating myself from distractions. So I'm not always great at that. Sometimes I'll watch something or whatever while I'm creating, but usually only when I'm in a place where I can kind of go into autopilot and just finish the idea. Music or some audio of some kind usually is helpful to me. 

But in a broader sense, I'm always trying to be observant of the world around me, trying to learn new things, just be aware of what's happening, what nature looks like. And I think that really serves me better then when I do sit down to actually create something I can draw from all of those experiences and observations.

OK. Now, talking about evolving your work, what is your process for building, improving or evolving your creative work?

Study. Study and practice. So specific study of a certain subject like right now, I'm studying color and lighting and then human figure. And I have certain times set aside in the week where I sit down and study those areas of art and then have time to practice that and apply what I'm learning. And then in general, I always try and be open minded and aware of how others are creating and what works for them and seeing what can easily or effectively be adapted to what I'm doing.

Oh, that's a good strategy. So you were talking about honing your craft and it's kind of a nonlinear process. Sometimes you make leaps and bounds and other times not so much. So to what events or practices would you attribute your greatest gains in skill?

Putting in the time. I think just sitting down and doing something is a lot better. In the end it will result in better progress than sitting down and hearing about something I want to improve or reading about something I want to improve. There is a time and place for that and that information can be helpful. But if I never sit down and apply repeatedly what I'm learning, I really don't improve in it at all.

OK. And what are your Legos or your building blocks or the algorithms of your creative process?

Hm. Yeah, I read that question and I'm having a hard time how to answer that one. Honestly, I don't know if I put enough thought into creativity a lot of the time. I just kinda sit down and I work on things, and if I notice I have a shortcoming or an area of my creativity that isn't up to a standard that I want, and I'm aware of that, then I start focusing and working on that. I mean, that's the process. 

I guess that's still the process of growing and improving my artistic ability, but maybe building blocks would look like just being observant. I think asking questions and being aware and that can look like be observant about what the world really looks like, how things function. That can affect my creativity, but also being aware of what am I good at. Where do I fall short and then asking questions of how I need to improve that. So I guess observing and asking questions.

When you have your initial idea, how do you nurture it or coax it or cultivate it into a finished product?

I say lots of sketching, lots of doodling, and then when I'm not actively creating, I like to consume media that is adjacent to whatever I'm creating. So for example, with this ghost detective story, I won't go out and just like find comics that are doing the same thing. I'll go and watch a movie that's a mystery or a TV series or I listen to podcasts or listen to music that evokes the idea of suspense or mystery and kind of allow those other media sources to kind of saturate my brain.

And what percentage of your creative time is spent prototyping or experimenting?

That's a good question. I don't track it well enough. But if I had to guess, I would say like 40% of  my effort is the initial sketching and roughing things out.

And how much of your creative process is routine or habit, and how much of it is spontaneous and improvised?

You know, that fluctuates it depends on where I'm at artistically. So I kinda go through a cycle. And I think most artists do, where I'll be in a place where artistically I feel comfortable with what I'm doing and I kind of develop a system of how to create. And then as I'm comfortable, I start to develop greater attention to what I'm doing. And I start to recognize things that I'm falling short in. 

So artistically, I can say, “Oh, I'm not very good at anatomy or color or I'm not doing the lighting the way I like.” And at that point as I start to work on those areas, my process really starts to change and I'm really just experimenting and trying out new things until I reach that goal that I'm shooting for. And then I get back into this comfortable place where I think, “Ok, now I'm where I wanna be,” and it'll look more like a routine, where I know I do this now and I do this to achieve the goal, and then eventually I'll notice again something that I'm not at the level I wanna be in. It'll start all over again.

What makes one idea more promising than another?

I guess if it makes me excited. If it's something I am initially interested in and think could be fun. I try and create for myself, trusting that there are others in the world who have similar views and interests as me and eventually my creation will find those people as well.

Ok. And how do you know that a creative decision you are making is right?

I would say, I don't always know. I'm just trusting myself and I guess being ok with the idea that it might not be the right one, but if it isn't, I'll learn. I guess with the idea, it's good to have a focus with whatever I'm creating. 

So if creating a piece of art was my focus, do I want somebody to feel something? Some emotion? Am I trying to evoke emotion or is this piece to display some kind of technical ability? What is my purpose of that piece? And then all of my decisions along that way should ideally support that end goal.

At what point when you're making something do you challenge your creative choices?

Hm. That is a really good question and I don't know an answer to it. Usually if I'm in the middle of it, I don't challenge or question too much and I just keep going ahead. It's typically when I have some time to take a break, if I've let a piece sit for a day or whatever, and then I come back the next day and look at it again. That is the best time for me to have kind of fresh eyes and see what is or isn't working a project.

Ok.

A lot of that happens throughout it. That kinda happens at different stages throughout the process, I'd say.

Ok. And how do you distinguish when it's time to test and try new things or when it's time to double down and dig deeper on something?

Typically, when I'm feeling frustrated with what I'm creating and I'm just not happy with where it's headed or with the results I'm getting, whether that's the art or the story or whatever, then I know it's time to usually take a break, come back to another day and look at it again.

OK. And with regard to finishing, how do you know when you're done?

That can either be I'm out of time and I just need to have it finished or that can be that it accomplishes that initial goal that I've set. So, is it evoking the emotion I want as an example.

What makes a creative project successful?

You know, I guess I'm gonna say a similar thing. If it accomplishes that goal. So if somebody else looks at it and gets a similar emotion that I'm trying to portray with it, then that was successful, Or if it's just a product and it needs to just be fun and exciting and colorful and if it does that then it's successful.

So it seems like a lot of your decisions hinge on your initial intent and that's kind of your North Star or your guiding compass.

Yeah, definitely. A comic is a good example because you can really look at the comic and say I could spend a lot of time on all of these pages making awesome art. But in the end, the point of the comic is to tell a story. And if I spend all my time making really great looking art, but I don't polish the story, it wasn't successful. It didn't do what it needed to do. And it's OK in a comic to spend a little less time on the art, having to be a little rougher or a little simpler if the story is solid.

OK. And shifting to questions about sources of inspiration and collaboration. Where did you find your inspiration?

I would say projects other people are doing. Comics, movies, music, art, games. And then also experiences. So going out and experiencing new things. New food, meeting new people, going to new places, or hiking or whatever. Having new experiences I hadn't before. Gives me new thoughts to pull from and merge with other thoughts to create new things I wouldn't have otherwise.

What are your most frequently revisited sources of inspiration?

Hm. Mm. I guess in general books of any kind, sitting down and reading a new story or a story I've already read for a second or third or fourth time. Opening up an art book and seeing the process that somebody went through to create something. One of my current favorite sources of inspiration are role playing game manuals. They're just kind of filled with rich creativity, both art and world building and storytelling. And it's all just kind of in there in one book. Really inspires me.

Oh. I used to love some Shadow Run or some D&D books. Mhm. Well, what gets your creativity going?

So I've been picking up a lot of books from a publisher called Free League Publishing, which is a Swedish company. They have done role playing games like Dragonbane, Forbidden Lands. These ones that I've recently been looking at, The One Ring, which is like a Lord of the Rings setting. And they could have gone an easy route. They could have taken what was already done for the movies or other art, but what they've done is created their own visual representation of that world and it's just this beautiful presentation. So that's what I've been excited about recently.

Are there any other books, blogs or podcasts that you recommend on creativity?

Mhm. That's a good question. I don't know that I seek a lot of sources that are specifically about creativity itself. The closest to that would probably be, let's see if I can remember the name of it. I think it's called Steal Like An Artist.

Ok, by Austin Kleon.

It’s pretty old. Yeah. Yeah, it's a pretty old book there. I've got it on my shelf. That's interesting, but it's been a while since I've read it. But as far as specific to creativity in that process, I think that's one that stands out to me.

When and where do your lightning bolts ideas occur?

That really can be anywhere. I mean, the shower has been a pretty commonplace, perhaps because it's just free from distractions.

That's a very frequent answer. In the shower or doing dishes and things of that nature.

Yeah. I think it's a place where you're alone with your thoughts. Hiking can do the same sort of thing. But I also find that watching a movie or reading a book can… Sometimes I'll experience something in that story that's just really exciting or enjoyable to me and then it will spark these ideas of how I could apply some similar thoughts to what I'm doing.

Is your creative process solitary or do you collaborate with others?

It's largely solitary. But there are times where I will reach out to other artists I look up to or trust and I'll get their feedback on it.

What role if any does feedback play in your creativity?

It's usually to get an idea of what reaction people are having to what I'm creating. So it's a good idea to see if I'm accomplishing the goal I want to accomplish. It can be easy to reach out to somebody and say, “Is this good? Does it look good?” or something. But that in the end, that's gonna differ, right? That's gonna vary across the board. 

Everybody's gonna have different ideas of what they like to look at or what they like to read. So it's more useful for me to say, “What do you think about this?” And they can tell me, “Oh, well, I really like this. I enjoyed the energy here” or whatever. And then I can kind of take what their responses are to it and see what I would change about it.

And shifting to questions about challenges and obstacles and how to overcome them. What's the hardest part of creation for you?

I think for me, the hardest part is moving forward when I feel inadequate. So sitting down and drawing when I'm struggling with feelings of not being an adequate artist or not being able to draw the thing that I'm gonna try and accomplish. That can feel really overwhelming and I can tend to want to just avoid starting it.

And what stops your creative flow faster than anything?

Hm. I think it's the same thing. It's self doubt. While I'm creating, if I start to think “Wow, this just isn't any good. I don't like where this is going,” even if it's not finished. But I'm already starting to tell myself it's not gonna be good enough or it doesn't look right. That's usually a time when I need to take a break and come back.

How do you make progress when you're blocked or feel like you're at a dead end?

Hm. You know, I feel like I'm kind of still figuring that out. Sometimes it's just a matter of taking a break coming back again and getting a view of the whole picture instead of zooming in on these little details that I'm stressed about. Just coming back and looking at it. Sometimes it can be talking to other artists or people I trust and just kind of getting an idea of where I'm at really, outside of my own thoughts. That can be helpful.

How do you avoid ruts and preconceptions?

Mm. I probably don't. I guess being curious. I'm always excited to learn new things. And so I like to ask questions. I like to ask myself “Is this the best way to do this? Is this the most efficient way there?” An easier way or a more interesting way of approaching a certain problem and asking those sorts of questions and just being interested and curious.

Can you think of a time that a constraint was beneficial to your creativity?

Yeah. I think in general that that's usually the case. Whenever you constrain yourself, it breeds creativity because you've now given yourself a problem to solve. You have to accomplish a thing, but you have to do it within these parameters. And I think that often is where creativity is truly born. If you limit yourself with a color palette. 

Or a good example is in painting. So if I'm doing physical painting, I usually like to use just one brush. I don't like to use a bunch of different sizes. I try and use that one brush and I have to find creative ways to use that brush and make new marks. And then limiting my color palette. I have to find creative ways to mix those colors or incorporate them together to get different results.

And what's a tell tale sign that it's time to abandon an idea?

Hm. Hm. I guess if it doesn't serve a purpose in your life. I think that would be the case. I mean, I'd be tempted to say if you're not excited about it, but I don't think that's true. I think there's always gonna be a point in any creative project where you are no longer excited about it and you have to just kind of muscle through and get it done, see it through to the end. 

But if you are working on a project and it is no longer going to serve you or others in the way that you want, then I think it's time to let it go. And that could be, it could be purely financial. It could be whether it's an enjoyable creative outlet or whatever.

What kind or type of work would you like to do that you haven't done yet?

Mm. I've done it in the past but I don't do a lot of it. I've been thinking a lot about just oil painting just for the joy of oil painting. I haven't done that in a number of years. I think I'd like to get back into that. Just painting images for the enjoyment of creating a piece.

And talking about creative crossovers. Do you have more than one creative skill or hobby or interest?

Yeah. So art, in the visual sense, and music. I love playing instruments. Learning new instruments, recording little ditties or songs that I make up. I enjoy film making. I don't do a lot of that, but I enjoy it. I enjoy writing and storytelling. Game creation. Yeah, I think there's quite a few.

And what do you think the different creative fields have in common or is there anything universal to them?

Maybe not all creativity, but art in general, I think is used to tell a story. Whether it's a single image or written book or music or whatever, it's a way to tell a story.

And what skill or techniques from a different field would you like to bring into your work?

When I'm playing an instrument or learning a song or doing something like that, it's usually pretty stress free and I'm just kind of having fun, and I like to try out adding little notes here or there. I'm not quite as free when I am creating art usually because of time constraints. I can tend to get a little more stressed and so I just have to hurry up and get the thing done. And I don't spend enough time iterating and experimenting on different solutions.

Hm. What do you think is the relationship between skill and creativity?

Mhm. Wow. OK. You're kind of spurring a lot of ideas here. 

I would say in some ways, creativity is a skill. It is something that you can develop and grow. So in that way they're related. You can learn to be observant and see things around you and then think about how those combine. I think that is a skill you can develop through practice. 

And then I also think whether it's art or music or whatever, as you develop those skills, you are more able to be creative in a way. Like you're able to accomplish the things that you wanna create. Does that make any sense?

Absolutely. Once again, getting back to your North Star idea, you start out with a vision in mind and you either do or don't have the skill to accomplish your vision.

Yeah. So your skills can help you accomplish what you're trying to create. But also I guess they can also feed your creativity. Music is a great example. I play the accordion and I've been focusing on actually developing new skills in that area lately. And what I've found is that as I've developed new talents on the accordion and learned ways of playing it, it has led to new creative thoughts of things I can do while playing a song, that I didn't even think of before because I didn't know it was a possibility. I've never done it. I never learned it before. So it's like it adds to your arsenal of tools.

Who do you think of when I say most creative person?

Wow. Hm. I guess two people come to mind. Hayao Miyazaki and Jim Henson.

Oh. Good picks. Is there anyone else you can think of who we should talk to for this project?

Yeah. If you haven't reached out to Jake Parker, he's a great creator. Tons of different projects he's always working on, and he does an excellent job of sitting down and thinking through things. So I bet he would have really thoughtful answers to a lot of these questions.

Awesome. Thank you. And last question, it's difficult to choose between your “children”, but what is your favorite work you have done so far in your career?

I'm gonna say it is the art that I've done for a book series Fart Quest.

Oh, that's a good one.

Which sounds ludicrous, but every time I pick up those books and look back at the art I did for it, I just still feel good about it. And that doesn't happen with every project.

Awesome. Well, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions and illuminate the process of creativity for us.

Yeah, I'm sorry I missed your call the first time. I appreciate you taking the time to call back.

Absolutely. I wouldn't miss a chance to get your insights. Thank you very much for everything.

You're very welcome.