Hello! My name is Cameron Lai / ImSkeptical , and I wanna try give back to the community that has given me everything I've asked of it. So I would like to start a mentoring thing. But the way I see it, there's already all the information you need out there on getting good at representational art. Like seriously, we live in a magical age where there exists moving pictures with accompanying sound containing information so valuable it used to only be taught at the most remote and prestigious schools... for free! And the stuff you can access with something like 100 dollars, we learners have it pretty good.
So what do I plan to try to do if I think to teach more art tips n theory would just be pissing in the ocean. Building a speedy boat that wont sink! To drop the metaphor I just broke, what they tried but failed to teach in my highschool, and I'm willing to bet your highschool; how to learn, and learn with some modicum of efficiency.
To state again for clarity, I plan to share my wacky theories and ideas on how to effectively learn. Stuff like theories on how the brain works, how complex skills seem to be learned, ways of framing problems to make them easier, managing your dumb lizard brain to force it to do things it doesn't want to, strategies for attempts at managing your time efficiently. If these all sound really boring or things you already know, hi-five! If not hi-five, hopefully I'll match your expectations!
"But Cameron!" You, or at least the skeptical voice in my head, protests.
"What makes you think you have the expertise to teach this? Why should we think your wacky theories and ideas are any better than the next guy?"
Fair point you or me. Well time for a short life story!
Flashback - Before I decided to do art, I went to Uni. Some of my friends were planning to do engineering, which sounded fine enough to me, but sadly I didn't have high enough grades :(! So instead I got a science degree, planning to take some engineering units and swap over later in the year. But of the classes I took what really grasped my interest ended up being the psychology and the history of science, both of which were to become my majors. For the next 3 years I learned about things like what was different about greek science and modern science, and what parts of the brain light up when you rub someones foot. It was also during this time I learned some of what I want to mentor.
But there was a problem! I had graduated with a bachelor of science with a major in psychology and history of science. Wondering what to do with my life, I stumbled upon a feng zhu video about fov for some reason. It was then I discovered how you could draw cool things for videogames and movies and you would get paid for it.
So begins my art journey.
![[Image: BfF0ict.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/BfF0ict.jpg)
End Flashback - So continues my art journey.
To be a bit more serious, I still don't think I'm at a decent enough level of artistry to be educating much about it. Also I think there are plenty of people with way more expertise on how to efficiently learn skills. But I don't think there are many people who are okay at art who still remember what it was like to know nothing about art as well as being knowledgeable about skill learning in general as well as being a member of crimson daggers as well as having plenty of spare time. So hopefully you feel you can learn from me and we all have a great time together!
Anyway enough about me what will, you be doing?
Well I have 2 ideas about how to run this thing. One is the old boring livestream - lecture - discussion - homework framework which I guess works, I mean it worked for me. But the one I really want to try is a more freeform livestream - interrogation - dialogue - homework - podcast format. This is where I'm just gonna ask a bunch of questions related to concepts I want to discuss in-depth, and try to talk with my mentees to narrow down on ideas, and workshop out practical solutions. There are problems with this approach, like redundancy of information and potentially wasting time. But probably the biggest issue is I will need to select mentees that have microphones, can speak English well and are easy to converse with. But the gains are what I think is entertaining way to learn ideas, through listening to conversation and picking up ideas through osmosis i.e. podcasts and those old livestreams where people just talk to each other. Gotta risk big to win big.
So here's the play, either way i'm going to pick 2-3 people as mentees, with the intent to cycle maybe each couple of months. Will probably try an do at minimum 1 session a week, but the actual amount will probably depend on what can be worked out the mentees. Post a reply with a link to some of your art as well as a short pitch to why you want or should be chosen to be a mentee. If you are interested in the podcast style mentorship format, you're also going to send a vocal recording like the one I've prepared here - http://vocaroo.com/i/s006UPZvcBEX What you say in the recording is up to you, but keep in mind I'm using it as part the selection process! Record a few if you like, if you have a few ideas :D. I'll also stick a poll up.
Either way, everything is going to be recorded and put on youtube. Also art will be discussed I'm not that insane :p. I'll be selecting people around the start of next month, hopefully enough people are interested! Feel free to message me if you would like to co-mentor as well, I think that might be cool too. Thanks, stay awesome!
--------------------------
_______ For clarity to apply ________
- post link to your some of your arts
- why you want or should be chosen - pitch yourself, be creative!
- optional - a voice recording from http://vocaroo.com/ or something equivalent
Deadline for first bunch - 7th of June
So what do I plan to try to do if I think to teach more art tips n theory would just be pissing in the ocean. Building a speedy boat that wont sink! To drop the metaphor I just broke, what they tried but failed to teach in my highschool, and I'm willing to bet your highschool; how to learn, and learn with some modicum of efficiency.
To state again for clarity, I plan to share my wacky theories and ideas on how to effectively learn. Stuff like theories on how the brain works, how complex skills seem to be learned, ways of framing problems to make them easier, managing your dumb lizard brain to force it to do things it doesn't want to, strategies for attempts at managing your time efficiently. If these all sound really boring or things you already know, hi-five! If not hi-five, hopefully I'll match your expectations!
"But Cameron!" You, or at least the skeptical voice in my head, protests.
"What makes you think you have the expertise to teach this? Why should we think your wacky theories and ideas are any better than the next guy?"
Fair point you or me. Well time for a short life story!
Flashback - Before I decided to do art, I went to Uni. Some of my friends were planning to do engineering, which sounded fine enough to me, but sadly I didn't have high enough grades :(! So instead I got a science degree, planning to take some engineering units and swap over later in the year. But of the classes I took what really grasped my interest ended up being the psychology and the history of science, both of which were to become my majors. For the next 3 years I learned about things like what was different about greek science and modern science, and what parts of the brain light up when you rub someones foot. It was also during this time I learned some of what I want to mentor.
But there was a problem! I had graduated with a bachelor of science with a major in psychology and history of science. Wondering what to do with my life, I stumbled upon a feng zhu video about fov for some reason. It was then I discovered how you could draw cool things for videogames and movies and you would get paid for it.
So begins my art journey.
![[Image: BfF0ict.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/qGCAbsv.jpg)
End Flashback - So continues my art journey.
To be a bit more serious, I still don't think I'm at a decent enough level of artistry to be educating much about it. Also I think there are plenty of people with way more expertise on how to efficiently learn skills. But I don't think there are many people who are okay at art who still remember what it was like to know nothing about art as well as being knowledgeable about skill learning in general as well as being a member of crimson daggers as well as having plenty of spare time. So hopefully you feel you can learn from me and we all have a great time together!
Anyway enough about me what will, you be doing?
Well I have 2 ideas about how to run this thing. One is the old boring livestream - lecture - discussion - homework framework which I guess works, I mean it worked for me. But the one I really want to try is a more freeform livestream - interrogation - dialogue - homework - podcast format. This is where I'm just gonna ask a bunch of questions related to concepts I want to discuss in-depth, and try to talk with my mentees to narrow down on ideas, and workshop out practical solutions. There are problems with this approach, like redundancy of information and potentially wasting time. But probably the biggest issue is I will need to select mentees that have microphones, can speak English well and are easy to converse with. But the gains are what I think is entertaining way to learn ideas, through listening to conversation and picking up ideas through osmosis i.e. podcasts and those old livestreams where people just talk to each other. Gotta risk big to win big.
So here's the play, either way i'm going to pick 2-3 people as mentees, with the intent to cycle maybe each couple of months. Will probably try an do at minimum 1 session a week, but the actual amount will probably depend on what can be worked out the mentees. Post a reply with a link to some of your art as well as a short pitch to why you want or should be chosen to be a mentee. If you are interested in the podcast style mentorship format, you're also going to send a vocal recording like the one I've prepared here - http://vocaroo.com/i/s006UPZvcBEX What you say in the recording is up to you, but keep in mind I'm using it as part the selection process! Record a few if you like, if you have a few ideas :D. I'll also stick a poll up.
Either way, everything is going to be recorded and put on youtube. Also art will be discussed I'm not that insane :p. I'll be selecting people around the start of next month, hopefully enough people are interested! Feel free to message me if you would like to co-mentor as well, I think that might be cool too. Thanks, stay awesome!
--------------------------
_______ For clarity to apply ________
- post link to your some of your arts
- why you want or should be chosen - pitch yourself, be creative!
- optional - a voice recording from http://vocaroo.com/ or something equivalent
Deadline for first bunch - 7th of June
