Creating Through Chaos: The Artist’s Guide
Why Creating Isn’t Just a Task, but a Way to Process the World
I’ll be honest with you: I had no idea what to write this week.
For two years, I’ve sent out a newsletter without fail, with ideas lined up, topics ready to go.
But this week, in the aftermath of everything that has taken place, none of my usual musings felt right. They all felt like I was ignoring this ground-shifting event around us. But then again, no one looks for answers to life’s big questions in an email newsletter about GSplats and UDiMs.
So, let’s split the difference. Let’s talk about the big stuff while doing so through the artist's lens. Let’s talk about what it means to be an artist during a period of chaos.
When the Big World Forces Us to See the Small One
Moments of chaos and uncertainty snap us out of the routines that carry us through day-to-day life. Whether it’s the rush of joy or the weight of sorrow, major events often shift our perspective, making us see our surroundings with sharper clarity.
Election night was one of those times for me. As the headlines intensified, it was like the world slowed down around me, and the small details in my immediate space came into focus. I shut my laptop, set my phone aside, and chose to be fully present. That meant joining my kids on the floor, leaving the noise of the world for a moment.
We wrestled a bit, then pulled out Where the Sidewalk Ends, diving into a world of absurd poems and rhymes. As they cuddled close, I noticed the tickle of their hair against my chin, the ringing sound of their laughter, and the comforting weight of their little bodies as they leaned into me. It was a reminder that, in difficult times, the way to get through it as a create is to become atuned to it.
As artists, we naturally notice these details. We’re visual people, trained to see the subtleties around us. And in moments of overwhelm, this sensitivity to the present, to what’s close and concrete, can ground us. When everything feels big and out of our control, we can slow down and focus on what’s immediate. We can let ourselves experience the world with a heightened awareness, even if only in our small corner of it.
Art as a Lens to Make Sense of It All
For those of us who create, our art gives us a framework to process what we’re experiencing. It’s how we make sense of the emotions that come up when the world seems too heavy or uncertain. And this is what’s both challenging and beautiful about being an artist. We’re not just producing something; we’re translating the world around us, however we experience it, into our work.
Whether you’re a designer, a painter, a filmmaker, or a 3D artist, your work has the power to communicate things that words can’t. You can convey what it feels like to stand in the middle of something big, to feel both awed and small, to see beauty in the details around you. When the world feels overwhelming, art gives us a way to express that, to bring others into our perspective and to create meaning out of the unknown.
Rick Rubin’s point in The Creative Act was being an artist isn’t just what we make, it’s who we are. Art isn’t a task to check off or a piece to hang up. It’s an act of being present and open, of moving through the world with curiosity and sensitivity. It’s a lens through which we process the world, and sometimes, it’s the reason we get up in the morning, even when it’s hard to find one.
Embracing Creativity When It’s Hard
Life has a way of presenting challenges, big and small, that remind us of how little we can control. These might be global events, or deeply personal ones—the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, the birth of a child. And in every instance, art is there for us. We can take what’s happening, distill it, and pour it into our work, giving shape to feelings we can’t quite put into words. It’s therapeutic, it’s grounding, and it’s what allows us to connect with each other, even in times of isolation.
Of course, I know that many of us work jobs where we’re asked to design the mundane—to model toasters or create product renders. But even in these everyday tasks, there’s room for you to express a part of yourself, to bring a bit of what’s happening in the world or in your life into the details of your work. And if the job itself doesn’t allow that, then carve out the time for a project that does. Make something just for you, for the sake of creating, and let it be a release for the things you feel but can’t quite say.
We Create Because It’s Who We Are
Being an artist isn’t a title; it’s a way of experiencing the world. It’s a reason to get up, to pay attention, to see the beauty and the tragedy around us, and to turn it into something meaningful. It’s a way of facing down the uncertainties of life with an open heart, of letting ourselves be both affected and resilient.
So as the world spins, with outcomes and events we can’t predict or control, let your art be your anchor. Let it give you a way to engage with the world, to connect with others, and to understand yourself better. Use your creativity to process the big, the small, the joyful, and the heartbreaking, and know that, in doing so, you’re not just making something—you’re being yourself.
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Hello! Michael Tanzillo here. I am the Head of Technical Artists with the Substance 3D Growth team at Adobe. Previously, I was a Senior Artist on animated films at Blue Sky Studios/Disney with credits including three Ice Age movies, two Rios, Peanuts, Ferdinand, Spies in Disguise, and Epic.
In addition to his work as an artist, I am the Co-Author of the book Lighting for Animation: The Visual Art of Storytelling and the Co-Founder of The Academy of Animated Art, an online school that has helped hundreds of artists around the world begin careers in Animation, Visual Effects, and Digital Imaging. I also created The 3D Artist Community on Skool and this newsletter.
www.michaeltanzillo.com
Free 3D Tutorials on the Michael Tanzillo YouTube Channel
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