Interview with Ted McClung

1. What is your definition of creativity?  I suppose creativity would be the ability to invent. I define it in two parts: Independent creativity and reactive creativity. Independent is devoid of outside input, and reactive is expanding on existing ideas, kind of like inspiration. For instance, writing a song is creative. If one person comes up with the music straight out of his head, that’s independent creativity. If another person comes up with the lyrics based on the music that the first person wrote, that’s reactive. I guess all creativity is slightly reactive, but the extent is relative.

 

2. Who do you think is creative? Please explain why. I’ve always admired other artists for their creativity: Salvador Dali, H. R. Giger, and M. C. Escher to name a few. I’ve mostly admired them for their unique and original ideas, their “independent creativity”. I guess that’s why I’ve drawn surrealism for so long. I also admire the musicians of the band Tool, again for their unique style. I haven’t heard chord progressions and an overall sound like that from any other band.

 

3. Was the way you express your creativity now always your ambition? If so, when did you know for sure? I’ve always liked to draw, but I only took a serious interest in it around mid high-school. Since then it’s been my main hobby, and through hard work and devotion it turned into a profession a short time later.

 

4. When embarking upon a project, do you preplan your entire endeavor or do you simply follow where your inspiration takes you? A little bit of both. I always draw out a rough before hand, just to get my ideas down so I don’t forget anything. Plus it helps with composition. I’ve learned not to over think things. If you dissect your ideas too much they end up all over the place. Composition requires a bit more planning than concepts and elements, but I still trust my instincts over logic. To me, art is all about the way it makes the viewer feel, and if the artist doesn’t feel it, how can he expect his viewers to?

 

5. What do you think keeps your imagination from conforming to mainstream society? Please explain. I’ve always strived to be independent in the way I think about things, but that doesn’t mean disagreeing with an idea just because it’s popular. If I didn’t draw anime just because it was popular, I’d be just as influenced by the mass opinion just as much as someone who does draw it because it’s popular. I’d just be jumping to the other end of the spectrum. I think the key is to stay balanced. I try to think for myself and keep an objective opinion about things as much as possible. If people agree with my opinions, that’s ok, but if they don’t, that’s ok too.

 

6. What do you intend to achieve through your work? I intend to provoke thought. Whether that comes through controversy or not, so be it. This is why I don’t explain my work very much. It's mystery that strikes intrigue, and when you're left to wonder you think harder. In a world where all the answers, right or wrong, are handed to us, I think a bit of thought is very healthy for audiences today.

 

7. Who or what has helped you to persevere and not quit? Oh I’ve thought about it many times. The number of commissions will dwindle and I’ll feel critical of my work. Besides the strong desire to succeed, my friend Jeff Axer has kept me afloat on quite a few occasions. He’s a freelance artist that worked for Archie comics for a time, and is actually pretty famous. His honesty keeps me trying and his success reminds me that it can be done.

 

8. Do you ever do something special to prepare for expressing your creativity? Please explain. Mostly I consider what I’m passionate about. That’s what should drive the art and what it stands for. Also browsing through a superb artist’s portfolio doesn’t hurt either.

 

9. Are you ever afraid or concerned about being judged by others or worried about how your creativity is perceived? Of course, isn’t everybody? You just have to step back and consider whether it’s you talking or it’s the fear of your audience. But you have to affect your audience in some way, otherwise your art is pointless.

10. What is your best advice for someone interested in your field? Work hard and stick to what you’re good at.