The Thrill of Half-Baked Ideas with Kelli Anderson
Digest
Kelly Anderson, a designer, animator, and tinkerer, is known for her transformative paper engineering work, creating magical tactile items like a book that becomes a camera or a wedding invitation that transforms into a playable record. She shares her unique process, which involves a dynamic interplay between analog and digital materials, and her passion for re-sugraph printing and animation, a technique she discovered by experimenting with a friend's machine. Anderson emphasizes the importance of following intuition, even if it doesn't feel like a serious professional instinct, as it can lead to unexpected breakthroughs. She also highlights the value of keeping a sketchbook full of ideas, which can be used for future projects or client work. Anderson discusses her Patreon community, where she creates experimental projects for subscribers, and her approach to social media, emphasizing the importance of connecting with kindred spirits and fostering a sense of community. She shares her insights on the difference between being an artist and a designer, and her ideal mix of work, which includes client projects, teaching, writing, and speaking engagements. Anderson's work is characterized by a constant exploration and transformation, and she encourages others to embrace the process of figuring things out, even if they don't have all the answers.
Outlines
Introduction
This Chapter introduces the podcast, In The Making, and its host, Theresaau, who welcomes Kelly Anderson, a designer, animator, and tinkerer, known for her transformative paper engineering work.
Kelly Anderson's Paper Engineering
This Chapter delves into Kelly Anderson's paper engineering work, exploring her fascination with transforming paper into 3D objects and her unique process that blends analog and digital materials. Anderson discusses her use of re-sugraph printing and animation, a technique she discovered through experimentation, and its ability to add an organic and touchable quality to digital animations.
The Creator Economy and Patreon
This Chapter explores the shift towards subscription-based platforms like Patreon, where creatives can connect directly with their supporters. Anderson discusses her Patreon community, where she creates experimental projects for subscribers, and the importance of finding a price point that makes sense for both her and her patrons.
Social Media and Community
This Chapter examines Anderson's approach to social media, emphasizing the importance of connecting with kindred spirits and fostering a sense of community. She discusses her use of Instagram, her thoughts on the pressure to always be online, and her belief that taking breaks from social media is essential for creative fulfillment.
Keywords
Paper Engineering
Paper engineering is a form of art and design that involves creating three-dimensional objects and structures using paper as the primary material. It often involves intricate folding, cutting, and assembling techniques to create pop-up books, models, and other intricate designs. Paper engineering is closely related to origami, but it often involves more complex mechanisms and structures. It is a popular hobby and a professional field, with applications in design, education, and entertainment.
Re-sugraph Printing
Re-sugraph printing is a technique that uses a specialized machine to create stencils from rice paper, allowing for quick and efficient printing of images. It is similar to silkscreen printing in that it involves burning a stencil, but it is a faster and more immediate process. Re-sugraph printing is often used for experimental art and design projects, as it allows for quick iterations and experimentation with different colors and designs.
Patreon
Patreon is a membership platform that allows creators to offer exclusive content and benefits to their supporters in exchange for monthly subscriptions. It is a popular platform for artists, musicians, writers, and other creatives who want to build a direct relationship with their audience and receive ongoing financial support for their work. Patreon allows creators to offer a variety of benefits to their patrons, such as early access to new content, behind-the-scenes insights, exclusive merchandise, and personalized interactions.
Creative Cloud
Adobe Creative Cloud is a subscription service that provides access to a suite of Adobe's creative software applications, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. It is a popular choice for professionals and hobbyists in the creative industries, as it offers a wide range of tools for design, photography, video editing, and web development. Creative Cloud also includes features such as cloud storage, collaboration tools, and access to Adobe Stock.
Studio Art
Studio art is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of artistic disciplines, including painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, and digital art. It is typically practiced in a studio setting, where artists have the space and resources to create their work. Studio art is often associated with fine art, but it can also include applied art, such as graphic design, fashion design, and industrial design.
Art History
Art history is the study of the visual arts, including painting, sculpture, architecture, and decorative arts. It involves analyzing and interpreting works of art in their historical and cultural contexts. Art historians study the development of art styles, the lives and works of artists, and the social, political, and economic factors that influenced the creation of art. Art history is a multidisciplinary field that draws on knowledge from history, philosophy, sociology, and other disciplines.
TEDx
TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers who are passionate about sharing ideas and inspiring others. They feature speakers who deliver short, powerful talks on a wide range of topics, from technology and science to art and culture. TEDx events are often held in universities, libraries, museums, and other community spaces.
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private university located in Brooklyn, New York, known for its programs in art, design, architecture, and other creative fields. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious art and design schools in the United States. Pratt Institute has a long history of producing successful artists, designers, and architects, and its alumni include many notable figures in the creative industries.
Letter Form Archive
Letter Form Archive is a website and resource dedicated to the history and evolution of typography. It features a vast collection of typefaces, fonts, and other typographic materials, as well as articles, essays, and other resources on the subject. Letter Form Archive is a valuable resource for designers, typographers, and anyone interested in the history and development of letterforms.
Adobe Express
Adobe Express is a user-friendly online design platform that allows users to create professional-looking graphics, videos, and social media content. It is part of Adobe's Creative Cloud suite and offers a range of templates, tools, and features to help users create engaging and effective visual content. Adobe Express is a popular choice for businesses, educators, and individuals who need to create high-quality visual content quickly and easily.
Q&A
What is Kelly Anderson's unique approach to paper engineering?
Kelly Anderson's process involves a dynamic interplay between analog and digital materials. She starts with paper and pen, then brings her ideas into a vector application like Adobe Illustrator to create precise cut and fold lines. This back-and-forth between physical and digital allows her to explore possibilities that wouldn't exist in one realm alone.
What is re-sugraph printing and how does it resonate with Kelly Anderson's work?
Re-sugraph printing is a technique that uses a specialized machine to create stencils from rice paper, allowing for quick and efficient printing of images. It's like a fast-food version of silkscreen printing. Anderson uses it to create animation frames, adding a unique analog noise and wiggle to her digital animations, making them feel more organic and touchable.
How does Kelly Anderson use Patreon to connect with her audience?
Kelly Anderson runs a monthly mail club on Patreon, where subscribers receive a different experimental project each month. This allows her to metabolize her backlog of ideas and explore new materials and techniques. She also feels it's important to keep the price point reasonable, ensuring that her patrons feel they are getting value for their money.
What is Kelly Anderson's approach to social media?
Kelly Anderson uses Instagram to share her portfolio work and connect with other creatives. She also uses stories to share her everyday life, without filtering too much. She believes in taking breaks from social media when needed and focusing on what keeps her happy and fulfilled as a creative person.
What is the difference between being an artist and being a designer, according to Kelly Anderson?
Kelly Anderson believes that the difference lies in the scope of the problem being addressed. Designers focus on specific parameters, like the size of a human hand when designing a pen. Artists, on the other hand, consider the broader context of visual culture and their place within it. Anderson's work blends both aspects, driven by design principles but also infused with philosophical and artistic considerations.
What is Kelly Anderson's ideal mix of work?
Kelly Anderson thrives on variety and uncertainty. She enjoys a mix of client work, teaching, writing, and speaking engagements, which keeps her engaged and motivated. She believes in having a diverse range of activities to ensure a sustainable and fulfilling career.
What is Kelly Anderson's one word for this year or next year?
Kelly Anderson's word is 'awe.' She finds this emotion valuable because it brings a sense of vastness and discomfort, challenging her perception of the world. She aims to create projects that evoke this feeling of awe in her audience.
What is Kelly Anderson's next transformation?
Kelly Anderson is currently working on a collaborative project with Letter Form Archive, an interactive pop-up book about typography and the history of letterforms. She is also working on a variety of other projects, fueled by her endless supply of half-baked ideas.
Show Notes
Tell us a little bit about yourself so we know who we're serving and what you're looking for from In the Making: adobe.ly/itmsurvey
Teresa Au chats with artist and designer Kelli Anderson on all the things transformation, from Kelli’s paper engineering work that turns paper into a record or a camera to the shifting revenue streams she’s embraced over her career. Her passion for fusing the digital and the analog, her commitment to process, and her delight in sharing what she’s learned, will inspire you to run with your own half-baked ideas.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
- How Kelli creates animation with the Risograph machine
- Why writing about you work can lead you to your next project
- Kelli’s take on the difference between being an artist and a designer
- The joys of connecting with people via Instagram, Patreon and even the mailbox
- Pricing creative work
- The benefits of teaching
- Instagram strategies
- The feeling that Kelli’s always chasing
Need a place to keep your good ideas? Remix this template in Adobe Express: https://adobe.ly/ITM-Kelli
Kelli Anderson is an artist, designer, animator, and tinkerer who pushes the limits of ordinary materials by seeking out possibilities hidden in plain view. Her books and projects have included This Book Is a Planetarium (which houses a tiny planetarium and other scientific contraptions), a book that transforms into a pinhole camera called This Book Is a Camera, and a working paper record. Intentionally lo-fi, she believes that humble materials can make the complexity and magic of our world accessible.
Teresa Au (@tautastic) is an executive for community engagement at Adobe, where she focuses on empowering creatives and students via workshops, panels, and podcasts. On creating In the Making, Teresa says “I knew I wanted to amplify the incredible personal stories of the talented and unique humans I’ve been meeting online and at our Create Now events across the world.”
Learn more about this podcast, and find transcripts and links, at adobe.ly/inthemaking. In the Making is brought you by Adobe Express and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Past episodes of Wireframe can still be found in the show archive within this feed, or online on Behance.
Design flyers, TikToks, resumes, and Reels with the new, all-in-one Adobe Express. Create video, marketing, and social content. Edit photos and PDFs. Make it all in one app, including generative AI tools from Adobe Firefly and easy, one-click tasks like removing backgrounds.
Adobe Creative Cloud provides apps, web services, and resources for all your creative projects — photography, graphic design, video editing, UX design, drawing and painting, social media, and more.
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