JOSH CLANCY
DESIGNER
MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA, USA
 http://www.toothjuice.net/

 

Hey Josh, thanks for joining us - wazzup man?

Haha YO YO! Not much man! I am actually just listening to some Girl Talk, illustrator is open, and I am casually cruising around the net… mainly lurking around Myspace. It is a pretty chill day here at my computer. I’ve got tons of work to do but I am no machine by any means. Thanks for having me J.

Right now you’re the hottest thing outta the vivacious 10,000 lakes, Dassel Minnesota region. Tell us a little about your job at Little Devil Clothing, what you do, who do you send hate mail to and just how great the people that you work with?

I am definitely not the hottest thing by any means… we’ve got some incredible artists here including Mike Davis, Mike Cina, Travis Stearns, Ben Hribar, Katie and Nate Strandberg, Steven Baillie, Jamey Erickson, Colin Strandberg, umm… the list goes on for so long, and those are just graphic designers!

Right now for Little Devil I am just offsite freelancing… didn’t do too much with their last line because I was so busy but this holiday I hope to drop a lot of stuff for them. When I was there it was a really awesome experience! It was such a chill job and I drank as much red bull as I wanted. Who wouldn’t want a job where they could ride their bike in this insane indoor bowl during their lunch break? The group of dudes and environment was the best. Sometimes it almost seemed too chill and low key but I can’t complain by any means.

Were you prepared for your big break at Little Devil? How has it changed you and your outlook on art and the graphic design industry?

Haha my big break? I guess going into the job when I was 17 or so Little Devil seemed like such a huge company and then when I got there I was kind of taken back at how small and low key it actually was. I think as a consumer we just imagine these elaborate setups and multi-billion dollar operations but it isn’t like that at all. I mean Little Devil is like the biggest BMX Company in the world but how big is bmx? Not big at all really compared to something like Hollywood. So in a way working there opened me up to the advantages and disadvantages of working with a small but well respected company. I learned a lot about budgets and branding. There would be so many times I would make something really cool in my eyes but show the guys and they just couldn’t appreciate it because it wasn’t really “Little Devil”. That makes sense too because you need to be smart and create a look or vibe so people can relate the brand to that.

Growing up in Dassel how did you initially get into art – when was the first time you were inspired?

Well Dassel is such a small town… like a population of a thousand people. So really all I had to do was ride bike and lurk on the Internet. I created a BMX website waaaay back and that is what got me into design. I was using some prefab photo editor and adding flame borders to my sprocket bash pictures and then I downloaded a trial of photoshop… hooked ever since!

I read somewhere that you said “You learn so much faster if you dig in with your own two hands and digest things with your own two eyes.” Do you think going to art school will further make you appreciate this process?

No. Design schooling is a joke. If I took all that money I spent on school and bought books, good equipment, space, and gear I would be feeling real good right now. You appreciate the process by being inspired, WANTING to learn, and loving what you’re learning. I don’t think you can really do that when someone else is telling you how something should be done and giving you rules that you need to follow when you have no idea what for. I feel like the best designers learn the rules on their own and then break them in a tasteful way. Now granted school is a great resource and I know plenty of people that went to school and grew a lot from the experience… but this is more like my personal outlook. JUST IMAGINE ALL THOSE FREAKING BOOKS I COULD HAVE BOUGHT?

Are you afraid of getting brainwashed? Or do you say “ bring it on?”

Haha is this in coordination with the above question? I am not afraid of being brainwashed… I would love to be brainwashed. Like be brainwashed by some weird guy in the back alley of downtown and hope that he takes me to a magic place!! Ieeee Ieee.

Is it all fun and games when working on projects with crazy unreal deadlines. What has been your experience so far?

Graphic designers live such stressful lives because there is never an instance or project where you have enough time. Like either you have too much time and you can’t really create anything until the night before the deadline or there is some crazy deadline just expected of you to meet. I am always stressing over deadlines… but it is a good stress because it makes me work harder and just zone out and concentrate on the project.

What about working with different levels of creative/business people? What have you taken away from experiences like this?

I love to meet people for the first time after they’ve seen my work… just some dirty kid wearing a hoody and a v-neck in front of a dude wearing a suite and tie, and he is telling me he likes my work. It is such a cool experience. Like it is really true that work speaks for itself… it doesn’t matter what you are into if your work is good people will recognize you for it. Like you can’t judge a book by a cover and you can’t judge a designer by his jeans type of thing. I dig it. That is a joy of this career!

Do your designs come from your gut or head? Is food a factor or any other stimuli?

Interesting question! I think I work best after a good coffee, iced latte or if I am feeling daring I get a Carmel Macchiato. Caffeine is a stimulant and helps you feel focused. I am very interested in my work habits… I feel like if I can pinpoint what I am doing and when I am doing it, and how that stuff relates to how much I can accomplish I will be more productive… “but Josh, that sounds ridiculous!” Haha maybe so. Maybe I am just ridiculous? Here is how it seems to go… if I wake up around 7-9AM with 6-8 hours of sleep I am very productive. If I wake up anytime after 9AM I get sidetracked really easy… I lose focus and can’t think.

When I am working, I work best with an organized workstation. Too much ambient clutter causes stress and I get frustrated easier. Keeping things clean around me especially since I work from home help me concentrate on the things I need to concentrate on.

As far as coming up with ideas, I love to start fresh and look at magazines and books and just start circling cool things around in my head. Check the design sites and just be aware of what is hot and what is being overused and all that stuff. I have a folder on my computer that is synched to my ipod and I just go around the net and take screenshots of work I find inspiring. That way when I am on the bus or walking around I can always be exposed to that stuff that makes me motivated. This may sound lame but I love trends and watching people do new things with old techniques. I love the hype of something new. It is inspiring… like “woah how did they do that?”
That is motivating ya know?

On the same hand I am all about experimentation in design and just trying stuff that makes you feel weird… like push yourself. Do something you’ve never done before and trust your instincts. If you think it looks good then go for it. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I constantly throw stuff on my site and then take it down because one day I like it and another day I don’t. Really I am just an impulsive person and this whole question I elaborated on a little too far proves that… haha

What is the most interesting trip that you have taken lately?

Hmmm, I haven’t taken many trips lately. I really want to go to Iceland for no reason… I think I am due for a trip soon. You have any recommendations of where to go?

Ya, Scottland and Whales!

5 quick questions

Favorite color? Real into dull hues right now… umm dull like grey orange.

Best band right now? Haha deff Girl Talk or Hot Chip, any of the stones throw crew… I love the new Chrome Children release. Some really good stuff put out by Cina and his crew over at WFTP. Subscribe to their podcasts… really good stuff to work to: http://wftpnetworks.com

#1 pet peeve? Pretentious Design Cliques, egos, unreliable people.

A reward for a hard day’s work? I am all about rewards J. Pay yourself first! Sometimes I go out and buy new socks. Not even kidding… the feeling of fresh socks… SO GOOD. Either that or a fatty coffee drink…

Can you cry underwater? Doing it right now!

Hahaha, no kidding. What is you favorite project that you have worked on so far and who do you look to for inspiration from within your industry? What sort of projects are you currently stoked about?

My favorite project is always personal projects. I am starting a design zine with my partner Travis Stearns (http://www.iammintcondition.com) and so far it has been a blast. We are taking it to print and we have a really solid lineup for the first issue. For more info check out http://www.myspace.com/wishwell or http://www.wish-well.net.

As far as online inspiration:
http://www.grandpeople.org
http://www.non-format.com
http://www.mmparis.com
http://www.laruentfetis.com
http://www.loveworn.com
http://www.midwestisbest.com
http://www.thingmaking.com
http://www.razauno.com
http://www.humili.com
http://www.eliastahan.com
http://www.nowgocreate.com
http://www.newstoday.com
http://www.computerlove.com
http://www.pixelsurgeon.com
http://www.ludosabato.com
http://www.jigaram.com
http://www.posikids.org
http://www.industrial-organic.net
http://www.misprintedtype.com
http://www.universaleverything.com
http://www.happypets.ch
Http://www.lifelongfriendshipsociety.com
 http://www.xrtions.com

The list goes on for so long… seriously.

Time for the question we’ve all been waiting for; any tips for those aspiring to be great graphic artist?

Well always pay yourself first and try to stay motivated. You don’t have to be the best of the best out there to make some good money and support what you’re doing… you just have to be real and motivated. If you want to work with someone send a message, e-mail, or call them. I got my job as a creative director for Little Devil because I picked up a phone when I was 16 years old and called them… like the power of communication is a good power to utilize. Who cares if they don’t respond or don’t have any work to give you… at least you made a connection and tried. I’ve had tooooons of people turn me down or not respond. It isn’t hard.

Jump on opportunities! If you see a cool exhibition or job opportunity try and get in it! Just push yourself and that will go far. If you like someone’s work e-mail him or her and support! Live on the karma payment plan. I learned really quickly that badmouthing people on the internet only works against you and will ultimately lessen your chances to work with some really cool people.

Use myspace as a networking tool… sounds cliché but it works! I’ve easily picked up over 10 clients off of myspace messages… hey 10 clients is rent for four months. Now tell me that don’t work?

Take time for yourself… know yourself and what kind of designer you want to be. Not everyone is cut out to be pushing the envelope and leading the pack. Some people are more comfortable working with a brief and some people like free reign. Know what you enjoy and find clients that will tailor to what you like. If you don’t like real estate and web banners DON’T get a job at an agency!

As far as the process goes just play around with programs and constantly look for cool stuff. Get a flickr account and lurk around all day. Utilize a sketchbook and never tear or scribble anything out! I have so many shitty drawings in my sketchbook… like “nice try with this one Josh!”

Invest some money in a nice setup for you to work with. If you don’t have a lot of ram get some and if you are working on one monitor get another one. Seriously your productivity increases soooooo much with two monitors and a good amount of ram. I am not kidding. Two monitors just makes life easier. You can’t be limited by your tools… that isn’t a good thing at all. Granted some people don’t need two monitors but if you’re a designer I highly suggest making the upgrade… even a lower end monitor will do the trick. Once you do it… you will never go back.

Let’s see… what else can I say. I use a lot of Dover book elements! They are great to add depth to your piece. Go to Barnes and noble or borders and pick some up. Use the live-trace feature in illy cs2 and you’re set. I have this book called Animals: 1419 Copyright-Free Illustrations and there are so many really crisp looking animals that work perfect for say a t-shirt design or collage element. The funny thing is you can notice other people using them. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Morphine Clothing but they have some t-shirts with just a huge scan of an animal in this book and they are selling the t-shirts for like 300 dollars… haha the book was 17 bucks! How is that for profit?

Also, research the history of typography because it is damn interesting and will help you with a lot of projects.

Cause your relatives wanna know; looking back in 5 years what do have hoped to have accomplished and where do you hope to be as an artists and great humanitarian? Share some of you hopes, dreams, wishes, fears and favorite unicorn names???

Haha umm honestly I just want to be happy. I don’t want to work for the man or do anything that I don’t love. I want to live in the moment and not worry about what is going to happen in 5 years. I think we all kind of have an idea of … woah it would be cool if… and all I can think about is being happy and not losing my soul. I mean that in the most non-religious way and also I hope to start growing facial hair really soon.

I want to start lifting weights and shooting heroin too… I think it will help me with my art.

Good times man, All The best!

THANK YOU!!!

Posted: January 2nd, 2008 under Josh Clancy.
Comments: none