When asked about how he began creating illustrations and animated content, John shared in an interview with Bored Panda that he has always had a passion for sketching and brainstorming creative ideas.
"Whether I’m storyboarding a commercial or sketching in my notebook with black Micron pens, I always find myself drawn to conceptual visuals. All of this has shaped my illustration style," John said.
When it comes to choosing topics, John usually doesn't set out with a specific theme.
"What drives me is an ongoing exercise of finding strange and satisfying connections. Things that seem to just click," he explained.
"I also love coming up with character ideas. My ultimate goal is to develop an animated feature film and an original series one day," the artist said.
John also shared with us some exciting news. He just launched a trailer and Kickstarter campaign for his first animated short film called "Above," which people can check out here.
"It has all of the elements I like to explore in my work: non-human characters, clever visual gags, and moments of dry, awkward comedy," John said, noting that the short movie was inspired by classic Disney and Pixar films and the always unpredictable weather in Vancouver, Canada.
Some of the artworks are based on John's personal experiences, and one such example could be the Plastic Wave illustration, which was inspired by his trip to Bali.
"A number of years ago, I visited Bali and saw a lot of pristine beaches and beautiful bays. When I went back a few years later, I saw some of the same areas completely covered in plastic bottles and containers," the artist recalled.
"It looked like a completely different place. Around that time I created my Plastic Wave illustration as a way to try to raise awareness about plastic," he said.
As it turned out later, this artwork became one of John's most shared illustrations, and people from around the globe have used it in environmental campaigns, school programs, beach cleanup efforts, and other initiatives.
"Seeing how people connected with it in different ways was a very rewarding experience," John added.
While probably the majority of artists love to create at night, John is an early bird.
"My ideal time for creating is early in the morning—it’s when I feel the least filtered, and it’s a great moment for writing and illustrating without overthinking things," he shared, noting that he likes brainstorming for a while and then moving on and doing something else.
"After your brain has had time to work through things subconsciously, the ideas often pop up later when you least expect it—like in the shower, while driving, or in the middle of a conversation about something else," the artist explained.
John also revealed that he always keeps his notes app or a small notebook handy so he can jot down any ideas before they slip away.
"There’s a book by John Cleese called 'Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide' that really resonated with me. It’s the best explanation I’ve heard about how creativity works," he said.
John noted that this is a great read for anyone who does brainstorming and wonders why ideas tend to show up at random times.
"It’s about trusting your subconscious to do its work and giving it time to make some of those connections for you."
