Hey there!
I've decided to continue the presentation nerdiness, because it's a part of who I am, and it helps me to process the things that I discover along the way. You can either watch the presentation or read the post below. (If you watch the presentation and want to know what’s coming up at the kid table, scroll to the bottom.)
Last week I mentioned that I stumbled upon an animated movie called Boy in the World that inspired me so much. It’s all about embracing the art of wandering a bit more in our lives. But before I dive in, I want to give you a bit of context.
A break from Al Gorithm
In Julie Falatko’s post called “Anti algorithm, Pro browsing,” she hilariously talks about the algorithm like it’s a person: Al Gorithm. He recommends things based on what you and your friends like until everyone becomes the same person! That's obviously exaggerated. But her point was that everything is so curated that we have to be more conscious than ever to go out and wander and find new things.
Wandering helps with stress
Personally, I need wandering the most when I’m anxious or stressed, but my tendency when I have anxiety is to plan everything, organize more, make lists. Sometimes that helps. But most of the time what I really need is an unplanned afternoon to walk aimlessly.
Wandering leads you to what you need
During a difficult time in college, I went wandering through a bookstore and stumbled upon a book called The Wander Society by Keri Smith. The idea behind it is that she found a cryptic note in her copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, and followed the trail which led her to discover a secret group that embraces wandering as a lifestyle. It inspired me to embrace wandering more in my life. For a few years, I did great but then I totally forgot about it.
We need reminders to wander
Fast forward to today. Me working on my debut picture book. Feeling excited. Also feeling fear and pressure. Overwhelmed by it all. And then Julie sends out a newsletter, a call to wander. Well, dear reader, I answered the call. I went to the library, and I picked up things that stood out to me and discovered BOY AND THE WORLD.
Discovery: Boy and the World
BOY AND THE WORLD is a 2013 Brazilian animated film about a boy searching for his father. It was nominated for best animated feature, and part of the reason I was drawn to it is because the style is a mix of drawing, painting, and digital animation. The film itself was inspiring, but when I watched the behind the scenes footage, my mind was blown.
The film was an act of wandering
They talked about how they started this film without knowing where the story was going. That terrifies me a bit. But also…it totally embodies the art of wandering! You venture into the unknown trusting you’ll find something along the way. Basically they started with little pieces of the story, and then they put them together and found their way through, and it ended up being nominated for a huge award.
Isn’t it interesting that both times I’ve consciously embraced wandering I’ve stumbled upon art that embodies wandering? It looks like someone needs this reminder (yes, it’s me.)
Wandering is about honoring the kid perspective
In the presentation, I share some stills from this movie to illustrate how they use character, shape, line, light, and pattern to tell the story. Overall what I learned is that all of their creative decisions were based on one rule: honoring the child perspective. They drew everything in the way a child might see it. Boats become animals. Playful shapes make up a city. And I think because of that, watching this movie engaged the kid within me.
That kid wants more wandering. So I’m going to wander more. Try to build it into my lifestyle. No expectations. No plans. Just aimless fun.
Want to join me? If so, I’d love to hear what you discover.
Here’s what’s coming up AT THE KID TABLE
An invitation to break the rules from Interactions of Color by Josef Albers: throw what you know about color theory out the window
A podcast chat with author-illustrator Isabella Kung: we’ll learn about the creative decision-making behind her hilarious books NO FUZZBALL and the sequel NO SNOWBALL.
A William Steig deep dive analysis: I’m currently immersing myself in his books and illustrated worlds and I’m already learning so much. Stay tuned!
Thanks for joining me AT THE KID TABLE. As always, I’ll save you a seat next week.
Your wanting-to-be-a-member-of-the-wander-society friend,
Rachel
The art of wandering