A11 Illustrdted Explcr<1+1oh of Credtivity GRANT SN I DER Credtor of Incidental Comics GRANT SN lt>ER AN lLLU STRATEt> EXPLORATION OF C~EATIVITY ABRAM<; CoMtCARTS • NEW YORK Editor: Charles Kochman Designer. Pamela Notarantonio Managing Editor. James Armstrong Production Manager: Alison Gervais Library of Congress Control Number: 2016958241 ISBN: 978-1-4197-2317·9 elSBN: 978-1-6833-5031-6 Copyright © 2017 Grant Snider The comics in this collection have all appeared previously online at incidenralcomics.com. Portions of this book were first published in the following publications and websites: The Southampton Review: "An Incantation," "Creative Housekeeping," "My Ideas.· and "My Process.· The Kansas City Star: "The Conspiracy of Colors," "The Creative Process," "Cycles of Life," "Daydream," "Design Like Nobody's Watching," "Draw Like You've Never Been Taught," "The Elephants ofTypography," "Good Ideas, Bad Ideas," "How Lo Get Ideas," "The Internal Decathlon," "Life Drawing," "Morning," "Painting for Non-Majors," "Paths to Success," "Play Each Day Like Ja22," "Sketchbooks of the Pros,' and "Theories of Autumn." Red Lemon Club: "Genius Is" and "Rules for Freelancers." Medium.com: "American Art," "How to Look at Art," and "Self Portrait." TI1e Fred Rogers Center: "How Lo Grow Imagination." Published in 20 t 7 by Abrams ComicArts, an imprint of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. Abrams ComicArts is a registered trademark of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Abrams ComicArts books are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For details, contact [email protected] or the address below. For more about The Shape of Jdeas and Grant Snider. visit incidentalcomics.com ABRAMS The M of Books 115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011 abramsbooks.com This book is dedicated to Anna, Trent, and Logan. May your ideas shape the future, and may you never run out of crayons. I - - - ,. I An enormous thank-you to my first readers: Kayla, for supporting, encouraging, and tolerating me in every part of life-including the creative process- and Gavin, for being my second brain and helping make most every comic better. CONTENTS Dear Reader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 INS Pl RATION ..... .... .. .. 9 PERSPIRATION .. ... ... .. 22 IMPl<OVI SATI ON ......... 36 ASPIRATION ............. 50 CONTEMPLATION ... .... 68 EXPLORATION ..... ... ... 88 DAILY FRUSTRATION ..... 102 IMITATION .............. 114 DESPERATION ..... ...... 128 PURE ELATION .......... 138 Index. .................... 140 GENIUS IS ... ---- Q 1• 1. INSPIRATION 5% IMPROVISATION 8% ASPIRATION 7¾ CONTEMPLATION 13% DAILY FRUSTRATION 11% IMITATION 10.q¾ DESPERATION 0.1•/. PURE ELATION