The Creative Group just published an interview with Danny Gregory, author of the recent HOW book An Illustrated Life, which offers a peek into the personal visual journals of top creatives from around the world, including R. Crumb and Stefan Sagmeister.

"There is little doubt in my mind that using a computer impacts what I make. That can be good or bad. From my own experience, the specificity of making an image in Photoshop or Illustrator is a very different experience from simply drawing on a piece of paper.

"I know there are people who are very adept at using a tablet and stylus, but they can't just pull out a laptop as they walk down the road or wake up at 4 a.m. with an idea or collaborate across a table with a friend. I have tried drawing and journaling on a computer, and the experience has shown in the results.

"I also feel that the ability to correct one's output in minute details [on a computer] impacts the results. I like the serendipity of raw materials, inkblots, leaking dip pens, fingerprints and thick textured watercolor paper. They are all elements in how I express myself and work toward an idea.

"I pull from more places and make more connections when I am working without the limitations and demands of a computer. I spend hours each day sitting at the keyboard, but I think of new ideas best when I am sitting in front of blank page."

Posted by Megan