Fly, Fight & Crow
Illustration and writing are the bridge to remembering who I am.
Fly, fight and crow… These three words are from the film, Hook (1991), starring the late, great Robin Williams as an aged Peter Pan who’s forgotten how to be the magically courageous Pan and ultimately forgotten how to fly, fight and crow.
Flying, fighting and crowing symbolise for me my ability to soar and strive in life, fight for myself and to roar proudly for team me with pride. I say roar, but I’m quite modest in tooting my own horn. I’ve always had a connection with the sentiment of Hook and about not forgetting who I am.
Personal illustrations and dyslexic writings
For me, Illustration is the link from the page to remembering the kid in me that used to draw for fun. It’s still fun to be honest. I get the same inner buzz in my heart, that I used get as a kid when I would copy manga characters, celebrity caricatures and make up my own superhero comics. Today my work is inky and cartoony and a beautiful reminder of me. This is because what I tend to convey in my personal work, comes from the heart. Whether it’s my humour (I think I’m funny) or general observations in life, it’s all me and all wrapped up in quirky and ink-based cartoons. It’s a lovely feeling of who I am and a great way of keeping in touch of current middle-aged Pete.
Beyond aesthetic and my early start in the medium, it’s also an avenue of exploring life and work’s highs and lows. I do this now not only with pictures, but also with writings here on Lines & Thoughts. Writing is, for the most part, an unexplored room of creativity for me. I have always struggled with reading and writing as a child and adult. In my early 20s, whilst at university, I was discovered to be dyslexic. A bit of a shock to begin with, but at he same time it was also a relief that I could finally understand why I didn’t compute things in the same way as the rest of the world. I believe working daily with typography as a designer over the years has helped me massively with dealing with my quirk. I still get certain letters muddled up, glare off a page and moving words, but I accept dyslexia as being a part of me. It takes me ages to write blogs too but I don’t let that stop me. I use my inner voice as the guiding path to follow. I’m still learning everyday and that’s nice.
Creating the bridge home
With combining illustration and blog writing, I have essentially built myself a bridge, which leads me back to the kid in me and helps me keep in touch with myself more. Pete, that sounds a little woo-woo… what have you been smoking? I haven’t been smoking anything naughty, readers, I promise. Hear me out. For the last 10 years or so, I have been on a massive metal health journey and have done a lot of reflecting and looking into my soul. I appreciate it might not be what the average, 1980s-born man would be about, but this is me. It’s all a bit deep but in order to understand my schizoaffective condition better I had to get deep and not loose myself. It is a journey though, even the most grounded of people can loose themselves from time time. When my brain and emotions are running away with themselves and I feel I’m off my path, I start illustrating and writing to help find that bridge back to fly, flight and crow again. It genuinely does help me. Obviously I’m lucky to have family and friends around to talk to also. Talking helps and tapping into external voices as well as talking to myself through illustration and blogs is a good solid mix.
Flying, fighting and crowing
I could say, if you’re not feeling yourself then drawing and writing would be the answer to cure all, to get you flying, fighting and crowing. I could say that. But I won’t. I’ve been on this earth long enough to know that world doesn’t dance to the beat of just one drum. For me, creativity is an escape to get back to myself. For some people it’s music, talking or exercise. For me my therapy looks like ink to paper and typing away on my laptop about this and that. You got to do whatever works for you. Whatever it takes to fly, fight or crow again.
Thanks for reading. Pete :)
