Event Paper

So I was going to go to another event this semester, but due to cancelations I will talk about another event I went to earlier this semester.

Ade Hogue had an Artist Lecture at the Tivoli Turnhalle Tower. Ade hogue is a lettering artist. He doesn’t just “push pixels” as he said in his lecture, he gets to “take ideas and turn them into something physical.” There are a lot of lettering artists out there. What I like most about Ade is that he is humble. He is personable and understanding of all situations. Another thing that he said that I really connected with is that he doesn’t believe in networking, he believes in connections because you are building a friendship and understanding each other. 

Hogue talked about his past and how he came to where he is. We have a lot in common in that regard. He started in engineering because his father expected him to. I started in medical because my father wanted me to have something practical and stable. His advisor told him to “try something else,” and my advisor told me to look at other professions that didn’t have to do with medical. Him and I both enjoy problem solving and structure. I related to Ade in more ways than just art. Seeing him pursue something that he is passionate about and enjoys doing is something I strive to have. 

What Hogue emphasized most in his lecture is having a set of skills and sharing those skills with others. His method of improving a set of skills is to define, develop, and share. Defining a set of skills is making a decision on what you want to be good at. But “sometimes your calling calls you.” You may have an idea of what you want to achieve, but as you go through the life process, you can mold your idea into something else because of all the knowledge you learned along the way. It’s good to define something you want, because then you have a path to get there, even though it might change. 

‘Develop’ is Hogue’s next step in improving a skill set. He says practice doesn’t make perfect, but “practice makes easier.” I can not agree more with this. If you have gotten to the point where you are perfect in your skill, then I believe you aren’t challenging yourself. If it’s perfect, it’s probably too easy. Hogue was improving his skills by creating something new everyday. He had a One Word A Day challenge and put himself on a deadline. This is a great suggestion to really engage in your craft. I hope if the semester gets easier I can focus on a certain skill and improve upon it. I have always wanted to do a One A Day Challenge because I have seen other artists complete it, and it is amazing to see how one progresses throughout their journey. 

The last point Hogue emphasizes is to share. He is a firm believer in sharing his skills with all who want to learn. Some points he makes about sharing is that we all have insecurities, but we can share and learn from our insecurities to make us better at our craft. I personally enjoy when people critique my work because they see things differently than I do. I get so focused on little things that I can forget to look at the whole. Another point he makes about sharing is to replicate and modify. Find someone or something that you like and replicate it. You can learn different techniques and ways of creating something and then apply it to your own craft. After replicating so many times you can start to modify because now you know what to do and are more comfortable doing it.

I enjoyed this artist lecture by Ade because he made a lot of great points. He simplified his lecture in a way that was memorable and easy to retain. He was straight to the point about his craft, history, and improving a set of skills. In the future I will complete a One A Day Challenge on something I enjoy doing because “practice makes easier.”