Cooking Up Creativity
Written by Sean Tulgetske
When I first tell people that I’m working on a cookbook named Gobbledygook, they tend to be a little confused. They either think I’m some kind of amazing, expert chef with all the technical skills and knowledge, or someone who’s lost their mind. In reality, Gobbledygook is a personal project that was born out of my love for cooking and 1950s cookbooks. Throughout the process, Gobbledygook has become so important to my journey as a creative and taught me so many valuable lessons that I couldn’t have even imagined when I started it, and I wanted to share some of those lessons with you today.
Lesson 1: Don’t compare yourself to others.
While working on this project, I had to stop the cycle of constant comparison. I used to compare every piece I made to those of others, constantly looking at my reference images while I was sketching to make sure I was getting the look exactly right, or comparing my half finished sketch to someone else’s completed project and thinking mine was horrible. Working on Gobbledygook taught me that falling into this trap of comparison is incredibly harmful, and that the inspirations will show through once you just let yourself go.
Lesson 2: You have to get over yourself.
Once I let go of comparison, the next hurdle was getting over my own mental blocks. It took me 2 months to get the first installment of Gobbledygook out because I kept making things and scrapping them because I didn’t think they were good enough. Even before Gobbledygook, I had started tons of personal projects and then abandoned them because they weren’t perfect. The cookbook brought me back to creating just for fun; I let go of expectations and just let loose, and that looseness is something I’ve brought into all aspects of my professional work.
Lesson 3: Restrictions are not a bad thing.
When you say the word “restrictions,” a lot of artists will groan, but I think one of my favorite things about Gobbledygook, and one of the reasons why it’s been such a good project for developing my skills, is that I have to work within tight restrictions. For every illustration, I have to stay within the 1950s style and use a couple of colors, which originally seemed like an incredibly difficult task. In these constraints, however, I have managed to create so many different illustrations that I genuinely love, and I have learned how to stay playful and creative, even in a tight space.
About Sean Tulgetske:
Sean is an illustrator based out of Michigan. He has a strong curiosity for typography with a focus on illustrative hand-lettering. Through his work, he hopes to re-inspire the childhood sense of wonder that still lives inside of all of us and to make the world a friendlier place. He has worked with clients such as Facebook, ESPN, Disney, Pixar, Southwest Airlines, VH1, Corona, and many others.
