Y.S. Stephen - Reader | Casual Observer

The painter, Chuck Close once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs - the rest of us just show up and get to work."  This is a quote that has always been a close companion in times when life gets in the way and I don't feel like creating anything. I created the above image in reminder of that.

What drew me to Die: Fantasy Heartbreaker (Volume 1) was its gorgeous art. The story is okay - six teenagers who got sucked into a fantasy game, escaped (with one person left behind) and decades later, when they have become full adults, got dragged back into the game. Die: Fantasy Heartbreaker explores the differences between what the main characters did when they were first sucked into the game versus the actions they took the second time around. This is a story that allowed the writers to explore how adult life refines some people, yet breaks others.  The strongest part of this work (apart from the art) is the dialogue. It is so good. It seems effortless and allowed me to empathise more with the characters. Die: Fantasy Heartbreaker is not perfect. Part of its uniqueness is that it breaks off from contemporary fantasy comics with a more down-to-heart approach on life and the fragility of humans. Worth reading.

Sometimes as a creator of anything, you can find yourself in the doldrums. The pressures of living get in the way of many things and you just want to get away from it all. Art Matters does that for me. The book contents are curated from Neil Gaiman's talks on art, reading, writing, and creativity. The English illustrator, Chris Riddell, worked on the illustrations. Art Matters contains many thoughts on the value of imagination. It also contains ideas on the right kind of mentality for pursuing creative work. Whenever you feel burnout or without focus, this is a book that can steer your vision back into view. The illustrations in Art Matters work well with the words. The art style is very much light and deserves a second, third and fourth look. I highly recommend the book.