Geo Law - Chasing Creativity

WE HAD A CHAT WITH GEO LAW, AN ILLUSTRATOR FROM OUR HOMETOWN, SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND. HE SPOKE ABOUT THE AWESOME TEE WE COLLABORATED ON, WHAT HE DOES TO GET GOING CREATIVELY IN LOCKDOWN AND PAYING CREATIVITY FORWARD.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Geo Law and what is it that you do?

I'm an illustrator from Sheffield but I'm between the north and London these days, I draw pictures for a living, making murals for clients, digital artwork for advertising, editorial, and social media but on the side, I'm always working on my own art, my own approach and exploring new avenues to push the characters in my artwork whether through narrative or collaboration with other creators.

Take us back to the start - how did you get into art?

That's easy, I had good positive reinforcement from family members to keep me busy whilst mum and dad worked their asses off in the Chinese takeaway they owned. I think drawing was a means for me to dive into my imagination, I watched a lot of cartoons, played with toy cars and figures and played early 16-bit video games on the SNES so the idea of creating colourful worlds, characters and just drawing slotted together. In school I had some great encouragement from teachers to keep drawing so I always felt it was the only thing I could do that got me praise, I wasn't very smart with maths and science although my English language and literature were on point.

How would you describe your style?

It's a hip-hop mishmash of doodle line work with spots of colour or a lot. My style is still evolving, it never sits still because I can't really sit still on making the same thing for too long but it’s heavily referenced with Studio Ghibli, Japanese visual culture, video games, comic books, and street art. When I draw the murals onto walls, I have a drawing style I use my entire arm and body to help me flow with the lines, I don't like planning too much so the murals will have that look and feel that a person freely drew on the walls instead of tracing on pencil lines BUT I would like to approach more complicated murals with an element of reference, otherwise, they'll always seem doodled forever! The digital artwork I draw on the iPad and Macbook is ever-evolving, it's just clean and fun, something I know is safe and works for me and my commercial output.

What does being creative mean to you?

Later as I've worked for clients, sold pieces, had shows, traveled the world to draw murals, art is definitely a means to breakaway into my head and just create. It's fun creating for clients, giving them something you like and they like but it's definitely a place of peace when you can just make something purely for you and feel separate to how people will react to it. Just making for yourself is a simple joy. Creativity is something that can be sold, used as a service to others, a means to live if you present your creativity to the right sector and people but on a personal level, it's a means to settle your inquisitivity, to show yourself what you can do, make and produce. It should be a personal process, it's ongoing and it grows as you grow.

How important is being creative in your lifestyle?

To be honest, I used to think that creativity was everything and if I didn't have it or was being productive, I'd be a failure...BUT with the recent lockdowns we've been going through I've realised the importance of being still, taking a break, and just giving yourself the chance to do other things. Social media and the constant turnaround of showing people you're busy working all the time really benefits no one in the long run. Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, etc are great but they also feed a bad behaviour and they warp the way you see yourself as a creative. So I've learned that being creative is mine alone and I can choose to express and share it as I see fit. Much to how I live my life, I try to be approachable, open, and positive and I feel this is reflected in my creativity. I hope!

What do you think it is about your work that people resonate with so well?

Honestly, I don't know but it does feel great that people resonate with my work, it feels amazing they like the silly doodles and characters I make, I just hope they like the worlds and the work. If they like the style then that's cool but again I'm always trying to evolve it so if I've had fans who have followed the work and they still follow me, then they've grown with me and the work, seen the journey in bits and bobs. I think my work also tends to be bright, simple, friendly, positive, etc that it's probably easy for someone to find some appeal, it's not my intention but it's always nice to know that artwork can resonate with viewers like that.

What’s the favourite piece you’ve made?

Really really tough question, I've had fun projects because of the people I've worked with or the places I've been able to travel to because of the client. I'd say the mural I made at The Walt Disney Animation Studio in California was the pinnacle, I got the tour of the archives, met some of the animators, directors and I got to host a Doodle Club workshop with the staff! It was quite a ride. In the same week, I also did the illustrations for the Gamespot stand at E3, a big video games convention so I was given a pass to experience that and meet some great people. I think some of my favourite art pieces are my digital drawings because they signal points where I've creatively turned a corner, tried something new and it sparked new things. Like my Mo Salah illustration or I made an illustration at an isometric angle of characters in an office, I'd never seen my work at such an angle but working digitally on an iPad allowed me to get my head around it.

Do you feel like where you’re from has influenced your style of art and career?

Yes, Sheffield is like a character full of characters, good artists, street art, and music, I've definitely felt like they've seeped into the work, and the notion of humility, hard work, and letting the work speaks for itself. I feel Sheffield still has a strong independent spirit alas it probably isn’t as strong and vibrant as it once was, there are still pockets of independent makers, companies, creatives, etc that are still banging the drum for being your own boss and lifting up the others around you, which I miss when I'm in London although being down south is good for other reasons and more. Sheffield is my home town and it's made me the person I am so I feel like I put a lot of Sheffield into my work, if not thematically but spiritually.

Have you got any hobbies or interests outside of art?

I have no other skills other than drawing and art related stuff so most of my hobbies I consume music, books, films, football and video games. I love a good hike, a run, a heavy session in the gym and at the moment I'm really missing live music and gigs!! I'm interested in all sorts of sciences, history and at the moment bits of spiritualism, I'm into meditation at the moment too, something that developed during the first lock down and it's been very good for me, again the notion of being at peace with your surroundings, when things are out of your control, it's good to remind yourself to take a step back and enjoy the present if possible.

What was the thinking behind the Akin tee we collaborated on?

Funnily enough the phrase "s'all good" is something me and friends say to each other, it seems such a dismissive phrase at times but it also grounds a situation. I liked the way it sounds and to marry the phrase next to a skull and raven I thought would be interesting, combining macabre with the laid back. We lost my dad a few years back to dementia and I remember during all that time thinking how unfair it was that someone who worked so hard all his life would get the illness so young later on. But that's life at times, it kicks you and others around you hard but if you can pull yourself together and be aware of your surroundings, you're healthy, you have people around you, etc, It's all good. You can kick on, you can carry on, life moves around you so I wanted to try and make a profound statement haha! But at the end of the day, it's just a fun and glib reminder on the back of a t-shirt and I'm happy with it, I love my t-shirt. I want to wear it all the time but I'm scared I'll wear it down with all the use!

What do you turn to when you're in desperate need of inspiration?

There's a cycle I'll go down when I'm desperately in need of inspiration. I have my Instagram, I have Behance, I have Pinterest, my various graphic novels, video game art books, book on Occult imagery you name it! But if nothing sparks then I have to take a step back, go for a walk, see friends, watch a tv show (animated shows and films help me a lot) and sometimes it's just a case of overthinking, so taking a break helps a lot, trust me any young creatives out there take heed in this advice, it's ok to take a step back if it's not working at the moment. The amount of times I've left a piece of work overnight on the desk and came back to it with fresh eyes it helps! Obviously, it's hard when deadlines are thick and fast but sometimes a fast deadline is good to kick you into a direction quickly. You'll always wonder what you could have made if you had more time but it's all a good creative process and exercise. In my experience the more time I have with something the less motivated I am to work on it... like I will use that time to distill ideas before putting pencil to paper. Another thing I turn to when I'm at my bottom is my friends, I have friends in illustration and creative businesses so they're always good to chat to but as I'm getting older, I crave distraction more than focused problem solving, it's just my brain works this way and I'm at peace with that.

How do you think being creative can be used to have a positive influence on the world?

Being creative means to make, build, and well... create! That in a sense is already a positive, it helps to share that and reinforce the message that it's good to build rather than tear down. Use your creative energy to encourage others so they can do the same. People who claim they can't be creative haven't been given the same encouragement or they hold themselves up against other creatives but I remind everyone that when they were toddlers, they were probably being more creative, using their imaginations and playing with toys, drawing with crayons, making a mess with paints and looking at picture books. Creativity is something that is nurtured, practiced, and reinforced over time but you can be creative as an adult, it's just the way you look at it, be creative for yourself first and then the world notices and follows. that's what I think anyway!