interview – BARNABY TAYLOR: Curiosity is Currency

May 15, 2023May 15, 2023 Barnaby Taylor artificial intelligence, Author, Creativity, Writing

Lifelong Learning, Film Education, and Brand Growth: Insights on the Changing Landscape of Media and Content Creation from The Global Discussion

As a guest on The Global Discussion, I recently had the opportunity to share my thoughts and insights on various topics related to digital content creation, branding, professional development, and technology. In this post, I thought I would share my experience dive deeper into some of the topics we discussed and offer my perspectives.

Photo by Huu1ef3nh u0110u1ea1t on Pexels.com

The Importance of Lifelong Learning

During the interview, I talked about the limitations of traditional models of higher education and the importance of lifelong learning. In today’s fast-paced world, technology is constantly evolving, and it is essential to keep learning to stay relevant. Lifelong learning can help individuals stay updated with the latest trends and developments in their respective fields, which is crucial for professional growth.

There are various ways to pursue lifelong learning, such as taking online courses, attending workshops and conferences, reading books and articles, and networking with industry experts. It is also essential to cultivate a growth mindset and be open to new ideas and perspectives.

The Impact of Technology on Content Creation

The impact of technology on content creation is significant, and it is changing the way we consume and create content. With the rise of social media and video-sharing platforms, there is an increasing demand for short-form videos and vertical storytelling. Brands and content creators need to adapt to these changes and create content that resonates with their target audience. Advancements in technology have also created new opportunities for creative expression. With the availability of affordable equipment and software, anyone can create high-quality content from the comfort of their homes. This has democratised the content creation process and has made it more accessible to a wider audience.

Creating Opportunities Through Film Education

One of the topics that I was particularly passionate about during the interview was creating opportunities for people to showcase their skills through film education. Film education provides practical skills and hands-on experience, which are essential for succeeding in the competitive world of content creation. Micro-credentials are becoming increasingly popular, and they offer a flexible and affordable way to gain new skills and credentials. By completing a series of courses or workshops, individuals can earn a micro-credential, which can demonstrate their proficiency in a particular area. This is especially useful for individuals who are looking to switch careers or upgrade their skills.

Insights on Brand Growth and LinkedIn

Towards the end of the conversation, we discussed my experience as an author and my insights on brand growth. Building a personal brand is essential for professional growth, and it involves creating a unique value proposition that sets you apart from others in your industry. LinkedIn is a powerful platform for building your personal brand and making connections with industry experts. By creating a compelling profile, sharing relevant content, and engaging with your network, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in your field.

Overall, my experience on The Global Discussion was a fantastic one, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas with the wider community. Lifelong learning, the impact of technology on content creation, film education, and brand growth are all essential topics that can help individuals succeed in today’s fast-paced world.

You can catch the interview here, here and here:

Website
https://theglobaldiscussion.com/tgd/barnaby-taylor

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5QOeyMBWYoRrMq6W8twCl2

YouTube
https://youtu.be/CQOXHp-WQuY

Would You Like a FREE Book?

If you would like to see how this works in the real world then why not check out my best-selling VIRO series on Amazon. The books tell the story of Jake, a boy with special needs looking for his missing mother. Jake wakes one morning to find his life is broken. His mum has gone missing. The world has fallen apart. Determined to find her, Jake is forced to comes to terms with what has happened to the world. Confronted by the horror, he initially struggles to make sense of everything. Helped by the new friends he makes, Ellis, kind and resourceful, and the twins, Amber and Abe, Jake starts to develop his independence. Forced to confront the apparent difference defined by his special needs, Jake realises that this difference doesn’t matter any more. This gives him the strength to keep going. As they fight for survival, the four kids meet a wide range of other people also battling to stay alive and with each encounter Jake and his new friends learn a little bit more about themselves and each other. Ultimately, Jake’s story is one of hope and determination in the face of complete and utter devastation.

Here are some real-world reviews for the VIRO series:

‘This review is for the series. Capturing the voice of a young character with special needs (I spent 25 years as a special education teacher/administrator), Taylor’s story of a group of young people coping with a world disintegrating in front of them; with the loss of structure and trust, and with betrayal by the adults who should be protecting them is both uplifting and horrifying. Do not be fooled by the simple language of the narrator: there are hard questions asked and realistic, unsentimental consequences to the apocalypse confronting the children, and an ending that you are unlikely to forget easily.’

‘Barnaby Taylor has a daring and rich imagination that transports you to new adventures in a re-imagined world, that are vividly written with a fresh and vibrant use of language. […] Barnaby can really write an action packed scene with fear inspiring characters such as the Tall Man. Baxter the dog who accompanies the children gives the story the delightful twist of feeling like an apocalyptic Famous Five. Genius.’

‘The writing style is beautifully compelling, and after the first couple of pages I couldn’t put it down. The author very skilfully creates a world and characters through deceptively simple prose that draws the reader right in. It is a fascinating blend of one-after-the-other edge-of-the seat scares, alongside a haunting narrative about what it is to be human.’

‘Barnaby is an exciting and passionate writer. There’s real depth of meaning behind his books. You emotionally engage with and care about the book’s characters. Barnaby’s books also have a strong visual sensibility. His stories particularly Viros I and II would translate superbly to television and cinema. I am a huge fan of all things zombie orientated and to see the zombie genre reinterpreted from the perspective of children is thrilling. I look forward to more books from Barnaby. He’s one to watch out for. Children, adults and I suspect the film and TV industry people will love this book. I highly recommend it.’

‘I absolutely loved this book. Powerful and poignant, ‘Viro’ packs a punch. Sad and haunting, ‘Viro’ is a new take on the zombie genre. The characters are dynamic and interesting, finding strength despite their horrifying circumstances. Jake is a character that will stick with you long after the final page. The action sequences are thrilling. I was on the edge of my seat!’

Dear Writing Friends,

As a writer, it can sometimes be difficult to find the support and encouragement we need to keep going. That’s why it’s so important to connect with others who share our passion and can offer valuable feedback and advice. Leaving a comment is a great way to start a conversation and connect with other writers who are on a similar journey.

By sharing our experiences, challenges, and successes, we can learn from each other and grow as writers. We can offer encouragement and support when someone is struggling, and celebrate each other’s achievements when they reach a milestone.

Furthermore, starting a conversation can help to hold us accountable to our writing goals. When we share our progress with others, we are more likely to stay committed to our writing and make meaningful progress towards our goals.

Finally, leaving a comment and starting a conversation is an excellent way to build community and find the support and encouragement we need to keep writing. So why not take a moment to share your thoughts and connect with other writers today?

Also, as a thank you for reading this post I have created two free books for you to download. How to Journal is a handy guide to journaling and I hope it helps you get started. How to Unlock Your Curiosity will help you develop your creativity. You can find both free books at the top of the page.

Good luck with your writing,

Barnaby

August 28, 2019August 28, 2019 Barnaby Taylor Artist, Author, Digital, Guest Post, Illustrator, Writing

Shawn Bracebridge – The Cat’s Pyjamas and Other Stories

I recently had the pleasure of chatting to Dublin-based artist and illustrator, Shawn Bracebridge. With his distinctive style and eye for the quirky, Shawn’s artwork combines beautiful echoes of previous decades of graphic design with a vibrant, contemporary edge.

1. How did you get started?

For as long as I can remember I have always been drawing. My father is a very talented painter, which is where I initially found inspiration. I have always had a very active imagination which always adds to my creativity. When I finished school I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in art. I initially wanted to study animation, while I do have a strong interest and love for animation I quickly discovered that the process wasn’t exactly for me so I took a step back and decided to try my hand at oil painting. I fell in love with painting for a while and even thought about pursuing a career in concept art for video games as I was creating a lot of fantasy inspired landscapes, but like animation I fell out of love with it and grew impatient. I started to explore my options a bit more and decided to look into graphic design as I wanted to gain some skills in the digital format. Graphic design really stood out and excited me so I decided to study it. I leaned everything I could about poster design, stationary design, branding and identity, typography, colour theory etc. After a few years of exploring graphic design and struggling to find some work I started to miss drawing and putting my imagination to work, so I put graphic design on hold and jumped right into illustration. I’m still relatively new to the field but I am very excited to see where this journey brings me in the future.

2. Who or what are your major inspirations?

My major inspirations in the world of art/design/illustration would be Saul Bass, the legendary graphic designer and illustrator who created some of the most amazing movie posters for film makers such as Hitchcock and Otto Preminger. Saul was where I found inspiration and drive for illustration itself. Peter Donnelly from Dublin is also another big hero of mine, having worked on one of my favourite childhood movies, The Land Before Time. He also has a series of beautiful picture books, The President’s Glasses and The President’s Cat, which are very reminiscent of the travel books created by another inspirational illustrator, Miroslav Šašek. Aside from other artists, what inspires me at the moment is music, jazz especially. I recently just discovered my interest in jazz and that in turn helped me find this 50’s/60’s inspired style of illustration. I have a deep love for comics, sci fi and fantasy which all factor in as inspiration for me too.

3. How would you describe your style?

My style is always slightly changing as I find different subject matter to work from, but I would say that my style definitely draws heavily from mid century style illustration. I look at illustrators like Saul Bass as sources for inspiration, especially with hand made typography. I always try to put my own spin on different styles that stand out to me, bringing a modern but ”retro” look to it. I’m always thinking of new ways I can change my style up slightly just to keep it fresh and exciting.

4. How do you work?

I currently work digitally but I try to start off with a simple pencil sketch on paper whenever working on a new project. I feel like i’ve neglected my sketchbook quite a bit since I started working digitally but I am working to get back to drawing with just ink and paper. I find sketchbooks to be a necessary tool as you may get an idea while taking the train or bus and you can quickly scribble it down and take note before developing it into a completely finished piece. While working digitally I try to keep my digital illustrations almost organic, my work doesn’t tend to have a highly digital polish at the end.

5. Can you talk us through some examples of your work?

Here is an illustration I created representing my favourite musical icon, David Bowie. This illustration was inspired by the music video for ‘Modern Love’ from his album ‘Let’s Dance’. As well as being a highly influential musical artist, he was a fantastic style icon and I just love everything about his look in this image, so naturally I decided to sketch it and then eventually turned it into a print.

Kamasi Washington, another favourite of mine. Kamasi is an American jazz saxophonist and musician. I just find everything about this mans music simply amazing. I always thought that he had a quite an interesting look, much like my David Bowie design, so I wanted to capture the bright colours and interesting outfits that he is known to wear.

The Cat’s Pyjamas is a comic book series that me and my friend Kevin started together, it’s set against a 1960’s backdrop with jazzy undertones and is representative of cartoons such as the ones you might see from Hannah Barbera and The Pink Panther. There is much more to come of this!

6. What are you currently working on?

Right now i’m working on some more music inspired pieces. I’m creating a small collection of new prints that I will soon have available through my online store and whatever various markets I may take part in throughout the next few months. I’m also developing my comic series The Cat’s Pyjamas which will be an ongoing project for the foreseeable future!

7. What are your plans for the future?

My plans for the future are not quite certain at the moment but I am excited at the same time. I hope to make more of a name for myself and meet more people through this field. I have ideas for more books that I wish to make in the future (hopefully sooner rather than later) I’ll also look into getting them published at a later stage, but for now I’ll keep on exploring ideas and creating more work!

Many thanks to Shawn for giving us such a fascinating insight in to your work. It was a pleasure chatting with you. Good luck for the future.

If you want to stay up to date with Shawn’s progress with The Cat’s Pyjamas and his other projects then you can find him on Instagram.

If you are interested in buying some of Shawn’s work then you can find his online store on Bigcartel.

July 2, 2015 Barnaby Taylor ambient, Astrud Gilberto, Bossa Nova, interview, rebel|robot|mcs, soundcloud, vimeo

The Queen of the Summer Sun

When inspiration strikes it can strike hard. Hot on the heels of their new 16 series the rebel|robot|mcs (this re-branding is getting harder and harder to type (but what can you do with those artist-types?)) have just released an ambient tribute to Astrud Gilberto or, as they like to call her, the Queen of the Summer Sun. This morning I was lucky enough to speak to DJ SLO-MO (Dalton Akimbo to her friends and family) and she gave me the low-down.

ME: What with the re-branding and the change in sonic direction it looks like the rebel|robot|mcs are back with a bang. This is great news for everyone, especially me, because the last time we saw you all you had just signed one of the most eye-wateringly repressive contracts in the history of eye-wateringly repressive contracts. Are you allowed to say anything about this?

DJ SLO-MO: Hi everyone. Yes this is great news, especially for us, of course, but we are not allowed to say anything about the contract other than to say that it no longer exists. This is the result of the contract we signed to end the contract we signed if you see what I mean.

ME: OK, fair enough. So can I ask you about your change in direction? What inspired you? What do you see happening going forward?

DJ SLO-MO: We’re not really sure at the moment. After the trauma of the contract we are just happy to be starting again. We are all having fun and just seeing what happens. Nothing more really.

ME: The Queen of the Summer Sun?

DJ SLO-MO: My dad has always played this stuff and so I have always heard it growing up. When you move away from what you have been doing you very often look into your past for inspiration and that is what I did. It is very basic and not yet very good but that is fine. We are happy with the knowledge that we can only get better.

ME: Thank you very much DJ SLO-MO and good luck for the future.

DJ SLO-MO: Thank you as well and I hope to speak to you soon.

You can watch the video below.