Bits and bobs

Maybe it’s ’cause it’s Spring, but so many things are blossoming in my life these days.

Spring: Our Sketchbook Film called “Spring” was just on the big screen at TELUS S20FE374F-0152-43BF-9A1C-B841FCD086D2park, the new Science Centre, in Calgary, Canada. People liked it, they tell me. It seems a zillion springs ago that I sat in the park drawing for that film. This year the spring in New York seems far grimmer and my sister texted me from the train platform this morning to tell me it was cold and raining and she was over it. I didn’t mention that our car thermometer registered 97˙ yesterday in an LA parking lot. I’m a nice brother.

Fullerton: I am going to be giving my first talk in California next week at Fullerton

156-08_FC_DannyGregory_finalCollege. I will be talking about my life, my discovery of illustrated journaling and all the things it has taught me over the years. I’ll also be showing loads of images from my books.  It’s open to the public and free, so if you are in the area, please drop by and say hi. It’ll be nice to just drive to one of my talks, rather than have to fly around the world. Well, I like doing that too.

HOW in Boston:  I am giving a big presentation at the HOW Design Live conference in a few weeks. I’ll be talking about some thing brand-new for me, the inner critic, based on posts I wrote here on my blog. They’ve asked me to do the speech twice so I will be spending the whole week in Boston.  shut your monkeyIt’s been loads of fun, writing and designing a new talk, but I must say the monkey does not like being talked about and I have had to wrestle with him daily.  Now the speech has really started to come together and I am feeling great about it and I really look forward to seeing all the designers who will be there. Not to mention Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell and Stefan Sagmeister.

art Before Breakfast: My new book logois all written, illustrated and designed and is now with my publishers.  I just reviewed the galleys and it looks awesome. I am so excited about this one.  I hope it will have the same sort of impact that “The Creative License” had and help a lot of people to find the time and inclination to make art part of the their lives. Plus it has several hundred new drawings and paintings and is quite handsome. IMG_1678

Sketchbook Skool:  Our online school is humming along.  We had to cap the first klass at 2,000 students and those who couldn’t get in the door have already been signing up for when we repeat the next semester. We are well into production on the next Kourse. It’s called “Seeing” and our fakulty includes some real super stars: Cathy Johnson, Liz Steel, Brenda Swenson and Andrea Joseph. It launches on July 4th. We are doing even more elaborate and polished productions this semester and using professional video crews. I supervised Brenda’s shoot in Pasadena last week and tomorrow Liz shoots in Sydney with a director I found for her. Then Andrea will be joining Koosje in Amsterdam to shoot her klass. It’s all very international and exciting and I am now a producer, writer, artist, teacher, director, headmaster, entrepreneur, and fanboy. Koosje and I will also be teaching this and every term and I am really excited about the videos I’ll be making for my section.

Phew! Next I have to come back to New York to hang out with Jack for the summer. His term ends in a few weeks and then he begins a really exciting internship program working with some amazing painters and becoming part of the New York art scene. I am so proud of him and just know he will have a wonderful life making art. I have had such an amazing year. To think that twelve months ago, I was sitting in a meeting discussing marketing challenges for the oil industry!

20 thoughts on “Bits and bobs”

  1. Danny, you are a great inspiration! Congratulations on all these new opportunities — and keep up the good work!

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  2. WoooooHoooo one getting the new book done! Let us know when we can pre-order!!!!
    Ok…that Kool Sketchbook Skool t-shirt…I want one…how do I get one? Rainy, cold day in Wisconsin…..I think spring was one day last week and summer overslept! LOL! Enjoy LA and NYC. Wish I was close enough to see/hear one of you talks! Sketchbook Skool is marvelous, am loving it. Already signed up for semester two!!!!

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  3. Great post, Danny. Can’t wait for your new book and one of these days, I’m going to show up at one of your talks. But you still haven’t told us how we get one of those t-shirts.

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  4. I’ve already registered for round two and am really looking forward to it. I would LOVE to purchase a T-shirt as well. Is there any change for a sketching meet-up while you are in Boston? I’m close by and I’m sure other Sketchbook Skool students are as well…I would be fun to meet up with everyone in person!

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  5. Phew! It’s all going on for you and all good stuff – loving SBS – look forward to your next book and know that you’ll drop us a line when you’re coming to the UK ….

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  6. Wow, this all sounds amazing, Danny! Best of luck to you! 🙂
    How interesting that you’re going to be seeing Seth Godin. I follow his blog and appreciate all the wisdom there. Incidentally, what you call the “monkey” is something similar to what he calls the “lizard” (the lizard brain, actually.)

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  7. Sounds like all great stuff! I can’t wait to see part two of Sketch Skool!

    The monkey talk will be great, I know it. It seems like the more nervous we are, the better our work.

    I’m excited for all the fun collaborations you are doing, plus a summer in NYC on the horizon. 🙂

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  8. Yes, a sketch crawl in Boston, please! I know three of us Skoolers at Boston College who’d love to draw with you.

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  9. I am looking forward to using some of my sketchbook skool skills in Boston (first time sketching while traveling, my challenge will be putting down the camera!) I am also really looking forward to your talk!

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