In the past year, I’ve become a more optimistic human being. This is due to two things: first, seeing several of my lunatic projects take on a life of their own and second, meeting up with a small network of truly amazing people. GOMAR2 is one of them — I find this fellah to be an inspiration. I figured it’s only right to introduce him to the Wishtank audience. In the three short weeks since GOMAR2 and Wishtank have become friends, he has not only joined the fam as a primary illustrator for articles in the The Commons, but has also designed our sexy new logo (see cover!). In conversation with GOMAR2, Wishtank has learned of several budding projects that he has in the garden, and realized how fortunate we are to be working with such a dedicated man.
With that said, let’s commence the conversatin’…
Wishtank: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in the past year?
GOMAR2: I need to calm down and accept the pace I’m at. I’m a hyper individual who throttles everything to the maximum. I need to feel accomplished on a day to day level. I lay in bed every night and reflect on what I did that day; most of the time I feel I should have done more. How am I supposed to be happy when nothing is good enough? I feel guilty when I spend time with friends, watch a movie, or other activities which don’t result in me having developed a product. I need that feeling of accomplishment more than I need love or friendship.
That sounds bad. I care a lot, I think. I get raged out that I even have to take time out to eat food. It’s like why can’t I just breathe air and survive? I live inside my head. I’m an idealist, I’m an idiot. I wish I had a couple robots that looked and acted like me. I’d have one hold down my relationships, one hold down my responsibilities in school and I would just sit home and bomb out work. At the end of the day all three of us would lay down in bed, side by side with linked USB cords into our heads. We would share our experiences through information transfers. I would then have the memories of what my friends and family have said and done; I would have new knowledge without the effort to learn. I’m infatuated with the idea of being able to acclimate a copious amount of knowledge without learning. I want phenomenal results instantly.
Haha...that’s fucked up. I think I’m crazy half the time… So, yeah I need to calm down and accept my life’s pace, I’m only straining myself. I’m not a robot, I’m this human being.
Wishtank: What’s the scoop on your new project, tripleDose?
tripleDose is a small team of dedicated cats I’ve hand selected who are down to work with me. Most of which are friends that have specific skill sets. I’m not looking at this in terms of just making money. I want to drop prolific stuff, and by having a team, as a unit we can do that. I’m just one person — my real vision, is for us to be able to tackle anything related to graphic design. I’m working with Avenue53, Cyron7, and Meta. They all have different skill sets which range form programming and Web design to illustration. I’m confident in their skills as well as their willingness to work with me and each other.
As of now, we are building tripleDose.com and TheCollectiveAlliance.com. TheCollectiveAlliance.com is going to feature a lot of quality underground music and showcase artists. It will primarily consist of hip-hop but isn’t limited to just that. We are looking at this as a group project which will benefit not only us, but the members of the site. There will be downloads, interviews, show dates etc. I feel really good about this and so does everyone who is involved. I really want to do projects which support positive and qualitative things and people. If anyone reading this interview is interested in being showcased on TheCollectiveAlliance.com you can contact us via
info@tripleDose.com
Wishtank: Is there any point to orthodoxy or tradition in art, or is that just old people being old?
GOMAR2: Tradition, in my opinion is important. I feel a lot of people out there don’t respect that validity in tradition. The Orthodoxy of anything is grounded firmly in reason. With that said, tradition in art is great for building a foundation of understanding as well as communication. It gives a point of perspective, of reference. Art, generally speaking is a wild animal. It’s not grounded by anything beyond opinion. The tools have changed, but not the concepts.
As far as old people being old, I think we, overall, see growing older as negative. I feel older people have a lot to offer. Life experience is truly priceless. I don’t know, I just look at my own life as getting richer as I grow older. When I am an old man and live beyond 100 years old, I feel I will have a much deeper understanding of everything. Only then will I come remotely close to understanding anything.
Wishtank: Is there a ritual to your creative process or do you like to play around with your approach?
GOMAR2: I’ve read and heard a lot of designers talk about how they have this rigid method they use time and time again for developing solutions. I’m not so mechanical, I ride the lightning of the emotional excitement I have for each particular project. I honestly lock up and hyperventilate when I have to do projects I don’t feel anything for.
So, yeah I do play around with my approach, that’s the nature of the beast. I am and will always be a work in progress. Beyond the el and the pots of coffee, the creative process for me is non-linear a lot of times. I draw and write out ideas a lot at random through out the day. I have a 13 gallon Tupperware container to the brim with sketches and ideas I’ve never touched. I try to think on a basic level with what will connect with people. Asking questions about how people feel about things is a daily activity.
Visualizing ideas and things from different angles, in different context, and different environments is also key. I’m a huge fan of libraries. I try to think like a DJ. I’ll camp out at a random library for hours and just flip through books looking for ideas, images to knock off, or what ever.
Wishtank: What are these free ‘T!d-Bits’ we find for download on your Website?
GOMAR2: The T!D-BiT Vector Packs are .EPS files which contain vectorized elements for people to use with graphic programs like Adobe Illustrator. There are a lot of things out there like PhotoShop brushes and crappy clipart, but I feel there is a lack of good vector elements, let alone free ones. When I was first messing with vector art programs I was totally blown away by this dude Hydro 74, who had dope work as well as free vector stuff to download. I always downloaded his stuff. I really learned a lot from studying that guy’s work, he doesn’t know it, but he’s been a mentor of sorts to me. I owe that guy, ha,ha…
I really feel that by having quality stuff for people to download and use for free is great for everyone. I enjoy sharing stuff as well as perpetuating creativity on a global scale. I’m a romantic. It makes me happy to get replies form cats who are all giddy and want more. That makes the whole thing worth it to me.
On another note, I feel if you don’t offer people something then why would they care about you? I’m not saying that I’m betting my career on these T!D-BiT packs, but I am saying that it has increased my traffic and my notoriety. It’s truly a win/win/win situation. As of now, I’ve been getting help from a lot of my friends with ideas as well as modeling, so in another way, making some of these has brought my friends together.
I want to keep slipping out dope embellishments and stuff like that which are popular, but I really want to aim for different things. I feel the vandal pack that Meta and I released is one of these different things ( see illustration). I’d like to keep things of that nature going. Meta has been very helpful with a lot of this. I feel the little ads for the T!D-BiT packs are also very dope, I love that floating couch.
A while back I was sitting at my homie’s crib, blowing smoke rings and it hit me. The floating couch which has an emotional bond with me. I was so excited about the idea of me using a couch as my vehicle of choice. I wanted that to come across like it was easy for me to sit down on this couch and levitated it to use it as a vehicle. I hate driving, but If I could have a couch which floated and went crazy fast it’d be all good. I’m not a big fan of reality at times.
Wishtank: What gives you hope for the future?
GOMAR2: Wow, that’s a real deep question… what gives me hope for the future is myself in the present tense. Seeing how rapidly things have changed and are changing. Maybe I’m rather naive, but it seems as if things are moving in a good direction. I think digital technology has also contributed to this greatly. Take Hip Hop for example, it’s amazing that now a kid, with limited resources can produce quality music on a very economical budget. Twenty years ago this was not happening.
Just like graphic design, I would have never gotten beyond spray paint if it wasn’t for bootlegged programs. Things are accessible now, where as before they weren’t. Not like this. I’m lower middle class, the people around here don’t give a fuck about shit like creativity. They’re talking hotdogs and doughnuts, paying bills and surviving. I would have never had access to things like this if it wasn’t for digital technology and illegal downloads. There are so many dope kids who rip, but have never had the opportunity to take their skills to that legitimate level. So, yeah I see humanity winning this race as of now.
Maybe we see the negative things in our world at the current time and say, “wow this is bad,” but, I feel that’s where the positive begins to grow. Before I was really getting into art on an unadulterated level, my life was straight up fucked. It’s like, man I should be dead. I’ve seen that brink of death, literally. I’ve put myself in situations which I look back on like, man… that dude could’ve blown my head off. Nowadays, I just keep my goals in perspective on a consistent basis. I really see creative things becoming more respected and prominent in the United States. I think creative work is truly the next. We aren’t making products anymore, you know. It seems all we really have is our creativity, as well as the luxury to indulge in it.
Wishtank: I stole this from the folks at Edge, but I gotta ask: What do you believe even though you can’t prove it?
GOMAR2: I believe in a higher level. Once in a while, I’ll just stop and look at my hands, I digest how crazy this is. Things just don’t happen without reason. The paper doesn’t end up on the floor without the wind pushing it off of the table. For something to become activated, something bigger had to push it. I don’t know, I feel very blessed on so many levels to be human; It’s been an honor to be one of the most advanced beings within a galaxy. Proving the feeling supporting my ideas is impossible, yet I feel that.
It affects me. It breaks my heart when we marginalize feeling. That’s what its all about, you know. The experience. Your experience.
Wishtank: Why is it so hard for genius types to get a job?
GOMAR2: A genius is a person of great intelligence, who shows an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work. Honestly, I’ve had that pin pushed through my button up too many times. It’s a flattering statement, but I can’t stand here, and take on that role...you know… it’s not my goal to purvey that persona. I’m just dedicated. Period.
I care a lot about myself, I’m just trying to come up. But yeah the question about my relations to work… why I feel it’s hard for us “genius types” to get a job is the fact that we don’t give two fucks about someone else’s agenda. I’ve got a head full of ideas and a bad habit with a bic. I need to expand on the daily, and eight hours or whatever, doing whatever for chump change breaks my heart. I need to make paper from creative endeavors! I’m off the rocker. When I get to a new, shitty job, it’s like within the first week, “who’s writing all over everything?”
By the first month it’s basically game over, unless I can hide out, go home for 4 hours, then it’s cool, I guess.
We’re just heathens. When I look into myself, I’m a self-centered person. I care so much about where my time is going, I’m worth so much. That’s how I see it, and that’s why a normal job and us “genius types” don’t mix.
Wishtank: Do artists have an obligation to break the law?
GOMAR2: Being able to look into the mirror and call yourself an artist is a pretty big statement, which probably includes reflecting on a large body of work and your personal dedication as confirmation of that statement. I don’t feel there is anything about breaking the law which is inherent to being an artist. I feel an artist who is a rebel, by default, cultivates a real romantic mystic about themselves, good or bad. Personally, it seems everything I like to do is illegal or has some bearing on illegal activity. I guess I love that funny feeling of freedom, maybe at its core, that is why I am an artist. Freedom is what I’m all about. I’m a human being first and foremost; laws to me are things like gravity, the speed of light.
Wishtank: Do you want to make movies at some point?
GOMAR2: I’d love to get into some video based stuff. I’m all about expanding. I NEED to get into things of that sort. I’m not looking at art from one side, you know. I realize I have the potential to wreck the game in a multifaceted paradigm.
Wishtank: Any final words for the people?
GOMAR2: Stay dedicated. Period. Don’t marginalize your feelings. I spent years doing degenerate stuff, not caring about life, let alone myself. Where I’m from, the kids around here know more about a QP than a BA. It took a lot of negative stuff to push me to go back to school. It was hard for me to do that at first, I didn’t feel I belonged in that higher education environment. I’m not saying higher education is all that, but it has contributed greatly to my life. The knowledge, the people and the experiences have been priceless. I have become obsequious on my own time as well, with my own endeavors. If you really want to move forward in life, you have to start looking at your life in a mirror.
Every night I lay in bed and reflect on that previous day’s activities. Did I do what I could have? How many trains did I do? Could I have done that better? I beat myself up a lot, but that’s me. I feel like no one is going to ever care about me more than I care about myself. I try to keep people in my life which have something to offer me. That may sound cold, but if you don’t do anything for me, than you gotta go. I think the majority of people out there aren’t prepared to go there. They care about a “good time,” girls and whatever. I’m just not there anymore, and to be honest it was all of that stuff which drove me to become who I’ve contemporarily become. Ha,ha… I don’t know what to say.
Wishtank: Any futher final words?
I’d like to thank all of the people who’ve been supportive toward what I’m trying to accomplish, sincerely. My Mother, Kas Solo, Hugs, Meta… there are too many people to even start trying to thank. I’m just happy to be here, to be recognized. I appreciate this opportunity to express my irrational ideas. I want to contribute to the creative momentum of people. I want you to look at my art and feel inspired to do your own thing, what ever that is. I hope to affect you on a positive note. Art and Hip-Hop have given me so much, I can only hope to give back. Peace.
For more goods, check out GOMAR2 online at GOMAR2 dot com.
For even more goods and more interviewage, check out the GOMAR2 Profile at our new friend SimplyOutstanding.com right… here!
