The Mysterious Traveller

It has been a long summer, but one that seems to have passed in the blink of an eye. Many things have happened, but I also feel like I have absolutely nothing to blog about. An age has past since the Annecy festival, and I sit here contemplating my 2024 thus far in regards to my life and career. But unfortunately, at the moment my writing currently goes hand in hand with my emotions (an interesting transition from the days of old, where my frivolously upbeat writing about how I built a pirate ship that one time , also seems so long ago) and I find it hard to focus on just the artwork.     Perhaps my sensitive side is getting the better of me. But I do actually have an explanation for this (I think) and it coincides with one of the many personal projects I have begun, now that I am utterly free of everything. My decision to leave Sardinha em Lata (the Lisbon based animation studio) remains steadfast in my resolve, although I do have moments where I miss the studio life. But thi...

Well, I finally did it. Whether it was due to the overwhelming anxiety-driven previous 12 months or simply pure instinct telling me to take the plunge into the unknown, I left the studio. It was something I had wanted to do for most of 2023, but the need for routine and stability amongst colleagues and friends overcame my adventurous ambitions. I think it helped me, the structure of daily familiarities; not quite a regular yoga practice but it was something.  But as I continued to work on these small projects, my motivation really waned. I must point out that this was, by no means, the fault of the studio. Whatever is happening with me, it's a personal matter (internally, I would say) and nothing to do with the work of others.   And for me to fully reflect on the mental, spiritual and physical factors of Tommy Grainger's life, I packed up the van and went on a six week road trip around Portugal and Spain.  I originally had the idea of keeping a travel blog filled wit...

There was an idea, many years ago, that gave me credence  to manifest all of my emotions and feelings into a storytelling  device without necessarily divulging into the deepest, darkest corners of my mind (as we did in the previous episode). This device was called Electric Elkboy.  You may have already seen this character. Whether he appears as an icon or a profile picture, or maybe a piece of artwork posted on Instagram, I can imagine that you may recognise him. And if not, then welcome to episode 104 of the blog; where you shall be introduced. And even to the untrained eye, you may notice the visual similarities between Electric Elkboy and myself (unless you have never, ever met me!) Because, ladies and gentlemen, Electric Elkboy is my superhero alter ego.  The general idea was to create a character who I could transfer much of my own personality, traits and issues with a purpose to write fictional adventures that also depicted some emotional turmoil that I could n...

For the full experience, please click play below: Yesterday ... [This is not today] How has 2020 become 2021 so quickly? [this was my original opening when I first embarked upon this entry. That was four months ago]. The current star date: 09/01/2022. The fact is that 2021 did happen so quickly. And now it's too late! I genuinely spent 10 minutes trying to fathom what year it was on my first day back at work after the New Year. Anyway, I digress. My initial thoughts are that I am perhaps too apathetic with my blog posts, leading me down a dark path of neglect and carelessness. Although we each of us consider that lazy side of us, I must power through with my explanation of 'there simply isn't enough time!' Moving to Portugal has given me a plethora of tales and woes, journeys and misgivings, creative fortunes and artistic delights. But my inspiration to continue with this blog has waned over the years, at a time when it conceivably means more to express what we are all...