I want my work to be easy for everyone to digest – however easy or difficult the topic might be – so that it can have more of an impact. If my writing can’t be understood then I haven’t done my job.
Jack Martin 13 July 2018
The Back Flap
Drawn To Change is an artist’s take on what it means to be creative in a world that is constantly changing.
We are taken on a wild ride through the depths of Western culture to discover that we are much more restrictive to creativity than we’d like to believe, and tend to resist change rather than acknowledge it.
To understand this resistance, we are forced to confront social norms such as education, competition, language, money, ideology, society, reality and even the meaning of creativity itself. Nothing is safe!
As daunting as this might seem, Drawn To Change presents solutions that encourage us to do the only thing we can do: embrace this ever-changing and ever-creative world that we live in.
About the book
What is the book about?
Drawn To Change: Calling For A Creative Counter-Culture is my take as an artist on what it means to be creative in world that is constantly changing. The book is designed to encourage prospective students, creatives, as well as the layman to start thinking about what it actually means to be creative by confronting social norms such as education, competition, language, money, ideology, society and reality.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing the book mid 2015, just after graduating my course in Creative Media.
How long did it take you to write it?
3 weeks. It flew out of me, almost as if the book had written itself.
Where did you get the idea from?
It was inspired by my curiosity into the overlooked contradiction in the creative industry that “creativity” had to follow the strict methodology of the business model. At that time I was reading The Book by Alan Watts, The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield and was also right into the Zeitgeist Movement documentaries so these ideas all influenced my writing.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
The 78 illustrations that were required for the book took the most time. The drawing itself wasn’t difficult, but incorporating them around the text meant that some illustrations had to be less detailed than others.
I stupidly hadn’t researched my options on page measurements either so when the book was ready to submit to the printers at IngramSpark I had to readjust all the artwork and text to fit their dimensions. Easier said than done – the tedious task took me about 2 months to readjust!
What came easily?
The writing was the easiest part, which makes no sense because illustration is my strong suit.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
The book is nonfiction and reads more like an essay so there is no defined character aside from the reader who I encourage to take the ride on the existential journey I present to them.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
The late philosopher Alan Watts would have to be my favourite. I own 3 of his books and I don’t know which one I like the most! Each one has awakened something in me that makes me see the world for the truly magical mystery that it is. I would say Watts is the most influential writer for me, and my narrative style and ideas would be closest to his than any other.
Journalist Graham Hancock is also exciting to read. It isn’t so much his writing style that interests me but more so the unbelievable amount of research he puts into each one of his books. Supernatural was the most recent of his I read and it’s 850 pages long!
Richard Dawkins is also up there. He was the first scientist I read that really gave me a deep appreciation and respect for the scientific method. How he explains evolution in The Greatest Show On Earth is so rich in detail that it has still stuck with me 6 years after reading it.
Do you have a target reader?
The layman. I love exploring and researching complex issues but I find that if you get too technical you narrow your audience down. It can be an absolute punishment for readers to get through something they can barely understand when the writer doesn’t explain it in layman’s terms. I want my work to be easy for everyone to digest – however easy or difficult the topic might be – so that it can have more of an impact. If my writing can’t be understood then I haven’t done my job.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Just to sit down and smash out as much of it as I possibly can in every sitting. It doesn’t matter if some of it’s incoherent at the time, the more I write the more I have to work with. From there I can cut out what I don’t need and inevitably I can sculpt it into that gem that’s hidden underneath.
Having time off work or not having a fulltime job also helps – this is probably why writing Drawn To Change only took me about 3 weeks as I was only working nights at the time. It’s super hard to keep that momentum and motivation if you’re only doing it in small time frames spread out over a long time.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
Yes, each chapter has a series of little topics within it. I just find it easier to keep to the point if you box it off into smaller sections. It also makes it easier to read.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I do try to edit as I go along but in saying that it can also throw you slightly off course. Once I have a particular train of thought I want to use for the subject I find it best to just purge it out as soon as possible and then go back and edit.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Russell Thomson and Peter Gray from Clear Communications edited the manuscript for me and they did an exceptional job!
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I wish I could but sadly I find it too distracting.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Every one I could find.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
It was very gradual. It became obvious that getting picked up by a publisher was going to be near impossible. I was also worried that if I did get picked up that they would cut out a lot of the taboo and challenging subjects I present in the book which would have defeated the whole purpose. A lot of research needed to be done and a lot of back and forth in figuring out the right method for self-publishing but I eventually got in contact with the team at Critical Mass who set up printing, distribution and the ebook version for me. I can’t thank them enough for that because not long beforehand I was going to just get a crowd fund to print out thousands of copies to try and sell from home (which would have been the worst decision ever!).
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
My artistic alter ego JackMoney did all the illustrations for the book.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I do have a strategy going, which mainly comes down to networking. I also find that the strategy is more effective post-release as people can get a hold of the book themselves as well as see where it ranks on the best sellers, as opposed to the ol’ “Oh, I’ve got a book coming out eventually which should be really great” method.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Do it! I can’t stress that enough. Commit to the idea and put as much work into it as quickly as possible to the point where you’ve gone too far to turn back. The more time and energy invested in it, the harder it’ll be for you to forget about it. Look at companies like Critical Mass Consulting and other self-publishing teams if you need help with printing, distributing, editing and marketing your project. Commit to it and you’ll make it happen. Best of luck!
About You
Where did you grow up?
Far south coast of NSW.
Where do you live now?
Sydney.
What would you like readers to know about you?
My illustration portfolio is JackMoney. If people like the work in Drawn To Change I recommend checking out my accounts on social media.
What are you working on now?
I’m always working on my illustration portfolio and there are a couple of new pieces I’ve got going to keep me busy for the next couple of months. I’ve also got some more writing ideas, I just need to sit down and map them out.
End of Interview:
For more from Jack, like his Facebook page.
Get your copy of Drawn to Change from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
