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Dr. Roger Sperry, a world-famous brain scientist, demonstrated that 90 percent of the brain's energy output is used in relating the physical body to gravity, while 10 percent of brain energy output is utilised in thinking, metabolism and healing. The more biomechanically out-of-balance a person is, the less energy he or she has for healing, metabolism and thinking.

Animation Magazine's Pitch Party '08 is over and the results are in!

Visits to conferences, going to workshops, attending launches, networking in the local comic book store or just simply talking to a colleague. You always have the intention of just interacting, or with one thing in mind. And yet you come away with more than what you went for in the first place. Many times had I gone to a conference, given a talk at a conference or seminar with the intention of learning or teaching one thing. Yet I leave with something else. These are lessons that come well after school, after college, apprenticeships, training or even University. They're not full courses, they're a few sentences long. It feels like getting a mini degree in a matter of a few minutes.

Here's an example, and it's from a DVD I bought some time ago as I enjoyed it so much.

No thinking - that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is... to write, not to think!
Sean Connery, Finding Forrester

Even a film can give you a mini degree. These few lines from the movie have provided me inspiration when i've needed the most.

Dream on Silly Dreamer is a Documentary about the death of Disney’s hand-drawn animated films. On March 25, 2002, 200 artists were told they were being replaced with computers and that Disney was going to follow the money instead of leading with tradition.

The Touch of the Master's Hand

It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
Hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
"What am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three",
But, No,
From the room far back a grey haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet,
As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.
"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.

The audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,
All battered with bourbon and gin,
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin.
A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.
But the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Master's Hand.

"The Master's Hand" was written by Myra Brooks Welch. She was called "The poet with the singing soul."

I've always loved doing backgrounds, I enjoyed those from early animated TV shows. Here is colour theory, Art Lozzi explains some.