As you’ve carved out a space for yourself in your work, can you remember having any “a-ha” moments?
I think an “a-ha” moment for me was learning that I could work at a different speed than that of my medium. Digital art, new media, online publishing, and anything to do with computers has this very quick and demanding output regimen, and learning to work outside of those demands has been very helpful. Being able to be slower, being able to be more methodical—really just being able to work on projects that take a couple of years.
A key part of this has been learning how to do iterative releasing, as a way of participating in those demands. So, when a whole project isn’t finished or released yet, I can give people indications of my progress on that project as a way of still participating in those cycles. That’s been a real positive for me, to just be like, “You know what? It’s okay to take my time. It’s okay for me to dwell in the space of my work.”
— Nicholas O'Brien on slowing down and nurturing your friendships
