The Work
The Inspiration
In my opinion, Passenger is a lyrical genius because of
his poetic ways of portraying life's ups and downs. And his album, All
The Little Lights, is one of my favorite albums of all time. One
particular song that has left a lasting impression on me is "Life’s for The
Living."
It is a gentle nudge to shift our focus from
dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, and instead embrace
the here and now. Life is indeed for the living, and it is up to us to
make the most of it.
"...Don't you cry for the lost, smile for the living.
Get what you need, and give what you're given.
Life is for the living, so live it,
or you're better off dead..."
The Process
I started with a traditional layout but then decided to switch things
up. I wanted to convey the message of "you're better off dead" by using
a coffin, with a circle shape as a circle of life. However, I ultimately
replaced a circle with a gravestone to represent the regret of
giving up on life early and not living your life to the fullest while
you still can.
The gravestone serves as a warning from those
who have passed on, urging us to appreciate our time on earth and not
waste it in regret. I imagined that these lyrics would be something they
would say to the living.
Unfortunately, this concept proved
challenging to translate into a lettering design, requiring more skill
and precision than I currently possess. I struggled with getting the
letters to look engraved and making the gravestone look realistic in my
artwork.
Despite struggling with painting techniques and composition, I
enjoyed the process and learned a lot from it.
I may
not have achieved the design I envisioned, but I'm happy with what I've
created. It's all part of the learning experience, and I’m okay with
that. This is my current best effort, and I accept it as a stepping
stone for future growth.
In the future, I hope to
improve my skills and revisit this project to do justice to the profound
message of the lyrics.