Part 2: Achieve your goals with creative visualization techniques, Interview with Chet Zar fine artist and special effects guru

Chet Zar with fellow artist Derek Walborn, photo by Rae Threat

Who are your hero’s and have you had the chance to learn from any of them?

My heroes tend to be musicians who have done things on their own terms in regards to their art. People like Mike Watt (of the band the Minutemen), Jello Biafra, Ani DiFranco and bands like Nomeansno. People who have just done their own thing, made great art with integrity and slowly built up their fan base without sucking the dick of some big record company. They took the slow and steady approach and they are all still going on their own terms after all these years. Those are the kinds of people I really look up to and try to learn from.

Chet Zar Sculpture

I find music very inspiring and the catalyst for a lot of my own work. Can you call on your creativity at will or do you have any techniques or ways to come up with great ideas and quality work more often?

Being a designer in the film industry and working 40 hours a week, being creative for 20 years, forces you to learn to call up your creativity at will. Of course there are good days and bad days. It’s a matter of getting your mind to always be thinking about things creatively.

Other techniques I have are listening to music I like. Looking at other artwork that I like also helps me get inspired. Smoking cannabis can sometimes help get the creativity flowing when the time is right. Although, I don’t really use that technique too much anymore since my days are usually a mix of art and business and I have to switch back and forth frequently. I don’t recommend it as standard practice, because it can make you lazy and dependent on it for creativity, which can hurt your creativity in the long run. Meditation and having a clear head seems to help as well.

“Bliss”

You mention meditation, do you have any special techniques?

My mother taught me how to meditate and do creative viualization techniques which can really help you realize goals. Here is my technique:

For 20 minutes a day, I sit in a comfortable position (I use the half lotus position, just sitting cross legged). I spend the first 10 minutes concentrating on my breathing and emptying out all the noise in my head (this is the hardest part and takes a lot of practice). For the last 10 minutes I imagine the goal I am going for, I imagine myself having the thing I desire, I play it out like I am watching a movie in my head. I also repeat affirmations of the goal and imagine them visually playing across my field of vision, like movie credits or a text scroll. This seems to work for me. Everybody responds differently to different techniques, so I would encourage people who are interested to research the topic more and discover what works best for them.

“Succubus”

The theory is that the power to create your reality resides in your own mind, so whatever you think about will manifest in your life. This can be good things or bad things. I think we all are doing it, all the time, whether we know it or not. A couple of good resources for this are the book, “Creative Visualization” by Shakti Gawain. “The Secret” dvd is really good, too- it is presented in a kind of cheesy way because I think it was aimed at the mainstream Oprah crowd, but all the techniques are there. But this stuff is real, I know from my own experience.

“Dork”

Meditation is a great way to get in the right mindset, but what about increasing your energy levels, do you exercise regularly?

Actually, I’ve recently discovered how important getting enough sleep and exercising regularly is. You have to make an effort not to burn out too fast. All the standard things are true, get some exercise, enough sleep and eat right. Those things actually help a lot. As I get older it is becoming more apparent.

I have never been much into athletics or physical activity that did not involve art somehow (building armatures for sculptures, etc). At this point I just walk in the morning for a few miles and that has really helped my energy levels and stamina throughout the day.

What would you say are the biggest benefits of living this type of life?

I think living a creative life teaches you how to creatively deal with everyday life problems.

One of the problems people tend to experience is the fear of failure, what are your thoughts on failure?

I think of failure as an opportunity to learn. If you really tried your best then there is no failure really. True failure is giving up prematurely and for the wrong reasons.

“Fiend

How do you feel about selling and promoting your work?

I don’t mind it because I believe in myself and my work. If I thought I sucked and my art had nothing to offer, then I would probably have a problem with selling myself. Everybody sells themselves everyday of their lives in one way or another. If you work a job, then you are selling your time. It’s just a fact of life, so you might as well do something you love. I don’t mind selling my artwork because it’s the process of painting that really turns me on. So every painting I sell is another opportunity to paint a new piece.

That’s a great way of looking at it. How did you sell yourself and your talents in the early days when you were starting out?

In makeup effects, I just went to different shops around town and showed my portfolio. In fine art, I contacted some galleries like Cannibal Flower and did the same. I also went to a lot of shows and got to meet people. A lot of success is networking. You have to get out there and meet people in whatever industry you want to be in. you can get a ton of opportunities just by knowing the right people.

Chet Zar with fans Timmy Hwang and Emily

A lot of people are driven by the need for recognition. Who do you look to for recognition?

It’s nice to get recognition from other artists you admire, but the thing that I like the most is the appreciation from the fans. They are the people I think of first when considering my career. Art really means something to a lot of people and I think it’s important to honor that by always trying to do your best work.

What type of attitude do you think it takes to be successful?

I think I have grown a lot, I am a little more shrewd than I used to be, that comes from getting experience in the field. A lot of things must be learned the hard way, unfortunately. My basic attitude is to try and be optimistic about things. You can almost always find a bright side to any bad situation. Dwelling on negativity and allowing yourself to be in the role of the victim can really drag you down. The best advice I can give is to work hard and be tenacious. Don’t give up until you have realized your goals.

Chet Zar and his father James Zar

Interview by Angel Greenham

Links

www.chetzar.com
www.myspace.com/chetzar
www.jameszar.com

Additional photography
Valentine Reitblat
Rae Threat
Timmy Hwang.