We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Charlie Faulks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Charlie below.
Charlie, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
There’s a few. I love talking about this stuff so brace yourself…
I do something creative everyday. I make sure to always have a project to work on, whether that be freelance jobs or my own personal projects. I’m lucky that now, I’m at a point where I feel a weird discomfort if I’ve not drawn, written, filmed etc all day. That discomfort really digs itself in and, in a strange way, encourages me to make stuff. Each morning, to set myself up, I usually make a checklist of tasks that I want to complete on any given day. Having this concise document allows my mind to focus on the tasks themselves rather than the structure of the day. While there’s an emotional sting when I’m not able to check everything off, it’s worth it to keep my brain in check.
Chasing moments of creative satisfaction is key. There’s something special about finishing a project and being proud of it. It instantly makes the foggy moments of creation worth it. Everything suddenly clicks. Throughout the course of a project, keeping your eyes open enough to see that light at the end of the tunnel is essential.
I remember having the opportunity to watch my work in a theatre of people. Seeing them react positively in real time to something I made was an unreal, bonkers experience that I will never forget and want to chase.
While I love drawing and working visually, I’m also very interested in writing. In particular, screenwriting. Telling a story that makes an audience feel something, whether that be comedic or dramatic is so damn rewarding. So, having that second creative faucet is super valuable because I can stretch myself thinner by switching between artforms whenever I get bored/burnt out. If you’re all-in on a specific craft, try reaching out into new, personally unexplored spaces. This will extend your mental bandwidth and keep you going.
And finally… When I’m not doing anything creative, I’m absorbing something that has the potential to inspire creativity. Whether that be a film, a T.V show, people or environments. Clock off for a bit, so you’re able to clock back in with a fresh mind.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Charlie Faulks. I’m a 19 yr old professional character designer, writer and show-runner. Some of those might be a reach but who’s policing this? I’ve been in the industry just over 4 years now and am loving it! Just preparing myself for when that nativity wears off.
I’ve been lucky enough to build an audience with my work on social media – in particular, Instagram. Being inspired by shows like Looney Tunes and Scooby Doo when I was younger, my style is similar to something you’d see on Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon or Adult Swim. Currently I’m in this strange limbo where I’m heading into the final year of my animation degree but at the same time, super busy with freelance projects. I’m just fizzing to get into the industry properly.
And to touch on a current project I’m working on: An animated show titled Bloke Of The Apocalypse. It follows a father and son as they combat the zombie apocalypse in rural New Zealand. The first three episodes are out there (which I made as an independent web series) but there are currently some exciting developments I can’t quite share right now. It’s a project that I’m immensely proud of that is extremely close to my heart. It’s funny, silly, sad, depressing and I think you should watch it.
Other than that, I post my work on Instagram everyday …you could check that out I guess?
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Passion. Make sure your heart is in it from the get go – whatever that ‘it’ is. The energy of pure passion is so easily transferable and can recontextualise itself into inspiration, drive, thrill, what have you. Passion has the ability to turn those gears in your head (or possibly your heart) and force you to remain active in your craft. In my case, this passion is toward drawing and creativity. It reared it’s head ever since I was young. Even before preschool, I instinctively gravitated towards pens and paper (it actually may have just been crayons back then) and would spend hours by myself with a sketchbook splayed out in front of me. My Mum, very sweetly, has kept folders of these drawings – they’re pretty shit but I’d never say that to him. My point being, you should be naturally drawn to whatever you’re passionate about. If that love is there, you’ll last for the long haul.
Self awareness. In general, it’s just good as a human being to be self aware. And while that analytical side of you can become toxic in some cases, I think it makes you a better person – especially when related to creativity.
When working on a creative project; whether that be a film, novel, drawing etc. that self awareness can enlighten the creator. It addresses who you are and in doing that, allows you to potentially see the thing from other perspectives – making the final piece more sympathetic and possibly universal.
Moving away from the pretentious stuff now, it’s also good to be self aware in an age of infinite connection. Social media is almost the only way for creatives to edge their way into their respective industries (unless you’re the distant cousin of someone famous). Platforms like Instagram are great spaces to share your work but it’s very easy to not be aware of how you’re presenting yourself. Social media has a strange effect on humans where it makes us very plastic, fake and vain. Through it, we have the facilities to edit and calculate every aspect of every single thing we post, which in turn, guides us to showcase ourselves in the way we see fit. And a lot of the time, we miss the mark and it’s noticeable as hell. So, be aware of yourself and how you interact with the world – through your craft or otherwise. It’ll make you a more measured person and you may be able to inject something special into your work.
Balance. This one’s all about introducing dichotomy and being able to compartmentalise various aspects of your existence. It’s a cliché piece of advice but who cares – it’s hard coming up with these.
Your creative life is lived very differently to your social life for example. But if you’re someone who’s very passionate about creativity, that should bleed into EVERY other part of your life. You may think about the project you’re working on while taking the bus, while in a nightclub or while feeding your pet giraffe. It’s just about keeping the active aspect of creating, balanced. Spending hours upon hours writing, drawing, filming can be super rewarding but there’s an inevitable point where you’ll completely drop off. Lose your inspiration, become frustrated and, in most cases, quit. Introduce other things because as humans we thrive on balance. Variety is the spice of life right? When you do run full speed into these figurative brick walls (and you will) immediately switch things up. Go for a run or feed that pet giraffe again. I personally have spent days on end cooped up in my room making stuff and trying to meet deadlines – whether that be for freelance jobs or my own personal projects. I come out the other end happy that I’ve (possibly) finished something, but I’ve made myself debilitated in the process. It becomes a tortuous exercise at the drop of a hat and all energy is drained out of you in a second.
Balance creating and absorbing. If you’re burnt-out watch or read something that might invigorate you. Take the time to refuel that passion.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
First and foremost, my family. Not only have they been the best sources of inspiration but they are so incredibly supportive and encouraging. Mum and Dad are both very humble, loving, kind-hearted people and are particularly refreshing when opposed to the awful, inflated egos of this industry. Being from New Zealand and coming from a background of farmers, I stood out like a sore thumb. My interests and passions didn’t quite align with anyone else in the family and it’s been a long unanswered question of where my creativity came from. Thinking about it now though, it probably came from Mum, we’ll occasionally find her working on a lovely, homemade card or sewing an entire outfit from scratch. She’s very clever.
My eight year old brother and sixteen year old sister are VERY good at keeping things grounded. After releasing an animated thing I had been working on for ages, I asked my sister what she thought and without hesitation she said “it was cool but kind of boring.” So damn refreshing.
Also, I wanted to thank my Grandparents NanD and Poppa for their unfailing love and support and for being fabulously down-to-earth and generous. Jesus, this is turning into an acceptance speech. I’m just trying to say I attribute everything I’ve done to my wonderful family.
Dave Watson was my art teacher in high school and the most impactful of my life by a landslide. He is a force of enthusiasm, selflessness, insight and I owe most of my accomplishments to him. I remember when I was put in his class and he first saw my work. From there, Dave crafted an entire curriculum to harness my (along with a handful of others) style and sensibilities and can never be grateful enough for his unbelievable affection.
New Zealand in general seems to have this casual, quiet, nonchalant reaction to anything and everything and I love it. While the industry moves at the speed of light and disregards human emotion, we remain in our own bubble, unphased, soft-spoken and genuine. Could never imagine growing up in a better environment. I’m tremendously lucky.
Contact Info:
- Website: charliefaulks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faulksie/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/charlie-faulks-b1a1aa209
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Faulksie
Image Credits
Photos by Jack Marlin.
