Simon Marchner

INTUITION/IMAGINATION

?: How does intuition present itself to you – in form of a suspicious impression, a spontaneous visualisation or whatever - maybe in dreams?

It happens spontaneously. There’s no universal recipe for it. There are tricks and tools that can help guide the flow in the right direction, but if I had a formula, it would make things much easier.

?: Will any ideas be written down immediately and archived?

Not always. Often, the quality of an idea only reveals itself during the process or execution. Practical ideas, however, I do document. There are different methods for that: sketches, moodboards, or simply saving ideas on platforms like Pinterest or Instagram.

?: How do you come up with good or extraordinary ideas?

By thinking a little further than the obvious idea. Of course, there’s no recipe for this either. Sometimes it can be overthought, and then the context gets lost. It’s a matter of “intuition” or feel.

?: Do you feel that new creative ideas come as a whole or do you get like a little seed of inspiration that evolves into something else and has to be realized by endless trials and errors in form of constant developments until the final result?

It mostly emerges during the process. The first ideas are like sparks that gradually ignite the fire.

?: What if there is a deadline, but no intuition? Does the first fuel the latter maybe?

Deadlines are often important to channel and focus the flow of thought. But if the pressure is too high, it can also be counterproductive. Ideally, a balanced amount of pressure supports the creative process.

INSPIRATION

?: What inspires you and how do you stimulate this special form of imaginativeness?

Above all, nature. Animals, landscapes, lighting moods, etc. Less urban life, although I appreciate that too. But the calm, balance, and rawness of nature inspire me most.

?: How do you filter between ideas that are worthwhile pursuing and bad ones that you just let go of?

You learn that through the process. Some ideas work, others don’t. Over time, you get a sense of which ideas can be dropped and which should be pursued.

?: Does an idea need to appeal to you primarily or is its commercial potential an essential factor?

It’s both. To be honest, I am also, in part, a service provider and not just a free artist. Of course, I also take on purely commercial projects, as long as I can identify with their values.

?: Do you revisit old ideas or check what colleagues or competitors are up to at times?

Of course. Some ideas simply need the right time or project to come to life. And naturally, I look at what colleagues or other artists are doing. I absorb everything and reinterpret it with my own methods.

CREATIVITY

?: What time or environment best suits your creative work process — for example, a time and place of tranquility or of pressure?

Quiet helps to get the creative process started. Pressure helps to finish it or bring it into form. Ideally, a mix of both works best.

Which path do you take from theory or idea to creation?

I start with loose sketches and drafts, then move on to more developed digital sketches where I make layout and color decisions, and finally elaborate them digitally.

?: What’s better in the realization process — for example, speed and forcing creativity by grasping the magic of the moment or a slow, ripening process for implementation and elaboration?

Forced creativity doesn’t exist for me. I need to get myself into a state where I naturally enter that flow of inspiration and creativity.

?: How important are self-doubt and criticism by others during such a process?

Self-doubt is like a devil on the shoulder — it’s always there. Ideally, this voice isn’t too loud and is more self-critique than doubt. Constructive criticism from others during the process is not very helpful, but afterwards it can be.

?: Is it better to be creative on your own, to trust only your own instincts, or to work in a team?

I work better alone, or at least in a setup where everyone has their clearly defined area.

?: In case of a creative block or, worse, a real failure, how do you get out of such a hole?

Take a deep breath. Jog, exercise, go outside, distract yourself. Shift perspective. Get back to good thoughts.

?: Should a creative person always stay true to him- or herself, including taking risks and going against the flow, or must the person, for reasons of commercial survival, make concessions to the demands of the market, the wishes of clients and the audience’s expectations?

In my case, both. I am a service provider, but I still need to stay true to myself.

?: How are innovation and improvement possible if you’ve established a distinctive style? Is it good to be ahead of your time, even if you hazard not being understood?

It’s always trial and error. Even if you have developed a style or direction, it’s important to step out of your comfort zone. Only then can you develop further.

?: When does the time come to end the creative process, to be content and set the final result free? Or is it always a work-in-progress, with an endless possibility of improvement?

For client projects: always the deadline or submission date. For personal projects, you have to set your own goal.

?: How does artificial intelligence change human creativity? And do you? Would will you use it at all?

Of course, I use AI nowadays. It would be naive to refuse it completely. But not as an execution tool in my work — I don’t generate posters or motifs with it. It helps me in certain steps like idea generation, research, information processing, and speeding up tedious or time-consuming tasks.

SUCCESS

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Do you agree with Winston Churchill‘s quote?

Yes, to some extent, that’s true. Failures are important in the process. However, the failures shouldn’t be huge mistakes, but manageable.

?: Should or can you resist the temptation to recycle a ‘formula’ you're successful with?

I’d say every artist has a few “formulas” they fall back on because they work or are successful. That’s partly what some people understand as “style.” But you shouldn’t rely solely on it, otherwise you become generic.

?: Is it desirable to create an ultimate or timeless work? Doesn’t “top of the ladder” bring up the question, “What’s next?” — that is, isn’t such a personal peak “the end”?

I don’t worry about that. The journey is the goal, and what counts as a “personal peak” is determined by others, or you can only assess it retrospectively.

MY FAVOURITE WORK:

I would choose my poster for the band The National from 2022. Stylistically, it shows everything I love: nature, melancholic (lighting) moods, a reduced, minimalist approach, yet with depth. And it’s for one of my favorite bands, whose sound I feel I captured well here.