053: Ryan McDonagh
On The Idle Hands Society’s latest episode, graphic designer Ryan McDonagh joins us to chat about studying art, having a disability as an artist, using art to express yourself, answering "the big question" using text in art, social media algorithms, the last three things we listened to, designing album covers, making authentic videos, trying new things.
Reach out to us @idlehandssociety. Your hosts today are @danshigginson, @paulbenceuk, and @ryan.mcdonagh_ on Instagram. You can support the Podcast by contributing to The Idle Hands Tip Jar.
“During that time I started walking again, there was a whole thing with doctors... It all became about wanting to go out and walk and find out about the world... That experience in itself, and of course it doesn’t have to be a big experience like that, gives you something else to bring to your work.”
SHOUT OUTS:
MENTIONS:
Clem Ono
Joy Division
Pleasure Pool
Paul Room
Hawaii Kerby
The XX
Slowdive
New Order
Alex Lewis
Smallprint Studio
© Ryan McDonagh
© Ryan McDonagh
© Ryan McDonagh
© Ryan McDonagh
© Ryan McDonagh
© Ryan McDonagh
We appreciate your support
Transcript
Poorly transcribed by AI
00:00:04 Dan Higginson
Hi, welcome to the Idle Hands society. I'm Dan Higginson.
00:00:07 Paul Bence
I'm Paul Bence.
00:00:08 Dan Higginson
And we're joined today by.
00:00:09 Paul Bence
When you say, Oh yeah, right. Put it. I mean, underneath that there's there's loads of other letter and then it's I I like the chaos of it. I like it feels it feels.
00:00:20 Paul Bence
It looks like I'm almost. I'm inside your mind a little bit. When I when I. When Dan showed them to me and I was like, I love this. This is really look like. I mean, you're right. It just when I'm looking at them on my screen when I'm talk.
00:00:20 Ryan McDonagh
Thank you.
00:00:30 Paul Bence
You know, and UM, you know, some of them look like, I don't know. I got an example like of a of a burn. Do you know like an.
00:00:36 Paul Bence
Old film slide. They got that kind of feel.
00:00:40 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, I love all that.
00:00:41 Ryan McDonagh
Stuff. I love the cuddle bags that.
00:00:44 Paul Bence
Yeah, I was. I was listening to another podcast and you said you were when you first tried it. You were printed out.
00:00:49 Paul Bence
On the wrong side.
00:00:52 Paul Bence
I I do that regularly.
00:00:55 Ryan McDonagh
I kind of think that's the.
00:00:58 Ryan McDonagh
You know, like I was saying just before, like, I've never been that kind of artist or person. So really look and and try and do something.
00:01:08 Ryan McDonagh
You know, like a photograph. I would never try to mimic something and get it. Specifically. I like the kind of messiness to it, and I think that's part of the journey and the style, really, it's not kind of half, half fast in it necessarily, but it's leaving it and letting those nature take him over.
00:01:29 Ryan McDonagh
To a certain degree and that's why I like.
00:01:31 Ryan McDonagh
Now, with where I've come and got to.
00:01:32 Ryan McDonagh
It is.
00:01:34 Ryan McDonagh
It's doing stuff, you know, analogue with paint and and drawing and stuff, but also using you know the printer and the scanner to add that other element. So means it gives it a slight.
00:01:47 Ryan McDonagh
I don't know. I don't have a slight edge, does it? It is the kind of thing that's been going on in graphic design for a long time. And now David Carson, the people you know, often tell me.
00:01:59 Ryan McDonagh
My work looks a lot a lot like when.
00:02:04 Ryan McDonagh
I don't know, but I.
00:02:04 Ryan McDonagh
Think that's a uh?
00:02:06 Ryan McDonagh
There's so many. I mean, why?
00:02:08 Ryan McDonagh
Not associates as well. It's a big.
00:02:11 Paul Bence
The world is massive, right? I mean, yeah.
00:02:16 Paul Bence
I I just how, how difficult? How long does it take you to create a piece? What's sort of like, what's your starting block for? Where? Where's the inspiration come from? Where's?
00:02:27 Ryan McDonagh
I think concerns about the words and the text like that because I'm always writing stuff down like it because I love. I've always loved writing. I was never.
00:02:36 Ryan McDonagh
We made a a thing out of it so.
00:02:39 Ryan McDonagh
I love poetry.
00:02:40 Ryan McDonagh
And again, it's a similar thing since the.
00:02:44 Ryan McDonagh
Making so, but it's just.
00:02:46 Ryan McDonagh
An idea into my head. I'll just get my phone out and I'll write it down. I'll.
00:02:50 Ryan McDonagh
Just have a load of words.
00:02:53 Ryan McDonagh
And I'll just take some of that, you know, and sometimes the words that make sense or just use numbers, you know or just move things around there, that sounds interesting, like especially with the stuff I put on Instagram and.
00:03:07 Ryan McDonagh
Or there's none in the caption. I'll continue some of what is said, so it makes no sense.
00:03:16 Ryan McDonagh
You know, so it it reads it better, I suppose.
00:03:21 Dan Higginson
Is this your? Is this your day?
00:03:22 Dan Higginson
Job as well.
00:03:24 Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:03:26 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah. Well, again, I was quite.
00:03:29 Ryan McDonagh
Unwell with COVID in.
00:03:30 Ryan McDonagh
2020 and it I guess it just.
00:03:32 Ryan McDonagh
Kind of got me and.
00:03:33 Ryan McDonagh
The the wrong time, not the right time. So I don't wanna say anything that but.
00:03:40 Ryan McDonagh
I got it quite early on, so I was bed bound for a year after and having it, but that was actually quite prolific time and making work, so I was quite concerned. I was, you know.
00:03:52 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah. And I want this kind of prove I'll get better. So I did, like, daily pieces of work, which was all work, but I just as I scanned it in, made stuff, and that continued to where I've got to now.
00:04:05 Paul Bence
Can I ask you? Sorry, are you still, do you think? Do you think making the work is kind of it helps with the healing process as well?
00:04:12 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, 100%.
00:04:13 Ryan McDonagh
Well, it takes your mind off this and part.
00:04:16 Ryan McDonagh
Of that for me was.
00:04:18 Ryan McDonagh
If I can work in these limitations like because it's such a naughty thing, right? So you've been given some limitations. You've gotta work in this area. And so I work. I've had this thing, and I've gotta work within.
00:04:31 Ryan McDonagh
This kind of time frame, because there were certain days where like I could only be up for like an hour and I'll just be in bed for like.
00:04:38 Ryan McDonagh
You know the rest of the day and.
00:04:40 Ryan McDonagh
And it had to move. So I.
00:04:42 Ryan McDonagh
Was like well.
00:04:43 Ryan McDonagh
Perfect. And it sounds crazy because it's not. It's not perfect, right? You know, it's kind of just existing, you know, a certain point or so where I can create something out of this and it's alright in it.
00:04:55 Paul Bence
Amazing. It's amazing. I think having that determination to be able to do it even when you're at your lowest.
00:05:01 Paul Bence
Is like I know. Sure, I've just been to the dentist this week and I've been moaning and I couldn't sit the computer so I have amazing respect for you mate.
00:05:09 Ryan McDonagh
Thank you. Yeah, well the.
00:05:10 Ryan McDonagh
Dentist is a pretty rough one.
00:05:13 Paul Bence
He did. He did.
00:05:16 Dan Higginson
Paul's having a whole drillfield for his lashes.
00:05:21 Paul Bence
Gonna get gold.
00:05:24 Dan Higginson
Sorry mate, I cut you off a.
00:05:26 Dan Higginson
Little bit there.
00:05:26 Ryan McDonagh
No, I'm not sure what I was going to say. To be fair. Yeah, I'm sure.
00:05:32 Paul Bence
No, I I was just I I was going to say I'm. I'm. I'm sorry is this I was going to ask you know having the illness does that make you more.
00:05:42 Paul Bence
I was going to say determined and more focused in terms of your available time and how you work and and and and how is it for you, you know currently and how you're feeling and does it do you have to, does it dictate how often you work? I was going to.
00:05:56 Paul Bence
I was going to ask.
00:05:57 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, yeah, definitely. Especially his last couple years.
00:06:01 Ryan McDonagh
And when I.
00:06:02 Ryan McDonagh
Look back as well. Even when I was.
00:06:03 Ryan McDonagh
At UNI and.
00:06:06 Ryan McDonagh
Because part of our our first.
00:06:08 Ryan McDonagh
As well part of.
00:06:09 Ryan McDonagh
It is like I really hated.
00:06:11 Ryan McDonagh
Having to say I had like a disability or, you know, problems meeting deadlines and stuff like that for a long time. So I got diagnosed with epilepsy when I was in my first year of Brighton as well.
00:06:26 Ryan McDonagh
And uni and I was kind of diagnosed with it when.
00:06:29 Ryan McDonagh
I was younger. It kind of goes together with cerebral palsy.
00:06:34 Ryan McDonagh
But it's this kind of thing where, you know, I can have a physically very bad when.
00:06:38 Ryan McDonagh
I was younger so well.
00:06:39 Speaker 4
You know you can.
00:06:40 Ryan McDonagh
Grow out of it. I'm saying we can also grow back into it.
00:06:43 Ryan McDonagh
So I reached a point where then it you.
00:06:45 Ryan McDonagh
Know came back and it was kind of problem the few years before about 20/13/2014 and.
00:06:54 Ryan McDonagh
But around that time, when it started again like it, it can be, you know, it's a blessing because it gives you all this.
00:07:02 Ryan McDonagh
Stuff to work.
00:07:02 Ryan McDonagh
With, you know I've got brain scans from the.
00:07:04 Ryan McDonagh
Doctors. I was.
00:07:05 Ryan McDonagh
Like, hey, you know.
00:07:06 Ryan McDonagh
I ******* use.
00:07:06 Ryan McDonagh
All this, it's it's great, you know.
00:07:09 Ryan McDonagh
And but at the same time, it was like I was putting some pressure on myself because I didn't want to be seen as this person who can barely get back, you know? So I was pushing myself to extra work and then try and push myself too much.
00:07:23 Ryan McDonagh
When I think of COVID.
00:07:24 Ryan McDonagh
You know, when I.
00:07:24 Ryan McDonagh
Got that. And I was just being an out, to be honest, I've just been going like constantly for quite a few years, you know, just started freelancing kind of 6-7 months before and and.
00:07:38 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, it was a bit too much, but then obviously I continued.
00:07:42 Ryan McDonagh
That and then over the.
00:07:43 Ryan McDonagh
Last two years or so, I've kind of realised I just need to take my thought off the pedal bit and the way I was working to try and work a bit smarter because I know to kind of style I do now I know. Fortunately people like it.
00:07:58 Ryan McDonagh
And people are interested by what I do, so I.
00:08:00 Ryan McDonagh
Can just keep doing.
00:08:02 Ryan McDonagh
It, but I still have that same drive, just not.
00:08:05 Ryan McDonagh
Pushing myself to the living you.
00:08:07 Ryan McDonagh
That I used to think that was the.
00:08:08 Ryan McDonagh
Magic, you know.
00:08:09 Dan Higginson
That, that whole kind.
00:08:11 Ryan McDonagh
Of romanticised, you know, starving artist, you gotta keep going.
00:08:16 Dan Higginson
The household mentality, right?
00:08:18 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah. And I think it can.
00:08:19 Ryan McDonagh
Be good to an.
00:08:20 Ryan McDonagh
Extent but.
00:08:22 Ryan McDonagh
It gets to a point.
00:08:23 Ryan McDonagh
Where it still becomes quite.
00:08:25 Paul Bence
Overwhelming, right? It's like. And there's also a lot of a lot of noise telling you how you should behave on the Internet and how you should be acting as an artist. And you should be having print drops and time print drops. And you know, there's, there's so much **** that you have.
00:08:39 Speaker 4
Yeah. Yeah, well, I have.
00:08:41 Ryan McDonagh
Used to circle.
00:08:43 Paul Bence
No go, no.
00:08:44 Ryan McDonagh
Why didn't really use Instagram to about 2020 like I used it?
00:08:48 Ryan McDonagh
But I never put work on you.
00:08:50 Ryan McDonagh
Know I've got like.
00:08:51 Ryan McDonagh
Something on every now and then.
00:08:54 Speaker 4
And and I have.
00:08:55 Ryan McDonagh
Like an old.
00:08:56 Ryan McDonagh
Android so I refused to get an iPhone cause I hate it. All the constant noise but.
00:09:02 Speaker 4
You know you get.
00:09:03 Ryan McDonagh
To a point where you've gotta. Kinda.
00:09:04 Ryan McDonagh
Play the game, you know.
00:09:06 Ryan McDonagh
You've gotta be in it, but you gotta kinda keep a foot out at the same time and keep your sanity. I think, because otherwise it will just drive you mad.
00:09:09 Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:14 Ryan McDonagh
And I definitely like go into that, I think particularly.
00:09:19 Speaker 4
You know.
00:09:19 Ryan McDonagh
Over the last couple of years.
00:09:23 Ryan McDonagh
And when I was on my own stuff, because it's so easy to fall into it, and then you put in all this pressure on.
00:09:29 Ryan McDonagh
Yourself but.
00:09:30 Ryan McDonagh
When you take a step back, you realise none of it really ******* matters, but none of it matters because things have a way of working themselves out in some.
00:09:41 Ryan McDonagh
Way or another.
00:09:44 Paul Bence
OK.
00:09:45 Paul Bence
What about? What about music? One music. I'm going to ask you for your Desert Island Discs. Now you can take three albums onto a desert island.
00:09:53 Paul Bence
I I think I could see the guitars. I could see the little box of piano in the back. There's little. There's little hints to the musical talent also. So. So I'm interested. I always love asking people about music. You have 3 discs? Come on. Three albums you can.
00:10:06 Ryan McDonagh
Take with you. When I was on the disc.
00:10:10 Ryan McDonagh
Aisle and see.
00:10:12 Ryan McDonagh
This woman goes to.
00:10:13 Ryan McDonagh
Bands ever said that on the Desert Island they.
00:10:15 Ryan McDonagh
Might get a bit brimmed.
00:10:17 Speaker 4
Quickly, whatever.
00:10:18 Dan Higginson
Yes, fans in the.
00:10:18 Dan Higginson
World. Yes, Ryan Joy Division are amazing.
00:10:22 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, that's probably. I always struggle with because I always ask my favourite band cause you can't. So you know if you can pick.
00:10:23 Paul Bence
It's difficult.
00:10:34 Paul Bence
No, you.
00:10:34 Paul Bence
Can you can you got musical taste right?
00:10:36 Dan Higginson
Alright, let's let's change up the question then.
00:10:38 Dan Higginson
Let's make this easier.
00:10:40 Dan Higginson
If you if you just open your phone right now and look at the last three records you played, whether it's combinations, playlist or whatever, what's the last three things?
00:10:51 Ryan McDonagh
I'll tell you this now. Yeah. Yes.
00:10:53 Speaker 4
In the world.
00:10:53 Speaker 4
Yes, come on. Yeah.
00:10:55 Paul Bence
It's only fair.
00:10:55 Dan Higginson
Ohh while I'm looking that reminded me I sorry I opened up Instagram earlier cause there was when you mentioned in photography and how you were kind of interested in that. I've I've wondered if you'd ever seen club owners work.
00:11:09 Speaker 4
Come on.
00:11:10 Ryan McDonagh
God, it is. That's so clever.
00:11:15 Dan Higginson
He's a he's a photographer, but his work is Super Graphic. It's.
00:11:21 Dan Higginson
I don't know, like the two of you, I think would get along. I did meet him.
00:11:24 Dan Higginson
Once very briefly.
00:11:25 Dan Higginson
And I think I think you two would definitely.
00:11:27 Dan Higginson
Have a lot in common.
00:11:28 Paul Bence
And also I was gonna ask you, do you know, do you know Luke Saxon as well? Because he's he's a Manchester boy and he does kind of he mixes photography and graphics would you say I don't know.
00:11:39 Ryan McDonagh
Great Saxons.
00:11:41 Dan Higginson
Yeah, it's kind of collage, yeah.
00:11:44 Dan Higginson
It's. It definitely leans more photography though.
00:11:47 Paul Bence
Yeah, it's more, yeah, but it's still, it's still he's playing and he and he lives in that space as well, a bit more. Right. OK.
00:11:54 Dan Higginson
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:11:57 Dan Higginson
Thanks. OK. So come on in, Paul. What's the last three things?
00:11:59 Paul Bence
You listened to. OK, so the last one was love. Without illusion. By pleasure pool.
00:12:07 Dan Higginson
Never heard of this?
00:12:09 Paul Bence
Yeah. There you go. And then before that, it was.
00:12:13 Speaker 4
Bap team by Paul.
00:12:16 Speaker 4
And then.
00:12:16 Dan Higginson
You're beautiful. Never, never heard him.
00:12:19 Paul Bence
An alternate an alternate history of my first kiss.
00:12:25 Ryan McDonagh
Here. Who was that? Sorry.
00:12:27 Paul Bence
An alternate history of my first kiss by OK.
00:12:29 Paul Bence
Name of the.
00:12:32 Paul Bence
Kirby, OK.
00:12:35 Dan Higginson
Any of these and I.
00:12:36 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, man, that's very yeah, very alternative.
00:12:38 Dan Higginson
Yeah, yeah.
00:12:39 Dan Higginson
OK.
00:12:42 Dan Higginson
Have you found yours yet, Ryan?
00:12:43
Yeah, yeah.
00:12:44 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah. So I listen to The ** or I love the X. There's intro which is.
00:12:45 Speaker 4
Come on, Ryan. Take me time.
00:12:49 Speaker 4
OK. Yes.
00:12:52 Paul Bence
That's amazing, right? Isn't that? Isn't that that I think all my life right that that well, how many seconds? I don't know how it is, but it's it's it's the greatest piece of short music I think I've ever it's it, it's it's mind blowing.
00:13:05 Ryan McDonagh
Like Slowdive as well.
00:13:08 Paul Bence
Yeah. Yeah, it's.
00:13:09 Ryan McDonagh
But that kind of.
00:13:09 Dan Higginson
Slow down is so good.
00:13:11 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, I actually listened to them, but I'll. I'll.
00:13:13 Ryan McDonagh
Put that in that.
00:13:14 Dan Higginson
They've got a new record out right? Slow down.
00:13:17 Ryan McDonagh
I've not listened.
00:13:18 Ryan McDonagh
To yet, I think it's.
00:13:19 Dan Higginson
Pretty good.
00:13:20 Ryan McDonagh
Months ago.
00:13:20 Dan Higginson
Yeah. Yeah, it's definitely this year.
00:13:22 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've seen.
00:13:24 Ryan McDonagh
The album cover but.
00:13:25 Ryan McDonagh
I've not listened to.
00:13:26 Ryan McDonagh
It, yeah.
00:13:29 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, so that's great.
00:13:30 Dan Higginson
Yeah, that new and.
00:13:31 Dan Higginson
That new record's really good.
00:13:33 Ryan McDonagh
I'll give it a listen if you ever.
00:13:35 Dan Higginson
Could redesign.
00:13:35 Dan Higginson
An album cover. Which one would it be?
00:13:38 Speaker 4
Oh or or or if you want to.
00:13:43 Dan Higginson
Make it really easy because I know that album covers are kind of.
00:13:45 Dan Higginson
Iconic. So you.
00:13:46 Dan Higginson
Don't really want to, but so.
00:13:46
Yeah, they have.
00:13:48 Ryan McDonagh
That Joy Division, you know, and and pleasures.
00:13:50 Dan Higginson
Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, I want that.
00:13:52 Dan Higginson
Tattooed. Right. That's so good.
00:13:54 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, I mean, that's one of the reasons I should stories one of the reasons why I chose to do graphic design was because of that cover a lot of album covers actually, because they're so again, they're just iconic, aren't they?
00:14:07 Dan Higginson
Like it's a.
00:14:07 Ryan McDonagh
Simple graph. Well, I say simple graphic, but it's something that makes or it gives the band.
00:14:15 Ryan McDonagh
Really, you know, sometimes you never really seen the faces you.
00:14:20 Ryan McDonagh
Know. Yeah and.
00:14:23 Ryan McDonagh
Release. You know? Yeah. I mean, even now, you know, if you listen to a band, you don't see them. That's a picture of him or whatever. I suppose you're on YouTube, you always going to.
00:14:33 Ryan McDonagh
See him play on it, but.
00:14:35 Paul Bence
Ryan, this is a question we ask everybody. Are you ready for it? What's 1 tiny thing? One tiny thing that brings you joy?
00:14:45 Ryan McDonagh
The tiny thing.
00:14:48 Paul Bence
Daniel's got a list if you want an example of from Daniel's list, he'll he'll. You can pick one to what is it?
00:14:54 Dan Higginson
Done. Are you? I want to say it's about 17, but I'm actually just trying to find.
00:15:02 Paul Bence
You've lost the list. Don't have.
00:15:04 Speaker 4
You've lost. No, no, no.
00:15:05 Dan Higginson
I've not. I've not permanently lost it. Hang on, tiny thing.
00:15:09 Dan Higginson
You're listening to our man search his computer 21. I want 21 things.
00:15:14 Paul Bence
Go on, take another machine.
00:15:14 Dan Higginson
Pick up, so pick a.
00:15:15 Dan Higginson
Number between one and 21, Ryan.
00:15:20 Dan Higginson
The sound of rain when you're in a car.
00:15:25 Paul Bence
I would have raised when you. That's quite nice for.
00:15:27 Paul Bence
Dana like, yeah.
00:15:27 Ryan McDonagh
Here is soothing.
00:15:30 Dan Higginson
Connor Bryan is there. Is there one thing that springs to mind where you just like this is like a nothing new thing that but I just.
00:15:36 Ryan McDonagh
Enjoy it. Yeah. Suppose. Listen to nature our song.
00:15:41 Ryan McDonagh
You know, listen to the.
00:15:45 Ryan McDonagh
The Southside for ages, you know.
00:15:49 Speaker 4
On a warm day every.
00:15:50 Ryan McDonagh
Wraps are warm, yeah.
00:15:53 Paul Bence
I I I've I've recently I've had to get up quite early in the morning and London when it's like 4:35 AM in the morning. I would like to as just before light is breaking and there's this weird sort of, you know, dusky twilight.
00:16:09 Paul Bence
These sort of feel to the sky and this, this it's cold, but it's fresh. And it's you got mist on your breath. Those little those little tiny.
00:16:19 Ryan McDonagh
Things. Yeah. Yeah. You live in London again. So yeah, yeah.
00:16:22 Ryan McDonagh
So what you doing?
00:16:25 Paul Bence
I'm ones worth? Yeah, 1 S Southwest.
00:16:29 Paul Bence
Yeah, I I've been here a long time now. Too long now.
00:16:32 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah. Was it three years?
00:16:34 Ryan McDonagh
It just 20.
00:16:34 Paul Bence
Three years, 20 years. I'm almost. I'm almost losing my Welsh accent.
00:16:40 Speaker 4
You've still got it, mate.
00:16:42 Dan Higginson
Yeah, you're kidding.
00:16:43 Dan Higginson
Yourself, though there's there's literally nobody. Who's this London? Who's this? EastEnder that's on this.
00:16:49 Paul Bence
Alright, so I.
00:16:52 Paul Bence
Before you came on one of my earlier jobs, was working in an NFL call centre and he spent all day answering the phone and because it got so boring, I used to put on different accents when people came on.
00:17:03 Paul Bence
Suicide guy. Myra, welcome to NTL Australia. How can I help you and? And because Welsh and Indian is quite similar, right is a similar like nation. So I could do an Indian hello welcome to Mumbai.
00:17:22 Dan Higginson
That is the least.
00:17:23 Dan Higginson
Convincing. Yeah, an Indian accent I've ever.
00:17:24 Paul Bence
It was really bad. I'm sorry for every I apologise.
00:17:25 Dan Higginson
Heard from my father. Your Australian was better.
00:17:28 Paul Bence
I apologise to everybody from Mumbai and Australia I've heard.
00:17:31 Speaker 4
Of that but.
00:17:32 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, your Australian was quite good too.
00:17:35 Dan Higginson
I'd say a solid AR10 for the Australian. That might be the best accent I've heard out of you.
00:17:41 Paul Bence
But I might away.
00:17:43 Dan Higginson
It's just after your Welsh accent. Yeah, you're definitely losing.
00:17:49 Paul Bence
Yeah, I'm anyway.
00:17:51 Paul Bence
I was so.
00:17:52 Paul Bence
What? What does the future hold for you? Why? What are you? Are you working on any new projects? Are.
00:17:55 Paul Bence
You are you doing anything exciting?
00:17:58 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, I mean, but I've got a few ones for the next well. So next year and.
00:18:07 Ryan McDonagh
I wanna start a few things up because I've always been interested in lifestyle my own. You know, I say business, but really just continuing work and finding a way to keep that going without, as we were saying before, you know, pushing yourself too far and finding that balance, you know, so just keeping on going, but maybe just.
00:18:27 Ryan McDonagh
Finding a way to change it slightly and.
00:18:31 Ryan McDonagh
Because I don't know. I was thinking doing YouTube.
00:18:34 Ryan McDonagh
For a bit.
00:18:36 Ryan McDonagh
Shame work that works. I mean, everything's becoming more video, yeah.
00:18:41 Ryan McDonagh
And the way it's shared.
00:18:41 Paul Bence
We've got lots of.
00:18:42 Paul Bence
Photographer friends who have moved into video and and I think I mean people consume such a lot of.
00:18:49 Paul Bence
It it may, it means it makes sense.
00:18:52 Paul Bence
To do it right, I mean I I just think it's just it's just I suppose it's just such a longer process, right and it's more time consuming.
00:19:00 Paul Bence
Coming and it's the editing is time consuming and everything becomes more expensive. There's Kia, begin to go down a rabbit hole of kit and stuff and time.
00:19:06 Paul Bence
And you know that.
00:19:10 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah. Well, I think I mean, for me, I've always tried to be.
00:19:17 Ryan McDonagh
I don't know if, like truth to myself.
00:19:19 Ryan McDonagh
Or you know.
00:19:20 Ryan McDonagh
I I think when you're authentic and you're just doing things as you think of them and go, I think the equipment side of it and all the rest of it doesn't matter as much it it can with what you're sharing. And I think if you're just using it as like a basis to.
00:19:36 Ryan McDonagh
Going, you know, all that stuff will find, you know, you can always upgrade. Yeah. And stuff down the line, you know. But I think it's starting it, and that's what I'm trying to get myself to do in the next year and too heavily about. Sorry.
00:19:48 Speaker 4
So what would it be? Would it be?
00:19:51 Dan Higginson
So, so. So what would you be talking about on your channel? Would this be? How would it be about your process or would it be about your philosophy because you're obviously a guy thinking deeply about this stuff too, like where where's your niece?
00:20:04 Ryan McDonagh
That was what I was.
00:20:06 Ryan McDonagh
And I've been thinking about it more and more the last couple of days. So I was like don't make it.
00:20:10 Ryan McDonagh
A channel that's about.
00:20:13 Ryan McDonagh
Just the art. You know, just about reference design and the process is it about that or is that just one of the things?
00:20:20 Ryan McDonagh
Than it is about gonna go like over, you know, some about psychology or whatever other interest.
00:20:27 Ryan McDonagh
And just make that.
00:20:29 Ryan McDonagh
A thing, and maybe every now and again doing a video where.
00:20:31 Ryan McDonagh
It's just making out, you know.
00:20:37 Ryan McDonagh
Give it around now, but again, I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I'm still figuring it out, but again, maybe I just need.
00:20:43 Ryan McDonagh
To start it and then.
00:20:44 Dan Higginson
Do you take commissions or is all of your income through selling by your personal work? Yes, I'll take commissions.
00:20:52 Dan Higginson
So how how?
00:20:53 Dan Higginson
Does that process look, let's just say from somebody that has no idea how graphic design works at all, somebody like myself.
00:21:00 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, receiving emails back and forth. OK. Right. OK. So yeah, receiving emails back.
00:21:08 Ryan McDonagh
And talking to a client certain budget which.
00:21:12 Ryan McDonagh
Can always be a.
00:21:13 Ryan McDonagh
An interesting exchange.
00:21:14 Paul Bence
Always, always found that one. Right. Well, I I I think I got. I I got a little idea. Here we we we're gonna do a scene for the idle hands. Are we done? Yeah. And that's one of the things that we're going to collaborate with artists to to be part.
00:21:18 Ryan McDonagh
About their series of videos so.
00:21:24 Speaker 4
OK, cool.
00:21:28 Paul Bence
Of the scene, and maybe we'll do it quarterly or twice a year. Don't know the details, but let's Commission Ryan to do the first cover for us. There you go, Ryan. We love that. When we, I'd love that. I think it would be amazing.
00:21:38 Ryan McDonagh
I mean, yeah, I believe that, yeah.
00:21:47 Paul Bence
I I think we, yeah, we we've got we're hopefully going to take this out into an event in the new year. So we're going to have a live event.
00:21:54 Paul Bence
So we get 5 creatives to come and talk about their work. Whether you're a new a musician, a graphic designer. Yeah, that's right. That's right. Yeah, it is.
00:22:00 Dan Higginson
January the 13th, right?
00:22:03 Dan Higginson
Is that is that the date January the 13th, OK.
00:22:08 Paul Bence
Yeah, but we we've got a friend redesigning our website and we're designing our logo. So we're trying to this. This is the year where we're going to go full hog into it, I think.
00:22:18 Dan Higginson
Low hog in here.
00:22:20 Dan Higginson
Only full hogs.
00:22:20 Paul Bence
You can't forget.
00:22:23 Dan Higginson
Passing never half Assin.
00:22:26 Paul Bence
Yeah, totally, totally.
00:22:29 Speaker 4
Very good.
00:22:30 Paul Bence
And and I think like we just want to support the people from work, we like like that's that's kind of our mission really we we both of us are photographers who like are and I think. Yeah, yeah we we come across such a wide variety of creators that work on so many different projects and processes and we me and.
00:22:49 Paul Bence
We will say this, but you you, you there's a common thread that that this thing about to create and and how it helps your your mental health and your well-being.
00:23:00 Paul Bence
And and and how art heels. And I know that might sound like to be shape, but it doesn't. It fixes us.
00:23:05 Dan Higginson
In the community as well, there's like a kinship. There's a kinship between. It doesn't matter whether someone's a musician, a graphic artist, a photographer, like a director. There's there's this commonality between every medium.
00:23:18 Speaker 4
And I.
00:23:19 Paul Bence
And I think I also think we talked about this before, but social media is almost a surface layer and you don't get to know the person really behind the work and that's maybe what you should do though Ryan, I was thinking about your video as I was speaking this.
00:23:26 Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah.
00:23:33 Paul Bence
You know, even just me and you connecting on this podcast today, right?
00:23:36 Paul Bence
Is I I think a lot of us don't like putting our own face on our videos and and putting right.
00:23:41 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, my Commercy never like.
00:23:48 Paul Bence
We're with you, I and I I think that I think you you you're so personable and you come across so well that that that it's it's about like taking down these barriers and and making ourselves vulnerable and you know about that more than most people I I.
00:23:56 Ryan McDonagh
Thank you.
00:24:04 Paul Bence
Imagine and and I think it's authentic. It's like your work is if you make the channel authentic, I think it'll just it'll it'll it'll work for you. I think it's. It's the same thing in in all of us. Like it's it's difficult. We sometimes get confused and distracted by so much **** this out there. But actually, if you just why are you making it? What you're making it for.
00:24:25 Paul Bence
You're making it to help yourself feel better, to to maybe leave a message to how you're feeling to.
00:24:31 Paul Bence
The world, and if somebody else can look at that and relate to it and even grab some small tiny react and you, you win, right? And even if nobody reacts to it, that that was another question. Me and Danny were talking about before you came on was about like, as an artist, I think a lot of us feel like we're shouting out into the void like, you know, Instagram. Is this just massive.
00:24:39 Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah.
00:24:53 Paul Bence
Blackhole, but you know you might get 50 likes or 100 likes or 10 likes or one like, but fundamentally.
00:25:00 Paul Bence
It feels a bit pointless. It feels a bit like it feels circular and it and it and it it because it's so because you put so much work into the the, the, the art that you create and and then afterwards there maybe isn't the response that you think you should have got that there's something weird to the psychology as well, right? There's a.
00:25:19 Ryan McDonagh
There's yeah.
00:25:21 Ryan McDonagh
Yes, because.
00:25:21 Paul Bence
And and how do you get how you get past that? I was wondering really.
00:25:25 Speaker 4
Yeah, well, the.
00:25:26 Paul Bence
Way I do.
00:25:26 Ryan McDonagh
Is I always tell myself it doesn't matter as deeply as what I'm thinking, because really a lot of it with social medias, everyone's strong and constant, you know being included, you're not always taking everything in, especially in the way you want someone else to and.
00:25:44 Speaker 4
You know, everyone's.
00:25:44 Ryan McDonagh
Gonna look at things.
00:25:45 Ryan McDonagh
I mean that's, you know, like I mean you guys, you know still very kindly by my work, but I never really expected anyone to take the work in you know how I don't know.
00:26:01 Ryan McDonagh
I don't know. I suppose when I started making work, I didn't think I'd ever go to uni. I was never interested in UNI or any of that, so it's always been.
00:26:08 Ryan McDonagh
A journey of going up.
00:26:10 Ryan McDonagh
I was always.
00:26:11 Ryan McDonagh
A bit.
00:26:12 Ryan McDonagh
As we've seen, you know, I'm scared of showing the faces. I'm not scared.
00:26:15 Ryan McDonagh
Just a bit.
00:26:16 Ryan McDonagh
Unsure about it. Uneasy. Yeah, I think with now with.
00:26:19 Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah.
00:26:21 Ryan McDonagh
The whole like.
00:26:22 Ryan McDonagh
System but still times where I'll share something.
00:26:25 Ryan McDonagh
Below, you know, I've been resharing a.
00:26:28 Ryan McDonagh
Lot of work for.
00:26:29 Ryan McDonagh
The last couple of years and I.
00:26:31 Ryan McDonagh
Looked over then.
00:26:32 Ryan McDonagh
I saw I had like a couple.
00:26:33 Ryan McDonagh
100 likes from 2-3 years ago on the same piece and it got like 80 likes.
00:26:38 Ryan McDonagh
But but that in.
00:26:39 Ryan McDonagh
Itself is helpful because it shows there's nothing.
00:26:41 Ryan McDonagh
To do with the work.
00:26:43 Ryan McDonagh
Really it's to do with the algorithms, how it's, you know, showing out and how Instagram works and all that. And the difference between if you do, you know again like.
00:26:54 Ryan McDonagh
A video like a real.
00:26:57 Ryan McDonagh
You know, and how that so it's.
00:26:59 Ryan McDonagh
You've got to remember it's.
00:27:00 Ryan McDonagh
Not always about the work, even though it is.
00:27:02
About the work.
00:27:03 Ryan McDonagh
You're making the.
00:27:04 Ryan McDonagh
Work. It's how you would distribute distribute sounds like the word. Thank you. How you're kind of putting it out and that's why I was interested in.
00:27:15 Ryan McDonagh
Doing you because.
00:27:16 Ryan McDonagh
I think again, you're saying like you know.
00:27:19 Ryan McDonagh
Music and art, photography and ceramics. Whatever it is, theatre, it's all really the same thing, you know? It's all different bits all overlaps and it's all connected from the same kind of source or essence that everyone wants to.
00:27:34 Speaker 4
Your brain, right?
00:27:37 Ryan McDonagh
Express, you know, in their own unique way.
00:27:42 Ryan McDonagh
And again, you know, I think Matt likes not that it doesn't matter even though it will. And every night I get out.
00:27:52 Paul Bence
Yes it does. It does. It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter.
00:27:55 Speaker 4
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:27:58 Ryan McDonagh
The knife to the heart. Exactly. No, it's just a part song, really. It's not about.
00:28:06 Ryan McDonagh
All the work.
00:28:07 Ryan McDonagh
That's why it's important to always keep it or try and keep a level head.
00:28:11 Ryan McDonagh
Create and work.
00:28:13 Ryan McDonagh
Where the the reason I started one.
00:28:15 Ryan McDonagh
Of the reasons why.
00:28:16 Ryan McDonagh
There's got into union my whole kind of thing was like, you know, whoever gets going, the gallery or any of that one person gets something from it or one even if one person hates it.
00:28:28 Ryan McDonagh
Anything can't ship but.
00:28:30 Ryan McDonagh
It's like if I can inspire that person to go and do something themselves, that was.
00:28:34 Ryan McDonagh
My whole thing and.
00:28:35 Ryan McDonagh
It can inspire someone to do something.
00:28:38 Ryan McDonagh
Whether it be or whatever and that.
00:28:42 Ryan McDonagh
Would and and I suppose that goes back to what we were saying earlier.
00:28:49 Paul Bence
I I think it's it's really amazing and I think that if you do go and do a YouTube channel, you should just talk like you're talking now about why you make the work, what it, what it does for you. Talk about individual pieces, show process, how you make the work. I mean I I don't think you need to overcomplicate it because I think.
00:29:08 Paul Bence
You know, I I I again it's it's.
00:29:11 Paul Bence
Like this surface level of Internet of of we know all of these people, we don't really know them and the minute that you begin to see them and you break down those barriers, what that does it makes you invest in the person. And I think it's it's.
00:29:25 Paul Bence
Like you're really relatable. So like, instantly when we when we end this today me and Daniel are both going to buy Prince because I like you and I want to support you what you do and I think it's really important but but not that not just because I like you because like you work too it's really straight. You know what I mean and I think I think.
00:29:32 Ryan McDonagh
Cheers, thank.
00:29:39 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, yeah, of course.
00:29:43 Paul Bence
I was listening to another podcast and the guy was saying, you know, there's a lot of artists which which will get to the stage of they'll make the work and they hate the marketing point. They hate that, that it becomes this marketing scheme where you sell, sell, sell, sell. But he said if you flip that around and you instead of selling yourself, you just make yourself vulnerable and you explain what you do, that's another way of selling.
00:29:52 Speaker 4
Ignore it.
00:30:04 Paul Bence
And and it it, it brings people to connect to you. And I think there's something in that. It's being open enough to to, you know, to, and I, you know, I I hate it. I hate I can't. Me and Daniel have talked about doing videos for a long time, for this for idle hands. And we've kind of we may do a couple in the new Year, but we're not going to do like.
00:30:22 Paul Bence
20 Yeah, yeah, I.
00:30:24 Dan Higginson
Don't. I don't think we could keep up with the with the.
00:30:29 Dan Higginson
With the algorithm right, I I think there's a there's an amount of inattention you have, right? You've only got whatever your bandwidth is, and I don't know. I feel like you can spread yourself too thin. You can dilute.
00:30:41 Dan Higginson
Yourself, right?
00:30:42 Speaker 4
Exactly. Yeah, yeah.
00:30:43 Dan Higginson
Yeah, I would be super interested in. Yeah, I 100%, I'd. I'd be really interested in seeing more about your process and about your the way you think about things on on something like you, it doesn't even have to be YouTube, but whatever that is.
00:30:45 Ryan McDonagh
The problem?
00:31:01 Dan Higginson
I don't know. I feel like there's a there's.
00:31:01 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, YouTube is is the.
00:31:03 Ryan McDonagh
Example. I mean I think it just because there's so much of.
00:31:04 Speaker 4
Right.
00:31:05 Ryan McDonagh
That around you?
00:31:06 Speaker 4
Know but but.
00:31:08 Ryan McDonagh
Again, it could be anything, and that's what I'm trying to figure out because I think it needs.
00:31:13 Dan Higginson
If me and.
00:31:13 Dan Higginson
Paul were honest. I think we probably should have started this on YouTube.
00:31:18 Dan Higginson
Rather than as a as a podcast, I think we.
00:31:19 Speaker 4
OK.
00:31:22 Dan Higginson
It's not all about attraction. It's not all about members, but to a certain extent. Like Paul said earlier, like, are you screaming into the void? I think this long form content has a place on, on YouTube. I know there's lots of people that say ohh everything needs to be below 15 minutes. People's attention span, blah, blah blah blah. But if you actually look at the high subscribed.
00:31:44 Dan Higginson
Finals and stuff. A lot of, yeah, really long but.
00:31:46 Ryan McDonagh
That's the type of content as well, right? Yeah. Give it some published.
00:31:51 Ryan McDonagh
It goes on TikTok. Yeah, for instance around and it's that. I think it's a conversation between people. I think people are invested, yeah.
00:32:00 Ryan McDonagh
And what, and enjoy the.
00:32:01 Ryan McDonagh
Conversation, I think sharing everything.
00:32:04 Ryan McDonagh
We're showing people like that connection.
00:32:07 Dan Higginson
Yeah, it holds. It holds.
00:32:08 Paul Bence
Gives you.
00:32:10 Dan Higginson
People's attention for longer, right? Like that longer form stuff.
00:32:14 Dan Higginson
Yeah, I I think I'd be really interested in seeing what you had. I can't remember who was that quote, maybe Paul, maybe you might know. You're a smart guy. Who said that there was somebody that had said.
00:32:23 Ryan McDonagh
I don't know about that.
00:32:30 Dan Higginson
An adventure, whatever that narrative is right, it's it's not as important as the the person that's happening to his willingness to go on the adventure. It could be something that other people might consider mundane, but it's it's the subject that's that's the interesting thing and it's it's their willingness to do the thing.
00:32:52 Dan Higginson
I don't know anyway.
00:32:53 Ryan McDonagh
No, I think.
00:32:54 Speaker 4
That's pretty long.
00:32:54 Paul Bence
There's not a destination, it's always the journey, Danny.
00:32:58 Dan Higginson
Is that they're quite.
00:33:00 Dan Higginson
Yeah, I think there's something to that though I think.
00:33:04
I do, yeah.
00:33:06 Dan Higginson
But that most mundane things you watch likes some movies that you watch like my shower later is.
00:33:12 Dan Higginson
I'm not gonna ruin now.
00:33:13 Dan Higginson
But there's some movies that.
00:33:15 Dan Higginson
If you look at the narrative, there's not really a lot happening. But you know, if you watch a character portrait for an hour and a half, it's super interesting, yeah.
00:33:23 Ryan McDonagh
But I was going to say and.
00:33:25 Ryan McDonagh
What we were saying in the beginning.
00:33:27 Ryan McDonagh
Kind of. It's kind of gone.
00:33:29 Ryan McDonagh
Back around to that, isn't.
00:33:30 Ryan McDonagh
It kind of exactly.
00:33:32 Ryan McDonagh
What it was, but it feels like.
00:33:33 Ryan McDonagh
We've kind of gone back.
00:33:35 Ryan McDonagh
To to to that same point.
00:33:37 Ryan McDonagh
And with the whole kind of psychology thing.
00:33:40 Dan Higginson
Yeah. Why? Why do you?
00:33:41 Dan Higginson
Do it. Yeah, right. Authenticity, right?
00:33:45 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, yeah. And it's been true to yourself, isn't it, you know.
00:33:51 Dan Higginson
It just fills out what you're meant to be doing right now.
00:33:53 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, I think it's a very like doing this primal thing, but you just follow the.
00:34:01 Ryan McDonagh
Whatever that is, inside the stuff you know, and that's why we create stuff. And because again, you could go, why do we create anything while we have this conversation? You know, like someone else again with with the algorithm and stuff. So there's going to be millions of people who probably never watch it and never hear of it.
00:34:09 Dan Higginson
Just cause that she was right.
00:34:11 Paul Bence
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:34:20 Ryan McDonagh
That in one sense can be depressing. And ever since it's so, well, there's going.
00:34:25 Ryan McDonagh
How the many people in the place and billions of people you.
00:34:28 Ryan McDonagh
Know that's going to help other people.
00:34:30 Paul Bence
And I also think that's a really limiting way to live your life, right? If you. Yeah, if if you're not not going to do things because nobody's going to see it, then you might as.
00:34:37 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, exactly. It's, you know, and again, I think I don't mean to to go on about it, but I think.
00:34:38 Paul Bence
Well, not do nothing at all, yeah.
00:34:46 Ryan McDonagh
We're very fortunate with some list of an experience from the young age. You know, I've had meningitis, so I was younger.
00:34:53 Ryan McDonagh
You know all these different things to.
00:34:53
Right.
00:34:54 Ryan McDonagh
Where like I missed a lot of.
00:34:56 Ryan McDonagh
School and you.
00:34:57 Ryan McDonagh
Know there's a lot of times where you see people go out and you want to be involved and you know, want to go and play football with my little brother, I couldn't do that. There's.
00:35:05 Speaker 4
A lot of.
00:35:06 Ryan McDonagh
Things like that.
00:35:07 Ryan McDonagh
To where like.
00:35:09 Ryan McDonagh
Be real. There's a lot of stuff you're trying to hold on to or do doesn't matter in the long run, because there's always another thing.
00:35:19 Speaker 4
You know, yeah.
00:35:20 Ryan McDonagh
And it's the same with all the, you know, social media stuff and sharing your work. And there's always.
00:35:27 Ryan McDonagh
Another way I think.
00:35:28 Speaker 4
OK.
00:35:30 Ryan McDonagh
You know, and you can't can't think.
00:35:32 Ryan McDonagh
Too much about her, why she.
00:35:33 Ryan McDonagh
Just spend all day.
00:35:35 Speaker 4
In bed, I wish some days.
00:35:42 Dan Higginson
Should we do some shout outs, Paul?
00:35:44 Paul Bence
Yeah, let's do some shout out. Let's do some shout outs. OK. I'm going to do 2 for you this week. Then I'm going to do 22110. It's going to be Luke. So this is for all people. This is Luke Sacks and he's a Manchester photographer. And he made a book and he called it.
00:35:50 Dan Higginson
'S the.
00:35:53 Paul Bence
In the first.
00:36:01 Paul Bence
Fractions and.
00:36:04 Paul Bence
Basically, it's wonderful. We've known Luke. He's been in our podcast. I can show you some stuff from the books. You wanna have a quick look?
00:36:11 Ryan McDonagh
Where he. No, that's well, nice that.
00:36:16 Ryan McDonagh
Just before as well.
00:36:17 Paul Bence
Yeah, yeah. Luke's accent. It's printed with another place press. And it's a beautiful book. It is. It's it's we've seen this work develop over the last couple of years and.
00:36:33 Paul Bence
Yeah, it's, it's.
00:36:36 Paul Bence
I love, I love. I love. This is the this chest he's got.
00:36:40 Paul Bence
A grey woman. You can't really see it. You've got a grey woman's hair.
00:36:45 Speaker 4
Right, yeah.
00:36:46 Paul Bence
And then some like I don't know what it is, is that buyer or some twigs on the side of the road and yeah, he just juxtaposes things that you know.
00:36:55 Paul Bence
Wouldn't normally be next to each other, but work.
00:36:59 Speaker 4
Yeah. Yeah, no.
00:37:00 Speaker 4
I love that like that one bear with.
00:37:02 Dan Higginson
The the goose.
00:37:04 Ryan McDonagh
You. Yeah. There's a cloud next to it.
00:37:08 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, that's great that.
00:37:10 Paul Bence
Cool, right? Is is it Manchester? But he's not. He's not far from you.
00:37:11 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, that's great. Yeah. Yeah, love that.
00:37:17 Paul Bence
So you'll have to. You'll have to get him.
00:37:18 Paul Bence
To come down and.
00:37:18 Paul Bence
See you. Yeah.
00:37:19 Paul Bence
Well, well, we might come to Manchester one day, might.
00:37:22 Paul Bence
Be done.
00:37:23 Dan Higginson
Yeah, hopefully let's do that in the.
00:37:26 Paul Bence
New year. I'd like to. I haven't been to Manchester for ages ages.
00:37:30 Dan Higginson
I've only been to Manchester once. I bloody.
00:37:32 Speaker 4
Loved it.
00:37:35 Paul Bence
OK, so what's your shadow then, Dan?
00:37:39 Dan Higginson
So this week my shower is Sofia Coppola's archive. It's just come out on. I think it's just come.
00:37:47 Dan Higginson
And Mac Paul, you're absolutely going to love this. It's huge. It's a tome of a thing. It's about 400 odd pages long, and it's just literally photos from the sets of all of their movies. A lot of it's kind of point and shoe pics, just, I don't know, there's a real vibe to it. There's bits of script that have been scanned in.
00:38:07 Dan Higginson
Yeah, it's just absolutely incredible. Like, I can't stop looking at it. Sofia Coppola archive. I think I've gone. I don't have it in front of me. It's 1999 to 2000.
00:38:11 Paul Bence
Was it called the book?
00:38:17 Speaker 4
Yeah, just the.
00:38:18 Dan Higginson
And 23 I think.
00:38:20 Ryan McDonagh
I've just got it. Yeah, it looks pretty.
00:38:20 Speaker 4
OK, Einstein.
00:38:23 Paul Bence
Yeah. Nice. I'm going to buy a nice.
00:38:25 Ryan McDonagh
I will see it's like.
00:38:26 Ryan McDonagh
Books you know.
00:38:26 Ryan McDonagh
Like when you're just showing.
00:38:28 Ryan McDonagh
The books and this I love photo books are there.
00:38:32 Dan Higginson
Yeah, yeah.
00:38:33 Ryan McDonagh
All my choices and said yeah bright and his thing was this. We have two projects where we had to do a documentary projects within off and and go around taking photos and I should.
00:38:47 Ryan McDonagh
Go and shoot.
00:38:48 Dan Higginson
Do you still have that?
00:38:50 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, I've got it somewhere I don't.
00:38:52 Ryan McDonagh
Have it on me now, but.
00:38:54 Ryan McDonagh
I did quite a.
00:38:55 Ryan McDonagh
Few projects on that before. Now I'm thinking about. I did. Do you know some before using photographers at?
00:39:00 Ryan McDonagh
All I did.
00:39:04 Ryan McDonagh
I mean the documents projects are dead. I couldn't think of any ideas and I think it was a bit strange.
00:39:10 Ryan McDonagh
To be fair, but it.
00:39:12 Ryan McDonagh
All kind of like stemmed from.
00:39:15 Ryan McDonagh
Uh, because, well, my crunches. I I spend a lot.
00:39:18 Ryan McDonagh
Of time just looking at.
00:39:19 Ryan McDonagh
The ground I will always get told off by cities and so.
00:39:22 Ryan McDonagh
You know, so I've.
00:39:22 Ryan McDonagh
Gotta look up, but I've always gonna see when I see it going. Especially this dog ship. Yeah, I mean, you gotta see where. So I was looking down and I started to create a map of chewing gum and Brighton.
00:39:35 Ryan McDonagh
I just go to each kind of concrete slab and chewing gum and a bit of one or two. I just got hundreds and hundreds of pictures of chewing.
00:39:46 Paul Bence
I love it, but that's an amazing project. I'm.
00:39:49 Paul Bence
Going to go and do it now, I'm just going down to one for the rest of the.
00:39:53 Paul Bence
Afternoon. You have inspired me.
00:39:56 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, there's been a few similar, but they're very there's one in the 70s. I can't remember who did it, but it was.
00:40:05 Ryan McDonagh
Going up close with the macro lines, I think and then taking picture of chewing gum sound like.
00:40:12 Ryan McDonagh
And bus stops and you know, like seeing the gone, you know, it's. Yeah, very interesting. Very interesting.
00:40:18 Speaker 4
Cool. I like that so.
00:40:21 Dan Higginson
Yeah, I'd be. I'd be.
00:40:22 Dan Higginson
Interested in seeing those those books? You don't run my back in third, yeah.
00:40:27 Ryan McDonagh
But again, I've got a few. Again, I was into in foundation. The one you showed of Lukes, the name with the goose and the cloud. I actually did one of my dog.
00:40:38 Ryan McDonagh
In the cloud, you know?
00:40:40 Ryan McDonagh
But that whole scene again and.
00:40:41 Ryan McDonagh
Just cut and paste.
00:40:43 Ryan McDonagh
And you know, it's nowhere near.
00:40:44 Ryan McDonagh
The standard of loops but.
00:40:47 Ryan McDonagh
It's that place well, and you know, it brings a smile to your face and it's, you know, creating something.
00:40:54 Dan Higginson
Yeah, there is definitely something. When I see work like that, because my work's not that deep. It's just stuff I've.
00:41:00 Dan Higginson
For when I see people, they're doing something really clever. I there is this part of me that.
00:41:05 Dan Higginson
My house, that's.
00:41:06 Dan Higginson
Absolutely crazy. How did you come up with that?
00:41:08 Dan Higginson
But I I'm always.
00:41:10 Dan Higginson
Fascinated by people that can do that properly artistic stuff.
00:41:13 Dan Higginson
That kind of boring. Here's a thing I've said.
00:41:16 Paul Bence
I I think you just gotta do it. Then. I think part of this is I think it's my. My wife was moaning to me that she wants to write a book. And I said if you want to write a book, you gotta start writing. I said nobody. Nobody's going to write it for you, darling. Yeah, but I did. Yeah. I said you can give me 1000 excuses why you can't do it. I said all you need is a pen and a paper. Yeah. I I'll give you the time.
00:41:19 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, I agree. I agree.
00:41:37 Paul Bence
Go sit down and write off. You go. Now I need to come up with the world first and the characters and I'm like, will you give?
00:41:43 Paul Bence
Me excuses. These are just.
00:41:44 Paul Bence
This is, I think we we can all put barriers in in front of ourselves, right to stop us doing it. And you're you're possibly the best example I've ever, ever had of taking those like, you know, you you fight against those barriers, your whole life, right? You you've inspired me to do. Honestly, Ryan, you've been amazing. Really. Really, really.
00:42:03 Ryan McDonagh
Ohh, thank you. Thank you.
00:42:04 Ryan McDonagh
I appreciate it.
00:42:04 Paul Bence
Thank you for sending to speak to us. I really appreciate it.
00:42:07 Ryan McDonagh
Well, thank you for.
00:42:08 Ryan McDonagh
You know that.
00:42:09 Ryan McDonagh
Means a lot.
00:42:11 Ryan McDonagh
I appreciate it. So I just want to say as well, like I know you were.
00:42:14 Ryan McDonagh
Just saying, Dan.
00:42:16 Speaker 4
About, you know.
00:42:18 Ryan McDonagh
Seem like it's not that deep, you know, but but I've never looked at any of the work items being deep artists. You know, again, you've just got to go and do it and once.
00:42:26 Ryan McDonagh
You do, I think.
00:42:27 Ryan McDonagh
You feel bad even if it is. You know you don't use it down.
00:42:30 Ryan McDonagh
The line you'll probably come.
00:42:32 Ryan McDonagh
Back to it. That's what I do a lot.
00:42:34 Ryan McDonagh
Of the work I'm.
00:42:34 Ryan McDonagh
Creating now it's work from.
00:42:36 Ryan McDonagh
Years ago that I kind of just.
00:42:38 Ryan McDonagh
Turned off and didn't.
00:42:40 Ryan McDonagh
Think anything else that you know? And then again, we're changing it. So I think the more you create, the more you do, you just gotta archive really stuff.
00:42:50 Dan Higginson
Have you got any other distinctly separate styles that you're kind of working in at the moment that you're just not?
00:42:55 Speaker 4
Sharing with people well.
00:42:59 Ryan McDonagh
I'm always painting. I'm painting all sorts of nonsense. I can draw painting and and and paint around and I've got sketchbooks of.
00:43:10 Ryan McDonagh
Drawings and I'll send you some of the some of that.
00:43:14 Paul Bence
Yeah. I'd like to see it. Love to see how.
00:43:15 Ryan McDonagh
Because I love that yellow stration stuff as well you.
00:43:16 Dan Higginson
The disease loves us.
00:43:18 Ryan McDonagh
Know again none.
00:43:19 Ryan McDonagh
Of that is like great, but it's just getting.
00:43:22 Ryan McDonagh
Stuff out there and again, you know.
00:43:23 Paul Bence
I don't know. And the more you do, the better you get, right.
00:43:26 Paul Bence
As well like you use.
00:43:27 Speaker 4
Exactly, yeah.
00:43:28 Ryan McDonagh
Exactly. I think some of.
00:43:30 Ryan McDonagh
It as well like.
00:43:32 Ryan McDonagh
So it isn't all for sharing. You know, some of it goes towards a bigger. So it goes back for us than before.
00:43:38 Ryan McDonagh
But a bigger purpose or bigger meaning?
00:43:42 Ryan McDonagh
For this, yeah, yeah.
00:43:43 Dan Higginson
Alright, I've got a couple.
00:43:44 Dan Higginson
Of rapid fire questions for you before we let.
00:43:46 Dan Higginson
You go, Ryan.
00:43:47 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, sure, sure.
00:43:48 Dan Higginson
What's your dream band to do? An album cover for?
00:43:54 Speaker 4
Dream bound.
00:43:57 Dan Higginson
It is actually a band. It could be an.
00:43:59 Dan Higginson
Artist of any any.
00:44:00 Dan Higginson
Kind of.
00:44:00 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah. Do what I'll say.
00:44:03 Ryan McDonagh
No, it'd be cool to do a new order.
00:44:06 Ryan McDonagh
Actually, I've been really *******.
00:44:07 Speaker 4
That would be cool. It would be cool and.
00:44:11 Ryan McDonagh
I mean, they released something, was it last year really this year?
00:44:14 Dan Higginson
I haven't heard that. OK, I'm gonna turn that down.
00:44:15 Speaker 4
Yeah, I think it.
00:44:16 Ryan McDonagh
Might have been last year, I can't remember, but.
00:44:19 Dan Higginson
I've listened to new order for a while. I'm going to go.
00:44:21 Dan Higginson
And hold that down.
00:44:22 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, I'm sure. I mean, unless I.
00:44:24 Ryan McDonagh
Imagine you're back pretty soon.
00:44:25 Dan Higginson
I'm sure you.
00:44:26 Dan Higginson
Didn't my finger's not on the.
00:44:27 Dan Higginson
Pulse with.
00:44:30 Dan Higginson
Final question mate.
00:44:32 Dan Higginson
What's? What's your shout? What's one thing?
00:44:33 Dan Higginson
You've been doing recently.
00:44:36 Ryan McDonagh
But when I thought shatter, I saw it was shouting out like a artist to someone.
00:44:40 Paul Bence
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Either you. Yeah. Yeah.
00:44:41 Ryan McDonagh
It's all right.
00:44:43 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah. So I'm gonna share out my mate Daniel Dodson, who is from Manchester. Also, I've known Danny for a long time and he was one of the reasons why I actually started in Stockport Foundation and he's been a good supporter of mine so.
00:45:00 Ryan McDonagh
And now it's recently I think he just finished his MBA in Manchester in my second year I.
00:45:08 Ryan McDonagh
Can't remember but yeah.
00:45:10 Ryan McDonagh
He's a he's a great designer and he also has a little studio with another friend, Alex.
00:45:19 Ryan McDonagh
And of course, no point shooting. Yeah, shout them out.
00:45:23 Paul Bence
Nice. Thank you very much.
00:45:24 Dan Higginson
Yeah, I'm just looking at work now. I can definitely see that you guys are. There's something subtly different about it, but it's. Yeah, you you guys are all kind of there's a vibe, right?
00:45:34 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah. Yeah. And that's very, very.
00:45:35 Dan Higginson
The Internet.
00:45:36 Dan Higginson
I'm intense.
00:45:38 Ryan McDonagh
Good at what they do as well you.
00:45:39 Ryan McDonagh
Know cause Alex I I never cause. Danny and Alex were friends in school. I think when I started foundation.
00:45:49 Ryan McDonagh
Danny just left because we're all the same age.
00:45:52 Ryan McDonagh
But they went more.
00:45:53 Ryan McDonagh
Around that colour 1819 age. I think if I.
00:45:58 Ryan McDonagh
Remember correctly. Yeah. Yeah, I think I mean again.
00:46:01 Ryan McDonagh
It's. That's what's it's all.
00:46:03 Ryan McDonagh
Kind of connected, you know? Yeah.
00:46:07 Dan Higginson
Where can people keep up to date with what you're up to? The announcement of your YouTube channel, or whatever your interview? Yeah.
00:46:15 Ryan McDonagh
OK well currently I'm just mainly on Instagram.
00:46:18 Speaker 4
I don't really.
00:46:19 Ryan McDonagh
Use anything. I'm just. I was thinking of using Twitter or ex whatever it's called now.
00:46:25 Dan Higginson
I can't keep up.
00:46:26 Ryan McDonagh
With it. Yeah, me, to be honest, I used it years ago.
00:46:30 Ryan McDonagh
I only even tweeted like one or two things. It was just never my thing really.
00:46:36 Paul Bence
You're not missing it. It's it's gone, really right wing now.
00:46:38 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah. Now I never felt.
00:46:41 Ryan McDonagh
Right. Yeah, I remember seeing.
00:46:43 Ryan McDonagh
Something about a couple weeks.
00:46:44 Ryan McDonagh
Ago. But again, it's just.
00:46:45 Ryan McDonagh
Never really interested me. I've never been interested in trying to get my opinion on that. Do you?
00:46:51 Ryan McDonagh
Know what I mean? Which is?
00:46:52 Ryan McDonagh
What I guess minus it's used for.
00:46:54 Speaker 4
But I think.
00:46:55 Ryan McDonagh
It can be used for a lot of.
00:46:56 Ryan McDonagh
And that's what you know, anything can really can't.
00:46:59 Paul Bence
Yeah, there's there's, like a rule. It's like, it's like a science rule that, like any tool can be used for good or bad, whatever it is, like a pencil can be used to stamp something. Yeah. It can also used to draw.
00:46:59 Ryan McDonagh
Trust those and it's got.
00:47:11 Ryan McDonagh
Yeah, yeah. And Siah can be used.
00:47:14 Ryan McDonagh
To heat the room or it can burn.
00:47:15 Ryan McDonagh
Someone you.
00:47:15 Speaker 4
Know, yeah.
00:47:16 Paul Bence
Yeah, you can be really annoying or you can be really annoying.
00:47:17 Paul Bence
Yeah, 100.
00:47:25 Dan Higginson
Yeah, it's all varying degrees of losing with me, there's.
00:47:27 Dan Higginson
Like there's no positives, it's all. It's all bad. This is how bad do you want it to be?
00:47:32 Dan Higginson
Right.
00:47:32 Speaker 4
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
00:47:35 Dan Higginson
You can catch Ryan on Instagram at Ryan Dot McDonough, underscore. You can keep up to date with everything we're doing at idle Hands Society on Instagram and go join a mailing list. There's a there's a link in our bio every or every four weeks.
00:47:52 Paul Bence
Every four weeks, yeah.
00:47:53 Ryan McDonagh
Every four weeks without someone in the middle.
00:47:54
Before we.
00:47:57 Paul Bence
Thank you, Ryan. Thank you, Ryan. Really appreciate your time.
00:48:01 Ryan McDonagh
Thank you.
