What is CommuteArt or a CommuteArtist? Let’s break it down:
Commute [kuh-myoot] is “to travel regularly over some distance, as from a suburb into a city and back.“
Art [ahrt] is “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.”
Artist [ahr-tist] is “a person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.”
Therefore Commuteart [kuh-myoot ahrt] is “work produced by an artist who produced work in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria while travelling regularly over some distance, as from a suburb into a city and back” and CommuteArtist [kuh-myoot ahr-tist] “is a person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria while traveling regularly over some distance, as from a suburb into a city and back.“
I’m The CommuteArtist. Growing up in the Caribbean allowed me to start developing as an artist at a young age (I started circa 5 years old). After drawing for over a decade and publishing a couple books, I stopped because I felt like other goals occupied my time. However, a few years ago, I came to the epiphany that the hours that we spend commuting is truly astonishing if we quantify it. I also realized that since we all have a finite time on earth, I’d prefer to be as productive as possible within my waking hours. Currently, my commute takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour daily to work. I can be extremely productive during that time. I can be occupied by learning something or creating. I chose to be productive with talent that I was blessed with.
Initially, this #commuteart project started when I wanted to fill a sketchbook (I hadn’t successfully filled one prior) so armed with markers, as soon as I found a seat on the train I was drawing. This resulted in 95 pieces of art that I tried to refine into a style. Some months later, I changed my medium to an iPad 2 and a stylus. After I realized that these were my perfect tools, I upgraded to an iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil—commuteartist was born. These days I don’t limit my drawing time to just the train (I draw while waiting in line, layovers at airports, a passenger in a car and I’ve even learned how to balance and draw between train stops). Within that time, I’ve also worked on different books that I’ve illustrated. Commuteart has allowed me to mature as an artist. I’m truly fortunate to practice within the digital space and I post my work on Instagram @commuteartist and this site.
