Rockin' Event Review: AIGA Luncheon Lecture Series Featuring David Schwen

'Embracing Boredom' was the topic of the day on June 23rd, 2015. Believe it or not this is a very interesting topics for me. David's lecture highlighted all the wonderful things that can be created in those times of boredom. At any given time of day, in any given public space, you can look around and see everyone around you staring at their phones. Filling up valuable boredom and wasting that time away. David talked about that time as a gift for developing ideas, not for checking facebook posts.

David Schwen is a graphic artists who's eye for clever subject commentary has turned his career towards editorial illustration, stop motion animation, and social media. He runs a one man shop but his client list is fortune 500. His illustrative images have a whimsical quality and a sense of humor that is savant yet ridiculously simple at the same time.


His #interactivegrams have become a viral trend and have inspired others to create them.


And his #camelflageseries came completely out of embracing boredom.


He devotes a large part of his time to passion projects. Filling up his down time with projects that don't pay the bills. Ironically they do pay the bills. These amazing passion projects have landed him clients from all over the world. None of it would have happened if he was filling up his boredom by checking his phone. By doing what he loves, he is showing future clients what he can do for them.

So next time you are bored, about to check your phone, stop and embrace the boredom. Do something you love instead. As Steven Tyler would say, "Fake it till you make it!"

All images are copyright of Dschwen and were found on his instagram page @Dschwen.