Takeover Tuesday with Rokas Aleliūnas
Q&A with Rokas Aleliūnas, aka Casual Polar Bear, a freelance Illustrator and Graphic Designer from Vilnius, Lithuania
Q&A with Rokas Aleliūnas
Read time: 5min
Evening Play. Rokas Aleliūnas.
Madison Caprara:
Hey, Rokas! Why don’t you kick us off with a little background on yourself and your work?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
I am a simple man creating simple things.
My work is a reflection of my life; thoughts, insights, emotions, humor. I like to say that my work is playful because when I am creating, I feel like I am playing. It’s simple, but at the same time, possesses an unmeasurable depth. Sometimes my emotions and thoughts are so deep it feels as if I am drowning. My wish is that everyone looking at my work without context sees their wants or feelings.
I would love to hear that three different people looking at the same piece would see three different things. All would be right and wrong at the same time. Lastly, I wish for my work to be timeless because when playing, years turn into minutes, and when you are drowning--minutes turn into years.
Madison Caprara:
That’s a beautiful way to go about seeing your work.
How did your relationship with art begin? What originally made you want to become a graphic designer?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
For the past 1200 days and counting, I have been creating a poster a day and have been calling myself an illustrator. Before I started this challenge, however, I worked as a freelance brand strategist--but if we are talking in terms of the "way-way" back, my background is in industrial design.
Rokas Aleliūnas:
During my studies, I got a part-time job at a design agency. At the time, I was really passionate about graphic design and tried to learn and discover something new with every project. I did everything from cold calling to producing and was doing great, but at one point everything got a bit "wobbly". Out of pure stress and anxiety, I decided to dedicate a little bit of my time to doing things I truly loved. In the past, I had enjoyed making posters and decided to start creating those again. The posters morphed into illustrations day by day and I slowly rediscovered the thing I loved.
Madison Caprara:
You briefly mentioned your studies, what route did you take in regards to your design education? How has this knowledge helped you as a working artist?
Out of brilliant, 2021. Rokas Aleliūnas.
Rokas Aleliūnas:
It helped, and continues to help me, a lot. My education has really expanded my view. I’ve learned critical thinking, problem-solving, expanded my knowledge of art history, and improved my mastery in the fine arts over the years. Additionally, I learned proper research techniques, how speculative designing works, as well as how to apply these thought processes in other fields.
Generally, I think learning something new, reading, or just experimenting helps. There are a lot of ways you can approach creativity; research and speculation, or, on the flip side, by just throwing everything aside and expressing yourself. That being said, all of those experiences, all of that reading puts a really nice spice on works, even if the topic is opposite or the context is totally different.
Madison Caprara:
You expressed your love for poster design, but what about it made you pivot towards that area as opposed to some of the other niches?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
I think I can work in different media and different niches, but I just really love the formatting and tools used, because I am fast with them!
Madison Caprara:
Now, a majority of your posters include type. What is the relationship between the type and the image’s overall meaning?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
It's nibs of context that may help to better understand a piece and a way for me to track my visual diary. Every piece has a number and a date.
Madison Caprara:
Are there any other mediums or forms of art that you enjoy working with?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
My work is really graphical, so from time to time, I work on paintings, but there I only work with impressionism.
Alone. Rokas Aleliūnas.
Madison Caprara:
How would you describe your overall approach to design?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
More than less and less than more; not listening to my inner critic and doing things a little bit more as they are.
Madison Caprara:
Do you consciously try to avoid colors, motifs, or trends that seem to be popular in a given moment, or do you embrace them?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
I'm doing whatever I want to do, I really do not care if it's popular or unpopular. I make one piece and am immediately working on the next one and the next one. The most frustrating thing for me is a state of boredom because then I begin to think of my work as a whole as boring.
I see everything and I read everything and hear everything. At this particular moment, it is hard for me to create, because everything is plain and it takes an enormous amount of willpower, work, and time to break the loop.
Madison Caprara:
Being based in Vilnius, Lithuania, is there anything about the city that inspires you?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
It's more about the country itself than the city. To be Lithuanian is to carry the flag of all Lithuanian artists, as they carry mine. There is a certain way of thinking that comes from the past; timeless motifs, ideas, interpretations, even stories that transpire through time. All of these interpretations come from our country's beautiful nature.
Madison Caprara:
Going a bit further, who (or what) has been the single biggest influence on your way of thinking and creating?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
Willpower. Rokas Aleliūnas.
Madison Caprara:
What has been the most triumphant moment for you in the seven years that you have been a freelance graphic designer?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
I do not have one. Truly, I believe they all come and pass.
Madison Caprara:
In this age of the internet, how do you think online design resources, and the digital space, have influenced the graphics being produced today?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
I learned the tools from online classes and tutorials, so for me, it was great. Just learning a tool or finding a good tutorial are two of the most important steps in the beginning. You need a basic understanding of what you can do with these tools.
Speaking on the creative industry as a whole, I feel online courses are lacking. There is a lot of abstract thinking that needs to be done which demands more time, one-on-one conversations, and exposure. Generally speaking, online courses are good and you can learn a lot, but sooner or later you will find yourself approaching some large hindrance that may be impossible to surpass because nobody talked about the basics of thinking within these courses.
Madison Caprara:
GREAT insight!
You hear all about the wonders of accessibility when it comes to these online resources, but to hear the counterargument of some of the basic skills lacking is a really interesting perspective.
Unfortunately, we’re nearing the end of our time together Rokas. Before we go, what does the rest of your 2021 look like? Is there anything, in particular, we can look forward to seeing from you?
Rokas Aleliūnas:
Daily cool work!
The real psycho. Rokas Aleliūnas.