Totemical : Digital Artist on a Spiritual Path

Totemical is a free-lance digital illustrator from Vancouver, Canada who pushes the boundaries of digital art. His art is fascinating, stimulating and enlightening, incorporating aspects of nature, consciousness and the spiritual. Totemical (also know as Justin Guse) offers a door to those that look – a door that echoes a journey, a mystery and lends a hand.

Having a background in new media design and web development, Justin focused on pushing the boundaries of what was capable with creative software. Through his artistic path, he found interest in exploring the material and the virtual, as well as the scientific and the spiritual.

“We are on the bright horizon of digital media; we have barely scratched the surface of possibilities,” he says. “Creativity flows through my veins. Innovation inspires me to constantly push the bar to surface and visualize unique concepts of consciousness.”

“I try to dedicate myself to the digital medium. I’m really intrigued with using technology as a creative tool, Manipulating Light directly using energy .. New innovative software and tools are being created every year, almost to the point of augmentation. Which is really exciting, the fact that one day we may be able to directly stream our creative consciousness through the use of micro / nano technology. I also feel there is also a responsibility with using technology to benefit a greater good, Since the mining of metals and minerals like coltan often come at the cost of slave labour and blood shed in other countries. The inspiring effect that artwork has is really something special and with the use of social networking and online blogging artists are able to create ripples of inspiration across the globe. If I spend 60 hours on a piece of work and upload it online and it inspires even 10 people, It makes it all worth it. To know that transmutation of my energy has caused an effect in someone else’s mind and heart to want to create something of their own or try and do something positive for the world.

I gain inspiration from many sources. Many from nature, ancient civilizations and entheogenic medicines. It amazes me how little we know about our past on this planet, archaeologists have tried to decipher clues left behind but not many people truly understand what happened in our past. We are uncovering more and more about our past everyday and the more we understand how we got here is when we will start to have a better understanding of where we should be going.”