F.A.Q.

Just the FAQS

What is the Daily Purple Pig?

This website was built as an attempt to both inspire and better myself as an artist.

I don't do balloon art professionally—many of the things I've learned I've only built once for my own amusement. This site gives me a place to try hard, make things look their best, and push myself without flooding my Facebook feed.

Are you for hire?

No. But I'm flattered. It's a soft "no"—I can be won over by a cause, I suppose. But I'm woke AF, so make it a good one. Also, I tend to spend 10x the hours I originally plan, so budget accordingly.

What do you build here?

Anything? I’ve accrued a ton of balloon designs from PDFs, DVDs, webinars, YouTube, conventions, and jam sessions. I have folders of inspiration images. I'm happy to make something cutesy, but I lean toward the weird stuff. Ugly balloons for terrible children—there has to be a market.

Do you have any rules?

No. And if I did, I’d break them. That said, I try to build things more than once, depending on complexity. And the purple pig must appear once in every post. I’ve let that one slide a bit...

What is the Purple Pig?

The Purple Pig is a holy relic, first exposed by the Balloon Blast Show. Like rubbing a Buddha belly or pulling the cord of Spongebob’s holy conch shell, a balloon artist of certain faith gives a squeeze at the start of a session for luck, squeeze-squeeze for inspiration, and squeeze-squeeze-squeeze-squeeze-squeeze-squeeze-squeeze when frustrated.

What is the Balloon Blast Show?

Balloon Blast is a YouTube show created by Scott Tripp, later joined by Sam Cremeens. Scott is one of the most creative and obsessed balloon nerds around. The show’s tagline is "Let's Improve our Art," and it includes all sorts of bizarre hijinks: Mentos & Diet Coke in a balloon, homemade latex, leftover nozzle creations—you name it.

Who would they be as Muppets?

Sam Cremeens would be Professor Honeydew. Scott Tripp would be Gonzo. There is no debate.

Am I a man, or am I a Muppet?

If I’m a man, then I’m a Muppet of a man.

Hey, your quotes are wrong!

Oh? I liked the way something sounded. I'm not trying to validate the authors stance on the cattle industry by quoting them. To that point, if someone was anti-trains but wrote a magical symphony, I would admire their artistry and have no idea or care or interest in what they thought about trains. I mean, what would someone who writes symphonies even know about trains anyways? It's like being interested in Picasso's flatware, an odd focus but ... okay? Anyways, I AM happy to make amendments to correct mis-quotes but apologize if any author is potentially toxic to you in particular.

Do you have a schedule or anything?

The only thing that I have on a "schedule" is Sundays I use for "color day".

What is a color day?

Every Sunday. I was lucky enough to attend a session where Marvin Hardy talked about his life and experiences in the ballooning industry, and it struck me that he said that still he goes through a bag of balloons every day playing and practicing. I have amassed a number of bags of balloons that I don't keep in my "within arms reach" kit - and therefore don't get used, despite any intentions I had when purchasing. Sunday is an effort to channel my inner Marvin and burn through one of these like I'm a quality tester. Do I like it? Is it worthy of getting into the kit? How does it compare to other similar colors? etc..

Where is the missing purple pig in this picture?

Era 1 - Initial - pictures that included the purple pig
Era 2 - Enhanced - purple pig within a digital image, perhaps hidden
Era 3 - Jazz Hands - maybe purple pig? who knows? bee dee bee bee dee boo boop. Jazz, baby.
Era 4 - New Age - "purple piggish" deteriorating latex has me using either older images or using those images to generate something. Could also be Purple Dawg or purple version instead of actual pig. Era 5 - ????

What about AI?

I love it. But I have opinions ...

I read a post once about a Sales/Marketing Manager who put together a team building activity for his crew where everyone was to set up a society based on a few different creative conditions and come up with marketing strategies based on the evolution of that society. He was shocked when people finished so quickly because this was just step one in the process, they were all to discuss the various decisions that caused their strategy pivots, and to a team - each of them had AI generate the output, turning the fun team builidng exercise into a homework assignment. It was not creative, it was not a learning experience, it was a 'this party is ruined' kind of day for the team lead.

This blog has always been about giving purpose and motivation to me as an artist. Cheat on the homework for the classes you don't care about - I think that's what I'm saying? MY opinion is there's a difference between using AI as a tool to help you create art, and using AI to create art for you. I used to have to scour the internet hoping to find an image to match the idea I had. (How many pictures of the interior of a goblins cave with a table full of alchemical supplies and a blank spot in the center where you might put a voodoo doll might exist out there really?)

That said, I am also sympathetic to the argument against a company using AI in place of humans. And if I ever make art for profit (stop laughing), I got you - count me an ally.