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Artistic Goals
9 years ago
General
Art-wise, things have felt satisfying upon posting and formulating plans to be online again. I do owe a lot to my friends who've talked to me about a lot of thoughts I've had about it, and I'm sure I won't stop stressing over these things, but as of right now my priorities feel pretty solid. Truthfully the only thing I'm worrying about in life now is money and having a stable way of getting it...Here's hoping I don't have to marry this idea to art.
In any case, I have a few things rolling around in mind as to what I consider some goals I want to work on. If anyone has feedback or ideas I'd like to hear it.
General Improvement
Improvement has really come into my mind again, it feels like I'm just a few steps before reaching my 'next echelon' and it feels like I'm dragging my feet some. I'm glad I'm getting more comics done, faster than before for now and I intend to get even faster, but drawing at the same level you've been drawing at is no excuse for blazing a new path and incorporating new information to better yourself. Truthfully I think it's because all my friends passionate at art improvement have moved on into new social circles, most of that is why I don't think of it as much as I used to. If anything, one thing that would help is if I could be that person for all of my friends who have yet to take the plunge into fundamental art practice. As much as I like the idea of trades and cute drawings back and forth, I'd really rather talk about new ways to improve right now.
Website
FA has been good to me, so has IB and Tumblr for the most part. But I don't want to be posting from other peoples' websites forever. I really wish I could link people one website for everything I do, multiple comic and image galleries right there, multiple versions of things to download without the fuss, in a visual style I like. I wish I could say to more general audiences "Here's this side of my website" and to my alternative fans "go find the secret link and access the other side!". My main problem is I am no web developer, and my energy is more devoted to practicing drawing and getting comic/story pages done right now. Development, financially securing it and general security are all huge roadblocks that I'd like to work out with a professional, but luckily, I won't have to think about that until I have some more substantial comic work to post there. Which luckily, is looking closer and closer.
Translations
A few of you know that I really like dabbling in various languages (not that I've gotten past intermediate in any of them...) but another part of that is the social aspect. I really love the idea of showing my stuff to people of different backgrounds and cultures than mine, I know that some might find some less acceptable, but some might find some of it more acceptable. The Great Osamu Tezuka would publish his manga volumes with an English summary at the very beginning so that more people across the world could enjoy his works. That's the kind of thing I admire very much and something I'd like to try too. Though, with the internet and multiple download links and a bit of time in Photoshop, I could do this sort of thing with multiple languages (if I sit in front of my work with a dictionary of the language and/or beg some of my friends to help me...) and this prospect is something I really like the idea of, and another thing that I think a website would help with greatly.
Self-Sufficiency...Or the lack of it
As life goes on it becomes more and more apparent to me that drawing--actually, trying to tell stories--is the only thing I have a passion for. The career world really has no place for someone like me unless I felt like signing myself underneath an editor or production company (and that's after a few more years of study and practice). I've really tried getting into other jobs and careers but none really speak to me, as of now it feels like I'm just going to have to be some low-brow jack-of-all trades. If it means a job wherever I go in positions I enjoy, I don't mind not having a college degree. I've always just wanted to be a janitor, I've said this since since I exited High School, it's just no one ever feels like hiring!
...Ah but yeah hehe what about this and art goals, well, lately I've been battling the temptation to consider monetizing my work...The thought now already makes me cringe because I've tried this once before which ended in an embarrassing failure. I'm caught between two schools of thought: One is the way I feel like everything should be pure and free. I would just openly release my stuff in public domain so that anyone who wanted to see it could see it, just like I always wanted since I was a child. I wouldn't have to adhere to content ratings, editors, the threat of losing money, none of that. But then sometimes life starts to put a fire underneath me, and I think of another school of thought: Seeing if it's at all feasible to ask my supporters for financial support. It gets whispered in my left ear like some greedy imp. "Come on, everyone's doing it! that guy/girl has a Patreon for a couple hundred dollars a month, you could get to that point with some work!" as it rubs it's hands in my ear, hoping I'll log back into Patreon and make a journal announcement. With the reality that I'm no career-oriented person, it's easier to fall to the temptation of thinking that I should be supported for my work. But in my heart this just doesn't feel right. Even the idea of flagging my Patreon as mature only makes me shudder. The idea of milking my fans, and trying to play up my own ineptness in finance makes me feel even worse. I want to love my fans back, not guilt trip them.
If anything, this point is definitely what I'd like to hear the most criticism on, both positive or negative.
I think that's all that's on my mind right now...Currently I'm finding out JUST how long it takes to do comics and stuff again but it's worth it. I'm going to start on Aura Phase chapter 2 soon, but I'd like to finish the first chapter of the wolf comic. I'd also like to TRY to get a short alternative comic done at my other account when I can. On the side of all that, I'd like to try to practice more and start a portfolio. And I do think I'd like to get in the habit of doing fanart, but only for friends or other artists who share a mutual affection for. There are two pieces of official fanart I'd like to do, one is a secret and the other is of an older 80's Disney cartoon, I think I can do very well at these if I try. I guess that's it. Gonna practice, try for more comic pages and sort of hope I can think of a website in the future. Right now I'm just re-watching Red Letter Media reviews (their cynicism is like medicine for my heart...) and listening to some low-view lets plays in other languages.
In any case, I have a few things rolling around in mind as to what I consider some goals I want to work on. If anyone has feedback or ideas I'd like to hear it.
General Improvement
Improvement has really come into my mind again, it feels like I'm just a few steps before reaching my 'next echelon' and it feels like I'm dragging my feet some. I'm glad I'm getting more comics done, faster than before for now and I intend to get even faster, but drawing at the same level you've been drawing at is no excuse for blazing a new path and incorporating new information to better yourself. Truthfully I think it's because all my friends passionate at art improvement have moved on into new social circles, most of that is why I don't think of it as much as I used to. If anything, one thing that would help is if I could be that person for all of my friends who have yet to take the plunge into fundamental art practice. As much as I like the idea of trades and cute drawings back and forth, I'd really rather talk about new ways to improve right now.
Website
FA has been good to me, so has IB and Tumblr for the most part. But I don't want to be posting from other peoples' websites forever. I really wish I could link people one website for everything I do, multiple comic and image galleries right there, multiple versions of things to download without the fuss, in a visual style I like. I wish I could say to more general audiences "Here's this side of my website" and to my alternative fans "go find the secret link and access the other side!". My main problem is I am no web developer, and my energy is more devoted to practicing drawing and getting comic/story pages done right now. Development, financially securing it and general security are all huge roadblocks that I'd like to work out with a professional, but luckily, I won't have to think about that until I have some more substantial comic work to post there. Which luckily, is looking closer and closer.
Translations
A few of you know that I really like dabbling in various languages (not that I've gotten past intermediate in any of them...) but another part of that is the social aspect. I really love the idea of showing my stuff to people of different backgrounds and cultures than mine, I know that some might find some less acceptable, but some might find some of it more acceptable. The Great Osamu Tezuka would publish his manga volumes with an English summary at the very beginning so that more people across the world could enjoy his works. That's the kind of thing I admire very much and something I'd like to try too. Though, with the internet and multiple download links and a bit of time in Photoshop, I could do this sort of thing with multiple languages (if I sit in front of my work with a dictionary of the language and/or beg some of my friends to help me...) and this prospect is something I really like the idea of, and another thing that I think a website would help with greatly.
Self-Sufficiency...Or the lack of it
As life goes on it becomes more and more apparent to me that drawing--actually, trying to tell stories--is the only thing I have a passion for. The career world really has no place for someone like me unless I felt like signing myself underneath an editor or production company (and that's after a few more years of study and practice). I've really tried getting into other jobs and careers but none really speak to me, as of now it feels like I'm just going to have to be some low-brow jack-of-all trades. If it means a job wherever I go in positions I enjoy, I don't mind not having a college degree. I've always just wanted to be a janitor, I've said this since since I exited High School, it's just no one ever feels like hiring!
...Ah but yeah hehe what about this and art goals, well, lately I've been battling the temptation to consider monetizing my work...The thought now already makes me cringe because I've tried this once before which ended in an embarrassing failure. I'm caught between two schools of thought: One is the way I feel like everything should be pure and free. I would just openly release my stuff in public domain so that anyone who wanted to see it could see it, just like I always wanted since I was a child. I wouldn't have to adhere to content ratings, editors, the threat of losing money, none of that. But then sometimes life starts to put a fire underneath me, and I think of another school of thought: Seeing if it's at all feasible to ask my supporters for financial support. It gets whispered in my left ear like some greedy imp. "Come on, everyone's doing it! that guy/girl has a Patreon for a couple hundred dollars a month, you could get to that point with some work!" as it rubs it's hands in my ear, hoping I'll log back into Patreon and make a journal announcement. With the reality that I'm no career-oriented person, it's easier to fall to the temptation of thinking that I should be supported for my work. But in my heart this just doesn't feel right. Even the idea of flagging my Patreon as mature only makes me shudder. The idea of milking my fans, and trying to play up my own ineptness in finance makes me feel even worse. I want to love my fans back, not guilt trip them.
If anything, this point is definitely what I'd like to hear the most criticism on, both positive or negative.
I think that's all that's on my mind right now...Currently I'm finding out JUST how long it takes to do comics and stuff again but it's worth it. I'm going to start on Aura Phase chapter 2 soon, but I'd like to finish the first chapter of the wolf comic. I'd also like to TRY to get a short alternative comic done at my other account when I can. On the side of all that, I'd like to try to practice more and start a portfolio. And I do think I'd like to get in the habit of doing fanart, but only for friends or other artists who share a mutual affection for. There are two pieces of official fanart I'd like to do, one is a secret and the other is of an older 80's Disney cartoon, I think I can do very well at these if I try. I guess that's it. Gonna practice, try for more comic pages and sort of hope I can think of a website in the future. Right now I'm just re-watching Red Letter Media reviews (their cynicism is like medicine for my heart...) and listening to some low-view lets plays in other languages.
