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Holy Cow! UPDATE INCOMING
7 years ago
There's a million things I haven't done,
but just you wait,
just you wait... Howdy!
So, I guess I have some explaining to do eh? I realized that my last journal was a whopping 6 months ago and I thought I needed to shoot you guys a little update - for those who are curious.
So on July 26th 2017 I wrote up a journal asking you guys what you wanted from me with commissions. I was writing the journal with every intention of opening up commissions again, just to be crystal clear. Little did I know that 3 weeks later (after receiving great feedback both publicly and privately on what I should offer on commissions) from that journal entry that I would be starting my new job. For a long while I had been applying to all sorts of jobs both crappy and jobs that I thought "eh, I won't be hired but why not." I thought that some of them were hilariously out of my league, but I knew I'll always miss 100% of the shots I don't take, so I took some shots.
One of them swished into the basket when I got a callback. I'm pretty sure I was doing some finishing touch-ups on my new and now unreleased commission sheet when my phone rang with my future boss on the line.
Let me back up for a sec though. Before I got that call, and while I was genuinely planning on throwing myself back into the world of freelance art, I was also trying to go back to school for Psychology. I thought that my "useless" art degree was just that, and I was completely ready to pursue another degree. I took down my BFA and put it in the storage room. When I got that call though... I was stunned.
So I started my new job as a real full-time Graphic Designer for a wholesaler of Anheuser-Busch. It's a great foot-in-the-door job where I have my own real office downtown alongside my coworkers. I couldn't believe it happened to me! It's a tough job but gawt-DAMN does it pay the bills! I'm more financially comfortable now than I have ever been, and although Arkuro got a good gig working at Geek Squad my paychecks easily cover all of our living expenses.
Needless to say, I couldn't go back to school while working 40+ hours every week, so my "useless" degree in the storage room seemed a helluva lot less useless. It's hanging up above my desk once again, and it's one of the reasons this company wanted to invest in me.
It's been a roller coaster these past few months. Some of the highest highs I've ever felt professionally, to be honest. It's so hard to make it out there for artists because the field is so saturated with talented, creative people. I'm thankful for the opportunity I've been given, and it's allowed me to have a lot more freedom. Arkuro and I still live in the same house as before with no room mates, which is AMAZING (walking around with no pants ftw), and we'll be celebrating our 4 year anniversary June 10th.
My old man kitty is still kicking it (those of you who are long time followers of mine know The Old Man), and we have a new arrival with us! She needed a home, so we have a smol (almost 6 month old who was born the same day I walked into the office for the first time, August 9th) jet black medium-haired kitty on our hands!
Life has been great! Work is stressful and difficult, but I'm a part of the corporate branch which is a really good feeling. My work is important to a lot of other people, and the choices I make have an impact on many of my fellow coworkers who need my signage. It's a lot of responsibility but I think I'm handling it very well. I'm actually proud of myself, which is something I hadn't felt in a long time haha!
Now onto my plans for the future!
For those of you holding out hope in me doing commissions again, I have to let you know that I now have no plans of opening up commissions any time in the future. That said, THANK YOU to those of you who have commissioned me in the past! You guys were helping me keep my sinking ship afloat and for that I will be forever grateful. Now though, I make way more than I ever did with commissions and I simply don't have the time or need to take any freelance work.
This new job doesn't mean that I'm only going to be doing this job forever though! I have big, big plans for the future. I'm ambitious to say the least, and I have a hunger to make something of myself. Currently I'm young at just 24, I have no kids (though Arkuro and I have been planning on starting a family for a very long time now), I'm healthy, and I'm goal-driven. I'm going to be pursuing a few different projects, some for fun and some for business.
First, I'd like to start my own podcast! I know that everyone and their mother are doing podcasts right now but I've worked in the entertainment business before, albeit briefly and unprofessionally. This time I'm going to establish my own brand and research a slew of topics that I'll talk about and interview others about for my podcast. I have some ideas in mind as well as advice from professional and casual groups of people, and I'm planning on ironing out a schedule and platform sometime this year. Hopefully I launch the podcast this year too, but with my job my free time is limited and I'll have to find out a way to balance out my free time with friends and loved ones as well as have time to pursue my personal projects.
Secondly, I'm thinking of opening my own small business selling designs on shirts, mugs, canvas prints, etc! From time to time I'll be posting polls for people to vote on to see what designs you guys want to see and wear/hang up/sip coffee from! I'm already formulating series to introduce which will allow for lots of different options and color choices depending on the content of the designs. At first I'll have everything be neutral (so instead of using Eyeless for a shirt, I'd whip up a stylized snake that doesn't have a tie-in to anything), and depending on what people want I'll introduce less neutral subjects onto merch. I draw the line at fan art on merch, because... You know, it's ILLEGAL to sell copyrighted material for profit if you aren't the copyright holder. In the end, we'll see how it goes! Even if I don't sell anything the idea of having a mini internet shop excites me!
That's pretty much it! It's just a skosh more than what I had originally planned to write to you guys but you deserve to know what's been going on!
So how have you guys been?? I know that I have a lot of folks on here that I used to talk to semi-regularly, and I would love to hear from you again! It's always fun to catch up :)
So, I guess I have some explaining to do eh? I realized that my last journal was a whopping 6 months ago and I thought I needed to shoot you guys a little update - for those who are curious.
So on July 26th 2017 I wrote up a journal asking you guys what you wanted from me with commissions. I was writing the journal with every intention of opening up commissions again, just to be crystal clear. Little did I know that 3 weeks later (after receiving great feedback both publicly and privately on what I should offer on commissions) from that journal entry that I would be starting my new job. For a long while I had been applying to all sorts of jobs both crappy and jobs that I thought "eh, I won't be hired but why not." I thought that some of them were hilariously out of my league, but I knew I'll always miss 100% of the shots I don't take, so I took some shots.
One of them swished into the basket when I got a callback. I'm pretty sure I was doing some finishing touch-ups on my new and now unreleased commission sheet when my phone rang with my future boss on the line.
Let me back up for a sec though. Before I got that call, and while I was genuinely planning on throwing myself back into the world of freelance art, I was also trying to go back to school for Psychology. I thought that my "useless" art degree was just that, and I was completely ready to pursue another degree. I took down my BFA and put it in the storage room. When I got that call though... I was stunned.
So I started my new job as a real full-time Graphic Designer for a wholesaler of Anheuser-Busch. It's a great foot-in-the-door job where I have my own real office downtown alongside my coworkers. I couldn't believe it happened to me! It's a tough job but gawt-DAMN does it pay the bills! I'm more financially comfortable now than I have ever been, and although Arkuro got a good gig working at Geek Squad my paychecks easily cover all of our living expenses.
Needless to say, I couldn't go back to school while working 40+ hours every week, so my "useless" degree in the storage room seemed a helluva lot less useless. It's hanging up above my desk once again, and it's one of the reasons this company wanted to invest in me.
It's been a roller coaster these past few months. Some of the highest highs I've ever felt professionally, to be honest. It's so hard to make it out there for artists because the field is so saturated with talented, creative people. I'm thankful for the opportunity I've been given, and it's allowed me to have a lot more freedom. Arkuro and I still live in the same house as before with no room mates, which is AMAZING (walking around with no pants ftw), and we'll be celebrating our 4 year anniversary June 10th.
My old man kitty is still kicking it (those of you who are long time followers of mine know The Old Man), and we have a new arrival with us! She needed a home, so we have a smol (almost 6 month old who was born the same day I walked into the office for the first time, August 9th) jet black medium-haired kitty on our hands!
Life has been great! Work is stressful and difficult, but I'm a part of the corporate branch which is a really good feeling. My work is important to a lot of other people, and the choices I make have an impact on many of my fellow coworkers who need my signage. It's a lot of responsibility but I think I'm handling it very well. I'm actually proud of myself, which is something I hadn't felt in a long time haha!
Now onto my plans for the future!
For those of you holding out hope in me doing commissions again, I have to let you know that I now have no plans of opening up commissions any time in the future. That said, THANK YOU to those of you who have commissioned me in the past! You guys were helping me keep my sinking ship afloat and for that I will be forever grateful. Now though, I make way more than I ever did with commissions and I simply don't have the time or need to take any freelance work.
This new job doesn't mean that I'm only going to be doing this job forever though! I have big, big plans for the future. I'm ambitious to say the least, and I have a hunger to make something of myself. Currently I'm young at just 24, I have no kids (though Arkuro and I have been planning on starting a family for a very long time now), I'm healthy, and I'm goal-driven. I'm going to be pursuing a few different projects, some for fun and some for business.
First, I'd like to start my own podcast! I know that everyone and their mother are doing podcasts right now but I've worked in the entertainment business before, albeit briefly and unprofessionally. This time I'm going to establish my own brand and research a slew of topics that I'll talk about and interview others about for my podcast. I have some ideas in mind as well as advice from professional and casual groups of people, and I'm planning on ironing out a schedule and platform sometime this year. Hopefully I launch the podcast this year too, but with my job my free time is limited and I'll have to find out a way to balance out my free time with friends and loved ones as well as have time to pursue my personal projects.
Secondly, I'm thinking of opening my own small business selling designs on shirts, mugs, canvas prints, etc! From time to time I'll be posting polls for people to vote on to see what designs you guys want to see and wear/hang up/sip coffee from! I'm already formulating series to introduce which will allow for lots of different options and color choices depending on the content of the designs. At first I'll have everything be neutral (so instead of using Eyeless for a shirt, I'd whip up a stylized snake that doesn't have a tie-in to anything), and depending on what people want I'll introduce less neutral subjects onto merch. I draw the line at fan art on merch, because... You know, it's ILLEGAL to sell copyrighted material for profit if you aren't the copyright holder. In the end, we'll see how it goes! Even if I don't sell anything the idea of having a mini internet shop excites me!
That's pretty much it! It's just a skosh more than what I had originally planned to write to you guys but you deserve to know what's been going on!
So how have you guys been?? I know that I have a lot of folks on here that I used to talk to semi-regularly, and I would love to hear from you again! It's always fun to catch up :)
.. Also I just realised it's been over a year since I last commissioned you D: Time really flies! .3.
You were an absolute delight to work with, and you have one of the cutest characters I've ever had the pleasure to draw! ^_^
OH I'd also love to try drawing your noodle snek character some day if that's okay with you? :D
And of course!!! I'd love to see how she looks in your style! I'm very happy that you asked! :D