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Don't worry, I'm not dead!
Posted 7 years agoHi all,
So some of you might've noticed that I haven't uploaded anything for almost 2 months now. I profusely apologise for that; an update is long overdue, so I think it's about time I told you all exactly why my content's been non existent since the beginning of 2018. Time, oddly, isn't actually a particularly big factor; yes, I'm nearing the end of my Undergraduate University Career, and so the amount of work I have to do on that front is greater than ever, but I do still, in theory, have the time to put my ideas (be they drawing or writing into practice), but at least for one medium, that simply hasn't happened.
Simply put, I just do not have the clear mind necessary to draw, nor the motivation for that matter. Every time I try to start drawing, my brain goes "shouldn't you be revising/studying?", and I can't bring myself to continue. I do still have ideas, though, and perhaps over the Easter Break, I might try to actually pick up drawing again. I do really enjoy it, and I am keen to keep it going.
Thankfully, the story-writing side of things is a lot more positive. Pretty much from the moment I stopped drawing two months ago, I've began work on a Coming-of-age story with Connor the Monkey and a Grey mix-breed Dog named 'Samuel' (whom I have drawn before, I just haven't posted any artwork with him to FA). Both of them are Asexual, and part of the drive behind this story is to concrete some of my experiences in finding my Asexuality, and show them to the world. This is a story I am hell-bent on turning into a full-on novel (or perhaps a Novella, as it's not likely to be a massively long story), and actually getting published; I'll self-publish it if I have to. Thus, all my writing attention has been focused on that, rather than little short stories. I will certainly return to writing brief short stories if I get an idea for one, so watch this space.
I thank all of you for being so patient. I'm kicking myself for not updating you sooner, but I've been struck by this nabbing, sporadic lack of motivation that constantly hits me; this depressing, all-encompassing feeling of dread that's taken over everything I do. Burn-out? Perhaps; I know it's not depression, so don't worry on that one.
I will upload when I can, but I can't guarantee anything. Thanks all; enjoy the rest of your day.
Over and out,
MuddyMonkey
So some of you might've noticed that I haven't uploaded anything for almost 2 months now. I profusely apologise for that; an update is long overdue, so I think it's about time I told you all exactly why my content's been non existent since the beginning of 2018. Time, oddly, isn't actually a particularly big factor; yes, I'm nearing the end of my Undergraduate University Career, and so the amount of work I have to do on that front is greater than ever, but I do still, in theory, have the time to put my ideas (be they drawing or writing into practice), but at least for one medium, that simply hasn't happened.
Simply put, I just do not have the clear mind necessary to draw, nor the motivation for that matter. Every time I try to start drawing, my brain goes "shouldn't you be revising/studying?", and I can't bring myself to continue. I do still have ideas, though, and perhaps over the Easter Break, I might try to actually pick up drawing again. I do really enjoy it, and I am keen to keep it going.
Thankfully, the story-writing side of things is a lot more positive. Pretty much from the moment I stopped drawing two months ago, I've began work on a Coming-of-age story with Connor the Monkey and a Grey mix-breed Dog named 'Samuel' (whom I have drawn before, I just haven't posted any artwork with him to FA). Both of them are Asexual, and part of the drive behind this story is to concrete some of my experiences in finding my Asexuality, and show them to the world. This is a story I am hell-bent on turning into a full-on novel (or perhaps a Novella, as it's not likely to be a massively long story), and actually getting published; I'll self-publish it if I have to. Thus, all my writing attention has been focused on that, rather than little short stories. I will certainly return to writing brief short stories if I get an idea for one, so watch this space.
I thank all of you for being so patient. I'm kicking myself for not updating you sooner, but I've been struck by this nabbing, sporadic lack of motivation that constantly hits me; this depressing, all-encompassing feeling of dread that's taken over everything I do. Burn-out? Perhaps; I know it's not depression, so don't worry on that one.
I will upload when I can, but I can't guarantee anything. Thanks all; enjoy the rest of your day.
Over and out,
MuddyMonkey
Where on Earth (or some extra-terrestrial entity) am I?
Posted 8 years agoGreetings everyone,
So it might not've gone unnoticed just how much time has passed between my last upload and now. I have about ten minutes to kill, so I figured it was about time I updated you all on where I am. The main theme of this journal is to outline the numerous differences that've happened in my life since my last upload, that will change my creative output...probably for good. Firstly, I've actively been putting my drawing on hold; I realised that I'd hit a glass-ceiling in terms of quality, and that the only way I was going to get any better would be to devote hours on end to improving many, many aspects of my shading and composition, and that was time I simply did not have. My University Degree always comes first, and that's in full swing as far as work is concerned (it likely will be from now until May next year). Now I haven't let go of my creativity completely; I'm still writing odd things here and there to pass the time, but nothing major.
Over the past hour prior to writing this, I also realised a major part of why I was reluctant to come back to any of my Furry Art pages. See, my most recent drawing uploads have featured Nathan, my Labrador character, in various poses in his undies, and...basically, I'm kind of ashamed to have drawn any of my characters like that. I was drawing not what I *wanted* to draw, but what I thought would give me views; I much prefer envisaging my characters doing things I would've wanted to do either as a child or the young-adult that I am now, and as such, I'm making a promise to myself to not draw any NSFW (even Semi-SFW) art for the foreseeable future (unless things get really bad, then dicks for days xD!). Sod the number of views; I'm going to draw art that I want to draw, because then I'll feel a lot more proud of it. I am looking to change some aspects of my existing characters, just to keep things fresh, and this leads onto the final part of my journal.
See, I currently have a crush on a guy, and though I won't go into the details of it, I think this whole experience has made me reflect back upon my creative side. Things I write or draw from now on will reflect the experiences I'm having with him (it's worth noting at this point that he doesn't know I have a crush on him; we're only seeing each other as friends...for now). Hopefully you'll see the fruits of my labour soon enough.
Hopefully that clears a few things up as to where I am, and where I hope to be.
Over and out,
MuddyMonkey
So it might not've gone unnoticed just how much time has passed between my last upload and now. I have about ten minutes to kill, so I figured it was about time I updated you all on where I am. The main theme of this journal is to outline the numerous differences that've happened in my life since my last upload, that will change my creative output...probably for good. Firstly, I've actively been putting my drawing on hold; I realised that I'd hit a glass-ceiling in terms of quality, and that the only way I was going to get any better would be to devote hours on end to improving many, many aspects of my shading and composition, and that was time I simply did not have. My University Degree always comes first, and that's in full swing as far as work is concerned (it likely will be from now until May next year). Now I haven't let go of my creativity completely; I'm still writing odd things here and there to pass the time, but nothing major.
Over the past hour prior to writing this, I also realised a major part of why I was reluctant to come back to any of my Furry Art pages. See, my most recent drawing uploads have featured Nathan, my Labrador character, in various poses in his undies, and...basically, I'm kind of ashamed to have drawn any of my characters like that. I was drawing not what I *wanted* to draw, but what I thought would give me views; I much prefer envisaging my characters doing things I would've wanted to do either as a child or the young-adult that I am now, and as such, I'm making a promise to myself to not draw any NSFW (even Semi-SFW) art for the foreseeable future (unless things get really bad, then dicks for days xD!). Sod the number of views; I'm going to draw art that I want to draw, because then I'll feel a lot more proud of it. I am looking to change some aspects of my existing characters, just to keep things fresh, and this leads onto the final part of my journal.
See, I currently have a crush on a guy, and though I won't go into the details of it, I think this whole experience has made me reflect back upon my creative side. Things I write or draw from now on will reflect the experiences I'm having with him (it's worth noting at this point that he doesn't know I have a crush on him; we're only seeing each other as friends...for now). Hopefully you'll see the fruits of my labour soon enough.
Hopefully that clears a few things up as to where I am, and where I hope to be.
Over and out,
MuddyMonkey
"Alright, no more monkeying around".
Posted 8 years agoHi all,
I never normally start with something so blunt, but on this occasion I felt it to be the best course of action. TL;DR, I'm putting drawing on hold indefinitely. The reason is simple; my drawings have hit a glass ceiling in terms of quality, due in part to the fact that I've struggled to grasp more complex drawing programmes like Paint Tool SAI, and Clip Studio Paint, but also (and more importantly) because my time is taken up predominantly by academia now. Even writing this journal, I'm gripped by an overwhelming barrage from my brain, shouting at me that I should be reading for my first Semi-structured, recorded Interview that I'm doing for my Dissertation this evening.
Story-writing, however, shall continue whenever I find the time (on a side note, OwO, over 110 views on Chapter 1 of A Slippery Situation?! Thanks guys!), as I can write them practically wherever I have my laptop, whereas drawing is far more specialised. Life's going O.K at the moment; I am, just about, keeping on top of work, but I'm just giving you all a forewarning that my creative output may very well slow to treacle-levels over the next month or so.
I will try and take some more photos with my Randolph The Chimp mask, for sure (I have a few ideas), so expect a few more of those; he's inspired me to try and get legitimately better at photography etiquette and skill...age, so hopefully that'll produce results.
That's all for now; enjoy the rest of the year, everyone!
MuddyMonkey
I never normally start with something so blunt, but on this occasion I felt it to be the best course of action. TL;DR, I'm putting drawing on hold indefinitely. The reason is simple; my drawings have hit a glass ceiling in terms of quality, due in part to the fact that I've struggled to grasp more complex drawing programmes like Paint Tool SAI, and Clip Studio Paint, but also (and more importantly) because my time is taken up predominantly by academia now. Even writing this journal, I'm gripped by an overwhelming barrage from my brain, shouting at me that I should be reading for my first Semi-structured, recorded Interview that I'm doing for my Dissertation this evening.
Story-writing, however, shall continue whenever I find the time (on a side note, OwO, over 110 views on Chapter 1 of A Slippery Situation?! Thanks guys!), as I can write them practically wherever I have my laptop, whereas drawing is far more specialised. Life's going O.K at the moment; I am, just about, keeping on top of work, but I'm just giving you all a forewarning that my creative output may very well slow to treacle-levels over the next month or so.
I will try and take some more photos with my Randolph The Chimp mask, for sure (I have a few ideas), so expect a few more of those; he's inspired me to try and get legitimately better at photography etiquette and skill...age, so hopefully that'll produce results.
That's all for now; enjoy the rest of the year, everyone!
MuddyMonkey
Getting down to Business
Posted 8 years agoMorning everyone,
So even though it hasn't been that long since my last upload, I figured it'd be a good idea if I gave you all a forewarning as to how much time I can dedicate to my creative side over the next few months. My University Semester officially started this week, with Monday, Thursday and Friday busy with lectures, and my weekends full of Society (club) things. This does leave Tuesday and Wednesday mostly free, but there's a catch; my Dissertation (or Thesis, or whichever terminology you apply to it). Precisely because my academic modules won't really kick into gear until next month, I need to dedicate my time to further reading and actually collecting research for this sodding thing, which means that even though I technically have free time, I won't always be able to dedicate it to writing/drawing.
But enough complaining, what do I actually have in mind with regards to my creative side? Well, as I'm sure some of you know, we are now in "Inktober"; a creative period over the month of October where actually talented artists do an inked drawing a day. Best case scenario, for me, would be to do one inktober drawing a week, however even if the worst happens, you can expect *at least* one Inktober drawing from me, and potentially a Halloween-themed short story. I won't make any promises (as that never goes well), however after a large bulk of reading I've done over the past week and a half, I feel like I should reward myself by getting back into creative Furry media again.
Hopefully that should give you all a good idea of where I stand at the moment; now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do the most British thing possible. Go for a walk and complain about how lovely and sunny the weather is today. It's too warm xD!
Bye for now,
MuddyMonkey
So even though it hasn't been that long since my last upload, I figured it'd be a good idea if I gave you all a forewarning as to how much time I can dedicate to my creative side over the next few months. My University Semester officially started this week, with Monday, Thursday and Friday busy with lectures, and my weekends full of Society (club) things. This does leave Tuesday and Wednesday mostly free, but there's a catch; my Dissertation (or Thesis, or whichever terminology you apply to it). Precisely because my academic modules won't really kick into gear until next month, I need to dedicate my time to further reading and actually collecting research for this sodding thing, which means that even though I technically have free time, I won't always be able to dedicate it to writing/drawing.
But enough complaining, what do I actually have in mind with regards to my creative side? Well, as I'm sure some of you know, we are now in "Inktober"; a creative period over the month of October where actually talented artists do an inked drawing a day. Best case scenario, for me, would be to do one inktober drawing a week, however even if the worst happens, you can expect *at least* one Inktober drawing from me, and potentially a Halloween-themed short story. I won't make any promises (as that never goes well), however after a large bulk of reading I've done over the past week and a half, I feel like I should reward myself by getting back into creative Furry media again.
Hopefully that should give you all a good idea of where I stand at the moment; now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do the most British thing possible. Go for a walk and complain about how lovely and sunny the weather is today. It's too warm xD!
Bye for now,
MuddyMonkey
A rather prologned Art-Block
Posted 8 years agoHi all,
So I felt it about time to explain the reasons behind my fairly long absence, especially since I foolishly claimed in the description of A Fish Out of Water's Chapter 3 that I could feasibly get Chapter 4 done in a day (that's taught me never to promise or claim anything with regards to my upload schedule xD!). You might think it's due to a lack of time, but that's not strictly true; whilst I wait to hear back from an employer about whether or not the Summer Job position I applied for is still available, I do still have a considerable amount of free time on my hands during a day.
So why is it? Well, with my art, I've slipped into that infuriating phrase where I can't seem to be getting any better, particularly with regards to drawing muzzles, and certain aspects of bodily anatomy (with the neck and shoulders being my biggest pet-peeve); I see vastly superior artists on twitter and Furry Art sites, and my brain goes "it's no use; you'll never be anywhere near as good as them, so why bother?" My motivation for drawing really is a rollercoaster, and it's one of which I have no control over its movement. Writing, on the other hand, is still something I am keen to pursue; Chapter 4 of A Fish out of Water is proving to be longer than I originally anticipated, however, and when I do have the time to write, my brain then says "shouldn't you be doing something that's more conducive to your academic career and future life, like researching for your Dissertation or searching for more Summer Job opportunities?"
It's a difficult one, this, and it sure isn't helped by my steadily nabbing desire to find a partner; given my ambiverted nature, I can manage (and somewhat enjoy) being on my own, but I think writing A Fish out of Water has opened my eyes to the adventures and possibilities one can enjoy with a partner, and another caring, mature person in my life is something I'm very keen to acquire.
So to summarise, all I can say at this stage is that I have absolutely no idea when any of my creative outputs will be released; frustrating, I know, but that's exactly why I've never taken commissions from anyone xD! Sorry to those who are still waiting for my next upload; it will happen, trust me.
Anyways, I suppose I should end with something more positive, so I'll say I'm looking forward to travelling up to Wales in a few days to spend a weekend with one of my best friends; it'll be a nice break that may help me internally.
Bye for now,
MuddyMonkey
So I felt it about time to explain the reasons behind my fairly long absence, especially since I foolishly claimed in the description of A Fish Out of Water's Chapter 3 that I could feasibly get Chapter 4 done in a day (that's taught me never to promise or claim anything with regards to my upload schedule xD!). You might think it's due to a lack of time, but that's not strictly true; whilst I wait to hear back from an employer about whether or not the Summer Job position I applied for is still available, I do still have a considerable amount of free time on my hands during a day.
So why is it? Well, with my art, I've slipped into that infuriating phrase where I can't seem to be getting any better, particularly with regards to drawing muzzles, and certain aspects of bodily anatomy (with the neck and shoulders being my biggest pet-peeve); I see vastly superior artists on twitter and Furry Art sites, and my brain goes "it's no use; you'll never be anywhere near as good as them, so why bother?" My motivation for drawing really is a rollercoaster, and it's one of which I have no control over its movement. Writing, on the other hand, is still something I am keen to pursue; Chapter 4 of A Fish out of Water is proving to be longer than I originally anticipated, however, and when I do have the time to write, my brain then says "shouldn't you be doing something that's more conducive to your academic career and future life, like researching for your Dissertation or searching for more Summer Job opportunities?"
It's a difficult one, this, and it sure isn't helped by my steadily nabbing desire to find a partner; given my ambiverted nature, I can manage (and somewhat enjoy) being on my own, but I think writing A Fish out of Water has opened my eyes to the adventures and possibilities one can enjoy with a partner, and another caring, mature person in my life is something I'm very keen to acquire.
So to summarise, all I can say at this stage is that I have absolutely no idea when any of my creative outputs will be released; frustrating, I know, but that's exactly why I've never taken commissions from anyone xD! Sorry to those who are still waiting for my next upload; it will happen, trust me.
Anyways, I suppose I should end with something more positive, so I'll say I'm looking forward to travelling up to Wales in a few days to spend a weekend with one of my best friends; it'll be a nice break that may help me internally.
Bye for now,
MuddyMonkey
