“If you’re scared about Trump and you’re very worried, you’re going to be O.K., too. Because if you look at our country’s history, change doesn’t come from presidents. Change comes from large groups of angry people. And if Day 1 is any indication, you are part of the largest group of angry people I have ever seen.”
- Aziz Ansari on SNL
Tried out my new Midori sketchbook for the first time today! The paper is so soft and smooth, and copic markers work so smoothly on it. I’m loving it so far!
“Do what you can, with what you have, and where you are.” - Theodore Roosevelt.
Somedays inspiration comes easily, surrounding you sweetly and spurring you to create with an easy force. But other days it feels like you’re slowly picking at your brain, prying ideas out slowly and painfully. You can’t control when inspiration hits you, and the best thing we can do is move forward slowly, one sketch at a time.
An evening illustration based on the Nepali children’s tale, Dhon Cholecha. Where an abused little girl buries her best friend goat’s bones, and they turn into a large tree, full of hot buns.
I’m a sheep, a SHEEP!
This past week has been full of failures and frustrations. I’ve been trying to force myself into inspiration, trying out ideas I’ve had stocked away for a while, but they don’t look right, they look off, sad. It feels like my muscles have forgotten how to paint, draw, and create; like I’m slugging through mud.
Any suggestions about how to break out of this?
I forgot my mittens in below zero weather today. My hands hurt.
From blood and bone. I wanted to play around with not lining my forms, it was a fun experiment. Reminded me of how I work with paint or printmaking!
Making art can be scary. Fight back and keep making things.
Something from a few months ago. A little fall time whirligig. 🍂
5 Goals for the New Year:
Taking care of myself is one of my top priorities. With my mental illness issues, and my hectic work schedule, taking care of myself is important. So here are my goals.
1: Take control of your eating disorder. Go to the gym and work out to get stronger, rather than to obsess over your body and your weight.
2: Take time to read a book. Life is busy and hard, and you have a lot of goals you want to reach. But reading a good book may help to inspire you to create better and better work, as well as just serve as a way to relax.
3: Cuddle your dog, as much as he will let you (which is a lot, trust me).
4: Take a bath once a week. It always makes you feel better.
5: Don’t let your depression rule your life. Let it be a shadow in the background, not an all encompassing cloud. Most things are not as bad as they seem. Promise.
10 Art Goals for 2017.
1: Practice watercolors. Try to paint something every few days, learn how to use them. Hopefully you will stumble upon your own style with them in the process.
2: Get back into the print studio. Find a place to print and print. (printprintprint!)
3: Draw everyday. Whether that be line drawings, illustrations with markers, or sketches with watercolors - just make things everyday.
4: Don’t focus upon one specific style or medium, you make a lot of things, so don’t make it fit into only one thing.
5: Put yourself out into the art world. Apply for grants, and exhibitions, and comic anthologies. Nothing happens if you don’t try.
6: Post your work to Instagram and Tumblr everyday. I repeat: nothing happens if you don’t try. Maybe even try out other social media platforms as well! Don’t let your fear of rejection hold you back.
7: Don’t constantly second guess yourself and your art, it’s worthwhile. It doesn’t have to be the most amazing, life changing, illuminating art the world has ever seen. You can just make things, and those things are pretty okay.
8: Create comics. Strive to create a comic essay each week.
9: Learn how to take better photos of your work. Even if your work is good, if your photo looks like shit, so will your art.
10: Doggedly pursue art. Its what you love. Don’t back down, and keep working until you like what you do; and even past that. Just don’t stop.
A few of my favorite games from 2016 (in no particular order):
1: Oxenfree by Night School Studio
I love story based games. Beautiful art, and an intriguing story with all the classic science fiction nods you could hope for. Plus a foggy island full of caves? It’s beautiful and awesome.
2: Slimerancher by Monomi Park
This game is the most relaxing game I’ve payed in a while. Cute, happy,little slimes? Building an adorable ranch? Everything about this game is adorable and fun.
3: Life is Strange by Dontnod
I know that technically this game came out a little while ago, but this game continues to be one of my favorites to watch and replay. The story is incredibly deep and sweet, and heartbreaking, the art is beautiful, and the world is so expansive.
4: Hustle Cat by Date Nighto
Want a fun dating game about people who turn into cats, where you can date dudes and ladies and work at a cat cafe. A+
The importance of proper inking. I need to keep proofing this one!
