[Patron-Only Feed] A Good Start

I've had a fairly productive month thus far. The $10 Patron Sketch Suggestions in particular started pretty strong. I've definitely made the NSFW tier much more interesting with my recent changes, and there's a surprisingly more notable presence of NSFW content so far.

Slowing down... 

Although I've gotten a good amount of work done thus far, I've been trying to slow down, and although it is tough to do, I'm glad I'm doing it. Not only is it more relaxing, it also allows me the opportunity to spend an adequate amount of time on every piece of art before sharing.

It's not always easy determining what I want to do, or how to make meaningful content, and that extra time really helps. After examining the work I've been doing lately... I really feel like the content I produce is much better when I'm slow & relaxed.

A Hard Question...

The new Patreon model has raised a question in my mind, and it's one of the hardest ones I've had to ask myself in a long time... What do I want to do?

What do I want to make? What is my ideal vision for the work I create?

These questions are especially important in relation to my major illustrative works and the $3 Patreon Reward tier. Now that I've got more time to spend on artwork, I can make them better & more meaningful... But I'm not sure that I know HOW to create meaningful content.

Is there a specific aesthetic? A certain level of refinement?

So I think that I just want to create art that I'm more mindful of. Artworks in which I'm actively trying to better myself with, whether in my use of narrative, colour, space, or composition. I'll try to focus on whatever it is I want to do on a piece-by-piece basis. 

The First Concept Art Thread

Under the new Patreon model, the $7 tier is about sharing concepts & design philosophies. That means it can take quite some time to conceive and articulate my ideas into a format that's comprehensive, yet readable. Still, I think it's a much better use of my time than the "daily sketches" from before.

The first major $7 post of this month pertains to design elements in the Elayne Beaumont universe. In it, I briefly tackle an element of Elayne's outfit, and touch on the religious order that exists in her world. You can read that HERE, if you haven't already.

It was very enjoyable to slow down and build towards the ideas I presented. Given how long these posts are expected to be, I can't have very many of them in a single month, but I hope the value each one offers makes up for that. I'm trying to have at least two a month.

Time Enough at Last...

We're still in the testing period for this new Patreon model, so I've yet to grasp the full image of how my schedule's going to look, but I'm hopeful that I'm able to produce quality content while also maintaining the freedom to spend my time as I see fit.

I've started playing Nier: Automata. Pretty enjoyable, but I've only just entered the desert, so I'm not very far. There are a lot of games I'd like to get to, so I hope I can play through some of them this year. I've been making some great progress on Hyper Light Drifter with a friend, and that's been a pretty enjoyable experience too!

Although it wasn't necessarily a resolution, I've been trying to clean up & foster a space that I'm much happier being in -- As much as I can, anyway. There is a lot to do, so I'll take it one step at a time. 

Overall, I'm just trying to be more mindful of my time and build towards a handful of things every day, while giving myself plenty of time to relax. It won't always be easy, but it's at the forefront of my priorities. 2018 was an incredibly stressful year; so much so, that I can not remember being anywhere near as stressed in the last few years. 

I'd like to make 2019 a much better year for myself.

Don't forget to eat & sleep.