I haven’t kept a blog consistently really since tumblr back around 2011-2012. Instagram took that over and massively deemphasized the use of words lol.
social media seems to be the epitome of style over substance. but I have been thinking about creating a space for myself to share my thoughts more consistently. after all I do think pretty pontificate non stop
I’m on a new journey with my illustration to really grow. I am also accepting that I’m a thinker, speaker and a writer as much as I am an illustrator. Sharing my ideas is really important to me. I also really love how they all add up. A blog is definitely a brilliant way to track progress.
To touch back on the illustration piece, I recently realized my ultimate goal would be to work in cartoons or video games in some capacity and I accepted that, my illustration leaves a lot to be desired if that’s something I really want to commit myself to. So I better get after it.
I also want to be much more intentional about how I put myself out in the world as an artist. I’ve had a few really good hits with some bigger companies or organizations but I’ve never been able to create any semblance of consistent work within that world. So it’s really been feast or famine over the years. but I realized its because I leave a lot of it up to happenstance. I get the good job referrals because I always knock it out the park when someone hires, I just don’t really put much effort into finding new clients or putting myself out there.
Further more I pour a significant amount of recourses into social media or other events that don’t ever really seem to pay off. So I’m in the process of kind of reorienting my focus toward growing my technical skills and putting my time into connecting directly with big museums or companies rather than leaving it up to chance.
I feel so empty sometimes when I put a piece out into the world that took 30 hours and it gets 30 likes. It get’s to a point where I see that more frequently than say the work I did with Verizon, or the people who’s jaws are dropping at the mural. But I always have such a good time and make so many friends when I am on a project. So rather than constantly casting a line out the noone ever bites I think I want to start leaning into the areas I have found success……. with the museums, with the people who bought the murals, with the ad agencies that reached out to me, with my teachers. I always have nourishing conversations with them. and in a way part of what I really want is to be working with people doing incredible things. I’m already actually doing that in a way. rather than focusing on how many like or followers I don’t have. I wasn’t present with dude at the restaurant I was painting. I was pissed off about how nobody way liking the mural post that I wasn’t even focused on the dude I was hanging out with.
Anyway! that’s where I am. Stay tuned
xoxo SMH
