I just realized I’ve written over 400 posts here on my blog! This is 401, baby! That’s pretty insane. I have been keeping my blog for just over three years! It has been a great experience. The reason I started my blog was to keep myself more focused with my artwork. It was the only way I could hold myself to a schedule. It forced me to take time out of my day for my art when otherwise it would get overshadowed by other things happening in my life. Doodling once or twice a week just wasn’t cutting it. My blog has helped me with my time management and also my confidence in my work.
I have always been a quiet, modest person. It was always difficult for me to show off my work even though I knew I needed to be in the public eye to make it as a full time artist. Being on here, I have been able to build relationships with other bloggers and force myself to ignore self-doubt. I’ve met a lot of amazing people on here; a lot of them are just like me! It’s nice to have people to relate to! It helped build my confidence and made me more comfortable with just being myself. I don’t feel the need to “put on a face”. This is all Meg, baby, open for all the world to see! I’m not “afraid” to be me anymore. It’s a great feeling.
In all of this, my work has improved immensely! Not only because I’m obviously dedicating more time to it but also because I’m not afraid of how my work is going to turn out anymore. I use to waste so much time, stressing over my work, thinking it’s never “good enough”. It became difficult to stay motivated, not wanting to start a new piece until the current one was finished. Though, I never wanted to finished the current one because I was avoiding it, doubting my talent. These past couple years I’ve been able to get away from this way of thinking. Now, my ongoing goal is to just keep drawing, keep creating, just be. That’s it! Do what feels right and for god’s sake stop thinking your work is crap! It’s just work. It’s just art. It just is. Good? Bad? It’s a matter of opinion. All I can do is just make it. It is what it is. Once I accepted that, my art became carefree and easy going. The finished pieces come out so awesome and I’m more proud of my work than I have ever been. You can’t force perfection nor can you expect to work like a machine. It’s cliché, I know, but it’s the flaws that make things interesting. It’s the imperfections that attract attention.
So, long story short, I really enjoy blogging and it has done wonders for my work as an artist. What made you want to start a blog? Share your story in the comments below! Thanks for checking out my 401st post! I’ll have to do something super special for the big 500! Until then…
Just be, free spirits!
Simplicity is so important when working with ink. I normally work with pencil so this can be difficult for me. I want to cover the whole area when I shade, like with pencil, but it is not necessary with ink. Repetitive and parallel lines can be effective in shading. Also, I drew a lot of people this month, which is not my strong suit. I quickly learned how messy a face can turn out if you try to keep “fixing” things. Just put in the most important lines to get your idea across and then leave it alone!
Commitment is right up there with preparation. You already know that this is calling for 31 sketches, if you decided to do one everyday. I knew I would have to complete my sketch around a full time job, home chores, family time, dinner and whatever else needed my attention (i.e. school events, holidays, or maybe even some “down time” would be nice!). I knew the only way I would be successful was to keep my sketches small, simple, and completed within a certain amount of time. There is also that moment, a little more than halfway through the month, when you start to get really lazy and you just don’t want to be obligated to do that sketch. Do it! If you feel that way, pick something you know is easy for you to draw and keep it simple (there’s that word again). This leads us to our next topic…
