(This video was recorded January 17, 2017)
All the relevant links I mentioned:
My Patreon Page (especially for The Case of the Wendigo)
Storenvy (to get my comics, minicomics, prints, miniprints, etc)
Thoughtful Dinosaur KickStarter Page
Sign up for my email newsletter to find out when I can do commissions for you
My Review of Heart of Darkmeat
The next vlog update will be after Feb 23rd. Any comics-related news from me will be on this here blog.
Thank you for watching!
You. Are. Awesome.
It’s time for strategy.
So due to circumstances outside of my control, I’ll be leaving my day job (or, if you prefer, my day job will leave me) by February 23rd. However, it’s looking like it may happen sooner than that, but I digress.
Now, I COULD get another day-job… But the day jobs around me that are available are full-time (leaving me no time for comics) OR part-time, minimum wage jobs. My losing my current day job is just a bit painful because it was part-time and paid higher than minimum wage, a rarity in today’s world.
However, considering how well my making comics was doing, to the point where the day job was getting IN THE WAY… I thought, “Screw it. Let’s make comics and art-making a full-time gig!”
So, what to I have to do to make this transition easier? Continue reading “Going Creative Full-Time: A Game Plan”
Alright, first blog post of 2017, almost a full week after the new year has started.
First, I want to catch y’all up on what’s been happening.
For the last two to three weeks of December 2016, I was not only celebrating Christmas and New Year’s with the family, but also…
You read right – due to some surprise circumstances from just before Christmas, I will be transitioning to full-time freelance work by the end of February 2017.
As such, when I thought of my New Year’s Resolutions, I thought about what would help me not only stay on track for work, but keep me happy and healthy while working out of a home studio.
(Not to mention that with the ACA being repealed, I would have no health insurance, meaning one of my safety nets would be gone. Gotta stay healthy so I don’t bankrupt myself on the Right-Wing Reich’s medical bills.)
With all this in mind, I came up with three goals to achieve daily: everyday I will
These are to help build up to my big goals of the year:
There are other goals in mind, but most are finance-related and I don’t want to go into those (unless you WANT me to talk about personal finance, in which case leave a comment below and let me know).
There is one other goal I have, but it has a bit of a varying schedule. That is to keep exercising and stay in shape.
My current day job keeps me active, but when I go freelance full-time, that day job activity is gone. I’ll need new ways to keep in shape.
This is going to sound like a sponsor but it isn’t – thankfully I have an app called 7 Minute, which times you through a 7-minute long workout. There’s the classic, abs, legs, and butt workouts to choose from, which is quite the change – back when I first had the app, the last two workouts had to be purchased or unlocked by doing specific circuits. Now that I uninstalled the app, then installed it again, the workouts are just there.
Another goal I have (because I’m an overachiever but also like incorporating new things into my routine) is to write songs on the ukulele.
This adorable cutie is my new ukulele. Her name is Freddy.
I’ve played ukulele before, but only memorized four chords to heart. Not only that, but I know near-nothing about music theory or how to write songs.
To correct this, I’m going to practice more chords more often, and train my ear and musical ability with a new app that is also not sponsoring this, Perfect Ear.
Keep in mind, though, that my musical background up to now has included a brief stint in concert music in middle school, a failed stint at learning guitar, a successful gig learning to play Taiko drums, and playing ukulele for a year before leaving it for nearly two and coming back to it now.
So, if you have tips or tricks on learning to play instruments and get better at them, or how or what to practice, please leave a comment below.
The other goals I have (drawing, writing, and meditating everyday) I have done before. Now it’s just a matter of getting back into the swing of it.
Next blog post I’ll be talking more about what to expect when I break out of the day job in February.
Thank you for reading!
You. Are. Awesome.
It’s been a while since I’ve done Review Day Tuesdays, my YouTube video series where I review new comics, books, and other works. I had put it on hiatus back in the tail end of June this year, because my schedule was getting too bananas to update it weekly.
Now I’m getting to a point where I can revive the series, but there will be one big change.
After I get done with a few more videos for the Poetry for Troubled Times series, I’ll be bringing back Review Day Tuesdays, to update every other week.
Why?
Not only have I been reading new comics lately, but I’ve also taken up the job of being head librarian at my local Universalist Unitarian Church. The library at the church has a lot of books dealing with LGBT issues, sociology, gender, and world religions, and that’s not even touching on the biography section or the multiple shelves of poetry.
One book in particular is one I want to discuss – the book pictured at the top of this post.
I’m looking forward to this one especially because of some reasons pointed out in this Hannah Wilton video about feminism and masculinity. The biggest reason is that while feminism has made great strides for women’s rights and roles, the roles of men haven’t been discussed much, and for feminism to be effective for everyone, that MUST be discussed.
Also! There’s one book I found in the library collection, called “Against the Tide.” It’s a book about men in the feminist movement. That book has a chapter talking about how the Equal Rights Act can benefit men as well as women, and I will actually read that chapter for YouTube at some point in the next few months, because it has portions in it that few people discuss even today.
I can’t wait to share these books with you, and the new comics I’ve come across, including Tank Girl’s newest run, “GOLD,” and “Once Our Land,” an 1830s post-apocalyptic comic that takes place in Germany.
Books, and the discussions of their ideas, are more important now than ever, and I hope you’ll join me when the series gets fully revived. I’ll announce a more specific date on my email newsletter.
Thank you for reading!
You. Are. Awesome.
Let us rewind to Charlie & Clow.
Charlie & Clow is the story of Charlie, a college student who is walking home from class one day when she encounters a demon. She partners up with Clow, a mysterious goth man, and together they save each other and the city from this supernatural threat.
It was a black-and-white webcomic that aired on October 29, 2014 and then became a book on Storenvy.
Then came the follow-up adventure in 2015, Charlie & Clow: The Bonus Arc. This was the story of life with the punky duo that newsletter subscribers got to read until it, too, was gathered into a book.
On October 18th (next Tuesday), the final installment of Charlie & Clow, The Case of the Wendigo will launch…and unlike the previous two chapters, this new chapter in the story will be in FULL COLOR.
I’m really stinking excited for this new chapter because there will be romance, and new haircuts, and rogueishly handsome demons, and cosplay, and music, and OH MY GOSH I’m looking forward to making this!
Patrons on Patreon will get to not only see comic updates a day early, but also see how the comic gets made. So if you want to subscribe to The Case of the Wendigo, just check back on the Charlie & Clow site. If you want to SUPER subscribe, check out the Patreon.
Again, the story launches October 18th. Get hyped!
Thank you for reading.
You. Are. Awesome.
