Year 2: Quarter 3

Hello, hello.

Feels like an eternity since I've posted! Let's see what's happened since the last one.

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Goals of the Previous Quarter

[✓✓✓] Experiment and create!

We definitely experimented and boy, did we create! Honestly, it's quite difficult to look at because there's so much going on. Every single one is trying to command your attention and I don't think that's particularly stellar. On and individual level, it is! But as a collective whole in the gallery? Not so. I cannot say that we are done experimenting, or learning for that matter, but I think it's about time we started narrowing our focus and hone in on a visual direction that screams 'me,' yet also allows for changes in presentation, if that makes any sense. The individual elements are definitely there. Everything now just needs to be unified...

[✓] The Astral Triptych: Desire - Work on Storyboard.

Work has been done and boy is it going to be moving slower than I ever could've expected. Well, sort of - juggling a bunch of things at once tends to slow all of those things down. Regardless, it's slowly crawling along. I'm about 25-30% of the way through the storyboard and this is the part that's definitely going to take the most amount of time. In hindsight, I should've rehashed the script to make it more transferable into sequential images, but oh well. That will be something to think about for the sequel.

Speaking of which, I have made the decision to not make this a graphic novel. I don't feel good about gating off content (that I reeeally intend for people to look at) behind a pay wall, so I will release it in its entirety as a web comic and the same goes for the larger projects that will follow this one.

[✓] Finalize plans for personal website.

The plans have, indeed been finalized. In fact, the website itself is almost finished as a whole. There are a few things that needs to be added (still need to get that print shop sorted out), but I'm predicting that it will be all ready to go in about a month from now.

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Instagram and Patreon

So, in the span on three months, I have changed my views on both of these platforms. The short version of it is that I now have an Instagram and I will soon be launching a Patreon. The long version? I was morally conflicted with using them and I thought having them would be an affront for what I stand for. Silly, right? Well, the thing is, if I plan to get all of this off the ground, having both of these would be instrumental for growth. Instagram would allow me to reach a non-artistic audience (so that they would be more inclined to buy prints; people that make art and/or sell tend to not want to buy another creator's work) and Patreon would enable the ability to focus all of my attention on this, full-time. Note how I say 'enable' and not 'guarantee.' Honestly, I'm unsure if that day will ever come, but it's certainly not going to hurt me if it doesn't.

The Patreon page will function as follows:

- You may pledge as much as you want, $1 being the minimum (or zero if you don't thing you should).

- It won't have tier subscriptions.

- There won't be any additional benefits from pledging outside of a sincere expression of appreciation.

A total rip-off, right? Well, yes, but actually no - kind of? The thing is, you don't have to throw money at me. I'm not going to beg and plead and cry for you to. You should only pledge if... a) you have the disposal income, b) you genuinely believe that I deserve something for my work and

c) you genuinely want to support my work. Should you not meet any of these requirements, the solution is simple: don't throw money at me! I will continue to ensure that my content remains at a steadily increasing, yet consistent, level of quality, as well as free (when it comes to my digital content, which again is pretty much all of it), regardless of how much I am funded. Fund me, because you want to.

The page is going to go up at the same time I release the website, for the sake of ease. Do understand that once it is released, that I'm not going to shove it down your throat, I'm not gonna bombard you with "SUPPORT ME ON PATREON" or do the whole "I'M ABOUT TO LAUNCH IT, HOPE IT GOES WELL; EEEEE I'M SO EXCITED/SCARED/GONNA VOMIT" (knowing full well that it's going to over-perform on launch) years later. Just going to be upfront and take care of this now and spare all of us the unnecessary drama. It's just going to quietly remain in the background as a means of donation for those that really, really want to help and all of my content will remain in the forefront. Otherwise, nothing will change outside of the constant and steady improvement of the quality of my content. And that's truly all that matters, right?

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Goals of the New Quarter

• Experiment, create and unify!

• The Astral Triptych: Desire - Work on Storyboard.

• Write and explore!

In case some of you were not aware, I've also started uploading timelapse videos to my YouTube channel alongside my new pieces. This will be a regular thing. And, since I'm getting into a good rhythm of creating things, I also think I'm going to start exploring a myriad of different topics I can create videos on. I already have a few ideas, but they're not fully thought out yet. What are they going to be about, I hear none of you ask? Well, let's just say storytelling and philosophy are going to be at the core of it. Potentially also narration. That's going to be a fun dimension explore. And one I've been told to do by A LOT of people. It's about time that I did.

Anyways, I've rambled long enough.

Until the next one,

April 15!