January 2023 Musings – Plz Reboot Brain & Tentative Streaming Plans

I want to make sure I always keep you guys in tune with what’s going on around here at least once a month, so we’re back to the monthly update format with a digest of posts!

January Happenings

I’ve been all about trying to reboot my brain to do more writing this past month!  For Christmas, Kev and I treated ourselves to a MasterClass sub and I instantly zeroed in on Neil Gaiman’s MasterClass because I’ve been a big fan of his since his Sandman days.  I often turn to his “Make Good Art” keynote speech when I’m feeling lost and it never ceases to get me motivated to create once more.  

To say Gaiman’s comics were formative for my teen goth girl brain would be an understatement!  I’m learning a lot with Mr. Gaiman about accepting failure, taking chances, and keeping a ‘trash heap’ of ideas.  There’s so much overlap between the skillbuilding of Art and Writing, which is no big surprise to me as a Studio Art and English double major, but it’s nice to get a refresher to my dormant wordsmith skills.

(Morpheus from The Sandman comics that inspired the recent The Sandman show on Netflix, at which I fangirl squeed many times at how faithful many of the scenes were to the original comics).

With all this schedule shake up, I’ve also been testing out the Structured app to help jumpstart myself into a new schedule with a digital visual planner, since I always seem to abandon physical planners after awhile and hate the waste they create.  It’s proven very useful, thus far!  The constant reminder pings help keep me from hyperfocusing too long on tasks I get deep into and even if I don’t follow the schedule to the letter, it at least makes me more aware of the passage of time, as I’m terrible at judging how long things take me otherwise when I get into a creative flow.  

I’ve been dancing between the Art and Writing Muses trying to get the brain in word-making mode, but also wrapping up a secret commercial art project you all got a sneak peek of this month and a couple of personal pieces I’ll share soon once they’re complete.

Rebooting this Patreon & Streaming Plans

While I’ve been seeing how my schedule equalizes, I’ve also been brainstorming of ways to engage with you all more directly, create more video material to share, as well as to reboot this Patreon with a new theme now that the Birthstone Goddesses have wrapped up.  

So far, I’m leaning towards the following activities, with a proper Patreon/Loyalty Merch theme to be decided via Patrons-only poll sometime in February, so make sure you’re pledged at any tier so you can vote in this upcoming massively important poll!

  • Streaming twice a week (a sketchbook session + video game night)
  • Monthly Hangout/Ask Me Anything
  • Videos on my inspirations, Art Challenge wrap-ups, Artist FAQs, etc.
  • Patreon deep dives (TBD when Patrons decide on a theme)

However, I want everyone currently signed up to my Patreon to get their full year’s worth of Loyalty Merch starring the Birthstone Goddesses before I reset this Patreon’s theme, so we won’t be changing things up around here till May when the final round of merch should be arriving to all you dazzling folks who choose to support me at $5 and above.

Till May rolls round, this Patreon is going to be a grab-bag of inspiration, art, and fun, which is ok with me while I give my Art Muse a rest from the years-long endeavor that was the Birthstone Goddesses!  It’s nice to have short-term, less involved things to explore at my own pace for just a little while longer.

That’s all for now!  I hope to have some cool art and other progress to share soon.  I’m especially hyped about how my Blue Eye Samurai personal piece is coming along and cannot wait to share it (with Patrons getting a Secret Sketchbook deep dive hopefully in February).

Till then!

– Ang

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January 2023 Digest of Posts

Coming in February

  • Patrons-Only Poll to decide my next Personal Project/Patreon theme!
  • Blue Eye Samurai x Exalted TTRPG Fan Art (Tentative. Gotta finish professional projects first!)
  • A D&D Character Portrait
  • Inspiration List – My Fave Movies That Make Me Want to Paint

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