So, I've decided to get off of my fat, lazy bum and get to work. With no motivation, very little time and no real support in my work, I've decided to give myself a challenge. Well, lots of challenges, really, and in three different areas of my life and work.
ILLUSTRATION
I've had comic book ideas in my head for many years. More years than I should have let them linger. All the while, I sketch, often unsuccessfully, and go no further. Lately, I've been trying to lay down the ideas in dedicated sketchbooks, a practice that has really been helping lately.
However, for as little as I actually practice, and practice with no strict instruction, I'm seeing the flaws in my work. I was never a good student, and my laziness has marred me and my skills. I need a whip-cracker, someone or something to tell me I'm doing it wrong. As I have no money for schooling, nor time, I guess I have to be it.
So everyday, I will have a three area to work on through the challenges:
1. General drawing skills, where I will attempt to improve my anatomy, scenery, perspective and detail.
2. My comic book-in-progress, Divine Company, including character designs, items, locations, scenes and pages. Occasionally I will take a break from it, though, and work on some of the other things rattling around inside my head.
3. My comic strip-also-in-progress, RocketRat Blues, which would include all those above.
WRITING
I've never been a strong writer, despite my like for it. These challenges are my attempt to turn my like into a love. Something that can only help me in my attempt to turn my characters into relatable people.
As in my Illustration challenges, I have several areas that I'm challenging myself in:
1. Short stories. I will attempt to write at least one short story a week, or edit one previously published. I always have tons of ideas in my head. This is my attempt to expand on them in a way that may help improve my general writing skills.
2. World Building for my comic book-in-progress, Divine Company, as well as script drafts. I'm not putting a great priority on this yet, as I want to improve in so many areas, but I do want to keep the work moving and fresh. As in the illustration challenge, I will occasionally put it off in order to give a little attention to other works-in-progress.
3. World building and scripts for my comic strip-also-in-progress, RocketRat Blues. I will attempt to write out a few a week so I can draw them out later.
EXERCISE
Lately, I've just been growing, and not in any way that I enjoy. I need to get healthier, so I may have more energy for my family and all this impossible work I'm starting.
Starting on Monday, November 7th, I will start my workout program and post my results online in an attempt to keep me into it.
And to finish this page, I'll just root for myself a little:
'Yeah, Mike! You can do it! You're the greatest! Woo! We love you!' Bounced the sexy cheerleaders.
'Shut up, I know it.' I cooly blurt.
End self-motivation.
All material within linked sites is property of their owners. All rights reserved.
Opinions subject to change as personal growth progresses.
