[Blog] September? More like Done-ember... Nailed it!
Added 2024-09-26 12:23:32 +0000 UTCI'm probably done working for September. I've gotta take care of some stuff behind the scenes over the next few days. There was A LOT of big boob artworks made this month, so how does that feel?
Anyway - here are some thoughts and stuff.
Patreon Compliance
As previously mentioned, Patreon staff have disabled my ability to receive money until I comply with their demands. I have until October 12 to do so - if I don't, they will remove me from Patreon. I do not like what they are demanding from me, but it seems I have little choice.
Given how Patreon is still the most convenient platform of its kind, I will do my best to continue using the platform - but be aware that I no longer have any positive feelings towards Patreon.
Burnout & Catching Up
Although I'm caught up now, I fell behind on Patron Sketch Requests. It's not a large amount of work, so my only explanation is that this was the result of built-up stress and burnout. It has affected both my work & daily life, it would seem... I won't lie, it's probably the worst I've been in a while.
I'll get to work on that Bridal Elayne & Summer Pinup soon.
Enshittification
Websites are becoming less reliable. Twitter/X is a poorly designed mess with ignorant fools in charge, Cohost just died, and Patreon has been slowly oppressing its user base to appease venture capitalists, banks, and payment processors.
The instability of these platforms puts a lot of stress on our livelihoods, but there's nowhere else to rely on... It is no longer wise to trust any of these platforms - even SubscribeStar isn't fully reliable. I feel the need to consider what a future without Patreon or Twitter might look like.
I'm also tired of slavishly devoting myself to "omnipotent crowdfunding platform" instead of focusing on actually creating things that are cool and make people happy.
Live Streams
As I look to other avenues, I think I should start live streaming again. Although I used to stream every day (a long time ago), I eventually stopped due to the toll it took on my mind and body. But it is one of the best ways to foster a greater sense of community - which is the opposite of what I've done lately.
I'd like to do it in a way so that you could potentially find me streaming any day of the week, but I'd also like to keep it fairly casual. Whether that involves painting, game development, or just hanging out.
Female Link Friday
Despite having expressed an interest in doing more Female Link Fridays, I clearly haven't done so. If I want to do this, I think I need to make it a more active goal within the framework of my career - like it's the main focus of my week.
Game Development Goals
One of my biggest problems with game development is that each session of development time is spread weeks or months apart from one another, impacting momentum. If I could commit to a weekly goal or make time for a little work each day, that might be nice. Maybe something to try with streams.
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Don't forget to eat & sleep.
Comments
My work is simply not suited to a portfolio space. Most of it is quick stuff to consume that is better suited to social media timelines - not meaningful creations.
brellom
2024-09-28 14:20:22 +0000 UTCYeah, is Zelda.
brellom
2024-09-28 14:19:24 +0000 UTCFor mastodon, there is relatively less people there than other place but also no algorithm so your follower get your content. For the personal website, I don't agree? It's a portfolio, a place where people can look at a selection of your art you decide to showcase. It's a way for people to link to you. It's an anchor for your presence on the web. I've seen a few people use publii to create a personal website. From what I've seen it looks like a blog admin interface and give you static files you can upload to services like neocities or netlife and they host your website.
gkr
2024-09-27 06:39:58 +0000 UTCThe problem with stuff like mastadon is they're small islands that relatively few people use in the first place - they're not too different from places like cohost in that respect, so it's hard to commit so much time and energy to places like that. I kinda don't want to put so much work into maintaining a whole bunch of different platforms either. A personal website seems a bit wasteful for an artist like me though.
brellom
2024-09-27 01:51:04 +0000 UTCDespite the nonsense you've been dealing with, your work has continued to impress.
Shawn Heatherly
2024-09-26 18:33:20 +0000 UTCAlso that zelda (?) is super cute 💕
gkr
2024-09-26 17:48:06 +0000 UTCHave you considered making an account on the fediverse to replace cohost? A nice part of mastodon and the band is if the server you use close, you can migrate to a new one and it's mostly transparent for your follower so you don't have to rebuild. Another option I've seen for artist is a personal website, using neocities.org and using an RSS feed to keep people up to date. This way it's really your place where you have the control.
gkr
2024-09-26 17:47:36 +0000 UTCHonestly, I do miss the streams, but I also know how draining it can be to stream. I'm always down to tune in for a Twitch stream, Picarto's harder because their app sucks and I'm usually at work unless it's pretty late at night. Maybe something to explore is Discord streams? You can set up a voice channel where nobody has speak permissions, and just stream art or games or whatever there. Could be a game night, could be a movie night, could be art stuff. Just something to consider as another option down the line. As for next month, I can see why you're hesitant to do Link stuff every day if you're already feeling a bit burnt out. Make sure you take time to relax for yourself as well.
Calsetes
2024-09-26 12:29:03 +0000 UTCDespite all the stuff you've been dealing with, you keep persevering and I continue to say that I hope to see you make lovely works of art, no matter what happens. I also hope you've been doing your best to sleep and eat well too, Brell! 🥺👐💖
Ethan Moreno
2024-09-26 12:27:48 +0000 UTC
