ip029-Bells

Greetings, fellow futa lovers!

In the past few weeks, I have spent more time offline than usual. On the one hand, it was intentional. My attention kept me as offline as it could. This period of disconnection has been enriching for my creative process — a shorter version could be, “It looks like my body is telling me to stop doom-scrolling.” The quiet moments allowed me to reconnect with my inner muses, which felt pretty good. On the other hand, it was at least partially beyond my control, and all I could do was accept that this was happening.

Coincidentally, I watched an interview with Tori Amos, whose music I deeply enjoyed and admired back in the day. I had her albums and listened to her regularly for more than a decade. Eventually, I moved on. She changed. I changed. Nonetheless, I was surprised to see the performer, composer, and person she has become. She seemed to me like a mix of a modern-day shaman and a Greek aoidos, so yeah, she talked a lot about the muses and how songs have a private life, and will, of their own. She stressed that she could tell very clearly the moments she composes by herself from those that she’s in dialogue with external, spiritual forces. I know this may sound odd to our contemporary common sense.

What struck me was that, although I’m usually skeptical about spiritual interpretations of the creative process, it often feels exactly like that. Most days are about using one’s skills regularly and consistently, and everything is more or less predictable. One day, then, precise compositions, colors, and ideas come to mind, dozens of them, sometimes in different styles, and they all seem to come from outside. Some of my favorite illustrations, like Relief, Gala, Reunion, and Sweetie were created in such a flow state, and I was lucky enough not to ruin everything before they were completed. The next day, however, I may catch myself wondering if I can even draw.

Now that I'm back online (sort of…), I'm excited to share my latest work with you. I revisited last month's illustration, but this time, I approached it with a special focus on getting a good impressionistic underpainting. This perspective has brought a fresh life to the character, showcasing details from her anatomy that wouldn’t have worked as well with last month’s illustration.

What about you? Which approach do you prefer? How have the muses treated you so far?

Thank you so much for the love and support! I’ll send the Carmine and Cyan packs links in a few minutes.

Enjoy! =^_____^=

Q.