Large Announcement

Howdy folks, I have a lot to share in this post.

TL;DR

• I'm shifting 100% of my focus to acquiring the skills required and building a portfolio for commercial game projects. 
• This Patreon page will now primarily serve as a tip jar. Requests and polls are discontinued. 
• The $1 and $30 tiers are being removed, leaving only $5, $10, and $50 tiers, all offering the same rewards: PSDs of my latest work, occasional NSFW content, and access to the Discord. 
• Subscribe only if you'd like to support me during this training arc.

Change will be effective 11/01/2023.

Long Explanation:
For the past 1-2 years, I've been complacently making slow, if any, progress in terms of my skill. After taking a step back and reflecting on what I truly want, I've realized that creating art for games is my ultimate goal. If not games, then at least some official commercial project. My art is mid, so this is a very ambitious desire and I think I have to all-in it to have a chance.

Not only does working on commissions and creating art solely for social media recognition not satisfy my creative or financial needs, but it also it serves as a distraction. A willing distraction from facing the reality that I'm not good enough yet to pursue what I actually want. It might sound conceited, but I aspire to have a legacy and build a portfolio that I can be proud of.

As I see it, I have two paths before me:

1. If I continue gaining social media clout, taking personal commissions, and following trends to grow my Twitter and Patreon, I may amass a large following and be able to increase my commission prices to the point of financial independence. This path feels insecure because my income is entirely tied to my social media, which could be deleted against my will at any moment - something we've seen happen time and time again to other creators. Furthermore, I can't envision myself being 40 or 50 years old with nothing really to show of my career other than some pin ups and porn. 
2. On the other hand, I can choose to abandon the aforementioned lifestyle and fully dedicate myself to self-improvement. I can start building a body of work that could open doors to commercial projects. Once I make that initial breakthrough, it will become easier to secure more fulfilling, emotionally rewarding, and better-paying work than taking random commissions. At that point, I could genuinely call myself a professional illustrator without feeling like a fraud.

I'm fortunate to live with my family right now, so I believe that if I'm going to sacrifice my income for a while to pursue this goal, I should do it now while I still have the means to live frugally. I need to start taking things more seriously. I don’t know if I am capable of reaching the level I want, but I need to find out.