She/Her, 21 yo, 🇺🇦 | My name is Cookie, I'm self-taught artist, fan of Lloyd and LEGO Ninjago! I create various work and write a graphic novel “Ninjago: Future of the Past”
🍪 [EN] Besides social media, I have a Telegram channel where I occasionally drop things that don't make it to main blogs! These can be random sketches, some personal photos, thoughts, or even the process of recording my music tracks! For the English-speaking audience, this is a temporary setup.
I’m looking for another place that is simpler and more accessible for you, and start building a proper community once I’m personally more stable. The same goes for the website for “Future of the Past” — I want this project to really hit deep and evoke the right feelings, and a place where I could gather all the info would help solidify the bigger picture.
Just a personal space for all sorts of nonsense, here I can talk about absolutely random topics. Only one problem — I'm obsessed with Lloyd…
🫛 [RU] This channel is for Russian and Ukrainian speakers! Bean Plantation is a laid-back place where I let myself go a little crazy (partly literally)! Here, I also show my work processes, share various thoughts, and post random moments from life.
I’m a native speaker of these languages, which makes it easier to run the Plantation. Its main goal is to be a cozy, comfortable space rather than a perfect, proper blog. I want to gather my kind of people there — those who appreciate a channel of spontaneous thoughts just as much as something more organized.
Личный канал где я делюсь мыслями, целями и просто пишу о жизни и рандомных вещах. Мой основной канал — https://t.me/ninjagood_4
🍃 IMPORTANT!! Due to recent life events and the threat of burnout, I’ve been reconsidering the format of «Ninjago: Future of the Past». Even though the plot and atmosphere are fully locked in, the format remains my number one question!
I’m used to working in a comic format and naturally think in panels. On top of that, since English isn’t my native language, the translation might feel less expressive. To be honest, sharing my writing still makes me feel a bit self-conscious lmao. I feel kind of silly every time I write something... 🥺 But there is a very high chance that “Future of the Past” will be released as an illustrated book — just like I originally planned right at the start. Before making the switch, though, I want to be absolutely sure it’s the right move for the project.
My AU has gone off course multiple times, and honestly, every detour has only made it better. Since this is meant to be a psychological drama, a text format will allow me to explore the deepest metaphors, character thoughts, and subtle associations! Plus, having fewer illustrations is a huge bonus — I won’t be under such a constant threat of burnout, which means I can significantly upgrade the quality of each artwork instead of rushing through hundreds of comic panels.
The text below is a third-person narrative meant for one of my future animations. Instead of just dumping it into my notes, I used it to test this program’s formatting and usability, and I’m really happy with the results <)
Please share this project and let me know your thoughts! It would mean the world to me to know that this story resonates with you!
— “I have traveled all this way to bring a hero, yet he proves to be the Grim Reaper!”
— “Since you're the one asking for help, it means you can't provide it yourself! Just stand aside and don't ruin my plans. At least they're worth something, unlike your whining.”
During this hiatus, I keep reflecting on art and have started noticing so many things that used to ruin my pieces without me even realizing it. I began seeing a lot of flaws in work, and sadly, it really shook my confidence at first. But whenever I sometimes find the strength to draw, I take those mistakes into account and don't repeat them anymore. Above all, I strive to capture the story, atmosphere, dynamic, and a cinematic quality — something my old artwork really lacked, unlike work today!
This break, along with running my personal channel, has really helped me understand my own tastes better. I now see what genre FotP fits into, its pros and cons, and how people perceive it, since the feedback is usually very consistent. I’m focusing on these insights to nail the exact mood. Plus, now that the story is fully written, I’m brainstorming the best way to piece my drafts and visuals into a complete story. Originally, I envisioned it as a book, then moved to a storyboard format. However, recent circumstances made me reconsider everything. I even tested out standard comic book pages and thought about a novel format with text and illustrations (It’s very similar to the original planned book format, but with a highly thought-out layout and atmosphere). I want to make the most of this process so the project keeps and strengthens its core vibe, and so I can bring my true vision to life.
The project has become so massive, and I really don't want to burn out in the process, haha! From the very beginning, I’ve strived to make this AU as high-quality as possible and as close to the vision in my head as I could. Over these 4 years of development, it has veered off track a few times, and every single time it led to something better. So, I’m trying not to be afraid of changing the format if I have a gut feeling that it’s exactly what will help it hit the mark.
A little bit about the changes in art style
Facial expressions used to be a big issue for me. I realized I needed to change the way draw mouths and teeth to get the result I wanted. A bit later, I discovered that can use Photoshop to tweak the colors and make the whole artwork look rich and atmospheric! On top of that, I used to rely on references almost every time I drew a tiger, but in this piece, Leo was drawn entirely on my own. Not only that, but I also adjusted his facial expressions to make him look more cartoony and charismatic :)
I’m just absolutely obsessed with this project lol, I hope you guys like how it turns out in the end! And yeah, I promised to share more details about it, but right now I’m in a bit of a mental rut and have been less active. At the very least, I’ve never shown what the northern lights look like in the Valley of Mountain Fires before xD I think the best way to share more would be creating a community or a website, but that takes time and energy too. Still, I’m not scrapping the idea and will definitely do it once I have the strength. So many little details have been thought out in this project, and almost every single one has a cool story behind it. The lore was built to span multiple seasons, basically trying to recreate my own take on a new episode of a familiar show. I really want to dive into all of this together with you, and I’m ready to do everything I can to bring this project to life in the best possible way.
Kind of a dumb question but I saw the image that was posted on bean plantation about Lloyd going from dumpling to bean to dumpling and stuff and I’ve just now realised that that is how Lloyd’s clothes work but why doesn’t he change his clothes size and also do these clothes exist in real life (if they do it would help understand more about them)
His clothes size does change rather than staying the same :) As for that image you saw on Bean Plantation — on the last two pictures, he’s actually wearing two different kimonos with the exact same cut. Since this question has already been brought up before, I'll give a brief answer.
Lloyd altered his kimono a few times when he started losing shape, but at one point, he just got tired of it. When his new kimono stopped closing properly (for the fourth or fifth time), he decided to just leave it as it is. Frankly, it doesn't even look like a problem in the story. No one (except for ninja) will realize that the kimono fits wrong until this idiot says it himself. I thought it would be a funny moment and a way to highlight how peaceful everything seemed on the outside, even though Lloyd felt completely out of place.
You reminded me of Season 2 when Lloyd grew up and his clothes actually fit right… As a kid, I never noticed that young Lloyd’s kimono was actually sized for an adult 🙃 So yeah, Lloyd changing physically every now and then doesn't mean his clothes just stay the same.
🗯️ I absolutely love inspiring posts and highlighting achievements, so after 10 months a moving I share a little bit of progress!
This week I passed two tests with surprisingly few mistakes, officially confirming my A1 level in German! When arrived I was completely overwhelmed, especially by the language. Now I can even understand a little, the speech no longer sounds harsh to my ears, and can even say a few things myself 🥹 This is my first experience learning a language, and so worried that I wouldn’t be able to learn a single word, but... it’s just amazing! The next six months will be dedicated to studying A2, and if I pass, I’ll be able to continue my studies to the next levels!
Since arriving in early September, there has been no chance to see the parents yet and the stay in social housing continues. Unfortunately the situation is difficult, with even more serious problems arising back home for them. There are a few plans in mind, but everything changes so fast that discussing them right now makes little sense. An update post will follow only if things actually work out... There is also an opportunity to get support me for training in a creative field, but given the circumstances, spending years on education feels doubtful.. ✨Self-learning is alive✨
I haven’t forgotten about project and arts, I’m just taking a break right now to sort out some other things. My gallery isn’t empty (especially the trash bin lol), and don’t just want to post, I want to elevate the quality of content! Honestly, this desire has grown over the past year because during this break, I noticed an awful lot of flaws in older work. Was shocked when I opened a post from 10 months ago and saw the difference, It feels so good to know that despite the pause art skills have actually grown ❤️🩹
And yeah… My current goal is to get on track quickly, so opening a few driving license categories for employment seems like the fastest, most practical option. I still experience anxiety, and last time they were reluctant to issue me a driver's license because of eyesight, but the situation compels us to consider all options. My overall mental state has also deteriorated, but I’m not giving up hope on that front either (
A month ago I wanted to create an autobiographical video and even started working on it, but it turned out to be too emotionally taxing. There are many things I still haven't talked about, including why I loved anonymity so much (my Telegram channel has somewhat blurred that boundary). Hope I can overcome this trauma and, honestly, in some ways I really am starting to break free from it. It’s honestly depressing that I can’t really talk about it, even though I truly support everyone who’s gone through it. This past summer was the first time I ever told a close person about it. It was only after seeing her reaction that I even considered getting help, because it turned out I had just gotten so used to treating it as normal that I didn't see the problem. And such a strong reaction left me rather shocked.
I'm never can't just forget about this, this is something you learn to accept. I really hope that working through this will not only make me feel better but also make work, and myself, more open. Breaking free from these illusory boundaries feels impossible, and honestly, I don't think can make it out on my own. I tried to handle it by myself for years, but in the end, I just buried my feelings until something triggered terrible anxiety now and it all came pouring out at once.
Once, I said that the only way to defeat the Oni is to find something stronger than Destruction :(
Unlike pure-blooded Oni, who crave nothing but destruction and lack any human empathy, half-Oni absorb the emotions of their host. This perfectly explains why Garmadon mastered Destruction so effortlessly, while Lloyd broke under its weight. Garmadon lived alongside darkness since childhood, he learned to accept flawed side, achieving a twisted internal harmony with his Oni nature. He never saw demonic heritage as an abomination, to him, it was normal. Consequently, Garmadon could easily harness Destruction to serve his ambitions, instantly channeling his wrath with every emotional outburst.
Lloyd, however, is father’s absolute polar opposite. The poor soul is genuinely terrified of evil 😭 As the Green Ninja, he is bound to goodness, striving to be fair and just to everyone, while completely burying his own anger and resentment. Lloyd was willing to endure profound emotional agony just to spare others from it, and needless to say, discovering his Oni blood was a traumatic shock. Instead of accepting this facet of himself, Lloyd chose to ignore and suppress it…
Since a half-demon’s Oni side feeds on the host’s emotions, it senses his suffering and struggle. In a way, it internalizes this pain and desperately tries to ”help”... Yet, bound by its demonic nature, Oni believes the only way to stop the hurting is to inflict that same pain onto others and seize absolute control. Its violent attempts to break free are a warped hand of rescue — a primal urge to protect Lloyd. At the same time, because there is no emotional bond between Lloyd and his inner shadow, the Oni remains consumed by a raw, demonic thirst for ruin. Its ultimate goal is simply to inflict trauma and devastate everything in its path, even if it destroys Lloyd’s own body in process.
Therefore, to prevent a tragedy Lloyd must stop restraining his Oni side, which deeply loathes suppression. To bridge the gap between them, Lloyd needs to feel safe and supported. Only then will the Oni's destructive urges subside, allowing them to finally reach a state of mutual understanding.
I also want to emphasize that Oni Lloyd smiles precisely because of his long-suppressed emotions. It’s not joy, it’s a sense of relief that he can finally scream out his inner pain! It bothered me a bit that his expression in show was just pure anger, so I wanted to add more expressiveness to it lmao 😭 He might break into occasional giggles, and his voice is raspy, but that doesn't change the fact that he can still growl and rage just like in Crystallized. That smile is a subtle hint of his remaining humanity, like when people laugh hysterically during a complete emotional breakdown...
Hello! I have scoured the tag of your comic for a long time now and was wondering- Do you have a masterlist? If not. Where can I find your comic? I'd love to read it :>
Unfortunately, right now the only sources are my blogs and the posts in them, so everything is pretty scattered around :((
The good news is that I'm currently trying to find a way to create a website or something similar for an official place, and will be gathering all the information there. I haven't found the perfect and simple platform to work with yet, but it will definitely happen 🙏 I would also love to create a community where people can share theories, discuss the project, keep up with updates, and post fanart if they want to. It would be awesome to have everything interconnected, kind of like a Fandom!
