#personalblip

[wbestintentions]

finally drawing again

I couldn’t find the specific painting reference I wanted so I mashed together 5+ paintings/photographs for a reference photo. In 2016 I made my digital drawing process, now I want to churn out illustrations.

At this point, I just want to draw portraits with reference. I’m in between projects.

[wbestintentions]

Textblip

My roommate called me a “lazy juggernaut” and I don’t think anything’s been more true.

[wbestintentions]

Personal Note

It’s been over a year since I moved to AZ, and I’ve changed in a few specific ways.

Living so close to my SO has brought us closer, and has made me a better partner and roommate. It is tiring to be around someone so extroverted, but in that regard, we respect each others’ time.

Working temp artist jobs has given me a very specific outsider’s perspective on the digital design process and the knowledge of what I need to be competitive in this industry. When it comes to a job search, I am miles ahead of where I was when I left college, in both experience and judgement, but I still don’t know where to go from where I am right now.

In the last year I average about ten hours of board games and RP games a week, probably more (see my media consumption blog). It’s fundamentally changed my creative problem solving and critical thinking. I’m learning patience. I’ve met some of the most interesting and friendly people, and a core social group, through the hobby.

I’ve started to make time for novels again, and I wonder how I was ever too busy to have a book.

The best part of Phoenix, though, is a spot on a road on my afternoon commute. At this spot, in the left lane, at sunset, you can see the whole west valley. It takes my breath away every time.

[wbestintentions]

PersonalBlip

(TW death)

Things have been going so fast lately. I started a freelance gig where I basically do tiny changes in hundreds of files, in a real office. The days are very slow, but I’m learning so much. I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a company so completely organized. I used to take the stance of “everyone is just keeping their nose above water”, but honestly this experience is changing that. Apparently temp work is exactly what I needed to learn new skills and meet new people.

So somehow in the last 2 years I’ve gone from finishing a degree in animation to working for real money in a related occupation. My skillset has so diversified that I don’t even know if I’m an animator anymore. I wanted to make a comic of this, and I still might. If I believe the artists and interviews I’ve read or listened to, at some point, if I work hard enough, I’ll figure out what really works for me. And then I won’t be an animator/illustrator/production artist/etc, I’ll just be my own style or title.

Around the same time as all of this, a week or two ago, one of the friends I met after I moved died suddenly. Before I moved out here, three deaths rocked my school district community within 6 months, all were premature. I just... there’s nothing I can do. And now everything’s moving so fast that I don’t have time to step back and think about the last few years and where I want to be in the next few years. My coping has been limited to writing this, skipping Rent and Spring Awakening songs when I listen to showtunes on Pandora at work, and making sure that I don’t shut myself up in the apartment all the time.

[wbestintentions]

Textblip

Today I shopped, got cookies, had too much sugar, did some drawing, ripped my leggings, and took a nap. My SO basically cleaned the whole apartment. I’m so lucky and I need some protein.

[wbestintentions]

New Year, New Projects:

After some thought, I decided to start a new text-based blog about the media I consume every week. Check out Lizy’s Media Consumption. 

Today I organized my new comp’s Pictures folder, found 10+ sketch-level illustrations to work on completing (including several pencil sketches of an OC and at least 3 backgrounds), made a new icon, updated the Reference blog’s theme, and customized the Media Consumption theme. The only thing left is to organize this blog’s tags and make dedicated pages for the main ones.

But it’s nearly 2:30am and I should really go to bed.

[wbestintentions]

Moving!

No updates for a while, I went on vacation with my family and tomorrow I’m going on a plane to move out with my SO to Phoenix! I’m super excited to meet new people, it’s like college again in that respect. Plus I got a new phone for the first time in 5 years and haven’t downloaded the tumblr app yet.

My first priority is a job, and then I need to get back to making art, because it’s definitely been a while.

[wbestintentions]

Textblip, problem-solving

A situation at work come up that makes me question whether or not I’m a bitch, if that matters, and if my approach to problem-solving is too aggressive.

Sometimes I think I’m ramming my way through things... and still not getting anywhere :/

I think I’ll just bang my head against a wall.