As you may have noticed, I've been posting a lot of derby comics recently but I haven't really been talking about my current picture book project. I've struggled over the past few years with trying to update my illustration blog on a regular basis, while not sharing too much about projects that haven't been published yet. One side of my split personality thinks that sharing works in progress will help create interest in the books once they're finally published. The other side of me wonders how wise it is to overshare. For my current project, I've gone the route of undersharing... but rest assured, I've been working! And on Monday, the art goes off to my publisher!
Another reason I've been posting so many comics is that I am going through my normal, "OH MY GOSH THIS PROJECT IS ALMOST DONE WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NEXT I'M FREAKING OUT" stage. It is a time of great creativity and sleeplessness. While it's not always pleasant, I greatly prefer it to the stage directly after the project is entirely done and sent off, which involves mild postpartum depression and naps. Any other illustrators go through these stages? Anybody? Anybodeeeee?
Anyway, the weekly comics have been a great way to keep my blog updated, to practice a new art form, to generate new ideas, and to insure that I'll keep myself busy once my lil' bugs are on their way to New York (*sniff*).
2 comments:
I'm not an illustrator, but as a writer I can relate to EVERYTHING you are saying. (I imagine the same is true for other creative ventures.) I prefer not to share works-in-progress for 2 reasons: It diffuses energy/creativity out of the project rather than into it; and to avoid people asking "Is it done yet?" every time I see them. I can also relate to the creative process being "not always pleasant" (there's an understatement!) Even humor writing (which has been my focus for a few years) it not necessarily "fun". For any creative endeavor, I don't think most people have any idea how much work it takes, how many choices have to be figured out, how many false starts and mistakes have to be tossed aside. For me, it's very challenging to do, but the only thing more difficult is not trying (if that makes any sense).
... and I can relate to everything YOU just said! :) I particularly like the phrase, "the only thing more difficult is not trying".
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