I started this months ago, but in light ofcurrentevents, I buckled down and finished over the last 3 days.
I didn’t really discover Ghibli until I was a teenager, but my God do these movies capture that perfect happiness of innocent childhood discoveries, or the subtle challenges of people growing up in a society that is also growing up.
Even though it’s the end of an era, it sure was a golden era, and I feel lucky that there are movies like this out there.
This art is from 2014 (jeeeeeeeeezus), I’m bringing it back to contribute to Ghibli Cleanse
Anonymous asked: I'm only saying this for your sake, but objectively, it's not a smart idea to bring politics into normal hobbies. You might lose supporters of your blog just because of your political stance, and that would be terrible since you're so amazing!! It's only a suggestion, but I really reccomend not bringing politics into anything.
I didn’t make enough art in 2024 to do a proper Year In Review! The Retrospective helps give me the longer term picture, where you can really see my output just plummet over time. These aren’t everything from the years, but these are the color illustrations I did for fun.
I was PROLIFIC in 2020 and 2021, I now feel, haha.
Fears:
That I have lost my drive to do art; I don’t feel enough passion for any media to make obsessive fanart, and I don’t have any independent creative projects anymore, having lost faith in my first try.
That I reached the “my taste exceeds my abilities” level and I lack the will to power through it and making art now causes me dread and shame instead of fun and pride.
That perhaps this isn’t a creative “phase,” or burnout that’s lasted for 2 years, but perhaps that in my 30’s I truly will never get my energy and zeal back.
Hopes:
2024 was really tiring in general. I bought a house and I moved. That is a tiring thing, in any scenario. I spent most weekends house-hunting, and then when I actually found one and had my offer accepted, the REAL work began. I’m wiped! This is a perfectly reasonable and valid explanation for lower productivity. Now that I’m unpacking and settling in, there is plenty of room for hope that I’ll have time and energy to draw again.
The “My Taste Exceeds my Ability” problem can be a good thing if I can attitude adjust. I need to change my mental relationship with drawing in 2025. I can see I had the same issues at the end of 2023 from last years write-up. If I’m going to “draw more,” I have to not feel so critical about what I make. I’m always going to TRY to draw well, but I need to reframe it somehow - instead of thinking, “well, this isn’t as good as I want it, I’m not improving, it looks bad, and I spent ages on it,” I need to think Not That. Maybe, “well, that’s another practice run in the bank.” Not every new artwork has have a focus on improving and challenging myself. Sometimes you can just sketch something fun and comforting. As a treat.
Easier said than done of course! If anyone has any tips to overcoming one’s own brain, sage council is welcome.
