Musing about Creative Bubbles & What Not

[Lady_T_Musings]

I've been in high-gear comic mode since the summer and drawing my cheeks (you decided which ones) off. Not just working on my main comic MM! but like also side comics. I did microcosmic summer and I'm very proud of my goofy lil romantical short. Doing that comic really made me get in touch with just how many characters I'd like to tell stories with and also cemented in my head, that not all those stories have to be 300pg graphic novels either. This sense of fulfillment getting just that small bit out was like such a high and I'm still riding it. Shoot, I wanted MORE!!!

Something that I like to do to just hear about the shenanigans folks can come up with is drop prompts in my book club, or in my friends' laps in general hahaha, and see what they do with it. This last one I posted has turned into a collab go figure:

You’re celebrating your 1 year anniversary with the one you’ve been dating. They’ve made a nice dinner of all your favorites showing how attentive they’ve been. They’ve been a bit off all night and you can tell they have something they need to tell you but are nervous. You know they aren’t quite human and that’s never bothered you for the most part, but now that you are thinking… just what are they? Thinking back to all of the small clues you piece together an answer and spring to tell them it’s ok you know that they're a __.

There were a few responses and they were all fun to read, but one really hooked me by a pal of mine (the same one that helped me get organized enough to just go for the gusto and make my current ongoing comic MagicalMashup!). She gave me a whole movie experience with my chicken dinner one weekend as she texted me the story of a merman trying to tell his fashion photographer boyfriend something important, but said boyfriend blindsides him by saying he knows his boo is a merman and misunderstandings ensue.

It's been a long time since I had the urge to do a collab, but the text exchange we had over these two dopes trying to get through a proposal has got me hyped a-f and I'm totally drawing it out. Not only that, but I'm using it as an experiment with trying scroll format comics bc it is defo a different ball game than page format. Yeah I know I can just splice up my panels and release them longwise, but each format has its strengths and weaknesses and I'd prefer to intentionally design for one or the other over chopping them up to fit the other format. Like it can work and get the point across, but there are cool scroll things that just don't work in page, and neat page formats you can do that just don't work in scroll, and editing the originals to fit into the other mold just feels unnatural and feels like I'm butchering an innocent (gawd I know that's dramatic, but it's how I feel.)
These are the dopes btw haha

Oh but there's more, my hubby was washing the dishes and said he had an idea for a super cliche story that I would love and I was like lay it on me :0
" It's a story about these two orphan boys that are besties bonded by tragedy and wanting revenge against their trashy fathers. The friends are total opposites; one is loud and outgoing, and the other is quiet and prefers his alone time. They both enter fighting tournaments to face their fathers to get revenge and they do in the end."
"Well I do like my opposites, but like...?"
"Oh and at the end, the outgoing friend kisses the quiet one on the forehead and is like the end."
"OHMAIGAWDDDDD BABBEEE TELL ME MORE." Hahaha, so I've been hounding him for details over the last 2 months and I don't wanna make any promises I can't keep, but between us, I wanna draw this chunni edge lord smorgasbord hahah.

Y'all IDk I just felt like talking and sharing. I've been in this creative bubble for months now and don't think I'm emerging just yet, but I want to see/hear what other folks are feeling creatively right now. The boon to this running with my musses is I really can get some shiz done when I'm all intense like this, but yo social shiz takes a nose dive, unless you are in the vortex with me XD.

I love seeing and hearing about other creative folks' journeys and whatnot, so I'm just out here fishing for folks that wanna talk about what they are up to creatively. learning something new, obsessed with some ocs, idk, lemme know what it do if you want to haha

TLDR: Ya Lady been on a creating high and I shared what I been up to above, and I wanna know where are y'all at creatively right now? Riding a high, feeling a low, obligatorily churning it out, doing a silly side thing? What up and feel free to post some examples if you like!

[Scarlet_Cryptid]

I could argue that I'm in a creative high right now.

I'm still putting out a page a week for my comic, Renegade Legends, by which I mean I am both posting weekly and also drawing a page a week, just to keep up. This, to be honest, is mostly obligatory churning out. I'm a handful of pages away from the end of this chapter, so I'm simultaneously really excited to have nearly finished it, but also kinda ready to be done with this chapter, you know?

I also just finished a monthly art prompt last month (Swordtember), where I drew a different sword every day, and I wasn't intending to start another prompt list this month, but then some mutuals on Tumblr started doing an Exalted art challenge, and I am a DIE HARD fan of that game, so I HAD to join in (check #exaltober on Tumblr. I swear something like half the results are from Toxinfox, aka Me), so now I'm producing tons of art, some of it high-effort art, for that ON TOP of drawing my comic.

I'm ALSO trying to finish nailing down the script for chapter two, which I'm going to have to start drawing in a month or so here. No pressure. (Maybe I'll use November for that-- instead of going full NaNoWriMo.)

[darthmongoose]

Happy to hear you're doing well, Lady T! Sketches are looking nice!

I'm in a weird place between a creative high and burnout.

I managed to hit my goal on my Kickstarter to do a print book of Errant within a week! Hooray! But the work that went into it was so tiring! I'm feeling pretty happy with the quality of my recent pages, yay! ...But I've been regretting not taking a break between chapters since very early on and this has been a loooong chapter. I'm not even sure how many weeks of solid updates it's been... a lot?

I feel happy with what I've achieved, but I'm also tired from the effort and need a rest. Still, only one more update to draw and then the chapter is done!

[Lady_T_Musings]

Congrats on keeping up with your upload schedule Scarlet! Sounds like you almost at the finish line for ch2 and like that's baller a-f. I'm totally feeling that ready to be done and move on to the next phase though too. I'm also finishing up ch2 of my main comic and baybeh I'm already like I wanna be in 3 already, but at the same time, I been working on 2 for about a year and some change and know there's some streamlining I can do. I've been learning a lot about how I wanna make my comics, so imma take my scheduled break to work on some other projects and clean up my script and storyboard over trying to quick jump into ch 3. Will you be breaking after 2 or jumping right back into the grind? Ahh the things we do for our lovely art babes haha.

Yoooo that's what's up swordtember dang, see that sounds pretty epic and totally something I should give a try bc my weapon designs is basic B* and I totally wanna up my game there so that would be a fun way to go about trying some new thigs out :3. Ohhh when I get off work I'll totally check that tag out and see what folks coming up with for Exalted, never played it tho :0.

Ahhhh the self afflicted pressures of scheduling muahhaha, they can be a pain, but they help keep us together. GAWD I used to read all my friends NaNo stuff each month back in the day, but I never participated myself. Ok not to be that lil devil on the shoulder but like oohhh you have an idea of what you maybe wanted to do for NaNo? Ohhh decisions decisions.

[Lady_T_Musings]

Omigawsh, that sounds like a fruit tree caught in that awkward phase of fruiting and flowering at the same time. Like treading that fine edge, like ok I'm done, but yeah that's a weird place to be. You feeling it physically or like mentally or like a mix?

Ok freaking CONGRATSSS MONGOOSE That's freaking baller a-f! 1st week!?!! yooo Yoo you been going hard. I know running a kickstarter as a indie publisher is a whole job and a half, you doing it though so pats on your back! Here's to completing your time table as close to your original goal as possible for your KS and oohh chile I hope you are able to rest them weary eyes once you are at a good place with what your trying to accomplish.

You totally should be bc that's a major accomplishment! You're almost at a rest point it sounds though so yeeeeeeeee get it!

[darthmongoose]

Omigawsh, that sounds like a fruit tree caught in that awkward phase of fruiting and flowering at the same time. Like treading that fine edge, like ok I'm done, but yeah that's a weird place to be. You feeling it physically or like mentally or like a mix?

Mostly mentally, but the day after I hit my target it was physical, like I was just exhausted, I had aches all over from being tensed up for a few days and really emotional. Luckily I had my partner around who was like "Okay, well I'm going to be around when you hit the target and then crash and get sad an need a massage." (which I did) They're the best!

Ok freaking CONGRATSSS MONGOOSE That's freaking baller a-f! 1st week!?!! yooo Yoo you been going hard. I know running a kickstarter as a indie publisher is a whole job and a half, you doing it though so pats on your back! Here's to completing your time table as close to your original goal as possible for your KS and oohh chile I hope you are able to rest them weary eyes once you are at a good place with what your trying to accomplish.

You totally should be bc that's a major accomplishment! You're almost at a rest point it sounds though so yeeeeeeeee get it!

Thank you so much! Yeah, it's been hard! I've printed books before in the past, but usually as part of a group, and this is my first time running a Kickstarter. It's so daunting pushing that "go live" button! I'm really happy to have done it though, and I'm so excited to see the new books! (and also to chill out for a week or two)

[Lady_T_Musings]

Aweeee that's so dang lovely that they are there for you in your time of crash and tense muscles Ooohhhweeee yeah, get some of that swweeet sweeetttt release!

Lookit you being all independent person up in here doing in big and all solo in stuff haha. You did it though and that's such a good feeling!! Pft that crying behind shades emoji is pretty perf pft hahahaah.

[powerplantanimations]

I'm always in a creative high (I have to be if I want to have a serious career in writing). I just started my YouTube channel (which has the same artstyle/humor as my webcomic), but I've been having issues figuring out topics to keep the algorithm going. I then cracked the code and am currently working on something that could not only get my comic more attention, but can help me grow on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter marketing wise.

The thing that annoys me is that I have to be really, REALLY patient before I do my top secret project and the worst part is that I already have dubs ready for my comic? I think the voice actors are eager to see the project releasing, but I want to release it right after I finish up the videos. (I post these secret videos every weekday and I post the dub episodes on the weekends).

As for the webcomic, I'm extremley happy. I've already hit 19,500 views and 155 subscribers. First year, first webcomic. The only thing that's making me nervous is that my artist just moved places and he doesn't know when the wifi will turn back on... which is fine except we're already at the Season Finale. Hopefully I can stall people enough because my previous arc was like this resurgence in views.

[Lady_T_Musings]

OKKKKKK get it Power, we likes to see that kind of energy in ones projects The social media game stay changing up and like this ol spinster got swirls in the eyes trying to keep up hahah.

Ohhh snappp sounds like a fun way indeed to promote your comic! That sounds pretty baller and fun! Wishing you success on that front and more Power to ya hahaha I couldn't resist.

Yassss all the snaps on hitting them views and subs yooooooo!! Here's to your artist being able to get back connected with ya so y'all can get this season wrapped up ayyeeee!!

[TheLemmaLlama]

Probably coming down from a creative high atm; been obsessed with this visual novel idea lately and churning out pages and pages of rough outlines, thematic notes and incoherent script fragments but I feel like I'm just about done dumping the contents currently in my head

In the middle of watching some visual novel LPs though, so I might draw another bout of inspiration from those - who knows, maybe this wave isn't over yet XD

(I really need to focus on grad school though, so I'd kind of welcome a creative low art/writing-wise right about now :'D)

[smokesalty]

That's so nice to hear, and those sketches look so COOL! I love the character designs and how their colour schemes compliment each other. Are you planning on drawing the boyfriends more (wink wink, I'm wondering if I'll see doodles of them on your Instagram )

I can relate to that feeling of being super excited for a new idea It's be best when you're just obsessively doodling a fresh idea.

For me currently, I'd say I'm on the verge of being in that creative bubble, but not yet. I'm almost recovered from my surgery (my appendix was being quirky) so I'm trying to get back into my usual rhythm again. But like laying around while recovering is making me want to do something energizing and get out the house for once so I'll see how that goes

Lately, I've been feeling super happy seeing a small fandom emerge around my comic! While I was on hiatus, I've been doing a lot of marketing on tiktok and instagram which has led to a lot more people checking out my comic. People have told excited for the new chapter, gotten some really cool fanart and people calling themselves fans of my work like AHHHH

Definitely motivated me to get back to work on the new chapter so I can share more of the story with my readers! As long as I've been writing stories, I'd always dreamed of having people love and care about the characters and stories I've made, and the fact I'm seeing it happening feels amazing.

But yeah! Feeling pretty good, I should be back to working on the comic as well as my other fun little side projects soon

[VibrantFox]

i think i've definitely been feeling a creative high lately but acting on it is a lil more 50/50 due to varying amounts of energy to actually work on things ^^;

like i was definitely on a roll during this past (first?) week of october pumping out new adopt designs and prepping and posting art for backtober not to mention getting notes and outlines in order for comic projects i've been developing for a while now honestly just being able to create and draw and write after dealing with a day job eating up most of my time and energy felt good! but i think in riding the high i might've bit off too much too soon and wore myself out

i am trying to do better to take my time now tho it's just juggling creative work and looking for a new day job kinds of muddles things so some days it's like riding the perfect wave and others it's doing what i can to stay on the board and above water. The one thing tho is I'm gonna latch on to those nuggets of joy that arts been bringing me and savoring em for as long as I can, especially on those off days

Looking on the lighter side of things tho I don't think anything has made me as happy lately as working on OC stuff for blacktober! Getting to highlight characters from these story projects and showing em off and seeing it as an opportunity to kind of get a better feel for them and elements of their stories I hadn't reflected on before. Plus seeing folks enjoy them or take interest it's like givin me the warm n fuzzies thinking about it coz these lil people living in the corners of my headspace make me smile and exploring their world is as much a joy as exploring ours so if i can drag a few folks in I'd say it's a win

[Lady_T_Musings]

Yoooo the winds of creativity have grabbed you fully and of course when you trying to focus on other things DX. Lookit you suffering from creative high dannggg XD!! A VN huh? Ohhhhhhhhh that sounds like a fun project ohhhhhhh!! I’ve always been interested in the process and so many cool indie ones have been popping out that its pretty inspiring to see folks being able to get their own up and running bc of how accessible the software has become to so so

Here’s to getting ya school work done (while on the low low getting ya game thoughts organized too haha!).

[Lady_T_Musings]

Ahhhhhh glad you dig these boys bc im obsessing over them atm. I been in the the bubble hardcore, but that wouldn’t be a bad idea to post some more stuff between them, well the sfw stuff anyway hahahah, since I been sketching up a storm. Gotta learn from your social game Smoke hahaha!

It feels so fulfilling yoooo ahhhhhh

Your appendix betrayed you DX!! I know exactly how it feels to be out of commission bc of surgery ughhh, though sounds like you are coming up on top of the road to recovery so Huzzahhhhhh!! I know you ready to move and be done with all the bedrest so here’s to getting back in the game and being ok :D!

Eeeeeeee!!! Im so happy that your comic fanbase is growing and you seeing dedicated folks love on ya bugman and number crew Ahhhhhhh !!! That’s mega exciting!!

Ride that waveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

[Lady_T_Musings]

Ayyyeeeeeeee Fox that’s what’s up!!! you have been working tho! Doing them challenges and though you probabky went a lil hard and feeling it now, glad you've been able to get dome stuff out :3!!

ohhweee that work life balance can be a struggle, and i hope you continue to be able to find that energy to do what makes you happy after hitting that grind at work. I’m stocked that I’m able to now, but it took years to get this point and i still worry about loosing it if i have to get a new job and start over with energy management DX.

That’s a good way to go about it in my book when you’re in flux, latch onto them nuggets and make the best of what you can do . Though i sure hope you’re able to get into a position that allows you to get balance and really catch your stride!

Yasssss for them fuzzy feels coming from that OC lurvveeeeee I’m here for it haha!! Mnnnnnn embracing the OC feel good vibes for sure Fox!!

[UrMom]

Aw man, that's awesome! Admittedly I'm at a creative low atm.

I want to work on my comic, but my body doesn't do the thing. Speculating it's due to a mix of current events, and my environment. I'm an adult who leeches off their parent because I don't make enough to live on my own, I'm also heavily introverted and she works from home, so she's around literally 24/7. Been running on fumes energy wise due to this, it would be great to have at least a week of total solitude to recuperate, but the only place I can get it is in my brain (Kind of.) so I've been unintentionally fazing out a lot rather than doing comic stuff. I've dropped down to a page every two weeks, regardless, I'm still struggling to keep up.
Events related, my parent recently asked me to go back in the military because we've been living from paycheck to paycheck. Something I really didn't want to do because the job made me borderline want to die, and the base was 2 hours away so I'd have to get up at 3am to make it on time. I've been pretty anxious due to this, will have to give up my comic for at least 4-6 years which is crazy depressing, but I've been trying to come up with a game plan in case I do get back in. (Depends on my ASVAB scores. I have a really low IQ so it's up in the air whether I'll meet the minimum retest score requirements.) The couple of plus sides is I'll get out of the house... even though I'll be around more people, and I'll be able to do the things I didn't have time to do thanks to being busy with my comic, like brain training and language learning apps, or reading chapter and -ology books.

So yeah, my drawing life has been pretty bad. On a good drawing note, though, I joined a small zine and already got my contribution done. Which is super nice since most of the time I end up waiting to do things like this till it's too late.

[Lady_T_Musings]

Talk about rocks and hard places to be in uh Mom hahah, but for real though I totally feel you on the being and feeling trapped in your current home life sitch. I didn't move out of the house until I was well into my 30s, besides going away for college. I remember how much harder it was for me to adjust to living under my mother's roof (despite loving her so much) it was mad suffocating, but I didn't (and still don't technically) make enough money to live on my own and not be in a crab shack on the seedy part of town. Like I played video games more than fostered my creativity due to just wanting to escape and stayed plotting on how I could get my own space. I redid my room so many times to be my own island sanctuary, but like opening the door was a reminder I was still there and still had to live by her rules also, my mum is a bit of a hoarder so like..... stuff everywhere.

You really out here struggling but doing what you can and that's totally worth commending. Moving slowly is still moving, and I'm glad your trying to think of steps and weighing pros and cons of the situations you may face. I'm super stoked you were able to participate in the zine!! Ahhh that's so cool all published in stuff :3!

Here's to figuring shiz out and making the best ! I hope you find your grove soon and things improve for you on all fronts

Also your comic is beautiful

[sushy00]

Sorry to hear that, indeed it is hard to make an income doing art. Maybe there are other job options besides the military? Just because you were trained for that doesn't mean you have to do that job.

[UrMom]

@Lady_T_Musings Fff aw man, thank you for the kind words! It's nice to know I'm not the only adult who had to leech off their parents. Really feeling you on the suffocation, and rearranging your space to make it your own despite the home not really being yours. A lot of times I imagine what it would be like to have a whole home/apartment to myself to make my own, there would probably be a lot of art everywhere, boldly painted walls and year around Halloween décor. My parent has a mortal fear of being put in a home, and can't do some stuff on her own anymore due to back surgeries, so I don't see any point in ever going out on my own since I'll have to be her caregiver soon enough.
Also I understand the hoarding thing. My parent isn't a hoarder per se, but she's a bleeding heart for animals, and due to her taking in other people's unwanted pets we have way more than we can handle. Most of their care goes to me since she has to work, and it's... a lot sometimes. Mildly embarrassing too since the house is never totally clean. I'm glad you were able to leave, even if you're in a shady part of town now, it's still nice that you have a place to call your own!

Yeah, knowing what I'll be getting into for he most part at least I can figure out what to do. I'm not sure what job I'll qualify for if allowed back in, but if it's as neglectful as my last job (Despite my supervisors paying just enough attention to reprimand me for drawing on my free time.), I can at least figure out how to do other things to keep myself from getting depressed from boredom.

I'm super stoked you were able to participate in the zine!! Ahhh that's so cool all published in stuff :3!

It hasn't been printed yet, the Kickstarter goes live on the 31st, but yeah! It's really exciting, I've wanted to be part of an anthology for years. Even if it doesn't get funded I'll still be glad I did it.

Thank you so much for checking out my comic, and for the compliment!

Sorry to hear that, indeed it is hard to make an income doing art. Maybe there are other job options besides the military? Just because you were trained for that doesn't mean you have to do that job.

Oh gosh, it is hard! I've tried making money off my art so many times, but either my marketing is bad, or the art itself isn't up to snuff. Probably both. Lmao! I respect anyone who manages to do art for a living.
I did landscaping for a while, and I can go back to that if I really wanted to since my boss really liked me, but I got little pay for the amount of time and work I did. Unfortunately my parent has accumulated a lot of debt thanks to the pandemic. I want to make as much as I can, as quickly as I can to get rid of at least the worst of it, then we can both be less stressed out. For someone like me who only has a high school diploma and a month of technical training, the military has the best pay and the best benefits. I could go to college, but it's up in the air whether I'd choose a field that I like and will even pay off the student loan debt I'd acquire.

[Lady_T_Musings]

Big mood yo, BIG MOOD.

Oh and on my own i totally would be stuck in a crab bucket, but I married my crush of almost 20 years last year and by our powers combined we have a decent home in a decent part of town haha. Not the best part, but defo not crime alley.

Yeah I was running back-to-back social events and then the wedding and this year has been about taking a breather for me, but LIKE I NEED to decorate the house the way we want it, like finish anyway. I got my studio together which is art everywhere, but the rest of the house has been in a half-state since the wedding, but I plan to have no bare walls haha.

Yooo I feel that hard about ya mom. Mine is super terrified of being left alone and put in a home so she never wants family to move away, but I'm like lemme just get these years out on my own with my partner and when you can no longer do for yourself, you know I got you mom. Though you will have to live by our rules bc I cannot go back to the hoarding stuff DX talk about claustrophobia. YOOOOOO the cats, Shoot 2 was enough and I love them their whole lil lives, but more than that is some serious work bc cat pee ain't nothing to sneeze at. Permeates through everything and you have gotta stay cleaning them boxes DX. Don't even get me started on spraying (and yes they were fixed DX).

You're a dedicated child so let nobody question that, here's to getting some you time though. I know about them feelings of filial piety and how they can be a weight, even when there is love.

I'm totally rooting for you