#i have been busy doing a lot of art practice and zine work so not a lot of stuff i can post

[sagescider]

quick redraw of a sara from a while ago <3

[bao3bei4]

why zines? how zines?

i was on a panel at fanworks con 2023 about zines today. it was a lot of fun! i decided to turn my portion of the talk into a post for my friends who couldn’t make it to the panel. 

this post includes my thoughts on: 

why make a zine

how to generate ideas for zines

how to finish your zines

how to build an audience for your zines

so why zines? what are they? [ZEENS, rhymes with beans], pronounced that way because it’s a shortened form of the word magazine, are basically just that: self published magazines. but why make a zine over, say, a blog post? or any other piece of art. 

i have basically three reasons. the first is that making little books is cool. it’s genuinely awesome to make physical zines and have the product of your labor in your hand. it’s a great feeling to finish a project and feel a concrete reward, and a lot of times we don’t get that in our lives.

the second reason is that zines give you absolute editorial control. you can put anything you want on a page. whatever layout, whatever order, whatever fold, whatever content. you name it, you can do it. this is something other venues rarely give you. for artists, it’s phenomenal. and for the rest of us, it gives us the ability to become artists for a little bit, as we lay things out.

the third reason is that zines can be absolute shit. in fact, the more shit they are, the more diy and punk they are. they have an incredible lineage of stolen copy paper and anarchist politics. all that to say, is that there are no standards. the zine ethos is say what you wanna say. it’s tremendously freeing to go fuck polish and respectability, i’m making my project.

because of these three reasons, i want to encourage you to get started making zines by describing common challenges and worries and giving you several practical tips for each on working past them. so, in order, they’re “i don’t know what to make a zine about,” “i struggle to finish projects,” and “no one will read my zines.” let’s get into it.

first up, “i don’t know what to make a zine about.” i think this one is pretty common, even for experienced zine creators. sometimes you’re in the mood to make things but you have no clue what. a lot of people suggest to just go with random words or whatever pops into your head, but i’m picky! i find that unsatisfying! so here are some tips for people in the same boat. 

ONE: what’s distracting you? work with it. because anything can be a zine, let the things you’ve already done serve as inspiration. photos you’ve taken can be formatted into a zine. is there a game sucking up your attention? make a zine about it. the song stuck in your head can turn into a lyricbook, forgotten works in progress or sketches can be resurrected, cannibalized, or even published as incomplete zines. if you’ve been busy with real life, maybe the recipes you’ve been making—even if, especially if, they’re struggle meals, can turn into zines. interview your most interesting friend. summarize a book you read recently. even if you’ve just been doomscrolling, that’s a zine too! i got a zine last weekend called bay area newsreel which was collecting recent articles about local news from leftist perspectives gathered up into a handy volume. your attention is a gift, so look at what zine fodder it’s accumulated for you naturally. 

SECOND: add a twist. sometimes i have an idea but it isn’t quite right. it just seems too straightforward. so i try to develop along a single axis of content or form. what this means is basically go against your instincts, or rather, your first impulse. that first idea is very hard to walk away from, but doing so often gives you an idea that gets you unstuck. so for content, add a different perspective. for me this is often a theoretical approach. when i was stuck on my scum villain zine, turning it into freud zine let the words start flowing. next, on form: present it differently than your first instinct is to. if my first thought is “essay,” i try to figure out how to chunk out the information into modules or how to add interactivity or what kind of illustrations to add. if my first thought is “this could be a fic or comic,” i try turning it into an essay. saying things a different way often gives you a new perspective on the content as well. 

THIRD: copy! make your take on the same thing as someone else. it’s not stealing—well, ideally it isn’t. make your original take and give credit where credit is due and ask permission if necessary. but engage with the medium!!! making zines without reading zines is the same thing as trying to write a paper without citing sources, or a novel without reading your contemporaries. that is, you can do it, but it’s hard. zines are a genre into themselves so figure out how to situate yourself in their ongoing dialogue. an example of this from my own practice is that i own a zine about queer gods and mythological creatures from chinese history. reading it i was like. why don’t they talk about this. why don’t they talk about that. and that became the basis for my own zine, guaitai the strange and the queer which focused on queer chinese history and literature instead. different zine, same inspiration. 

all of my ideas suppose you have SOMETHING going on. what if you truly have nothing. my advice? adapted from my “how to write an essay” blog post, is to read a book. read an article. read something. and then post about it. and then turn your posts into a zine. don’t start entirely from scratch — give yourself a scaffolding. so first. read something and tell someone about it. i wasn’t lying about calling myself a consummate poster. it’s a big part of my thought process. 

second up, what if “i struggle to finish projects.” i’m no stranger to having a bunch of half finished half started projects lying around. but here are some zine-specific tips i have for addressing that.

FIRST! go smaller; go shittier. reduce the scope of your projects. make one pagers, lists. once when i was feeling stymied, i made a physical zine about movies i’d watched that month, just listing them with a couple bullet points on each film. i eventually turned it into a bigger digital zine where i listed movies i’d watched over the past several months with more thoughts on them, and nicely formatted. but that was something that came out of reducing my scope from “i need to write a manifesto on a movie i’ve watched recently” to “well i can just tell people about it” to “i can say two things about it.” and something actually got finished.

SECOND. your friends are a great tool for accountability. something i like to do is zine jams with my friends. nothing fancy, it’s just we’ll sit down for an hour and go we’re going to make something in this hour. or, for a bigger scope, we might work separately but commit to making a zine that weekend. it’s nice to have community and it’s nice to feel a little bit of a friendly deadline. i recommend this even if you DON’T have problems finishing zines. it’s a good time. 

THIRD. a lot of times if the words aren’t coming easily, it’s because i’m not trying to say the right thing. keep in mind that your zines don’t have to be “content.” this little paper zine i made about movies wasn’t made to share online; in fact, it’s not available online. i didn’t make it according to what other people would see or be interested in. you can and will burn out on making “marketable” content. corollary to this: sometimes what i have to say is something i DON’T want to share online. it might not be that it’s boring, it might be that it’s too personal. and i share a lot online, i write personal essays after all. but some projects i stall on because they’re really just for me, and i’m again, focused on making content. so this piece of advice is about rejecting the tyranny of the imaginary audience. 

and the next challenge is about embracing that audience! what if no one reads your zines, something that’s entirely possible. well there’s plenty you can do about that.

FIRST. cultivate zine community. read other people’s zines! talk to them about their zines! this greatly increases the chance that they will do the same for you. don’t go in expecting reciprocity; do it for its own sake, but it’s a great place to start. try asking people at zine fests if they’d be willing to trade with you, for instance. 

SECOND. write for yourself. it’s cheesy but it’s true. you really have to. if you’re not proud and happy with what you’re making on its own merits, what’s the point. now because this is a cop out tip, i’m not counting it as a tip on its own. 

so SECOND PART TWO. make your zines more accessible. if they’re not free, make them free—yes, you deserve to be compensated for your work, but it’s up to you to decide if you want a bigger audience first. if your zines aren’t short, make them shorter. make them short enough that you can post their entirety on social media or something else easy for your audience to consume. it’s a big ask sometimes to get someone to download your pdf! if they’re physical, hand them out to people you meet. remove all the barriers to entry.

THIRD. related to this, change medium. if you’re not making physical zines, try printing them out. if you’re not making digital zines, try digitizing them. both of these offer access to new audiences and new people who might be more interested in one form than another. 

i hope these thoughts encourage you to make a zine! if you do, please let me see it. i love reading zines. 

[mariellewritesalot]

It's my 9th anniversary on Tumblr 🥳 (since December 2014)

Almost a decade, wow! Excelsior by mariellewritesalot is a writing blog I started as a teenager to fully embrace the fact that I wanted to become a writer. I wanted my own "website" or at least a home for my words. "Excelsior" is my favorite word, and I was a bit obsessed with it back then, given that it meant going ever upward. "mariellewritesalot" was just something I thought of while watching cartoons where one of the characters had "a lot" attached to their name (I believe it was Sir Yipsalot). I could cringe, but honestly, I'm not too bothered enough to change it. Maybe it's part of its charm.

Suffice it to say, this has been my longest relationship so far, haha. We've had our ups and downs, terrible lulls of writer's block when I would be too busy with life or too paralyzed with fear that I'm not good enough to actually post something here.

I started writing early on because I was the kind of child who read everywhere and owned a Kindle since I was 12. I joined essay contests and wrote fan fiction until I was in the middle of my teenage years. I loved Total Girl Philippines, and eventually became a Jr. TG Staff Writer for one week in the summer of 2012. I won a Palanca when I was in senior high school. I dabbled, of course, in campus journalism for many years. Editor-in-Chief for some publications. I wrote news, features, opinions...even UAAP sports! I then created a Facebook page for my blog to expand my audience. I was fortunate enough to land a spot in UP Diliman where I took a certificate course on Malikhaing Pagsulat sa Filipino (loved working on my Filipino writing skills) and eventually, my Bachelor of Arts degree in Philippine Studies, where I also majored in History. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on Filipino food in Filipino-American restaurants based in the United States, guided by my love for Doreen Fernandez essays and curiosities about the diaspora; so I could also help these restaurants map out their histories. During the pandemic, I worked on a practice Young Adult novel called, Don't Write Me Off.

I started working freelance and interning for some publications like PhilStar Life and Esquire Philippines. I've been a part of college organizations in UP Diliman, where I honed my skills in leadership, writing, and research so that I may be able to do talks and workshops about writing in different schools and provinces in the Philippines. Last year, I became a Creative Nonfiction fellow for the 61st Silliman University National Writers Workshop, which has been a dream of mine since, well, I was in high school and deeply obsessed with 'the scene.' I got to belong with my chosen family in the fellows with whom I shared the once-in-a-lifetime experience in Dumaguete. We have since joined the Cebu Art Fair last year with our zine, Saudade: A Study on Longing, which features two of my works. As a collective, we're always collaborating on something. Watch this space!

Nowadays, I'm living somewhere in Spain, and I'm working on my first book. It's a collection. It's (too) vulnerable. I think you'll like it. I believe that I will probably be in pursuit of more knowledge and skills as a writer for the rest of my life, so despite my wanting to be a mysterious private person, I think you'll be hearing (reading?) a lot from me on various platforms. Hopefully.

While we're here, I have something new. Since we're losing Tinyletter next month, which was where I used to send out my newsletter of truly vulnerable, exclusive pieces, I have decided to "move houses" and finally join Substack. I'm going to talk about some facets of my life here in Spain, food, and the usual prose. Essentially, a lot of my stuff will be free to read there, but I would appreciate pledges if you can. I will still update my Tumblr from time to time, of course, seeing as this is my main site. No worries!

This year, I'm also going to work on creating an Instagram account for my writing. I have beautiful plans I can't wait to share with you. I'm hoping you'll come along for the ride.

Thank you, lovers, for this milestone.

Always,

Marielle

[cmdonovann]

quantum break appreciation month: a quick retrospective

so, first of all, wow, it was WAY more effort than i thought to just POST SOMETHING EVERY DAY. i put a lot of pressure on myself to only post The Good Stuff to this blog, and boy golly is my standard of "good stuff" higher than it ought to be! so this has been great practice for me in "finished is better than perfect."

second of all, i wanna put together a quick rundown of everything i did this month!

Announcement post

April 1st: My Bleeding Clock (My Immortal AU) fanfic for April Fool's Day

April 2nd: Playlist to go with My Bleeding Clock

April 3rd: Sketch of 2010!Beth

April 4th: Sketch of Jack and Beth

April 5th: Reblogged my old post about last year's anniversary zine, as well as a new little sketch to celebrate the 7th anniversary of the game's release

April 6th: Doodle of Beth in a skirt (with pockets!)

April 7th: I literally just posted a passage I like from the QB:ZS novel

April 8th: Started posting old art... completed set of the halo series here!

April 9th: More old art (Jack/Paul this time)

April 10th: More old art, LNEHH edition

April 11th: More old art, Will Joyce edition

April 12th: Some Jack/Paul art to celebrate me and my husband's anniversary :3c

April 13th: QUANTUM BREAK HOMESTUCK AU!!!

April 14th: Surprise! it's even more old Jack/Paul art!

April 15th: Wow! I can't believe it's more Jack/Paul art!

April 16th: Apparently I was busy this day because I just reblogged LNEHH, lol

April 17th: Quantum Break characters, but as Skyrim characters

April 18th: Some blinkie gifs I made using blinkies.cafe

April 19th: A sweater I made using the linocut stamps from last year's anniversary zine

April 20th: Another blinkie gif, hehe

April 21st: Meta post about color palettes and color usage in Quantum Break

April 22nd: A little QB divider I made for my fansite (WIP)

April 23rd: Some terrible glitter gifs, also for the WIP fansite

April 24th: Minecraft skins of a bunch of QB characters!

April 25th: I was also apparently busy this day, cuz all I did was make a stupid phone background for myself XD

April 26th: Took a swing at pixel art

April 27th: A promo for the Quantum Break Discord Server I run!

April 28th: Wrote another chapter of My Bleeding Clock...

April 29th: Art of Jack and Paul :3

April 30th: Started a new longfic: The Symmetry of Fear!

holy shit. that's a lot. i am retroactively impressed with my past self for doing all this, lmao. nice.

third of all! i wanna note that i started several projects this month that i have yet to finish. of course i'm not confining my quantum break posting to one month of the year (impossible) but i will take my time finishing the... uh... three fics and two meta essays i have unfinished, as well as the fansite i am working on. i want these to be GOOD, so i'm not going to rush them. i'm glad this month gave me to juice to finally get these projects started, though!

and lastly... why did i even do this project/event in the first place?

well... good question. i imagine i'm not the only one who has been Going Through It for a while now, and i just... really needed a big project to focus on for a while. and quantum break is like, one of the only things that i never get tired of thinking about, so... are you seeing my logic here?

all that said, i do genuinely want to work on putting more love out into the world. and i love quantum break! i want other people to love it too! (or at least, i want other people to look at my passion for it and be like "i dont go here but you keep doing your funky little thing my man," you know what i mean?)

so, big thanks to everyone who has encouraged me this month, whether it be in reblog tags, in the quantum break discord server, or elsewhere. also, big thanks to my husband, who i would not have married if not for our mutual obsession with quantum break, and who is always down to listen to me talk about my various theories and fic ideas. and finally, a big thanks to remedy, for making this dumb game that i love so so so much.

[naumin]

2022 in review

in an effort to blog about art on my art blog more i will be writing a post covering my work in 2022 and maybe some aspirations going forward into 2023

2022 was the year of learning to paint! at the beginning i was really frustrated, a lot of my pieces were very hit or miss and i couldnt tell why some sucked and some fuckd. i nibbled at some online courses for fundamentals, James Gurney’s Color & Light book and Marco Bucci’s painting videos, and was looking for a mentor at one point but i think i stopped cuz i broke my thumb briefly lol

a piece from december 2021 that is just a bit random and i think representative of my stabbing in the dark

studying...

in June i split a schoolism sub with emma and it was an amazing decision. i think if you have limited time to practice drawing or dont know where to go the best thing is to take a course, and ive taken cheap or free courses online but the tutors on schoolism are top of the industry and the quality of their teaching is stellar imo. literally felt my brain explode with knowledge they are the best of the best. i finished the painting workout course with wouter tulp and ive dipped in and out of numerous others since then. its cool bcus u can study at your own pace.

July was artfight, i did talk about it here so not gonna repeat myself heh

then i was really busy with my MA, its been so fun and so exhausting. a year is so short and i want to try all the printing techniques and ceramics and everything cry. but hey now i know indesign and can make my own zines and stuff which is amazing. i also tabled at my first market :) i did really like it and would love to do more, dont want to put pressure on myself to do that this year but at least wanna visit them and scope out the audiences and stuff.

school really is making me appreciate traditional art again, tbh it is nothing like digital. you just cant get that chaos or physical resistance from your materials in digital, everything is very deliberate and constructed and almost predictable. ive started to incorporate more traditional work into my pieces where i can, especially photobashing. i can use photos i offhandedly took years ago and it feels really nice to get to repurpose them.

a spread from my school project, a book about one of my passions (i chose the story of how i got into elden ring!!!) i made it from paper cutting, photobashing, and digital. (im going to sell pdf and physical copies in the new year)

so circling back to the start of the year, i think you can see marked progress in my illustrations that ive posted here. i think i learned a lot about techniques within a painting but i want to learn more about pictorial composition bcus my default tends to be 3:4, portrait, charas centre, and i want to break that habit and tell more effective stories :)

over the past 2 years ive been incorporating more realism into the characters i draw and trying to be really deliberate with what features, proportions etc they have.

a 2021 isa and a 2022 isa

i think i want to maintain this level of detail because its descriptive enough for my needs but i want to push it to be more dynamic and stylised. i really admire the way disney animators like jin kim do it. its because im not confident enough with structure and anatomy to really play with it.

on the other hand with life drawing i really want to do more realism and capture exactly whats in front of me because i think i rely on style as a crutch too much hahaha.

from december. proud of these!!!

thats whats on my mind really. again really dont want to put any undue pressure on myself and i am going to be really busy until october at least. i am seriously proud of my progress in 2022. and im really looking forward to playing bloodborne x

[studioofearthlydelights]

How has your experience been while freelancing?  How did you get started?

I essentially started freelancing because I had no idea what else to do. I was so burnt out at my last full time job, I didn’t even feel like I could stay in New York. I needed an entire spirit quest to go ~find myself~. And I had these skills, and saw others building freelance businesses with them. And so I decided I could do that.

I figured my key art skills for theater would be desirable in the movie and TV key art industry in LA. I wanted to pursue editorial illustration, but didn’t really know what I was doing. And I knew I had lettering skills. But I really had no idea how they all fit together, where they’d be needed, or how to put them altogether, or where to start. I ultimately just told everyone, asked everyone, over and over again. I went to newsstands, picked out publications I wanted to work for, guessed their emails if they weren’t available, did a ton of cold outreach. I had ideas in my head like: all you have to do is get ADC Young Guns and a New York Times illustration and you’ve made it. My first illustration job was a NYT Op-Ed. That was exciting, but it did not a career make.

I just threw everything at the wall all the time. It was a very confusing time. And I spent a lot of time in my world of pole dance and zine making for a few years because I honestly didn’t feel like I could do it. But I did have a few big wins in those first few years. I made a logo for one of the biggest retail companies that I can never talk about publicly. I got my day rate up really high with agencies and had steady work for a while. I had my first 6 figure year in 2017. But then 2018 was terrible and very alarming. I was working in traditional ad agencies, for production companies, brand jobs, and some illustration. But it was kind of all over the place. I still wanted to pursue movie and TV key art. 

At that point, because money was so erratic, I really wanted a full time job again. I set my sights on Netflix. Their culture seemed amazing. I am someone who is always asking questions, always curious. And that seems undesirable at a lot of full time environments. They just want a cog in the machine. That’s not me. But Netflix was confusing. Their job listings and titles were weird and I didn’t know where to start. I ended up going on Linked In and finding this guy who worked there, was very kind and generous with his time and agreed to have a coffee with me. He told me which job listings to apply to. So I did.

At the same time, I ended up testing out full time at a key art agency. They wanted me to do a month of freelance to try it out. We ended up doing 2 and it didn’t work out. But I ended up there for the better part of the year, learning and finally starting to build my book with the kind of key art work that agencies out here actually take seriously, and improving my skill set in that area. In the midst of that, Netflix called. I ended up interviewing for a full time position, getting to the last round, and then not getting the job. I was devastated and directionless. 

Going into 2020, I was sort of floating, freelancing for key art agencies and unsure of where to aim now that Netflix had passed. But I was happy to be gaining some credit in the key art freelance world and doing that work. Out of all design practice, I do enjoy it one of the most since it is visual storytelling. And you can use more artful executions compared to a lot of other sectors. In February 2020, a friend from that agency’s partner recommended me to freelance for Netflix Creative Studio. I did a few projects, and then it was COVID. The following year, they hit me up for a few more. And then in September of 2021, they brought me in for full time contract support for Creative Studio for the Nonfiction and Comedy vertical. After some time, I also worked with the Series vertical and then the Film vertical, with one of the guys who I had interviewed with 2 years prior and would’ve been my partner in the full time position I interviewed for. I served in this role until August 2022 while I also pursued my fine art practice and editorial practice also continued and grew. I started winning awards. I finally feel like all of my different niches are coming together and speaking as one. It’s a nice feeling.

[leomitchellart]

So… about this latest Inktober controversy….

Time to begrudgingly chuck in my two penneth… (Remeber you can always press “J” to skip this post altogether)

As most of you may or may not know, Alphonso Dunn released a Youtube video wherein he publicly accused Jake Parker, and creator of the Inktober challenge, of plagiarising his book. Both of these men are public figures, artists specialising in pen & ink. In the video Dunn looks at the preview pages and flip through footage of Parker’s “Inktober All Year Round” and says they draw many similarities in the illustrations, language and layout that he used in his own book, “Pen & Ink Drawing”. Parker’s book was set to this month. Hense why Dunn only used footage and not a physical copy.

Since the video’s release, the art community has been very spilt down the middle. The book’s publisher has halted the launch of Parker’s book until the matter can be investigated. Even DeviantArt cancelled their own Inktober event thing (I’ll admit I don’t keep up with these things DA keeps doing). Parker has since released a statement in the matter. Now it’s up to the courts to decide what’s happening next. The video itself is an hour long, but it’s crucial to see it yourself. 

People are, understandably, outraged after seeing it. This seems like a shitty thing to rip-off Dunn - not to mention stupid. Since Dunn is the more popular pen & ink artist with more social media followers and name recognition. Many have called to boycott inktober and condemn Parker. I’ll admit, I was right alongside them at first, at least for feeling outraged. The similarities are there. But if YMS’s Kimba video has taught me anything, it’s that, even if an accusation of plagiarism may be obvious at a cursory glance, sometimes it’s important to take a more critical eye and do more research to learn that things aren’t as cut and dry as they first seem. If there’s a lesson I can take away from the internet as a whole, it’s that no one thinks about the consequences of mob mentality.

The most common defence of Parker is that because they’re both books about pen and ink drawing, then they’re inevitably going to be similar. I’ll admit that, when you pick-up so many art books, a lot of them will cover the same basic grounds of materials, tutorials, strokes, techniques etc. The parts about rendering textures on spheres and cubes isnt new. Look up “texture study” and you’ll see so many examples of artists rendering these kinds of things digitally. I’ve also noticed a common theme of people more formally educated in art pointing out how none of these are original. Everything down to the steps and illustrations are things they’ve learned from years ago. Since I'm a pen & ink artist, inspired by my love of comics, I have quite a few books about inking: Dunn’s included. I own both his books and still highly recommend them. I didn't even preorder Parker’s book. Ironically because I didn't think it could offer anything new that my other books hadn’t already.

While Ethan Becker took the time to cross-examine Dunn and Parker’s books with several others, there weren’t many of the ones I actually owned. So I looked to my shelves to see what I could find. Books like:

“The Art of Comic Book Inking” by Gary Martin & Steve Rude

“How Comics Work” by Dave Gibbons & Tim Pilcher

“The DC Comics guide to Inking Comics” by Klaus Janson

“Making Comics” by Scott McCloud

“Stan Lee’s How to Draw Comics”

I’m sure there’s plenty more examples out there. I was planning to go through all of these and take pictures. But ultimately that’s not the core point of these post. Plus it would’ve taken WAY too long and this post itself, is long enough.

Of course, none of the them are 100% close to Dunn’s in the way they’re displayed. Not as close as Parker’s could be considered. That being said, I know Dunn is trying to claim that he invented these techniques. The nucleus of the issue is how similar they are in terms of order and how these pages are displayed. Some I can chock-up to standard practice, while others seem more coincidental.

If there’s one thing I’m adamant about, it’s that I think that Dunn should’ve messaged Parker first before making the accusation public. Some try to dispute that this would've made it easier for Dunn to be “silenced”, whatever that means; but that sounds a bit conspiratorial to me. Ideally, you confront him about it in private, if he makes any threats or blows you off, get your lawyer on the phone and then make the video. Not only is it the more civil thing to do - but it’s the smarter thing to do. This is a serious legal matter, not just internet drama. While I’m sure Dunn had no intention of tearing Parker down or getting a mob onto him, that’s unfortunately what’s happened. A backlash both from the general artisan community and several companies. Wherein it was left to Parker himself to make this an official legal matter. If Parker’s found not guilty, then this could easily leave the gate open for him to sue Dunn for damages, loss of revenue, defamation of character or whatever else, should he see fit. As could the publishers, given how this affected their sales. Companies responded to the accusation of the video alone, before an investigation could be launched. Sure, it wouldn't be “acting the bigger man” but he’d be well within his right to do it. Dunn showed that Jake has mentioned him before, shown admiration for his career and referenced him in other posts. If it comes to light in court, that Dunn is even cited as an inspiration or source in the book itself, then it’s case closed. 

Then there’s the other possibility that Parker might not have done this on his own, but that he has a team behind the book. If that’s the case, the most I can accuse Parker of is being a hack. I worry Dunn has kneecapped himself for just how badly he’s handled this situation. Made worse by him not having an actual physical copy to assess and just had footage of preview pages to go on. So far, the circumstances don’t seem on his favour. 

I don’t think ill of Dunn. I do think he believes he’s been wronged and no malice in his intentions. I just think he’s made some critical errors on how to handled this. As for Parker himself, I couldn't give a donkey’s doo-dah about him. I’m sure you could accuse me of playing devil’s advocate earlier, but to me, he was the guy who released the annual prompt list. If it really does turn out that he’s a plagiarist and had malicious intent, then fuck ‘im. I never regarded him as an inspiration of mine or paid much attention to him outside of that. It was the community that made Inktober what it is. I’ve never met Parker. Maybe he’s a cool guy? Maybe he’s a bellend? I don’t know.

Granted this isn't the first time Parker has proved himself to be a controversial figure: - Last year people were upset about him trademarking (not copywriting, as many have erroneously claimed) the word “Inktober” and some artists were stopped from selling their related work or zines. Parker would issue a statement: claiming the takedowns were a mistake of “overzealous lawyers” and it’s just a matter of the logo being trademarked. People can sell their Inktober works and even mention they are Inktober-related. Just not use the official logo. On the one hand, from a business standpoint, I get it. It’s the bare minimum you need to do to protect your IP, especially when you have a store. BUT, like most people, I don’t like how, what’s intended as a community challenge, has slowly become more of a brand associated with one man. Hardly a surprise it left a bad taste in so many people’s mouths. But, since it doesn't actually effect anyone’s ability to take part in the challenge, outside of personal principle, I went ahead with it the previous year. 

 - The year before, when asked if one can do Inktober digitally, Parker said the following:

I know some are still bitter about that, but speaking as someone who inks traditionally and digitally, this came across as needless whinging and blowing things out of proportion. Claiming that Jake had derided digital artists and said they were invalid etc etc. Take it from me, challenging yourself to try out different methods to ink traditionally can greatly improve the work you do digitally. It’s like how learning traditional fundamentals of art can still be applied to digital. Plus he never said “No.” he just gave valid reasons about how it makes it a different experience. That said, if you’re someone who can’t afford any kind of inking equipment or pens and only have a selected application to draw on - then none of this applies to you. Just the aforementioned few who took it upon themselves to get angry over nothing. Recently I’ve heard from subscribers of his newsletter that he’s now embraced the idea of people doing inktober digitally, to the point of selling digital brushes for inktober. I’m sure some will call this “backsliding” or “money grubbing” because people aren’t allowed to change their minds or update their statements.

For weeks I’ve been torn on what to do, not being able to solidify one stance over another. One minute I thought #JusticeForAlphonsoDunn then I wonder “Wait maybe I should look again?” to “But wait, those are way too similar!” Having splinters in my arse from sitting on the fence for so long. The longer this went on, however, I began to realise that I can’t take one stance over another. This case is far too muddy and complicated. I don’t have enough sufficient knowledge or evidence. Nor do any of you. We literally only have Dunn’s video to go on. While it’s a good start, it’s not enough to be taken 100% as gospel when it’s the only thing to hand. 

As previously mentioned, a lot of artists have decided to not take part in Inktober at all, or follow different prompt lists. That’s completely fine. A lot of them are based around a specific theme: halloween, kinky stuff, bears, transformers, OCs, Disney or whatever. That has massive appeal. I just can’d do it myself. I prefer the focus on random words, rather than all centred on a single subject; allowing me to be creative with my ideas and execution. I actually did try to make a list of my own random words. Problem is, I worried that because I was choosing my own, I might be subconsciously bias towards certain prompts and not truly challenging myself. Even narrowing down my options was taking too long. In the end…. I’ve decided to just do the official prompts again this year.

For me, that’s what it ultimately came down to. TIME. It’s the middle of September. I can’t afford to wait for the court case to be settled. No other prominent artists I respect have released their own prompt lists. I know there’s been some shitty people who are condemning this choice. Attacking others, accusing them of supporting plagiarism, looking to block anyone who does the official prompts. Even trying to make this a racial issue. Just…. no. 

If someone doesn’t want to take part in Inktober, that’s fine. If someone wants to do the official prompts, that’s fine. If someone wants to do their own prompts, that’s fine.

Don’t go around aggressively making snap judgements or accusing people of taking a side. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable. This has been a shit year, let people enjoy something.

If you look at this situation and it makes you feel angry, and you don’t feel comfortable in taking part in a challenge because of it’s creator. I get that, I literally get that. It’s why I haven't done Mermay. And please don’t mention Pinktober, I’m aware of it, but given his insta video on the subject and the things he said, I quickly came to the conclusion that I can’t take this person seriously. I’m sure this might make me seem hypocritical, but how this differs, if only for me, is the sheer amount Inktober means to me. It’s more than a simple challenge. Inktober's the one thing I’ve been most excited about all year. As it was ruined for me in 2019, when I lost my home and I didn't get to complete every prompt. (Long story, I’m okay now). As we all know, 2020, has been an AWFUL year. We’ve got to take whatever joy we can. As I’ve looked longer at the official prompts, I found ideas I’m really excited for. 

Once I started to really dedicate myself to it, it became a massive event. I hype myself up as I prepare for the busy month. Buy in supplies, clean the house and workspace, cook and freeze meals in bulk to save time, printing off a sheet that allows me to jot down ideas as I plan ahead.  Then once it’s done, after so much work, it makes the reward all the sweeter: Ordering a takeaway, celebrating a great halloween night and still rocking those vibes throughout November. Feeling proud of myself for doing it and seeing myself improve my technique, discipline and earning a few lie-ins to make up for the sleep I lost working. I’m like a kid waiting for Christmas. That said, don’t think that there’s something wrong with you when you understandably can’t dedicate that amount time for a simple art challenge. If anything that’s plenty of reason to why you’re smarter than me. You have a life and don’t push yourself too much.

Now, I need to crack on with the preparations. If you want to boycott Jake Parker, just not buying any of his products should be enough. Doing the inktober challenge doesn't bring attention to him, as I doubt most people even know him as the creator, nor does it even line his pockets. I just hate how cancel culture can do such serious damage like this and then try and put pressure on others to act accordingly without even doing any research themselves. 

As long as you’re not harassing anybody. Just do what YOU want to do. That’s fine. 

[hillbillyoracle]

My Complicated Feelings on Waking Witcblr

I've been posting less on Tumblr as I try to figure out what direction I want to take my work. It became pretty clear to me at the end of last year that I wasn't putting out as much work that I was proud of and didn't really know where to go next. It seems like a lot of folks were going through a similar reevaluation as I saw less and less of blogs I really loved.

I've been seeing more Waking Wichblr content rolling across my dash and I've been having some really conflicted feelings on it. On the one hand, I understand the impulse and I love that folks are organizing around it. On the other, I think it fails to grapple with some deep issues the community has and a fallow period could be really fruitful. Let me explain.

Witchblr Hinges on Consumption, Not Conversation

As it currently stands, much of Witchblr hinges on consumption. People reblog things like they're collecting things. I feel like a lot of my pieces wind up being put on a shelf and not much happens with them. There's often not a lot of interaction when I post.

The conversations around pieces tend to happen on other platforms like Discord and y'all I cannot stand most Witchblr discords so I'm not privy to those conversations. I've noticed a marked drop in comments on my work over the last year. One of the reasons I started posting my work on Tumblr was to get feedback and as that's dropped off, I've turned my attention to longer form works. And the strange things is, I kind of get the same level of interaction. It's incentivized me to put more of my energy into creating workbooks, zines, and a support group.

I'm not mad about that at all. I feel very neutral about it. But it is a factor. If the conversation is going to take place away from where authors can benefit from hearing about it, the platform becomes less engaging and less valuable to those producing content.

Witchblr Often Wants to Consume With Paying

After watching several communities connected to Tumblr collapse because leadership got worn thin or didn't have enough money to keep it going on their own, I'm pretty jaded about how much a lot of folks actually want to keep the communities going.

Folks who genuinely don't have money - I'm not talking to you. You're great, you're doing what you can, you can skip this. But I am talking to folks who will drop $50-$100 on "witchcraft supplies" per month but balk at spending $5 to keep a server going on Mastadon or support a writer they love on Patreon.

It says a lot about what those folks value. Content, education, resources - those are expected to be free. Which means those of us who are trying to do it have to take time away from creating content to productize our work in hopes of making any money from it at all.

If there's one thing I wish Witchblr would take from Christianity, it's the concept of the tithe. Of setting aside a percentage of income each month to support the community. It doesn't have to be 10%, it can be 1% for all I care, but just that sense that its our duty as members of a spiritual community to monetarily support those who are following their calling of teaching.

Witchblr Needs to Stop Consuming and Start Documenting to Survive

I'm seeing calls to revive Witchblr by encouraging folks to make more posts which I think is an extremely bad idea. I've said this in other places but the big issue Witchblr has is that so many folks are new. And new people are trying to teach new people how to do things neither of them has much experience with. It's made Witchblr an echo chamber of people spouting the same lines with very little sourcing or evaluation. A lot of what gets passed around winds up being not very high quality.

So are new folks just supposed to lurk? Not at all. New folks can serve two super important roles that benefit everyone, experienced and new, can benefit from - documentation and curation.

For folks who are truly just starting out, documentation is hands down the most important and valuable thing you can offer the community. Do not instruct folks to do what you've done. Instead document what you tried, what sources you used, and whether it was successful or not successful and why. There's so much value in being an artful observer at any stage of development.

For folks who are a little more experienced but still new - hands down one of the best things you can do is the painstaking work of curation. People who make master posts of resources that helped them are gods I tell you. Shout people out. Boost the work that's helping you. It's invaluable.

Tumblr's Policies Have Driven Folks Away and They Will Again

I think it's important to remember that the one of the first mass exoduses of Witchblr blogs happened with the anti-sex media policies Tumblr instituted in 2018. Many people migrated onto their own platforms after the announcement was made in solidarity with people who would be put out of business or needlessly flagged because of the policies. Many of those independent blogs unfortunately petered out and I can't find many of those writers anywhere anymore. I'm still mourning that loss and miss them greatly.

For those who have the time and the spoons to do so, what I would love to see is a network that connects independent blogs with Tumblr blogs (if this is already happening, let me know). A roundup style blog that curates posts both on tumblr and off would be amazing. Without something that, we're likely to fall prey to more exits as Tumblr makes changes. There's always the chance that Tumblr could go away entirely! Having hubs that can connect folks with blogs that isn't entirely based on one platform would go a long way to keeping folks engaged in the long term.

If Witchblr Can't Figure These Things Out, A Fallow Period Could Be Great Actually

For folks who've not been through a community fallow period, this may seem like dire straights. I remember when I was seeing some of my favorite communities dwindle in 2010, I felt scared I was going to lose people I cared about and resources I depended on. But what wound up happening is that many of those communities survived. The people who were the most devoted kept coming back and contributing. Or they'd come back when they could and leave when they couldn't.

People need time to process and practice all the information that's been given to them. If Witchblr does wind up winding down (again, because I've been on the platform since 2008, it's done this at least 3 or more times now) it will likely come with the added benefit of more people synthesizing the material they're reading, practicing it, and having genuinely valuable notes of their own to add. I think it could go a long way toward enriching the community.

I think of it a little like compost. Sometimes the community has to break down a little before it can be fertile ground again. It needs an off season. Even in parts of the world where the weather could technically support year round agriculture, there's a deep understanding that the ground needs to rest. So if Witchblr does slow down, don't fret. Keep practicing, keep processing. And then, when you're ready, tell us about it.

Conclusion

These are just some thoughts I've had knocking around and wanted to get out in words. They're a bit messy but I wanted to see if they resonated with anyone else. Communities are cyclical. Low periods are needed and helpful. They tend to kick back in pretty organically if the foundation is laid properly (and even when it's not). I hope folks are well out there!

[blacknovelist]

Half-Empty, Half-Full (FE3H Fic)

hey hi what’s up lads, so I like, 100% forgot I could post my piece for the @threehouseszine Beneath The Banner (also available on Twitter under the same name) and as such I’m like ten years late. :) But the zine has been sent out, and I finally noticed like the fool I am that others have posted their pieces, and thusly, I too will post mine! Because I can. And I want to.

My focus was on the Golden Deer post-skip, specifically in some nebulous point during the war. Being part of this zine was really, really cool -- I can’t wait for all the books and merch to arrive with everyone!

(will reblog with links because we all know tumblr likes to break things.)

A beat of something nice, amid the fragments of harder times.

In the spaces between war — between scattered supply checks and ration distribution, bandit skirmishes and long watch nights — Hilda finds the time she needs to breathe.

It came easier, back in the academy. She could simply step back and let the world move around her, steadfast in her belief that it would still be standing when she returned. Nowadays she steals the air in her lungs from glances at the sky and quick delivery walks, from the chip of chisel and steel against stone and wood, from the sensation of gems and petals inlaid on clothes, chains and hooks when she can afford to lay down her axe. Infrequency makes the beats between battles all the more precious.

With the professor around she can afford more pauses still, but Hilda watches herself. She knows, all too well, just how young she is. Claude lies at one year her junior and the professor, with their five year hiatus, sits at two. It wouldn't do for her stubborn leaders to find someone they can’t believe in among their ranks, now.

She’s on the run for errands when she spots a hint of not-plant green and wood not far off the beaten path, and she wastes no time following that tried and true Deer instinct to take a peek. Ignatz is there, as expected, easel propped on a patch of flat land, what she can see of the canvas a tasteful blend of browns and golds. He leans in, fingers dabbed in the same off-white his paintbrush dusts onto his scene. 

Now, Hilda doesn’t paint, but she does understand the stress and struggle of art, different forms aside. Which is why she waits until he leans back before she steps forward and taps his shoulder. 

“Hey, Ignatz.”

Ignatz yelps, almost drops his brush and earns himself a stripe on his palm for his troubles. “Hilda! Hi. I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you there.” 

“Don't worry about it.” She clasps her hands together. “What’re you painting?"

"I wanted to capture the cathedral, while it's still under repair." He gestures to his piece — the white forms the glint of sunlight off patches of rubble, steel and glass, along with the robes of monks and priests as they shift and sweep aside what debris they can. "A lot of artists depict places in their prime, or utterly destroyed, or after they've been restored to their former glory. I thought it would be nice to show the in-between for once. People from every background imaginable, coming together to rebuild for the future. A little different from what I usually paint, but sometimes a little variety is nice." 

"And you're doing it all the way out here because…"

"I didn't want to be in anyone's way, and I come out here a lot. I've got plenty of references with me, so it's not a problem." Ignatz shifts and Hilda catches sight of a stack of sketchbooks, some more worn than others, half-spilled from a bag. The top one gets plucked up and held between them as he flips from page to page. Statue busts, the altar and rows of pews among pillars rendered in charcoal and sleek pigment lines. Sometimes, she catches glimpses of green and blue and other colors, or shapes that don't quite match the church art he focuses on, but Ignatz flips too fast for her to see. 

Or, almost. "Go back two pages," Hilda says. A grin tugs at her lips. "Was that Claude?"

"Oh! Uh, yes." Though Ignatz learned to leave embarrassment and nerves about his art behind, something in his chest still squirms, just a bit. An image of their leader in the library, face cast in candlelight and more at peace than he ever is during daylight, stares up at the duo. "It's easier when I’m with a person, but sometimes I'll do studies on my own. Practice makes perfect, after all." 

"It's beautiful." She reaches out, pauses. "May I…?"

He passes it over. "Here. You can look at the others, too. I don't mind." Then he turns back to the easel and reaches for his paint. "Anyway, I thought this was as good a spot to work as any. There's a field down that way you can see best in the spring, and I like the view of everything from here."

"You'll have to show me when it's in season." 

Her eyes flicker over thick paper. Statues. Flowers, trees, forest paths. Distance shots of people, strolling towards town. Swirls of filigree and patterns fill whole pages in patches, tiny stylized animals and the occasional dragon tucked into the empty space. Silhouettes crowd around the pews, and even if she recognizes clothes, many of these smaller figures are faceless. 

But she finds a loose sketch, hair popping blond against black ink, of Raphael and a young girl with the same square jaw and broad shoulders. Claude himself appears once more, this time in wireframe form, ordinary steel bow drawn all the way back and arrow pointed to the left. When she plucks one of his other books from the stack it follows a similar trend — renderings of the cathedral, inside and out, stuck in among horse-drawn carriages and sunlit grass patches and clothes and people, both familiar and unfamiliar, faceless and defined. A few drawings are from the past few months: Sylvain in his armor, Baltie with his open-chested shirt, Leonie and her long hair, the monastery scaffolding. 

Most of his drawings are from the academy days. 

Lindhardt, leaned against a tree, the shadow of leaves mottled on his lap. Herself and Marianne seated in the dining hall. Lysithea, with a book in one hand and a swirl of magic in the other. Claude and Lorenz mid-argument. Felix as he trains blade blurred and bent as he lunges. Dimitri and Dedue bent over a table in their classroom. Edelgard as she strides across the courtyard, Hubert one step behind. Busts of the professor and Jeralt, side by side, the faintest quirk in their lips. 

Hilda looks up and pauses. Ignatz presses so close to the canvas he’s peering over the wire frames of his glasses rather than through, brow furrowed and jaw set. She shuts an eye as the sun slips out from behind what’s left of Garreg Mach’s spires. Greyscale flowers peer up from the pages, a reflection of the few asters scattered around their feet. Mountain monastery air goes down sweet and full in her lungs.

"I gotta say, Ignatz,” she says, the edge of her thumb smudged in stray charcoal. "These are amazing. How long have you been doing art?"

"Since I was little." He leans back, considers his work, then leans in again. "My parents are merchants, so we delivered paintings and statuettes to a lot of noble houses in the Alliance. One day I found some extra supplies lying around so I just… picked it up and gave it a shot."

"Well, I'm glad you did. Even these plain sketches look much nicer than anything I could do, and don't even get me started on painting. No offense, Ignatz, but no thank you. Definitely not my wheelhouse."

Ignatz pauses. "None taken, and thank you. You draw?”

"Not much." She waves a hand. "My talents lie in accessories. I like to plan before I start working, figure out how it should come together and doodle in the margins a little sometimes, that's all."

"You're always wearing beautiful jewelry, but I didn't realize you made them yourself." A smile breaks out across his face. "That's amazing, Hilda!"

A blush rolls across her cheeks and she can't stop the tug of her lips into a matching grin. "Oh, stop it. Really?"

"Of course! The colors and shapes you use match your hair, complexion, and the clothes you tend to wear quite beautifully." His brush plunges into a cup of water by the foot of his easel and faces her fully. "When did you start?"

"A long time ago, now – I'm not even sure exactly how long, anymore. I used to make flower crowns and necklaces with my big brother, and it just spun out from there." The book lies closed in her hands now. Her finger runs up and down the paper, feels the grooves between unaligned pages. "I could make them as pretty or ugly as I wanted, so long as I was happy in the end. No one ever expected anything more or less. Not that I ever made something ugly, mind you."

Ignatz hummed. "Have you ever considered selling them?"

"Not really.” Hilda tilts her head. “Do you think it'd be a good idea?"

"Absolutely! You should consider it, once the war is over. I bet people would love them."

She taps her chin. “I’ll give it some thought. What about you, Ignatz? What do you plan on doing once this whole mess is behind us?” 

“Well… Ideally, I’ll keep painting,” he says. “Even if I have to do it between my duties as a knight. It might make it hard to find a household to serve, but I don’t want to just stop.”

“Why are you aiming to be a knight? How come you’re not just going off to be an artist or something like you want to?”

“My parents sent me to the academy since my brother’s taking over the business. They didn’t really approve of the whole artist thing.” Ignatz shrugs. “I don’t really think I’m all that cut out for it, to be honest. Fighting’s never been my strong suit.” 

“Well that’s a shame,” Hilda says. “Have you ever spoken to them about it?”

He shook his head. "Not much recently, at least."

“You should. Maybe you can convince them, after all this. And if you can’t, then just come to House Goneril, okay? I’ll let you paint as much as you want.”

“That would be nice.” He smiles, then bends to reach for his bag. “Thank you, Hilda.” 

“Any time.” She holds the sketchbook out. Ignatz takes it, tucks it gently alongside the others. Before he can put his brush away, he pauses. 

“If you have time,” he starts. "Would you like to join me out here again tomorrow? We could work on our projects together, if you have any."

Hilda smiles. "I'd love to, but I'm on stock duty tomorrow. No shuffling off the responsibility for that."

"I see. That's too bad. Maybe next time?" 

"... Sure. I'd like that."

[darksoulszine]

Interview with Ryan Van Dongen

Today we interview Ryan Van Dongen! One of our contributors in THE FIRST FLAME.

Q: How did you get into making art and for how long have you been doing it?

Probably since I was about 2, so roughly 20 years. I always loved drawing growing up, and I took a few painting classes to focus my skills a bit more throughout grade school. Towards the end of high school, I got into digital painting and have been doing it ever since.

Q: What traditional media or digital program do you prefer to use and why?

I prefer to use Photoshop for digital, because of all the customization options and it's what I'm the most used to. For traditional, I like pens, pencils, and charcoal for drawing and gouache for painting.

 Q: Do you mostly make fan art or are there original works you are also passionate about?

I make a lot of fan art but most of my work is original concepts. I'd like to get into the concept art business and part of that is being able to come up with new characters, creatures, and environments. I do like making fan art a lot though, since a lot of the creative legwork is done for you, leaving open room for putting your own spin on things!

 Q: Is there any artist or art movement that inspires you? Which ones?

My favorite art movements are probably Impressionism and Russian Realism. Some inspirations are Illya Repin, John Singer Sargent, Ivan Shishkin, Jeremy Lipking, Richard Schmid, Claude Monet, Caspar David Friedrich, William Merritt Chase, Craig Mullins, Ruan Jia, and Jaime Jones

Q: What would you say to someone who is willing to dedicate their life to art, but doesn’t take that step because of the risks?

It's a tough step to take, I haven't taken it yet. But if you have the will and the dedication to keep practicing and improving your skills, you'll keep getting better and those risks won't be risks anymore.

Q: What do you like about being an artist?

I like being able to create things that other people might enjoy!

 Q: Show us some of your favorite artworks that you made and tell us why.

This piece, 'Desert Witch', It’s all brush tool and I had a lot of fun painting the background and the characters.

I like how I handled the lighting with this 'Father Gascoigne' piece, I think I did a pretty good job giving it an intense feeling.

This piece, 'Nodachi', took me the longest of everything in my portfolio to finish. I worked on it on and off over about 8 months, and had fun building up the "cyberpunk Philly" background and adding in lots of easter eggs.

Q: Where can we find more of your work? Are there any personal projects you would like to share?

You can find more of my work on my i=Instagram @ryanvandongen and my Artstation https://www.artstation.com/ryan

 Q: What order did you play the soulsborne games in? Which is your favorite?

I played Dark Souls 1 first, then Bloodborne, then a little bit of Dark Souls 2, then Dark Souls 3, and I just started Sekiro. I would say that Bloodborne is my favorite but Dark Souls 1 is a close second.

Q: When you got eaten by a mimic for the first time, what did you yell out loud?

Swear words.

 Q: Any memorable Dark Souls gaming moments you'd like to share?

Riding that elevator in Undead Parish back down to Firelink Shrine for the first time. A lot of the world design in Dark Souls 1 kept surprising me like that.

Get the zine at: 🔥 [ THE FIRST FLAME ] 🔥 info page

𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 & 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞:

on tumblr @darksoulszine

on insta @DarkSoulsFanZine

on twitter @SoulsFanZine

[indige-zine]

Spotlight Series: Social Shift

Advocacy takes many forms: educator, activist, artist. As Indian Country grows and becomes more connected, innovative resistances—both big and small—are sprouting through the concrete.

indige•zine did a quick round with three Natives doing their part to change the way society sees, talks about, and treats indigenous peoples.

G.M. Davis

Age: 29

What she does: Davis founded NDNInspired, a reclamation of all things culturally appropriated, or “Indian-inspired.” The online store and Instagram are filled with positive, diverse, and inspirational portrayals of everyday indigenous life. It’s a space of radical self-love for Native users everywhere.

Was there a time in your life where you had to start over?

Yes! I’m actually going through it right now. I was recently accepted into our tribal colleges’ B.A. program for Business Administration. My entire educational background surrounded science and health.So, as a returning student now majoring in business, I’m finding that I have to start over. I’m entering a field and taking classes I know very little about. Yes, I did start two businesses, but there’s still so much I need to learn! I’m nervous, but I’m also very excited. It’s a new beginning; it’s a breath of fresh air that I’ve been wanting to take for a while now.

What are some important ways in which you take care of your creativity?

Prayer and self-care. Prayer is essential to me. When I pray, I feel my mental and physical strength is reinforced—my mind is clearer, guidance is given, and needs are met. I also know that when I pray, I am changed for the better. A praying me means a clear-minded, humbled, healthy, creative me.

What’s your advice to indigenous businesswomen trying to get their ideas off the ground?

The “idea phase” could be an emotional rollercoaster, sister. Let’s be real—new ideas mean new challenges. But you got this! No excuses; you have to start somewhere. Continue to work hard, but also remember to work smart. Don’t give up on your idea, but do wait for the right time. Save, save, save your money and put it toward the come up of your business. Have faith in yourself. Be brave. Be audacious. As an indigenous woman, your success will be inspiration for many other indigenous women out there. Let that motivate you.

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

Age: 17

What he does: Martinez has been a climate activist since he was 6 years old.  He’s spoken at the U.N. multiple times and has collaborated with over 50 environmental organizations in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado. Martinez is one of the 21 plaintiffs suing the federal government and Donald Trump’s administration for failing to protect younger generations from climate change. When he’s not traveling the world and organizing communities as the Youth Director of environmental conversation organization Earth Guardians, he makes music.

Besides creating music, how else do you practice self care?

[My work] is pretty heavy. I’m on the go a lot. I like to hang out and get in trouble and spend time with my homies. I love to be outside—in the ocean surfing, in the mountains skiing and snowboarding, finding water to jump in, playing sports like soccer and ultimate frisbee. I love to be active and be with people that I love, to be surrounded with good people and have good conversations that push the limits of what I think is possible.

As an activist and musician, what does renewal mean to you?

Renewal is the opportunity to take mistakes and things from the past that haven’t worked but that we can learn from and integrate that into the foundation of who we want to be and the things that we want to create. Renewal in the sense of my activism is taking the broken parts of this world that we’re living in and using that as a foundation to build our future. As a person and as an artist, it’s taking everything that I was, the person that I am, and the mistakes that I’ve made and allowing that to be my learning platform  where I can become a better person.

Any advice for people starting a new chapter in their life?

Life’s too short to not do what makes you happy. Whatever it is you’re putting your time and energy into, make sure it makes you happy, make sure it’s sustainable, make sure to take care of yourself. Whatever it is that you’re doing and are passionate about, you can use that to make waves in the world and tell an important story to help people. We forget how powerful we are as people and how much influence we actually have and how much potential we have to make change and create the world we dream of. Manifest, work hard for it, and fight for what you believe in—never let that go.

Sheyenne Sky

Age: 21

What she does: With her blog and YouTube platforms, Sky aims to change the lack of Native representation in art, fashion, and general Western culture. She  challenges stereotypes and educates her audience by creating content about her passions. You can catch her interviewing Native designers, vlogging environmental rallies, or sharing the recipe to her mom’s fluffy Navajo frybread.

What does rebirth mean to you?

I think it takes a lot of courage to start over. It’s a process that feels really scary at first, but the more that you do it, the more you benefit from it. I think taking a look back and realizing what you didn’t like or what you want to change and then actually going through with it, that’s a rebirth. It’s a really beneficial thing.

Was there ever a time in your life where you had to reinvent yourself?

I actually cut all my hair off in high school. I was going through a time where I was discovering my indigenous identity and I understood how important my hair was. I realized that I had been sort of detached from that—I had been dyeing it and cutting it and dyeing it and cutting it. I wanted to have a fresh start. So I cut it all off. It’s really hard to feel feminine when you have no hair. And I’m not a tomboyish person—I really enjoy femininity and expressing that. So, having no hair, I had to think differently about what it means to be feminine. That was a really transformative experience. I’m just now coming out of it. I feel a lot more confident coming out of it because I had to get used to seeing just my face. My face was really round—I lost a lot of weight. I was like, okay, I can see myself for what I am. I need to eat healthier and exercise.

Any advice for young indigenous YouTubers?

The only way you can fail is to stop making videos. Keep going and rolling with the punches. If you get hate, just stay authentic to whatever it is that you want to talk about; you’ll be fine.

[cryptofmadness]

Interview (excerpts): CRACKED magazine’s Dick Kulpa

Crypt of MADness interviews Dick Kulpa on his tenure at CRACKED magazine and more.

(Note: The following is excerpted from a much lengthier interview published in the print edition of Crypt of MADness magazine #5 (May 2018.) The full interview as printed is much longer and contains much more than published here.

(Interview conducted by Chet Reams for Crypt of MADness magazine

Reams: Tell us a bit about your background before taking over…

Kulpa: I could fill a book with all that. Suffice it to say, I worked in virtually every facet of publication: Editorial, art, production, printing, advertising, distribution, sales...even janitorial.

My original aspiration was to be a cartoonist, enjoying some degree of success in that as a "self-taught" illustrator in local and national levels. However, what could be termed as "real training" occurred during my 12-year (pre-CRACKED) tenure at the supermarket tabloid Weekly World News.

It was that tabloid editorial training which prepared me for CRACKED. After all, I had a big hand in the creation of a publication (Editor's note: the satirical/humorous print tabloid "Weekly World News.) that sold well over 200,000,000 copies during my time there.

Reams: How did you end up getting the CRACKED magazine brand from AMI?

Kulpa: I offered to buy it when it was folded. They accepted. That was "too easy,” I thought back then.

Reams: I read somewhere that there were plans for a CRACKED mag TV show/DVD around 2004.. .what happened to cause it to fall through?

Kulpa: It didn't have to fall through.

... Suffice it to say a semi-retired graphic artist with national aspirations (and no experience above a local level) declared my TV deal, which allowed the television people to market and profit from ancillary CRACKED merchandise for two years as “not good enough.” He blurted this out at the initial investor meeting held prior to my relocation to Rockford, Illinois.

... a national TV show would considerably enhance the CRACKED property, and I retain strong connections with key people who still see this as viable.

Also, past contributors would have seen residual payments for any work used.

Reams: What happened in Rockford, Illinois (where the last three issues were published) - with the investors there?

Kulpa: The amount “invested” in CRACKED was termed as “pocket change” by my main ombudsman there, and that money ran out by the third issue. The investors declined to recap it.

Oddly enough, that third issue bounced back in sales (which was usually the case during my tenure - I’d get three out then wait for money).

However...I don't fault the investors. As one advised me in a letter, they were "tickled pink" with my performance. However, they were unhappy with the performance of the company appointed to oversee the business end of it.

…

Reams: In Mark Arnold’s CRACKED book,(second volume, ) you are quoted as stating “in every case” the contracts you signed during “the CRACKED debacle” “..were breached…” Care to elaborate?

Kulpa: To my knowledge, nobody has ever challenged that statement.

We did not get all CRACKED documents as provided for in the original contract, as then-current distribution records were suddenly deleted from the seller’s company computers. I was advised of this minutes after that occurred by a major company insider (with a witness present.)

...

Reams: You also state “the CRACKED sale was never fully closed.” What exactly did you mean by that… were you not fully paid by the CRACKED dot com buyers, or more than that?

Kulpa: The principle attorney involved with the purchase (on the buyer's side) committed a "no-no", ethically. This prohibited me from fulfilling certain obligations. I did not receive the expected sum and was left holding the proverbial bag.

…

After that, my stored email evidence had suddenly disappeared back then (though I had saved THE one critically important email elsewhere) and at times it was exceedingly difficult to continue to “play dumb.” However, my prime goal was to unload what by then had become a debilitating albatross and return the investors’ money to them.

...

Reams: What would you do differently if you got CRACKED back today?

Kulpa: First off, I would not have lowered the bar. We had some great stuff in our first four AMI editions, but suddenly functioning on a zero editorial budget gave me little leverage in maintaining high standards on contributors. In short, I had to take what I could get…

2. Swing the axe. You cannot operate properly with loose lips — particularly whiners — who have no clue as to realities relative to your efforts. “Placating” doesn’t work. EXAMPLE: if a management staffer is delegated the task to make sure a price appears on the cover, that should be done. In one case, it wasn’t...and that cost an additional $10,000.

EXAMPLE 2: It takes sales to pay bills. One edition lost its scheduled racking because two knucklehead staffers charged with okaying the proofs buried them in an office desk drawer...costing CRACKED its proper rack placement. Most editions never left the trucks during distribution, and that edition subsequently bombed.

Given ongoing anomalous distribution issues, we just handed the bad guys a cracked CRACKED on a silver platter.

And freelancers wondered why it was tough to pay them.

3. Speaking editorially, my biggest mistake was in taking “me” out of “managing and creating editorial content” early on. I was too focused on distribution, dealings and ancillary issues. That, and I wound up as Weekly World News editor for a year, relinquishing basic editorial control of CRACKED. …

In terms of my own creative involvement, I pulled off some heavy stuff earlier in my career. That should have occurred here.

Reams: Why did you change CRACKED’s format?

Kulpa: I was appraised of CRACKED’s sales woes and presented a six-figure salary with a year to “turn things around.” At that time our in-house distribution people were “unenthused” (as seen in my first meeting with them.) I had to diminish the logo because my overseer wanted to change its name altogether, due to the drug connotation.

In publications, there is an established (but rarely used) concept of “throwing the current readership away” in order to expand, and Weekly World News did just that around 1984, dumping its 200,000 readership and growing it into over a million weekly sales. Egos had to be checked at the door. Sadly, they weren’t.

In closing: For a brief period in history, a major, iconic and classic entity was under the direct control of us “little guys”, and we so terribly muffed it. That’s why corporates will always control the action.

There are many people nostalgic for the CRACKED they grew up with, but the problem is, not enough.

And there’s a whole lot more to the CRACKED story...check out my Wordpress blog.

Reams: Looking back, would you say you made mistakes? You did say you believe your later lack of "managing and creating editorial content" was one, but were there others?

Kulpa: 2. My biggest mistake? As I debated whether to take the plunge - and sought direction, I failed to heed it when it came. One evening my girlfriend had me watch “Man of La Mancha,” and the scene featuring Don Quixote and his partner on a wooden horse - as entertainment for the aristocrat - struck me. “Look, that’s me and (Barry) Dutter” I exclaimed.

I should have listened to myself, because in essence, that’s what occurred.

…

On a practical front, I should not have delegated “important” functions to staff. As a result, a price was left off an edition cover, (costing $10,000 -CRACKED was shut down three weeks later by the previous owner), editions were sent to print a week late on several occasions, and freelancers “may” have gotten erroneous info.

Further, I regret not doing more editorially, as said before.

That, and bowing to staff pressure and trying to present new material. I should have gone to reprints for a time.

All that being said, I (and staff) functioned in unnatural and unprofessional conditions. We wanted CRACKED and instead, got “crazy.”

...

I should have never sounded off to a potential investor who finally emerged...as that killed the project. All in all, CRACKED Magazine boasts a proud legacy. Unknown to most were my efforts to maintain the magazine’s name, and at one point, stopping an AMI company official from selling its archives on eBay. A number of now-prominent artists got their springboard via my CRACKED, (because I saw things that MAD didn’t, perhaps?)

And the hope is that someday, someone will actually take the time to fully research this era. They will be in for some surprises. In my 1979 case, however, I knew who the culprit was.

In THIS case, it wasn’t me, but for some reason it’s convenient to maintain that fallacy.

…That being said, CRACKED (Editor's Note: CRACKED dot com, not the magazine) as been at the center of rather unusual financial activity for some time now, and I hope this gets thoroughly investigated.

Crypt of MADness magazine thanks Dick Kulpa for allowing us to interview him for Crypt of MADness issue #5!!

Excerpted from Crypt of MADness magazine #5, May 2018. There’s a lot more of this interview in the print zine - copies can be ordered from the Facebook page

[doromaya]

i’m a bit late, but here’s my 2017 summary of art!!

Happy new year everyone!! I hope you’ve had a good year and I wish you the best in 2018 ^^

For me, it’s been a really good year art wise. In 2017 I finally was confident enough to make acrylic charms and prints, and things went pretty well ;v; I also started tabling at cons, and it’s such a great experience. These are things i’ve been wanting to do since forever, but i wasn’t confident enough. I’m glad this year I finally got to reach those goals!! There are a lot of things I need to practice (like backgrounds for example, even tho i say the same thing every year haha), I also want to make better merch and maybe make my own zine?¿ (we’ll see haha), anyway I’ll work harder in 2018!!

I’m trying to focus on all the good things that happened in 2017 bc the year ended quite badly for me, my laptop + drawing tablet (the one i bought this summer) got stolen. Luckily I had a backup of almost all my drawings, but I lost a lot of them, as well as documents, photos and a bunch of stuff i don’t want to think about nssjs ;; I was able to buy a new laptop to keep working (thanks to my savings from the online store and commissions, i’m very grateful for your support ;_; if it weren’t for that, i’d be without equipment now). I also have my old wacom bamboo, which will do the job until I get a new tablet. Well, nothing can be done now so I’ll just try not to think too much about that ;;;

Okay now, like every year, here’s a little explanation of each pic:

January: a pic of my MU and Takumi bc i love him

February: my first fire emblem heroes team, i don’t use them anymore haha ;; azama was my main healer for a long time tho

March: a print of azura and m/fcorrin i made for my first con! it’s one of my fav pics of 2017, not the best but i worked really hard on it

April: another print, this time for my second con! i knew i had to make something with Sidon, I love him TT

May: i enjoyed drawing this pic a lot! i used that kamui for my latest business cards

June: this was a commission of hinoka x custom MU, i enjoyed drawing it a lot bc i love hinoka and i got to draw her in a beautiful bridal kimono TvT

July: my second kamuzero charm ♥

August: my entry for the fe compedium!! I’m so happy I got to draw my baby boy ;;;

September: one of the charms from my hoshido family charm set!! these are my favourite charms so far ;v;

October: a pic of my oc Seth and my friend Mary’s oc, Alistair. They’re the new oc couple of 2017, such a revelation hehe

November: I think I didn’t really draw this month, at least I couldn’t find any digital pic :( there are just a couple of sketches in my sketchbook and this is one of them, I didn’t get to upload it anywhere (it’s mkamui btw)

December: unfortunately i lost the pics i was working on that month, so i just have the ones i uploaded to the internet haha ;; that’s my sucrette! she’s so stylish i felt like drawing her

And that’s all! Thank you for sticking with me one more year, thank you all for the nice encouraging messages, for the likes, reblogs and for your cute tags on my art (i read them from time to time haha) ;v; I hope you keep enjoying my doodles this year too! ^^

[kaytlinolio]

Evaluation

This module has been a good opportunity to think about how I want to advertise myself, and what work best represents myself as an illustrator.

 I had a lot of fun designing the Olio16 cover, while also finding it challenging to create something that appeals to, and can represent, a whole group of people. I’m used to making art in a specific style and accepting that it may only appeal to a certain group of people, so having to create a cover to appeal to everyone was a challenge. I kept the content of it similar to what I usually do - cute and nostalgic - but tried to draw it in a style, and colours, that would have wider appeal. This was the most detailed piece I think I’ve done up until then, and I found out that I really enjoyed doing extensive visual research first, then piecing it all together in a busy environment and adding lots of little details and meaning. It felt like everything I put into it, and where it went, all had meaning and reason to be there. It felt like a good accomplishment to create something that had hidden meanings and thought put into it, rather than putting stuff just to make it look pretty. The only thing I’m not completely happy with is the colouring for it. I was a bit overwhelmed with how to colour it because there were so many items - I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it all look cohesive. I ended up using a simple colour palette which I think works well for a book cover because it doesn’t look overly busy. In the future I’d like to re-attempt colouring it when I have more experience of colouring and lighting complex environments. 

For my Olio16 portrait I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn Adobe Illustrator to be able to create clean vector pieces that can be scaled up and down as needed without affecting quality. I learned from a 3 hour Youtube video and took lots of notes, but it was worth it in the end and I learned a lot. I now feel comfortable creating images in Illustrator. I wanted my portrait to be colourful and expressive so that it stands out even when scaled small. After fiddling back and forth with the colour palette a lot I think I have a finished product that achieves what I set out for. I’m now also using the portrait for all my social media to keep it consistent. 

I wanted to use a piece from my FMP for my inside image for Olio16 as it would be most representative of the work I’m doing now, and plan to continue doing. The piece I chose shows a range of skills from characters to environments. I think it shows my interest in working in video games, as well as my ability to create illustrations in general. I hope it will be interesting and memorable for anyone looking at the catalogue to see what looks like a video game screenshot. 

I found it quite challenging coming up with an idea for Olio+ that everyone in the group would be interested in and have an equal part in. I came up with a zine that would consist of market table illustrations by everyone showcasing what they like to illustrate, like they’re selling themselves at a fantasy market. I think once I explained the idea some people said they liked it, but I think it wasn’t simple enough and needed explanation to understand what I meant. I think this could have led to people being confused about what they’re meant to do. I also think the idea would have been a lot more time consuming to actually produce an illustration for. 

I like the “3am Thoughts” idea that was chosen for Olio+ because it let people come up with their own ideas that could be suited to what they enjoy and want to draw. It could suit someone that wanted to draw something creepy and sinister, or someone that wanted to draw something silly or lighthearted. I kept my 3am Thought quite simple so that it could get the idea across quickly and easily with the limited colour and amount of detail possible with risograph. I chose to do “What if cows could talk?” with the thought of drawing some cute cows. I thought cows would be recognisable in any colours of the risograph, and in a simple style. It was fun to work in a simpler style for this illustration, and felt like less pressure than when drawing human characters. It was difficult to decide how I would stylise a cow, but after looking at some other games and cartoon cows I came up with a style I liked. It was also a good opportunity to try using text and speech bubbles in my work. I really like the end result because it translates the idea quickly and easily with as little detail as necessary. 

For the written quote I also wanted to keep it simple, but incorporated the cow print behind it to tie the two images next to each other when side by side. For the cover I wanted to create a dreamy cloud environment to highlight the late night thinking theme. It was suggested to me to include some indication of the weird ideas inside, so I took elements from other peoples 3am Thought to include on the cover. I think the cover turned out eye-catching but simple, and the floating items intrigue the viewer as to what could be inside. 

In this module I learned that when working collaboratively a simpler and more flexible idea is better, so that everyone can make it fit their interests and enjoy it more. Olio16 made me consider how I want to be perceived, and what work of mine is the best representation of my best work as well as the work I want to be doing. Although not required, learning adobe illustrator for my portrait was very valuable, and I’m now quite comfortable with it and have been using it for other projects and it’s made me think about new ways to make illustrations in the future. I’ve also learned that it’s a nice break from larger/longer projects to do a one-off piece, like the Olio16 cover. Maybe I could do this kind of thing for zines/magazines/competitions int he future? It was also good practice at sticking to specifications like file size and type. 

Overall, this module has been a welcome break from longer projects, producing one-off pieces that I like a lot, as well as being a good opportunity to collaborate with others and produce ideas together. 

[irrevocably-delicious]

I'm sorry if I bother you rn but any advice on how to go through a breakup? It's my first and I don't know how to deal with it and you seem like the mum friend 😅 btw love your art and I'm looking forward to the zine!

I showed this ask to a couple of good friends of mine and when they got to “mum friend” they couldn’t stop laughing. They were like

“How do they know?! Even your followers somehow know you’re the mum friend!”

I’m sorry you’re going through your first break up. That has to be very difficult and you’re usually a storm of emotions for a while afterwards. This is where I have to admit that I’ve actually never been through a break up myself. I’ve been dating my first boyfriend for 10 years now. BUT! Being the mum friend I have witnessed many break ups, so I will do my best to give you some advice when it comes to destructive behaviours I’ve seen. So here you go:

6 pieces of advice on how to deal with a break up from someone who has never actually been through one!

1. Cry

Basically, it’s ok to cry. Don’t feel like you have to bottle things up. Crying is a release, and often you feel better. Break ups are complicated, and you’ll have a lot of conflicting feelings inside of you. Crying will help to clear your head so you can process these emotions better.

2. Get busy!

Can’t feel things if you’re distracted! Haha, while that’s not the best sentiment, what I’m trying to say here is it’s good to focus on something. you can sometimes feel listless or aimless after a break up, so it’s sometimes good to set yourself small projects. Completing tasks will help keep your mind off of the break up, but will also boost your self esteem. You accomplished something! Enjoy that rush and sensation that you have talents and contribute to society! These tasks could be things you enjoy, like maybe completing a comic page? Or writing some fanfic? Going for a bike ride? Take a cooking class? Clean your house?  

I’m actually the kind of person that would probably volunteer for a lot more hours at my workplace, but this can kind of get a bit destructive if you’re not too careful. My work has excellent codes of practice where they will send me home if I’ve worked too many hours or too many consecutive days. Some workplaces aren’t as nice, so I would not encourage you to necessarily throw yourself into your job to keep busy.

3. Do things you couldn’t do BECAUSE of your ex

Did your ex have a peanut allergy? Mother fucker you go out there and rekindle your love of peanut butter milkshakes. Did they hate anime? BITCH! Go out there and binge One Punch Man and laugh at all the fun they’re missing. No one’s holding you back now! You are your own person! Look at all this stuff you used to love that you can enjoy again! This isn’t so bad!

4. Get angry

This is weird advice, but let me explain. I’ve had several friends pine over their exes for months, even after their exes cheated on them, were dismissive, or just generally treated them like garbage. If you’re a strong enough person that you can stay friends with your ex, then that’s awesome, But sometimes you just need to go cold turkey and sever all contact. Don’t string this along. It’s done.

Getting angry at them can sometimes help this. If you go from “oh god, I just miss them so much. The way they used to kiss me and hold me” to “Fuck that guy. I hope he rots.” then well done. You’re closer to moving on.

I’m not encouraging you to be hostile or rude or anything like that. Just value yourself. Know that you’re worth something, and they let you go. So fuck them! You’ll find someone better. Don’t pine after them. Flip them the finger and strut away.

5. Surround yourself with friends and family who love you.

This kind of helps in the keep busy category, but it also helps to process your feelings if you can voice them to someone. Explain to these people that you don’t necessarily need a solution, you just want someone to listen. This can also be a lonely time, so it’s good to frequently visit people. If you had a specific date night, maybe this could now be friend night? Call your mum! Don’t wallow at home.

6. Ask for help

If you need it, ask for help.

Break ups can be hugely difficult times and mental illnesses may arise or worsen. If you notice yourself getting reclusive, having panic attacks or mood swings, not eating, you may want to contact a professional. GPs are less intimidating and can often offer advice or give referrals if booking an appointment with a therapist seems too intimidating. Monitor yourself and make sensible choices.

This has been break up advice from someone who is totally not qualified! I hope this helps! 

[ninasooay]

Creative Industries Worksheet

These questions will help give an understanding of the job opportunities within the creative industry.

What key creative industry sectors can you identify?

Some of the key sectors within the creative industry are:

Advertising

Architecture

Visual Arts

Fashion and Textiles

Music

Performing Arts

Photography

Film and Video

Design

Computer Arts

Writing and Publishing

Crafts

What creative industries job roles can you identify?

There are various job roles within the creative industries.

Within photography, there is a huge range of job opportunities, as there is a huge range of types of photography:

Photojournalism

Wedding photographer

Fine Art

Commercial photographer

Product photography

Fashion photography

Portrait photography

This is just a short list of the potential route you could go down being a photographer. A lot of photographers are freelance, and work by themselves on a commission basis. However, within photography, you don’t necessarily need to be the photographer. The photographer may require an assistant, stylists, art director, make up artists etc.

Working in the creative sector, you will definitely find the opportunity to pursue practical roles such as an artist, actor or interior designer, as well as administrative or managerial jobs such as an arts administrator or museum curator.

There's an increase with the media and information technology sectors when it comes to the use of digital technology to produce and deliver creative content. This is noticeable in roles such as web designer, animator and game designer/computer artist.

Advertising is also a huge part of the creative industries when it comes to marketing and PR.

Please list as many examples of how job roles across the creative industries interact with each other as you can

(How would photographers work with them for example?)

There are so many different cross overs within the creative industries. A fashion photographer would most likely require a stylist and make-up artist, and potentially someone for art direction – especially within fashion, as someone needs to be there to ensure that the clothes are being worn correctly etc.

In the process of making a zine for example, a photographer could be in control of capturing the images for it, and then someone would work on the writing and layout/publishing of the zine.

I think, especially in photography, you will cross over with various people within the creative industries sector.

Someone who is a designer, maybe within crafts or textiles, they would require someone to take photos of their products. They may also require assistance when it comes to advertising and PR.

What key non-photo skills can you identify as useful for working in the creative industries

There are a few skills I can think of from the top of my head:

Creativity

Patience and concentration

Attention to detail

Strong networking skills

Team working skills

Being open minded

What key photo skills (those specific to a job role that you might fill) can you identify?

In terms of photographic skills, I can identify the following which I believe would be a requirement for a job role I might fill:

Setting up photographic equipment

Capturing photographs

Editing and retouching images

Choosing and setting up locations

Reproducing and framing photographs

Promoting their business (especially if self-employed)

Researching and making contacts

General administration

Please identify as many potential employment opportunities within the photographic sector as you can and note the type of employment (self-employed or employment)

Potential jobs within the photographic sector:

Agencies – Self employed (jobs through agencies)

Newspapers – Self employed

Magazines – Self employed & employed

Catalogues – Self employed & employed

Hospitals - Employed

Medical publishers - Employed

Museums - Employed

Art galleries – Self employed & employed

Weddings – Self employed

Products – Self employed

Fine Art – Self employed

Fashion – Self Employed & Employed

Crime scene - Employed

I think most photographers are freelance, however, if you work as a crime scene photographer, or a medical photographer, you will most likely be employed. Even within fashion, a lot could be freelance, but they may also find themselves employed by large fashion companies to be the photographer.

Please give examples of the most significant marketplace and technological developments on the creative industries

I think in the recent years, Instagram and other forms of social media have had a huge and positive impact for people within creative industries.

Instagram has allowed so many artists to show their work on a platform that almost everyone in the world uses. These have now developed so you are able to promote your work so they can reach more than just your followers. It also allows you to use hash tags for free, which is a great way to get peoples attention if they don’t follow you.

From my perspective, I have been connected with various types of artists through Instagram who now want to do projects with me, and also share my work which will draw attention to my page/work.

I think this platform has made it a lot easier for people to publish and sell zines/ prints etc.

Please give an indication of what your future job role/s in the creative industries may be and explain how you might break into these

I have never known exactly what I want to do as a photographer, as I just love taking photographs and finding inspiration and beauty everywhere.

However, the main thing I have been aiming to do this year is print my own zine. I have always wanted to bring out my own zine, as I will have full control of the images I take, and I have full creative control.

I would like to get into fashion photography more, as I know a lot of people who have moved down to London and now have very successful jobs within the fashion industry as photographers.

I think the main thing I enjoy about photography, is creative freedom, so if it is possible, I would prefer to work for myself. I would like to make enough money to get by, by selling zines, prints and working with other creative sectors on projects.

When listening to Simon Murphy, I was inspired by his story of starting off by leaving little post card sized prints in shops. He also said he would leave small zines in shops for people to pick up for free. I think when it comes to things like this, I would take a similar approach.

I also think offering people to take photos for free, is a good way to get your name out there.