#my top post this year was my drawing of ranmaru with his ginger ale lmao i lowkey miss that fucker

[michi-chelle-draws]

2021!

According to my Year in Review, I made 76 posts this year, so it was definitely a better year for art than last year was. JJBA and SK8 the Infinity really helped me out of my 2020 slump. <3

For the first time since high school where I would doodle in my planner during boring classes, I felt as though drawing was a form of escape for me. I never really looked at drawing as a stress-reliever, sometimes it’s the source of my stress. But this year I would draw while I procrastinated and ignored responsibilities. I felt too inspired by the media I consumed this year and too bogged down by senioritis lol.

I barely made it to graduation, and I’m currently a below-average adult, in a way different situation than I had anticipated. And in the second half of the year I was struggling with a lot more self-hatred, hopelessness, apathy, and unwarranted guilt than usual (well still am). But anyway through all that I really had drawing to fall back on. Like I mentioned in my Inktober video, it’s the one thing that I’m genuinely doing for fun and not for self-improvement or to fulfill any sort of expectation. Even though it’s completely useless. It’s not something to add to my resume, and it’s not something cool or interesting to tell family, friends, and employers when they ask what I’ve been up to the past 6 months.

And I felt like it was an okay year in terms of drawing. Didn’t really improve or make any drastic changes. But I felt like, overall, drawing was almost effortless. Like for the most part I didn’t have to fight with my sketchbook. And if a drawing didn’t work out I just moved onto the next one. I wouldn’t say I’m super happy with the current state of my art, but I don’t hate it either. I’m hmmm okay with it. Idk it’s strange.

I completed Inktober for the first time this year, and dedicated the challenge to making original art, which I rarely do. I’m actually proud of myself for finishing the challenge, because even though I had a lot of time on my hands, it’s hard to build a drawing habit especially on days when you don’t feel like drawing.

I also uploaded 4 art videos on my YouTube and they’re somewhat different from one another: a regular speedpaint, a speedpaint of one of my whiteboard drawings, a speedpaint using a new tool, and a sketchbook flipthrough. I even tried doing voiceover videos. I wish I had more opportunities to make videos, I definitely want to make more next year. I think my ideal would be maybe 5 or 6 videos a year…?

So yeah. Overall, pretty good art year even if it wasn’t the best for my personal and professional life. I don’t have any goals or resolutions for 2022, except maybe! Maybeeeee I can table at AnimeNYC……..? Idk tho I have to figure out how to make prints and shit and actually put in effort to put myself out there but. I’m lazy lmao. Idk I like posting art on Tumblr where people think it’s a graveyard over here, Instagram and Twitter are way too scary lolol. Well we’ll see what happens. And of course I want to get better at drawing hands and backgrounds. The usual lol.

Thank you for supporting me this year! If you liked, reblogged (I read all the tags and they make my day), replied, submitted an ask, looked at a drawing and say “I don’t know what this is but it’s not bad,” thank you! <3 And if you read this far, I’m super grateful for you! Here’s to 2022!