It’s customary for me to write about my goals from the previous year; then to write about the goals I have for the upcoming year. So this post is Part 1 of a 2-Part series. (Part 2 will be tomorrow.)
DID I REACH MY 2021 GOALS?
Yes…and no. I met some, but not all.
Let’s break it down.
1) MAKE 5 NEW CRAFT PIECES.
How completely self-indulgent to have a goal NOT related to work!
Here’s the thing: technically I DID make this one. But I didn’t get to everything on the initial list I had. 4 out of 5 pieces on my old crafting to-do list got done! Then I got sidetracked and began making new things.
That’s ok! I’ve decided to just pursue the things that bring me joy instead of dread. That’s more important. ESPECIALLY for a hobby.
2) MAKE 5 NEW MINICOMICS
This DID NOT HAPPEN. I did not make 5 new minicomics.
…But I DID make – and finish – The Legend of Azu-Mi. (At least, the art for it.) I’ll count that win for what it’s worth.
3) MAKE 5 NEW 11X17 (OR LARGER) PRINTS
Yet another goal that DID NOT happen. I barely got two. Even then, one of the new prints, Kay the Valkyrie, is not 11×17 inches. I thought I had formatted the original working file to that size. Turns out, I did not.
I did, however, finish the art for one that had been a work in progress for two years – the Cryptid of Leaves. Here’s a peek at the original…
My new scanner bed is not quite big enough to accommodate this guy, though. So I’ll need to figure out how to digitize him to make prints.
4) RELEASE 5 NEW BOOKS
This past year, there came the release of…
- The Legend of Jamie Roberts, volume 1,
- Less Than Secret: A Cryptid Anthology, and
- complete edits for Sean McGavin’s new book that I’m a part of.
But that’s not 5 books.
That’s fine. I’ll consider it good that these even got done. Especially considering that The Legend of Jamie Roberts, volume 1 kept getting a LOT of setbacks – from production delays to book misprints.
5) MAKE 5 VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE
I gave up on this one. Like, yes, I made a lot more videos on TikTok after I got on that platform. But actually editing video is my least favorite thing in the world to do. It’s right up there with bashing my head against the refrigerator door, or burning myself on pans while baking.
But I DID get into animation.
Look at them! I animated Jamie here! Thank you, Clip Studio Paint, for making that happen. Eventually, I’ll get used to your animation tools. Because currently, it’s like trying to read French.
I think we can all agree that 2021 was not the year we expected, or hoped, it would be. On my end of things, there were production issues, an encounter with a scam artist, and 3 deaths in the family in the final 6 months of the year. To be blunt, 2021 was shit. Basically 2020 part 2: Electric Boogaloo.
With that in mind, I’m going to…restructure a few things. But I’ll get into that tomorrow.
That’s all for now. Thank you for reading.
You. Are. Awesome.