Now is the Time

I've wanted to build a little corner of the web for myself for a while now, but have been hesitant about how to start. Perhaps how is not the right question, but when - and there is no better time to start than now. So I've written this first post to begin.

Why a Blog?

It does seem sort of dated, but I think there are a few advantages:

Tech Independence

After reading Derek Sivers' Tech Independence article, I became motivated to create a small corner of the web that was as minimally reliant on exclusive services as possible. Everything on my site, including this blog can be easily backed up and moved if any of the services supporting it stop working. This can't be said of IG, Twitter, FB, etc. I'm not opposed to using those services, but I'd prefer a more permanent place that I control to build up over time and that can be reliably found, no algorithm required.

If you are an artist, I highly suggest having a dedicated website for your work. Squarespace is quick and easy, I've used it in the past. If you're looking to save some money in the long run and are willing to do a bit of the work yourself, I've enjoyed using WordPress + the Semplice theme.

Fatigued of Social Media

While it can be a wonderful place to find inspiration and keep up with what others are doing, I find social media can be a massive distraction, riddled with ads, and detrimental to my productivity and quality of life. I've found newsletters and Patreon to be a nice alternative and would like to make something similar. James Gourney's substack has been my favorite example of late. Plus no ads!

A Place to Contribute

Much of my art education has been built on resources others have shared. When I have something helpful to share, I'll pay it forward here.

A Place to Document

Sharing our process can be a good way to reflect on the workflow, and to share that work with others. It can also be a wonderful time capsule of progress. One of my favorite examples of this is my great friend Craig Winslow's blog who's been keeping a blog of his progress for a decade. Craig also writes a yearly retrospective summarizing the events and accomplishments of that year - a great way to reflect on everything one has done, it can be easy to forget!

Goals

My goal with this is to share something useful to the art and creative community. Professionally my work revolves around 2D and UI art, while personally my interests also span into philosophy and business - mainly in search of a way to achieve a fulfilled day-to-day life. I expect to share posts of art process and project updates, as well as resources and thoughts that have helped me through difficulty and live the fulfilled life I enjoy.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! I look forward to sharing more with you in the future and hope to aid you in your creative endeavors.

Much Success,

- Mike

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