The importance of finding its
own balance.
Hi everyone, Mich here: Art-Director and Co-Founder at Other Universe
and also main artist for the series The Last Of My Days. Today I'm here
to explain the reasons behind our publishing's delays and, also, why I
decided to take a step back from the production of this project.
I liked to draw since a tender age and, as far as I can remember, I
was always scrupulous with every single detail; despite my really
precise nature, though, I felt very happy while making art...somethig
that I haven't really experienced much in the past three years.
Since I decided to make my living out of art, I've been dragged down
by the weight of expectations, the highest of which were my own; and
compelled in making something that the public would like, my
attention and cure for details started spiralling down towards what
someone might define as obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Drawing digitally I ended up pressing CTRL + Z a lot...waaaay too much.
CTRL + Z, for you non-artist/PC guys out there, is the keys combination
used to erase your last made progress/error; and lately my workflow was
constantly interrupted by this operation.
Draw a line, CTRL + Z, draw a line, think a bit, CTRL + Z,
CTRL + Z, draw a line, CTRL + Z, think a little bit more, CTRL + Z,
CTRL + Z, getting frustrated, draw a couple of lines more,
CTRL + Z, CTRL + Z, CTRL + Z...not fun at all.
This crazy search for the perfect line was taking a really big toll on
my artistic flow and mental health, literally suffocating that sparkle
that has always burned fiery in me. Even though I cannot deny that
the pages of TLOMD #1 - The Epic Begins are the best comicbook pages
I have ever made, there is very little spontaneity in there, very little
of myself as an artist. They're probably really good on a technical and
skillful level, I guess, but I now strongly feel that those two adjectives
do not necessarily belong to an happy artist.
I was focusing so much on the final result, that I was totally missing
out on the pleasure of the creating process itself. Luckily I managed to
snap out of it, noticing that I had to take a break from it all. I need to
find again the pleasure of drawing just for myself, drawing for the sake
of it, not thinking about any target audience or how high the quality
of the product is. Ignite back the light of that little kid drawing
with spontaneity and ingenuity, giving a fuck about what other people
think, cause I strongly believe that there's where the Happy Artist lies.
A spontaneous gesture of drawing, for the love of drawing.
In order to achieve this, I'm giving a big twist to my life as all, which
will soon change a loooooot anyway, with the arrival of my newborn
son (my wife's due date is in three days as per writing this): I will be
a forestry worker, cutting down trees along the electricity lines, so
that they can work properly.
I remember that when I was "Mich, the heavy duty
worker drawing just for fun" I wasmuch happier. Very physical,
surrounded by the Norwegian nature and "en plain air", as the
french adage says; it's the perfect environment for me to regrow
(pun unintended).
I started working last week and I can already tell you without a
doubt that I'm going in the right direction. I removed myself from
all social medias (exactly, you cannot find me anymore) and I will
maybe come back to them just when this all proces is complete. I
don't know when that time will come, but I will make sure to let
you know, probably with another article similar to this one.