The next step of a journey... (Patreon)

***THIS POST DOES NOT COUNT TOWARDS THE MONTHLY REWARDS. I WILL BE POSTING NEW ART VERY SOON FOR YOUR EXCLUSIVE ENTERTAINMENT! ***

(reposted from my DeviantArt journal)

 And with that last post, my commission hiatus has officially started.   There is one client I will do a bit of work for, now and then, because their schedule works well with mine. But other than that, I am going to be focusing entirely on my own works for a while. 

February 27th will mark my 4th year as a freelance artist. This time, 4 years ago, I had already given my notice to my boss that I was quitting... Right in the middle of a promotion! I was sleeping 4 hours a night, working 8-10 hours a day at my retail job as a manager, and then another 8-10 hours in the evenings on improving my art and trying to figure out how I was going to pull this off... I had no idea what I was doing, only that I had no choice. I made a decision:

"If I am going to struggle every day of my life, I might as well be fighting for my dreams."

I continued to work hard over the next 4 years, leading to this day. I was washed over by the waves of failure, time and time again. I fell behind on bills, I slept very little... I became singularly focused, no... obsessed... on seeking the secrets to success as an artist. How could I do it? What did the successful ones know that I didn't? What was I missing? I kept searching and searching, and over the last few years, I scraped together enough knowledge to make a living out of this dream. 

Today is a benchmark for me, as this is the first day in many years that my work schedule is completely clear.  All this time, I have spent my focus on working mostly on other people's dreams, and other people's projects. An artist's greatest asset is their ability to materialize a vision for all to see, like a projector screen for the unconscious mind. We are gateways to the imagination. We are communicators of the heart. I leveraged this as best I could... at first to anyone who would hire me, and then, as I grew in popularity, I was able to pick and choose my clients based on what ideas I thought best suited my skill sets and interests... As wonderful and fun and creative as these ideas have been, they weren't my ideas. And so there was always a hunger in my heart to express myself. To truly show my vision to the world. 

That is why today is so important to me. I woke up early, and feeling alert. The world feels a bit bigger. It feels a bit more full of wonder. Today, I have no obligations to any clients. I have no pending commission that needs my attention and focus. I just have me, my mind, my time, and my art tools. 

It's a little overwhelming, when I think about it. So many years I have dreamt of stories and games and art projects that I could develop, if I had the time. Now that I have the time, where do I start? As overwhelming as that is, it's also exhilarating, and sobering. Now it's game time. It's time to be tested, and see what I can really do. Is there more to me than just pretty drawings? Are there good stories in this mind, too? We shall see...

First, I think the thing to do is get busy. I don't like to be idle, so I think I will be starting a daily posting schedule, again. Even if it's just little sketches, I want to keep my hands busy. I think this is the best way to prevent "paralysis through analysis", as they say. 

So that's what I am going to do. 

I can't write a journal post like this without talking about Patreon. Patreon is the reason I can do this. It's the reason I can switch gears from a freelance illustrator to a self motivated content creator. It's the reason my art posting here will increase over the next few months, years, or even decades. My supporters on Patreon are my heroes, truly. Let no one say that success is the victory of one person. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my supporters. This support comes not only from my patrons, but also every comment, every share, every new watcher I get. You've all contributed to making this artist's dreams come true. I will ever endeavor to be worthy of this gift!

Thanks for taking the time to read this! Have a wonderful day, and remember: Don't waste it! 
~Ray