Reflect with me (why'd I do Mermay?) (Patreon)

Welcome back to my Patreon, hope your day has been swell so far. <3 I've always been interested in the artist as an individual in addition to their work. I find that unearthing that understanding tends to add more meaning and story to the process. I'd like to offer my 2 cents into the pool and take the opportunity to reflect on my own artistic journey. I do enjoy sharing and seeing others' tutorials and explanations of their physical work, but I also love when I can gain insight into the why, the motivation, and the mindset that defines an artist as much as their art. 

I wanted to dedicate a post to understanding my experience with Mermay. It was my first time completing Mermay, but not my first time completing a monthly challenge. I definitely felt a certain level of comfort going into Mermay, even though what I decided to draw each day was a surprise. Starting with week 1: Soft, like a baby duck resting atop a marshmallow

At the start, I wasn't really sure how creative I wanted to be with this challenge so I mainly stuck with what I knew about mermaids. I didn't venture far from my comfort zone and mainly stuck with designs, colors, and subject matter that I felt familiar with. I interpreted the idea of a mermaid very literally and used traditional imagery (shells, seastars, ocean creatures) to accessorize my characters. I'm not harping on these designs, I like them! I think they're very cute and reflect a soft and sweet image of mermaids.  I had this idea of a mermaid in my head as a pastel princess and I carried that image out to the fullest of my ability, which is to say 7 illustrations in and I was ready to try something new. Sidenote, but I literally ditched this tail design early week 2 and never came back to it? Wonder what happened there...

Week 2: Hybrids

Week 2 is probably my favorite week out of the entire challenge. I took some creative liberties this week and ventured off into new design territory. I allowed some of the classic mermaid imagery to fall to the wayside and welcomed in new elements to create more memorable characters. I feel like these mermaids carry a bit more emotional weight than week 1, especially the trio of galaxy mermaids. I've always been fascinated by imagery of stars, night skies, and their rich colors. I don't know what it is exactly, but I feel so contentedly small when I think about the vast expanse that exists in and outside our universe. It's calming, terrifying, and freeing at the same time to realize that no matter how important we may feel, our existence is but a mere speck in the stretch of reality. I think these feelings found their way into those mermaids' expressions and why I feel a particular emotional connection to them. 

Week 3: Pushing poses

I remember week 3 was a lot of fun. I was a bit more shameless with exploring imagery that really speaks to my personal tastes (note all the flowers and plants!). At this point, I'm definitely concerned that I'm running low on creative juices, so I just start drawing things that I know I love and embracing that mindset to its fullest. At one point I was genuinely worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the daily drawings. I felt like I had run out of ideas and was treading water. So, I try worrying less about whether or not something is "creative" and instead just focus on enjoying what I'm drawing. It doesn't always come out exactly how I expected it to, but I was so happy engaging in the process that the outcome is no longer my ultimate concern. By the way, I think it's healthy to think that way sometimes. Being goal-oriented is great, but when I ignore the journey and try to rush through everything the goal, even if it's achieved, feels empty. 

Week 4: IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

Let's face it, I was definitely running low on creative energy at this point, but doggone it I wanted to finish this Mermay! So I did a mental teeth-gritting of sorts and coaxed myself to get through one day at a time. Thinking about x amount of days left just made me feel lost so I reminded myself to just take it a day at a time. When the day's drawing is over, I put it aside and didn't think about what I'd draw tomorrow. I'd leave tomorrow's tasks for tomorrow. It felt healthier pacing myself this way and less "If I don't finish this then the entire month will have been for nothing." If you feel overwhelmed, just try taking things one day at a time and one step at a time. Large tasks are rarely accomplished in one giant step, it's okay and totally normal to do a lot of small tasks that add up to the completion of the big task. <3

Overall, Mermay was a rather pleasant experience! I definitely struggled at times and felt that I couldn't go on. But I told myself to sit down each day and try to make something. It didn't have to be amazing, it didn't have to be the best, as long as I made something that's what counted. I also got to expand my idea of what a mermaid is and hope to grow even more next year! And thank you all so much for your support throughout May! Your feedback, encouragement, and enthusiasm toward the series really helped keep me excited about creating! I'm so glad it was something we could look forward to together and thank you for being a part of Mermay. It was my pleasure to share it with you, so thank you thank you thank you for everything. <3

For those who are interested, Mermay originals and postcard prints will be available in my shop on June 19th. ^^ Until then, have a great day/night and I'll see you soon with another post!

Love,

Vicki