Now that we are officially halfway through the year, I have been reflecting on everything I have been doing these past few months, and it has been very satisfying to realize that I have achieved much of what I set out to do at the beginning of this year.
I was also a little surprised because this has been the year in which I have felt the least exhausted trying to achieve my goals. That's why I thought that I hadn't actually done much of what I had set out to do. I'm glad to realize that the opposite has been true, and I think I owe it all to the power of being offline.
I was also a little surprised because this has been the year in which I have felt the least exhausted trying to achieve my goals. That's why I thought that I hadn't actually done much of what I had set out to do. I'm glad to realize that the opposite has been true, and I think I owe it all to the power of being offline.
Taking a break from social media wasn't something I decided overnight; it was actually something that started gradually last year. I wasn't enjoying social media anymore, but every time I unlocked my phone, my fingers immediately opened one.
This was seriously affecting me, so after reflecting on it a bit, I realized that I needed to take a step back.
The first step was to close my Twitter account once and for all. I had been putting it off because I felt that after so many years of using it and adapting to the community of children's illustrators there, and given that most of the children's literature events I participated in took place there, I might miss out on some opportunities. I don't know if I've missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime or not, but I don't miss it at all, and it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
The second step was to think about my relationship with Instagram. While at one point I loved it, and it was a good way to share my illustrations, get feedback, and meet other illustrators, in recent years I only saw ads and a series of accounts I didn't follow, my own posts were forgotten, and it was stressful to try to post frequently in the hope of getting noticed. So I stopped doing it. Aside from a few drawing challenges that I always end up abandoning to focus on other things, my Instagram is pretty much dead, although I do enjoy seeing other people's stories.
Finally, Bluesky. I can't say that my relationship with Bluesky is bad, but I didn't want to fall into the old habit of scrolling, so I deleted the app from my phone. There was no reason for me to have access to the app all the time, so I only use the web version when I want to post something, participate in #kidlitart chat, or catch up.
These changes have shown me how much I was wasting my time. Now that I've forced myself to find other activities to spend my free time on, I've been able to rediscover new hobbies, focus more on my art, and gain peace of mind.
Have you ever tried going offline? I'd love to hear about your experience.
This was seriously affecting me, so after reflecting on it a bit, I realized that I needed to take a step back.
The first step was to close my Twitter account once and for all. I had been putting it off because I felt that after so many years of using it and adapting to the community of children's illustrators there, and given that most of the children's literature events I participated in took place there, I might miss out on some opportunities. I don't know if I've missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime or not, but I don't miss it at all, and it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
The second step was to think about my relationship with Instagram. While at one point I loved it, and it was a good way to share my illustrations, get feedback, and meet other illustrators, in recent years I only saw ads and a series of accounts I didn't follow, my own posts were forgotten, and it was stressful to try to post frequently in the hope of getting noticed. So I stopped doing it. Aside from a few drawing challenges that I always end up abandoning to focus on other things, my Instagram is pretty much dead, although I do enjoy seeing other people's stories.
Finally, Bluesky. I can't say that my relationship with Bluesky is bad, but I didn't want to fall into the old habit of scrolling, so I deleted the app from my phone. There was no reason for me to have access to the app all the time, so I only use the web version when I want to post something, participate in #kidlitart chat, or catch up.
These changes have shown me how much I was wasting my time. Now that I've forced myself to find other activities to spend my free time on, I've been able to rediscover new hobbies, focus more on my art, and gain peace of mind.
Have you ever tried going offline? I'd love to hear about your experience.
Selecting my digital brushes
I am currently in the process of completely redoing my website and portfolio. During this process, I have been trying out new brushes to better suit my style and also removing several that, although I like them, I never felt comfortable using.
There were several things I was clear about when I started this process. The most important thing was that I wanted to have a maximum of 20 brushes in total, and I divided them according to their use: sketches, line art, fills, textures, and decorative.
Trying out brushes is probably the most fun part of drawing.
Someone needs to stop me
Making dummies has been one of my favorite things to do since last year. These dummies are completely personal projects and allow me to explore stories more extensively in my illustrations, as well as help me improve my compositions and character design. That said, I have completed the glorious number of O (ZERO) dummies.
The problem: I always think there is something I could improve.
Because I am not accountable to anyone but myself, I keep making changes all the time, and it is a never-ending task. I will add to my to-do list for 2025: learn when to stop.
Things I enjoyed last month:
✷ After months of waiting, I was finally able to borrow Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari from the library, and so far, it has been worth the wait.
✷ Since I started crocheting, I've come across tons of related videos on YouTube, and Ame LIFE is one of my favorites to watch while I work on my own projects or draw.
✷ I introduced Sadakatsiz to my mom, and now we are watching it together. She is loving it.
Until next month!
- Katiuska