neonkomi

I didn't want to let January pass without posting something. I received a substack notification for an article about the difference between writing for yourself  or writing for others (Anne Leny). I found it really insightful, especially as I struggle to start writing consistently on this blog. When I decided to step away from Instagram last December, I thought naively that it would be easy. Stop posting, start blogging instead, go longform, get it done without the pressure to compare your number of followers with how many engaged with your post.  What I didn't realise was that I have to get rid of ten years of posting on Instagram, or really ten years of creating content for immediate results, following trends, focusing on fandoms or promoting with appropriate hashtags to the webtoon audience. Now, I started to write blog articles and immediately my self critic would butt in. "No one is going to read this". "Who cares? You are a nobody". "A...

I was wondering why it feels so hard to blog right now. I think writing should make you feel that when you're opening your soul a little, it's safe to share. The problem for me right now is to know when I cross the line between sharing and over-sharing. I often feel like as soon as I have an idea there immediately is another voice that tells me nobody cares. That it's not good enough or that I am embarrassing myself. I know this is a big problem for me, this idea of shame, but more importantly of self-induced shame. Being responsible for opening up, in search of fellow humans feeling similar, only to be met with people who mock what I do. When did that last happen, I wonder? I don't think it's happened for my art actually, I don't remember people coming to tell me what I did was rubbish, at least not directly. Not since highschool anyway. Maybe the failed comics competitions the past few years are the only culprits there, or the fact that I struggled...

A week in London This year we decided to skip summer holidays and focus instead on a fantastic week in London for October break. Despite starting September feeling that we had made a big mistake and really should have escaped somewhere during the warm months, once we were in the UK we really made the best of it! We passed some iconic sights and walked a lot everyday. Our daughters, the little critters, were very well behaved and enjoyed the walks and the subway experience. The crowd size surprised us in front of Buckingham and I really wanted to move away since we just bought hot drinks and people really did not care to push you if you were too close to the gates. No thank you! We walked to St James Park and the girls were greeted by a few squirrels! So cute! Another day was spent shopping and watching the Crystal Palace club play at home in the evening. What an experience! Well at least the girls enjoyed the fanzone and souvenirs shopping before falling asleep ...

  KISS ! Keep It Simple Stupid ! Inspired by Ryoko Kui's blog which has only a few lines and (awesome) illustrations, I wanted a space away from social media where I could put whatever I wanted and talk a little bit about what I've been working on. Unfortunately as much as Instagram initially was great to meet artists and an audience in one place, it has now become impossible to show anything and get returning viewers when you like to draw different things like I do. I see the successful insta blogs are the one focus only on one theme, one type of post and of course reels posted regularly.  It leads to burn out and disgust for us artists who like to follow our hearts and live life organically. This blog might have no readers but at least I won't feel like no hearts or comments mean what I am doing is rubbish, or that despite having 730 followers I barely get 10 likes and 2 comments per post. It is infuriating and I'd rather have that one place where I am free from all t...