Log inBLOG: An update on life, work, and commissions
You may recall a blog post I wrote almost 3 years ago, titled “Why My Artist Alley Days Are Over (For Now)”. The years after COVID made me re-think how I wanted to run my business, and at that time, conventions no longer fit into my schedule. I felt burnt out from them, the associated stress and work when preparing and attending conventions. However, I always kept an eye on the scene and had many fond memories of the good times with my friends, colleagues and fans.
Talking about your work in person, exchanging experiences with colleagues, making sales and seeing faces light up when they see you and your work – my current lifestyle of drawing like a hermit at home, hiding my work behind paywalls and from most of the people in my life – it just doesn’t compare.
I feel that a few years later, I’m in a spot where I want to have another go at tabling at artist alleys. It will take some prep work – I have admin things to take care of, a budget to plan out, and of course, lots of artwork to make if I want to get started with conventions again.
I want my work to have a distinct vibe and style, which will take some soul searching – I’ve been doing that for a while now, but I haven’t really put it to the test yet! Here comes the fun part of experimentation, trial and error…
And yes, this also means I want to get back to developing and re-drawing my comic FRANTIC LIVE at some point. Maybe after tackling some shorter comics while Chase and I figure out the revised story beats for FL.
What this means for my commissions
For the foreseeable future, I’m going to reduce the amount of commissions I take on. I will not stop offering them, however I want to re-connect with the local/regional community more and prepare artwork to sell, which means I need to free up some time to work on my own projects.
What kind of commissions I’ll offer may vary – right now I’m leaning towards 1 big commission at a time. Think full color, 1-2 characters, and a full background. These would have a longer turn-around time, so I can work on them at my own pace while taking care of all the prep work that needs to be done. This is assuming that no emergencies or other big expenses require me to open additional slots on short notice.
A wait list will be opened for anyone interested in a slot, on a first-come-first-contacted basis. Be aware that you might have to wait a few months until you hear from me – at which point you will be able to make your final decision whether you’d still like to get a commission, and communicate your final idea/details.
I’m going to update my ToS and prices accordingly in the near future, and will send a newsletter once I’m ready to take on a commission and open the wait list.
That is interesting news. It would be so cool seeing you at a convention!
Yesss I can't wait! Let me know if you have event suggestions and I can take a look 🥰
I usually visit LBM, RolePlayVerse, Connichi and Polaris.
I think LBM does not have a 18+ area, same goes for RPV. Though RPV had some nsfw artists. Connichi had a small 18+ area last year. It was a bit hidden and small, but at least there and maybe a start for more (: But I can't visit this year, so no clue if they make it bigger. But the normal artists booths also had nsfw artwork, it was just censored. At Polaris were also some censored artworks.
Maybe KaidanCon could be interesting, its purely 18+. But I haven't been there yet, maybe next year. In my insta stories were many positive reviews.
I'll keep an eye out! LBM is a bit tough for me since I need to book 5 nights so I need to be sure it'll be worth it - earliest I can consider is 2027 I think... I saw Kaidancon and it looks promising! Not sure if my work would do well at RPV. Depends on what I end up creating haha. I'll try to have a good mix of SFW and NSFW. I hope Connichi can expand their 18+ area like Dokomi did because being hidden away somewhere is a huge disadvantage for sales 😂 Most convention sign ups are closed now, but I'll see what I can do for 2026!