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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1209879
Generally, I take a lot of time bonding with my community. For example, on Discord, because in my opinion an art career is not just about art, it's also about the people who support you. Therefore, I am always trying to give back to the people who have been supporting me throughout all this time. If anyone needs attention or has a question, I always take some time to answer. So, a typical day involves social media, answering messages on Discord, drawing and painting and a lot of logistics. That said, I tend to organize my day in quite a chaotic way. I don't have a set time for most things since I am more an emotionally-driven person and I do things more as I see fit on a day to day basis. If on a day I feel especially inspired to draw, I may spend 12 hours drawing. If I feel more like doing logistics, I do logistics, and so forth. Q. You are a freelance artist and with that, you are also a business. How do you keep yourself disciplined to do what you have to do to keep this career viable? For me, discipline is knowing that this is my job. It's the same as doing a nine- to-five job and if I want income and to make a living doing this, even if I don't feel like it, I have to do something. This is my livelihood, after all. On days, where I need to start drawing, but simply cannot, I tell myself to not draw and take a day to relax and do things I enjoy. Many people struggle with being disciplined when they have to because they are also not relaxed when they should be. Q. Do you personally have things you struggle with as a freelance artist? One of the biggest things I struggle with is imposter syndrome, while also having really high expectations for myself. These two things combined make me feel like I have not earned the position that I am in and that one day people will find out that I have no idea what I'm doing. (laughs) However, I don't want this to hold me back, so I had to recognize that people see value in my work. I want to work hard for these people and not disappoint them, even if I am not meeting my own expectations. I want to know that I have done my best. Q. What is the most fun thing for you about being a freelance artist? I do love the freedom and that it's not a rigidly structured job, because I am such an impulsive person. I enjoy the freedom to get to say a lot of things when I feel like it, and get to say nothing when I don't. It makes me feel that I can truly embrace who I am. Freelancing also allows me to challenge myself and there is no project I find boring because there is always something new to try and to challenge myself with. The ability to express myself with my art is very important. When I get depressed sometimes, it's almost therapeutic to put these feelings on paper. Q. You are very active on Twitch. How did you discover this to be the thing for you? It was an opportunity I had during a time when I had to stay home due to circumstances in my home life. It was something for me to do and my partner at that time suggested I should try drawing on Twitch. At that time, I had no idea what Twitch was.