The howling abyss

A review of my creative output in 2022

As we tumble into the howling abyss that is 2023, it’s time for a little (forced) reflection. It’s what all the cool kids are doing this time of year. So on with it – what did I make last year?

• 7 illustrations
• wrote 3 short comics
• inked 2 short comics (a total of 4 pages)
• created 28 ink and watercolour postcard sized illustrations
• inked 2 comic strips

Well, that’s depressing. I need frequent reminding that this is not a full time job, as much as I would like it to be. The quantity of artwork I produce is, in many ways, outside my control. I can make the best of the time I get, by ensuring I have tools and a workspace that is ready to go when I am, but I can’t just not go to work, as much as I kick and scream. And I don’t have a say in when a kid needs me to help with homework, or murder a defenceless spider in the bathroom, or reanimate a decapitated Barbie.

Quality, on the other hand, is something I have complete control over. I have no pressure to hack something together by the end of the day. Johnny Corporate’s got no sway here. And I do think the quality of my art has increased. I pushed my illustration more, created more interesting drawings, and experimented more with colour and texture.

The comics I completed (not posted yet), and even the one I’m working on now, are also my best ever. The quality of writing and drawing is much higher, I’m trying different processes, tools, and compositions.

So I may not have completed as many projects as I would have liked in 2022, but I really like what I created, and what that says for my direction, creatively. Silver linings, I guess.

Onward, into the abyss! Happy new year, and all that.