Should you join a contest
issue #58 and a random pet peeve
This newsletter is for those craving art talks, daily life philosophers, and the bored. Every two weeks (kind of).
✦ art
The Princess situation
It’s been so long since my last post that the Webtoons contest phase 1 is long over! While my story didn’t get selected for the next rounds, I’m incredibly proud of it. I am slowly working on the finale, the last two chapters. By the time this is posted, there should be an interview I did with The Webtoon Wave up, if you want to hear more about the creation process.
I always felt compelled to join contests, because they push you to do work that is hopefully better than what you’ve been doing on autopilot, within a deadline. Even though contests can feel quite commercial, and sometimes are just clearly free marketing for a brand, I believe they are like a framework for a drawing exercise. The contest guidelines are basically a client brief, there is a deadline, and you can compare your entry with those of others to analyze what lead to the winning selection. Was it a more fitting concept? Technical skill? An unexpected element? When you are learning art by yourself, contests can be a great way to apply what you are learning and put your work into context.
Even when you loose. There is a weird co-existence of contradictions that happen during a contest - you enter hoping to win, then you realize you probably won’t and yet you continue, because deep down there is a little hope. I think dealing with this contradiction is very important. It teaches you how to push through something that is uncertain and might yield no results, while staying optimistic. That skill will carry you through personal projects, when there is no external deadline or validation.
Contests can also test you on your self-esteem. Do you still love the work you created, even though it lost? Can you accept that loosing wasn’t a sign of your incompetence, but just a misfit between client expectation and your execution? That you are still a worthy artist when you loose?
I still love my princess story. I’m so proud of it. I’m glad I joined the contest that I lost. What about you?
Have you joined art contests before? Was it worth it?
If you haven’t read it yet, check out my comic The Princess’s Knights! It’s on webtoon or my insta story highlights.
✦ not art
It’s not fall.
Instead of a deep reflect about some topic today, I want to just share a reminder - it’s not fall in the southern hemisphere.
It’s completely my fault for being immersed in American/European media, but I occasionally get bothered when I see posts that reference the start of a new season (very soon we will be seeing the cozy orange autumn theme everywhere) and it’s literally the opposite season I’m experiencing.
I’m not blaming anyone, like I said, it’s up to me to follow people who are in my hemisphere. I just wanted to share this random frustration.
Can you imagine a cozy Christmas at 40°C?
To compensate for the complaining, here is a random series recommendation: Ayrton Senna. They made a mini series about his life on Netflix and I love how it’s shot! If you like F1, or cars, or just pretty cinematography, short series, and non-american series, it’s worth it. He is kind of a national hero and I’ve been enjoying to learn why (driving in the rain dude).
✦ Watching
Ayrton Senna, Barbie life in the dreamhouse (lol)
✦ Reading
Creativity Inc., The Ride of a Lifetime
Have a magical week!
