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davidmariottecomics · 4 months

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Goodbye IDW! Hello Something New!

Hi there!

After seven years and some change, today, 12/22/2023, is my last day at IDW Publishing. It's for good reasons. Things just timed out that my last day could be the last work day of the year for IDW and in the new year, I'll be starting a new job elsewhere. I'll still be in comics and once I can talk about the new gig, I'm really stoked to be letting you all know. So, today, I want to say my goodbye to IDW.

But first, before I get to that, I did have something else notable happen this week. I sent my last tweet! I'm officially shutting down my Twitter at the end of the year and if you see a Twitter account claiming to be me after January 1st, it's an imposter. If you'd like to keep up with me, however, I've got good news! There are lots of other ways to find me still. Here are a few!

Check out and bookmark my website! Get access to my blog, plus lots of behind the scenes stuff and new projects at my Patreon! Subscribe to a newsletter version of my blog for free at Buttondown! Follow my blog on Tumblr! Keep up with my main socials: Bluesky and Instagram (I'm @davidmariotte at both)!

Okay, with that out of the way, let's talk about it. This is not my first time saying goodbye. In fact, almost exactly a year ago, I said my farewells to Transformers, one of the hallmarks of my IDW run. I don't want to revisit that too much, so if you want to read about my early days at IDW or that part of my career or a big list of thank yous to my collaborators, you can! And while I've had significant runs with other books, most notably Sonic the Hedgehog which with January's Sonic: Fang the Hunter #1 will mark 100 issues of Sonic at IDW under my editorial eye, or my personally exciting, if shorter runs on stuff like Godzilla, Samurai Jack, the Hasbro Action books, Canto, Scarenthood, The Kill Lock, The October Faction, Wynonna Earp, Brynmore, Atomic Robo, or literally so many other books, I don't want this to just be a retrospective on the work. In fact, I'm largely not interested in talking about the past when I say goodbye this time.

IDW has afforded me a lot. They've helped me find my place in the industry. They let me do some writing. They let me do a lot of editing. I learned various other skills both through directly on the course of the job and through my own interest because of what I was doing and seeing there. I have made true lifelong friendships. And I have made comics. So leaving feels weird. I'm very bummed to be leaving a place that really has been my home (and for the past couple of years, has quite literally been mostly at my home) for so long. But I am even more excited about what's to come. On my side, I can't announce it just yet, but watch this space for some big news soon (after a couple weeks of much needed vacation).

Talking about the future I actually can say a little more about, I wanna tell you how excited I am for IDW. Yes, I'm leaving, but IDW remains home to so many people--both at the company and our freelance creators--and so many projects that are close to my heart. Next year is their 25th anniversary. That is an impressive feat in not just the world of comics, but any industry. For the milestone, they've got a lot of cool stuff planned.

I'm not going to blow up IDW's spot and say anything about what's coming up too early. Just to talk about the things that are already public knowledge, you've got things like the new TMNT: The Last Ronin sequel! The TMNT ongoing on it's road to issue #150! There are cool new originals like Golgotha Motor Mountain! There's the launch of the aforementioned Fang the Hunter which is IDW's first Classic Sonic mini-series and sees 100 unique issues of Sonic at IDW and is just laugh-out-loud funny and full of such good action! And I'll tease this, when the Sonic ongoing is back with issue #69 in May, you'll be in for an absolute treat as that series runs up to #75!

I know some readers of this blog don't read a ton of American direct market comics. You aren't "Wednesday Warriors" who go to the comic shop every week. You like the comics you like and I've been graced to be a person working on those comics. If you aren't as familiar with how these comics work, let me assure you of a couple things. The books I was editing and many unannounced projects that I set up will still be happening. Because of the timelines of comic production, you'll still see my name in IDW books for a few more months and, at the same time, you'll see new credits creeping in. And if we've done everything right, that'll be about the only thing you'll notice is different, at least at first. As the editors really take the reins and take over, we'll both be in for the treat of the unknown! I'll be reading them with a good sense of professional jealousy.

Now, there's one other book that has been announced for next year and I wanted to do a special call out for. Godzilla: Valentine's Day Special went to press this week. It's the last IDW book I saw all the way from inception to completion. And, in many ways, it's kind of a really good analogy of a comics editorial career. I think, genuinely, this may be the book that went from conception to reality the fastest in my career. I think it took... less than a week from a half-joking suggestion of doing a Godzilla Valentine's Day book to getting Zoe Tunnell's pitch in and approved by Toho and getting it on the publishing schedule. Usually these things take a bit--people are working on other projects, licensors need time to review things, whatever other bumps happen along the way--but this was like lightning. Everyone just got it instantly. And then Zoe turned in the script and it was great! Things continued, as they do, and then... we got a curveball or two. I won't go into too much detail, but major thanks to Sebastian Piriz and Rebecca Nalty for getting it done and having a book that we were all so proud of that I could send to press this week. And it struck me on that final press day that despite the curveballs we had been thrown, when it came to actually getting it approved, everything was so easy, straightforward, and smooth. When you read it in February, if I've done my job right, maybe you'll remember seeing somewhere that there were some curveballs. But mostly, you'll just have a really good book in your hands. (BTW, you did JUST MISS the final order cutoff on that, so do check in with your shop about still trying to get you a copy!)

Most of the time, after a book like that goes to press, an editor gets ready to do it again--maybe in a few minutes or days or the next week. For the first time in a long time, I won't be getting ready to do it again at IDW. That's a complicated feeling, but I'm so excited for the future.

The best metaphor I've been able to come up with for what is happening is it's like I've been working in a one room office constantly for the past seven years. It's got that dull office lighting, you know the kind. Each day, projects come and go across my desk, and as they otherwise disappear into the world, I put up one of those glow-in-the-dark stars as a memory of it. And each day, I work with so many people--my coworkers at IDW who've helped foster my growth, my collaborators as both a writer and editor who have made so many stories with me, all the folks where things never quite lined up but we kept trying, and the readers who are an inherent part of the ecosystem, the reason we make what we do. And so, for each of those people, I put up a little glow in the dark toy.

Now, for the first time, I'm going to get up and leave the office. As I flick the switch behind me, everything in there that has been soaking up light for years now glows. Some of the glows are slight. Some are so fantastically bright, it feels like they're drawing attention through the walls of the room. Together, they make the room brighter than it was when I left. Now, sometimes, I might sneak in to borrow a toy--make a copy of it for the new office I'm doing the same thing in. Other people will certainly do the same and make they've got their Evan Stanley figure on their shelf. If I ever return for a longer time, I'll be so glad to flick the light back on and let them all absorb even more light to glow an even longer time. If I don't, I rest happy that the glow goes on and forever people will be able to come back and discover some part of it. And I'll start working on a new office soon.

If I keep going, I'm a little afraid that I won't be able to stop. So, for now, I'll just say again, thank you. The future is about to be very exciting. Next year is for the creators you love or don't know you love yet, the books that are going to light you up that you've come to expect and the ones that will catch you by total surprise. While there are a lot of things I'm going to miss deeply and books that I'm going to wish I had gotten to do more on, I also have the really exciting experience of getting to see this stuff as a fan of IDW, just like you. And, hey, I hope you'll be a fan of the stuff I do next too!

As for next steps, like I've said, I'm not going far. I'll still be in comics. I'll share the news when I can.

Before that, I'm getting a little break. Not too long, just a few weeks, and obviously the holidays are part of those, but in my time between my jobs, I'm going to be working on some personal projects. I put together a little tracking list recently and I have something like 40 projects in various stages of gestation right now. Obviously, I'm not going to be working on all of those at once, and chances are, some of them will never see the light of day, but I'm going to be working on trying to bring a couple of them to you in the new year (and beyond). If you're an artist that I've had the pleasure of working with in the past and you think you might be interested in peeping the list and seeing what we could do together, let me know. You can reach me on my website contact page, through my email, or through Discord (feel free to ask if you don't have it!).

And if you read this blog, you'll see me hyping my last IDW projects up until we run out of what I left behind. Simultaneously, once I've got stuff to start hyping up for my personal projects and for the new gig, you'll see those start to pop up here too! I'll also keep talking about making comics and my thoughts on the state of the world and whatever else it is I blog about here on a regular basis!

Thanks for reading. Bye-DW! Next week, I'll be doing a little Best of 2023. But for now, onto our regular features.

What I enjoyed this week: Dungeons & Daddies (Podcast), Reverse 1999 (Video Game), Nancy (Comic), Lego Masters (TV show), Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror (Short story collection), Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links (Video Game), Cunk on Earth (TV show), I'm a Virgo (TV show), The Boy and the Heron (Movie), an easy last week at IDW, all the well-wishes that've already poured in, leaving today to celebrate Christmas with my family and then have some downtime to work on my stuff, signing the paperwork for the new job, not being on Twitter anymore, getting all of our mail out in a timely fashion for the holidays, Chainsaw Man (Manga), I picked up Superman and Hawkgirl, so excited to get caught up on those, and knowing that in leaving this job, there are certain folks I just get to deepen my relationships with as friends, instead of co-workers.

New Releases this week (12/20/2023): Godzilla: The War for Humanity #3 (Editor) Godzilla Rivals: Jet Jaguar vs. Megalon (Editor)

Announcements: The Cartoonist Cooperative is still doing E-Sim cards for Gaza. You can donate a digital sim card so that residents can get access to the internet and have more functional phones and, in exchange, get some comics or a drawing or whatever else is available from the many participating artists. Additionally, the CC is hosting their mini-comic awards! It's a cool way to maybe get your mini-comic recognized and make some scratch!

You can also give more directly. If you don't have money, and I get it, you can call or fax or email or show up at the offices of your representatives. Keep your eyes open for actions too, whether they're another general strike or demonstrations and marches in your area. Given the nature of the things, they often come together fairly quickly, so do exercise your due diligence. Also, of course, being informed and just giving your time to Palestinian journalists and writers is incredibly valuable.

While Becca has got some things brewing for next year (and now on a schedule), you should reach out if you'd like to work on comics with them! You can find their gallery on their website and also, y'know, maybe pick up a few things for belated gifts while you're there!

Finally, I called out my Patreon earlier. You can support me (and boy, that would be cool during the time between paychecks because vacation is nice, but living is still expensive) and get not just this blog, but a lot of cool special features like extra posts, comics, infographics, and more! At the $10+ levels, you can also access stuff like a holiday gift guide I made, a podcast pilot for a spicy show with Becca, and a ton more!

Pic of the Week: Happy holidays from Becca and me! If you wanna full card in your inbox, lemme know!

#comics #godzilla idw #sonic idw #transformers idw #goodbye idw #comics news #david mariotte

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thydungeongal · 4 months

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You've got a larger audience than me, so I'm wondering if you can boost this information about TTRPG freelance writers, who are the backbone of everything WotC, Paizo, and EN Publishing put out. (Seriously, I work with people who write and do artwork for all three)

Writers and Designers have a Word Count to produce their content within. And are typically paid between 5 cents and 10 cents per word. (Though -some- publishers pay as much as 15 cents a word!)

For most projects you get a bunch of freelancers to write 2,000-5,000 words each. You tell them what you want them to write about and you set them loose to create. You want a trio of Archetypes for a class? Give them a 2,000 word budget. You want a few monsters? 5,000 word budget. You want part of an adventure? 10,000 word budget.

The book is going to be anywhere from 30,000 words (50ish pages) to 60,000 words (100ish pages) or higher. And the more people you hire, the faster it gets done but the less cohesive it is.

Which is where Editors come in. Editors aren't paid by the word count, but by the page count.

Most adventures for WotC are written in this structure. Take Wild Beyond the Witchlight, for example.

Writers: Stacey Allan, Will Doyle, Ari Levitch, Christopher Perkins.

Stacey Allan's freelance writing for DM's Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Stacey%20Allan

Will Doyle's: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?keywords=Will++Doyle&x=0&y=0&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=

You get the idea.

And to some degree that probably plays into the issues of morality that D&D has always had. If you've got 10,000 words to write out 1/3rd of a short adventure you don't really have word count to introduce a bunch of different directions to take the adventure while still getting the story to the point where the next writer's work is meant to start.

So that's an thought and some information for folks behind the curtain of writing professionally!

This is all valuable information but I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding about the intentions of my posts: I'm not criticizing D&D's writing for not meeting some standard of moral purity or not being nuanced enough. Like, I don't have beef with D&D the game as it's presented in the text, cause I don't require media to adhere to certain moral standards. It's okay to engage with the game just as is, just as it is to change things if you feel at odds with the text, but it all needs to start with a look at and understanding of what is actually in the text instead of pretending it's something it isn't. That's my main objection: the people who make statements about D&D being a game about something that the text itself doesn't fully support.

I don't think D&D has to, through its text, present a world full of moral nuance. If players are willing to accept the buy-in, that's good. I do understand that some of that lack of moral nuance is due to constraints put on writers. But some of that lack of nuance is just D&D being like it always has been. :)

#thydungeongal answers

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banamine-bananime · 3 months

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my single half-thought-out... maybe quarter-throught-out hope for restoration is that epsilon deconstructs, memory-wise, to maximize pure technological efficiency, but then after the fight (which I hope we don't see but tbh just because i don't think it would be the best use of the runtime. i wouldn't be MAD about seeing the fight. i don't feel it cheapens 'you just have to have faith' any more than seeing anything after the end of s13 would, which is like, technically it does i guess if you're really committed to that one idea? but idrc. it was an interesting framing, making the sacrifice of never really knowing the outcome really have weight by making it have the same consequence for the audience. but to me, it's not interesting enough to hang the hat of the entire series on it. we've had years to sit with not knowing, and even for a new watcher, s14 was always supposed to be that placeholder to drag out the not knowing and make you sit with it a while.) -

ANYWAYS

-then after the fight that program is still running strong as ever. it's not epsilon but it's 'alive' in, you know, a very not-alive sense. and eventually starts to develop, just bit by tiny bit, something that could be considered a personality. maybe consciousness? maybe personhood? the barest little peeps of a naked, blind chick buried in a pile of ashes.

not epsilon and not church at all, and not tex either. but someone new coming out of all that for carolina and tucker and caboose and wash and everyone to get to know, and to show in a very concrete way that hey, this family and everyone they touch maybe isn't doomed to recapitulate the same Cycles of Doom and Badness forever - look at this little baby AI. they could become anything. they get to grow up in a world without the human-covenant war or project freelancer or the chorusan war, without the director's baggage directing who they become, and with a very weird, colorful family.

this new person who is definitely not church or tex but wouldn't exist without them, who maybe helps carolina shoulder some of that unbelievably heavy family legacy. right now, carolina's the only surviving relative left who can do anything to show it isn't all bad and there's hope, that her family mattered not just in bad ways - that good came out of it too. i think she's largely at peace - still grieving, of course, people never stop grieving - with her family's tragedy and with herself and her regrets, and that she doesn't consciously feel like if she doesn't constantly work to make up for everything PFL did then she's awful and it's her fault. but i do think she feels that pressure, even if she knows rationally it isn't a burden she has to shoulder, that she has no obligation to her father to accept/hold any respect for the idea of any sort of family legacy. she loves her mom and who her dad was and her AI siblings. i think it would mean a lot to her to have a new ?sibling?/?nibling?/undefinable-Family-member who doesn't have all the... narratively-doomedness-to-continue-the-cycles, and to see something new and hopeful come from epsilon's sacrifice.

#like i said. quarter-thought-out hope. no idea if there's any way this could be done well. the thought just makes me Experience Emotions #rvb #red vs blue #alexa send post

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high-voltage-rat · 10 months

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Posting my RvB Project Freelancer playlist because I have brainrot about some of these songs and also crave public opinions on them.

This playlist was built with two things in mind- the badass space marine vibes, flashy fight scenes, and fast-paced action that embody the freelancer arc, for one. Some songs I included primarily because they contributed to this overall energy that Freelancer was based around. That feeling of flying through the battlefield, guns blazing, with no regard to the danger. The kind of confidence that lets you jump off a building without worrying too hard about how you'll survive the impact- that lets you face an entire base worth of enemies and still crack jokes as they surround you. The kind granted by a ranking system that tells you "you've been chosen. you're the better than the rest. you're on the leaderboard."

But the other motivation, in perhaps direct opposition to the first, was the set of underlying narrative themes that poisoned the Freelancers from within.

(Further discussion, Spotify link, tracklist, and choice lyrics under the cut:)

The ignorance, intentional and otherwise, to the purpose of their missions- to the Director's true motivations, to the ethical principles being violated with every step, to the thinly veiled lies. The need to prove oneself- to stay on that leaderboard no matter what the cost, to remain worthy of approval, of power, of support that could mean your very survival. The betrayal and infighting to remain on top, to right the wrongs done- the break between the agents who valued loyalty and those who valued morality. The manipulation by The Powers That Be to participate in and perpetrate the horrors of war, to stain one's hands with blood and commit horrible deeds which ultimately have no purpose- believing the lies of 'us versus them', throwing away your innocence and believing that it's all for the greater good, only to discover that the people you've done these horrible things to are no different, no more evil than yourself. Eventually breaking free from those influences, despite the potentially lethal consequences, and being left with the near-impossible task of trying to become 'good' again. All of these were themes I tried to keep in mind and channel in this playlist. Bonus points touched on were the impact of AI on their hosts' physical and mental health, the quest to gain justice, and the attempts to find peace and be better after it's all said and done.

I found that while my primary focus was on the Freelancers themselves, a fair number of the songs applied just as well, if not better, to the simulation troopers and even the soldiers of Chorus. I enjoy that this kind of highlights how the main message kind of echoes through all the RvB arcs. I also think it's a notable point that a lot of the songs that I used to portray the manipulation and abuse of the Freelancers by the men in charge have the real-world messages of highlighting wealth and social inequality and abuse of the working class by the rich. This isn't something necessarily explicit in the RvB canon- but the vast majority of military recruitment comes from their exploitation of the desperation of the working class. This real-world issue has echoes throughout the story- in the Reds and Blues, yes, but also in the Freelancers. They say multiple times, "The Director's given us everything"; they've been lifted up, granted a better life, but it all depends on remaining in line, staying in the good graces of those with power. They eat, sleep, breathe because of Freelancer- they live on the ship, spend their whole days submerged in it. One wrong step, and they're back to having nothing.

Anyway, without further ado, here's the playlist lmao

True Friends- Bring Me The Horizon

I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you // 'Cause I'll forget but I'll never forgive you // Don't you know, don't you know? // True friends stab you in the front

2. Go To War- NOTHING MORE

With every battle we lose a little more // Remember everything that we'd die for // You are everything that I'd die for

3. Only Us- Thrice

Finally when will it be enough // To find there's no them // There is only us // There's only us

4. Wicked Ones- Dorothy

This night ain't for the faint of heart // For the faint of heart, for the faint of heart // This night ain't for the faint of heart // 'Cause the faint of heart gonna fall apart

5. Saints of the Sinners- The Faim

When jokers smile and angels cry // We lose ourselves and lose our minds

6. All Eyes on You- Smash Into Pieces

Now the whole world's watching every move // Still your heart so much to prove // Fight for all the things that you believe in // Now the whole world's watching every move // Take your shot, don't act a fool // All you've got and all you'll ever need // Is one bullet in the chamber

7. Used To The Darkness- Des Rocs

Now would you pray before you twist the knife? // Yeah, would you take my hand and take a life? // I'm too damn young to give up on the light // I'm used to the darkness, I'm used to the darkness

8. Can't Go To Hell- Sin Shake Sin

It's no mystery, what can I say, we're blind by design // And history keeps getting paid to change it's mind // Some wounds will never mend // Divided by deception, but together we must rise // Deafened by the naive while we silence the wise

9. 12 Rounds- Bohnes

'Cause I fight for everything I die for // Everything I bled onto the ground sacrificed for // When the reaper comes knocking at my door // We'll be going 12 rounds

10. Hold Steady- The Glorious Sons

What ya think? // I do it for free? // Either you're lyin' // Or you must not think much of me // I gave you my soul // I gave you my bloody, ragged soul

11. Chosen Ones- Mountains vs. Machines

We are, we are the chosen // We are, we are the few // The end will never come // We are the chosen ones

12. I'm So Sorry- Imagine Dragons

So you gotta fire up, you gotta let go // You'll never be loved till you've made your own // You gotta face up, you gotta get yours // You never know the top till you get too low

13. Machines- All Good Things

Hands to the sky I swore I'd try // Searching for a better life // They would take us far from home // Far from all the things we know

14. The Kids Aren't Alright- Fall Out Boy

And with the black banners raised // As the crooked smiles fade // Former heroes who quit too late // Who just wanna fill up the trophy case again

15. Man or a Monster (feat. Zayde Wølf)- Sam Tinnesz

It's so hard to tell which side you're on // One day is hell, the next day is the dawn // The lines are blurred, you keep rubbing your eyes // The tables turn, now it's time to survive

16. Spaceman- The Killers

And you know I'm fine // But I hear those voices at night sometimes // They justify my claim

17. Down (feat. Trella)- Simon

All the secrets that I keep // Like a bomb inside of me // I've been waiting to be free // All the shades of who I am // Try to catch me if you can // I just slip right through your hands

18. Mars- Sleeping at Last

As life replayed, we heard a voice proclaim // "Lay your weapons down // They're calling off the war // On account of losing track // Of what we're fighting for"

19. What Are We Fighting For- The Federal Empire

The price of our freedom // Is blood in the water // We’re looking for hope what will it take // We keep on repeating // The fate of our fathers // Somehow there’s got to be a change

20. Follow My Feet- The Unlikely Candidates

There's a fork in the road in front of me // At the crossroads of identity // The Devil is standing to the left // He says "either way, they both lead to death" // And the high road's steady and steep // And the low road's easy and deep // Guess I'll follow, follow, follow my feet

21. Hysteria- Muse

Yeah, it's holding me, morphing me // And forcing me to strive // To be endlessly cold within // And dreaming I'm alive

22. Go Get Your Gun- The Dear Hunter

And to those who'll die, please try to understand // That for those who die, we tried the best we can // With our one foot in the grave // While the other one's kickin' its way right down to Hell

23. The Fear- The Score

I've battled hard with the face in the mirror // Every scar makes me dig down deeper // Push it 'til there's nothin' more // 'Cause I'm stronger than I was before

24. Lunatics and Slaves- Sin Shake Sin

Hate what they tell you to hate // Love when they say it's okay // Still, you have nothing to say anyway // And you don't even know you're a slave

25. Try Honesty- Billy Talent

Sew up my eyes, need no more // In our game, there is no score // Forgive me father, why should ya bother? // Try honesty, try honesty

26. Blood On Our Hands- KNGDAVD

So walk with me and you will see // That your enemy may be your remedy // 'Cause we all got blood on our hands // But we still got hope in our souls

27. Free- Mother Mother

A bloody war // Behind my eyes // I come out right on the other side

28. Back Against the Wall- Cage the Elephant

Blanket of silence makes me want to sink my teeth in deep // Burn all the evidence of fabricated disbelief // Pull back the curtains, took a look into your eyes // My tongue has now become a platform for your lies

29. Spirits- The Strumbellas

I spend a lot of nights on the run // And I think, oh, like I'm lost and can't be found // I'm just waiting for my day to come // And I think, oh, I don't wanna let you down

30. Blindness- Metric

I was a blind fool // Never complained // All the survivors // Singing in the rain // I was the one with // The world at my feet // Got us a battle // Leave it up to me

31. Champion- Barns Courtney

I've been on a long road // With the devil right beside me // Rising with the morning sun // It's a hunger that drives me

32. All These Things That I've Done- The Killers

Another head aches, another heart breaks // I'm so much older than I can take // And my affection, well, it comes and goes // I need direction to perfection, no, no, no, no

33. Imaginary Friends- Des Rocs

Do you wanna leave me here? // With you 'til the end, imaginary friends // Give in to the fire and the fear, the liar in your ear // And you'll never be lonely again

34. Dear Dictator- Saint Motel

And at the trial, there'll be no jury // And all the dead are going to play witness // Not too late to say you're sorry // It's too late to truly mean it

35. False Confidence- Noah Kahan

Why won't you take me seriously // Look at me all fucked up over someone I'll never meet // And I wonder why I tear myself down // To be built back up again

36. Villains, Pt. 1- Emma Blackery

I don't feel anything // Because I became possessed and obsessed // With the idea of revenge

37. Woke Up A Rebel- Reuben And The Dark

I am wild, I am lost // I am sick, I am damned // But I am holding redemption in the palm of my hand // So I tighten my fist // And sharpen my teeth // It's a promise I made // It's secret I keep

38. Revolution- John Butler Trio

So tell me family now what do you think // Watch it all go down the great big sink. // Watch how the scum it rises to the top. // Don't you wonder when it's all gonna stop? // Sometimes I wonder how we do sleep, // Serving the dodgy companies we keep. // All kicking and scrounging for the very first place // Dictionary definition of a rat race

39. Survivor Guilt- Rise Against

Carry on // Don't mind me // All I gave was everything // And yet you ask me for more // Fought your fight // Bought your lie // And in return I lost my life // What purpose does this serve?

40. Pressure- Muse

Get out of my face, out of my mind // I see your corruption // I'm not blind // I'll carry the burden and take the strain // And when I am done I will make you pay

Note for anyone who actually read this far or looked at the selections here: yes I know these selections and bands imply something very specific about me, and the idea of some of these more popular and overplayed songs being paired with my melodramatic write-up might be laughable. I feel the need to qualify by promising my taste is not just the basic "action movie trailer" vibes or early 2010s radio hits this playlist sort of lets on... but these are the songs that make me Feel The Vibes and part of the vibes is the inextricable fact that I watched the Freelancer Saga in 2011-2012 when I was an edgy teen listening to Linkin Park and Fall Out Boy on repeat daily. Just be glad I branched out more than I did 11 years ago for this one.

#not video games #rvb #red vs blue #it's not 'done' cause I'm still tweaking it but I crave external validation lmao #late nights with ali #playlist #project freelancer #spotify #ali watches rvb #in deciding on the title for this I discovered that the motto they chose for the pfl shirt logo translates to 'strength through science'#which. yeah I'm sure that's exactly what the director advertised his work as but in hindsight his 'experiments' kind of did the opposite lo #anyway sorry this is hella long blame @yer-yellow-stripes for encouraging me

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adrian---murphy · 8 months

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Black Cat gf + Golden idiot BF

Who actually enjoyed interviewing? The answer, of course, was no one at all. Still, there were bills to be paid and food was needed to live, and neither of those things would happen on an aspiring game developer's non-existent salary. For this reason alone ( and the fact that he didn’t want a roommate ever again), Adrian had marched his way into the fifth building of the day, a towering feat of fine architecture that was primarily a law firm, but rented out offices and even entire floors for freelancer types or small businesses. It was impressive, and intimidating, and made Adrian regret not renting a suit jacket or something to make himself look a bit more professional. Still, at least his shirt was clean. The pale blue button down was as fancy as he got ( or could really afford), and if he got the job he was after, was good enough for an office monkey.

While he wished that his time could be spent working on his game, his degree and experience made writing code and doing basic tasks in someone’s IT department an easy paycheck that would leave him with time to work on his project on the side with no one knowing the difference.

Seated in the sprawling lobby, people in nicer looking clothing than his rushed around, all busy and important and making him feel inferior just by being there. Still, he needed a real job, and thus was overcoming his awkward insecurities as best as he could while he waited to be called on. It was a bit of a wait, however, and the three cups of coffee he had were not as patient. Between security checks and being switched to a different floor, the java had made it’s way down to his bladder, and fidgeting in his seat didn’t make him look like a good candidate for a job. With a polite inquiry, Adrian shot up and made his way where he’d been directed in hopes to find a bathroom. He held it in as he made his way around the winding floor plan, going through door after door and finding nothing.

It had been minutes, and he was beginning to become worried he’d be summoned and not there, lost in the building or draining the lizard at his time, and became panicked. The panic did nothing but make the urge to pee stronger, and desperate times called nature. At a glance, the empty hallway was inviting enough to make Adrian wander swiftly to the women’s bathroom he saw at the end of a corridor. Why the women’s bathroom was right there but the men’s wasn’t, Adrian couldn’t fathom, but he was in no position to question it when the risk of having to flee the building with wet pants was this strong.

Be knocked first, and heard nothing, knocked again, announcing himself this time. There was still nothing, so Adrian pushed in the door and rushed to a stall. He could be in and out fast enough to not get caught, he decided, breathing a sigh of relief as he let go of what he’d held in. The deep was under a minute, and he quickly flushed and exited the stall. The plan was to wash his hands and make a break for it, but instead, he came face-to-face with the last thing he wanted to see. The dark eyes of a person who was actually supposed to be in this bathroom met him and locked on with a fierceness that made Adrian shiver and cower. He took a step back, his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender. “I-I-I know what this looks like…” He began, a helpless and embarrassed look on his face. “ I’m not a pervert, I swear to God, I just really really needed to take a leak and I asked the lady at the desk but I swear to God this building is worse than a laser tag maze and I couldn’t hold it and nobody was even in here so I thought I could just get in and do my business but I swear to God I wasn’t trying to do anything and I know what that sounds like and what this looks like but please don’t call the cops on me. I look tough but I have pretty lips and I’m really easy to push around and I wouldn’t do well in prison.”

#he's so cute wtf i love him

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sickadelia · 2 years

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hi im now throwing my pessimistic city dweller hat into the adult eds ring. please excuse the shitty drawing, i havent been able to draw The Boys well since i was 12.

lore that i wrote 10 months ago while i had the stomach flu under the cut!

I can’t really see them in a tiny town or a huge city, so I was thinking that they end up somewhere in the middle, something that’s a city but isn’t too overpopulated- maybe like 600k to 1m people.

Ed People often seem to struggle with a career for Ed, and deservedly so, because he’s kind of an enigma. A common career choice for him is being a self-made popular comic artist or someone who works in horror movies, but I don’t think he would last very long in any creative industry, because he would probably have trouble changing his ideas to accommodate others. Sure, he takes directions from Eddy pretty easily, but once the task has emotional significance to him, he kinda shuts down and digs his heels in. To be successful in these kinds of industries, you need to work really hard to show that you’re willing to change your ideas and take criticism for the greater good of the project. So because of that, I don’t think he would have that much success in that field. Therefore, I present to you: freelance artist/record store Ed!

I’m a record collector, and I feel like that scene is very Ed. It’s all about falling down deep rabbit holes and discovering bizarre artifacts that may have otherwise been lost to time, and Ed is the kind of person I can see absolutely loving researching random things and then infodumping to anyone who will listen. So, I decided he should be the “mascot” of a record store in the hipster-y part of town: people go there specifically to hear his recommendations and learn from his infinite knowledge. This is also the only thing keeping him employed, since I can otherwise see him being confused as to what to do, like skipping out on sweeping or sorting through records. He just sits at the till and blabs, which does make the business more appealing, however he’s otherwise no use to the owner.

As for the freelance artist part, I can imagine him trying to self-publish a comic or gain a cult following online. Though, as I mentioned, he is probably unwilling to sacrifice his vision for others, making the comic basically unintelligible. He’s a good artist, sure, but his comics are impossible to follow and are filled with inconsistencies, plot holes, etc… it’s style without substance. The only successful work he’s gotten doing art specifically is posters for Eddy’s band, which I’ll get into later.

Edd Oh, Edd. He always gets the long end of the stick in terms of careers, either in STEM or as a university professor (I’ve noticed that his actual careers are always pretty vague… he’s just “a scientist”). However, while I do think science and inventing will remain one of his most prominent hobbies, I wanted to delve more into the obscure territory and make him a journalist. Though his apparent interest in journalism is only present in one episode, “Truth or Ed”, I honestly think it is a pretty fitting career for him; he has a flair for the dramatics, is very passionate about vocabulary and language, and usually takes the moral high ground and stays very committed to his standings in any situation. So I thought it would be cool if he was an opinion journalist for some dying academic dinosaur paper, which has made an unsuccessful jump to online news and now mostly reports the lowest hanging fruit, like celebrity pregnancies. Edd was probably a fan of the paper during the glory days, and though he is absolutely flattered by the opportunity to work for them, he’s stuck writing articles about meaningless drivel rather than topics of any real worth, which probably messes with his deep life philosophies or whatever.

Another trait that often gets ignored is Edd’s pretentiousness, biting sarcasm, and assholeish tendencies. He’s probably THAT kind of hipster journalist who wears oversized trench coats, owns a typewriter but never uses it, sits in cafes and stares wistfully out the window waiting for some attractive person to compliment him or recognize him, and will completely cut you off if you have an opinion that conflicts with his own, no matter how pressing they actually are. While I don’t think romance would be of any particular interest to him, I think he’d still go on several dates in an attempt to gain approval and acceptance from others, and blame them when he acts like a total jerk.

Eddy I have never seen someone do adult eds without struggling to come up with a career for Eddy. Used car salesman or telemarketer is a common choice, which are funny and fitting, but they don't have very much depth to them. And besides, those are jobs he’d actually be good at, and most of the show’s humour comes from Eddy failing to get what he wants. I don’t think he would be an interesting character to follow if he was satisfied with his life. So like Ed, he has his aspiring career that he’s bad at and a job he hates that he’s good at: so he’s a line cook AND a metal head.

I’ve worked in restaurants for a long time, and every single line cook I’ve met has been screwed up in some way. They either terrorize everyone for their own amusement or selectively pick who they’re nice to, and usually end up being very awkward and making every situation uncomfortable. Eddy is probably the restaurant’s top line guy, so close to being the kitchen manager, but no one can stand him enough to totally put him in charge. Throughout the show we see that eddy has an interest in cooking and baking, such as making pizza, and I definitely think he could capitalize on that for a career. But as good as he is at his job, he’s an absolute terror to work with and controls and manipulates situations to give himself power that he may not otherwise have. For example, I can see him kinda screwing around new employees or the dishwasher, and the new guy is too terrified to stand up to him (this is me projecting LOL)

Now, for the metal head portion. Eddy is probably super pretentious about music, however he fakes being into certain bands to look cool and impressive. He claims his favourite band is Tool, but if you asked him to name more than five of their songs, he’d get stuck pretty quick. He fronts his own metal band called The Hunks (the original name was “Eddy and the Hunks”... that didn’t last very long), where he sings and plays the guitar, both very poorly. However, the other guys can’t survive without him, since he brought them all together, writes all the songs, books the gigs, etc… so despite him being the only thing holding them back from success, they’re practically useless without him.

#ed edd n eddy #eene #adult eds #cringe tw #also my first art post woohoo

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k00299539 · 3 months

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Movement Project Artist Research - Mamoru Hosoda

Above: Guy has somehow looked the exact same for 20 years

Mamoru Hosoda is a Japanese animator and director best known for his family focused feature films. Hosoda got his start in the animation industry in early 90's with Toei Animation, initially as an animator before moving into a directorial role by the end of the decade. While his career was already on an ever accelerating rise, his work on the second Digimon film; Our War Game, catapulted him into being the most sought after talent in the industry.

While still an employee of Toei, he was drafted in to direct Studio Ghibli's feature; Howl's Moving Castle. This ended in disaster with Hosoda feeling as though the company wanted him to mimic Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki rather than direct on his own terms. Having abandoned the project it wasn't too long after he left Toei as well, going freelance.

He next directed The Girl Who Leapt Through Time for Madhouse, becoming a sleeper hit for them. This was followed up with Summer Wars, the success of which afforded him the opportunity to open his own studio; Chizu, and work truly on his own terms. He has since directed a number of films under the Chizu banner, with 2018's Mirai having been nominated for an Academy Award.

Above: Stills from Our War Game

...That was probably too many words. Hosoda is a director I'm overly familiar with and it's dfficult to sum him up in a couple of paragraphs. I guess if I had to sum up what it is about Hosoda I'm so drawn to it would be his unrelenting desire to express exactly what it is he wants to express on screen for better or for worse. I actually think a number of Hosoda's films have suffered as a result of his hardheadedness but I have to admit all the same that's interesting to see a film fail not for the myriad of factors it normally would but instead for the uncompromsing vision of it's director. I guess what I mean is, no matter what I make or whether I fail or succeed, I'd like to do it on my terms and take responsibility for the result. Now that I write that out I'm begging to doubt if it's even an admirable quality ...but that's how I feel and I don't want to rewrite this whole blog post.

The other thing I wanted to give specific mention to in regards to Hosoda is his continued use of the kagenashi, or without-shadow style. Hosoda's stated philosophy is to ignore shadows and unnecessary details and let the drawings speak for the themselves. He employs this approach in particular to capture the essence of children in his work. It is a style derived from a desire to portray something accurately, not realistically.

Of course this is easier said than done, as the drawing has to be perfect when you can't fall back on shading or detailing to convey information. Hosoda has a ringer however, Takaaki Yamashita.

Above: This is literally the only picture of him on the internet...

Takaaki Yamashita is Hosoda's right hand man, having mentored him early on in their Toei days and eventually following him to Studio Chizu. He has served as animation director on virtually all of Hosoda's films. He's also just really good at drawing and animating. For as good as Hosoda is, his philosophy in depicting life on screen through strict adherence to the kagenashi style wouldn't be possible without Yamashita's skill. Yamashita can create drawings that express themselves as open and honestly as children, this is something I try to emulate when animating (and usually fail).

Above: Yamashita's work on Slam Dunk, Below: a link to more of his work

#movement #lsad #animation #research

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lerouxpreview · 6 months

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Welcome to yet another Live Preview! I'm your host live from the opera house, and I'm here with the theme-maker to discuss her inspiration for this theme pack. This is a totally normal message and I'm most definitely not the theme-maker herself.

(I will split this response into two parts, the theme design, and the graphic design because they deserve a section of their own.)

About The Theme: having already released several themes throughout the year, I wanted to release one last theme pack going over everything I could improve and everything I wanted to keep. The general idea was to create something bigger, to create more pages, to discard any redundancies and unnecessary parts, and to optimize the spaces the best that I could. Leroux as a name and a concept had been bouncing off the walls in my head for months, all I needed was a word to describe it, and the only word I could think of was improvement.

Just like the first pack I released, this pack would be a direct interpretation of what themes like Dorian and Isadora would look like, if their general aesthetics were taken from character themes to group themes. I resolved to keep the main elements I used for them, with the goal of creating a composition that felt consistent, which, in my opinion, was the main issue I had with Augustus. Sometimes when you're working on a project and you're excited with one thing going right, you suddenly want to shove as many things into it as they will fit; and that's not always for the best. Augustus continues to be a source of pride for me, don't get me wrong, but I also told myself I wouldn't release another pack unless I could make it bigger and better. So here's hoping for bigger and better.

About The Graphics: after years working as a freelance designer, most of which I also spent working on graphic commissions for roleplay groups, I found this portion of theme-making surprisingly challenging. When you advertise a theme, a customizable theme at that, the last thing you want to transmit is that it will only work if you share the same specific vision. What you really want to show is a general idea of what the theme can look like, while alluding to the source of inspiration, if any.

And still, sometimes I feel a little silly claiming I was inspired by XYZ when whoever ends up using the theme gets pretty much a bunch of blank spaces. The message for me relies on the sample graphics I use—and by trying to avoid any suggestion, I feel like the sample graphics failed to communicate what was really in my heart when Augustus was created. I'm not saying the graphics were bad, I'm only saying they were subdued. That's why I decided to go all out with Leroux and pay homage to the works of literature and architecture that have influenced my stylistic choices the most.

I hope you don't mind if I share the story with you.

I have a thing for staircases. I have always loved them. So when I first saw the Palais Garnier as shown in The Phantom of the Opera (and by Palais Garnier I mean the soundstage they used for the movie) I became even more obsessed than I already was, seeing I was already a big fan of the book. This resulted in me using pictures of the Palais Garnier (more specifically the grand staircase) for every roleplay project I put out there whether it had anything to do with opera or not. I finally had the opportunity to use them for a good reason when a friend of mine and I started working on a ballet-themed roleplay group. I didn't get to see it open because I had to prioritize my education but I hold that place dear to my heart.

The Leroux RPG Theme Pack is inspired by a hypothetical horror roleplay set in an opera house, much like The Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux. The plot rotates around deaths and accidents that are originally credited to a killer on the loose, until the characters are locked inside the opera, and discover the killer is actually an evil spirit—opposite case to the book, where the phantom is just a really ugly guy who knew his way around the opera (RIP Erik, you would've loved Facetune.)

Another thing I have always believed when it comes to graphics is the power lighting can have in the general atmosphere of a project. Lighting can guide you toward what images to use, what colors to use, and even what type of fonts to use. Since apparently I like to suffer I went out on a limb and decided I wanted my graphics to look like the only source of light is candlelight! And here we are! Palais Garnier is probably the most famous amalgamation of neo-baroque and beaux-arts in the history of opera houses, and I decided to show my disdain for modern time's use of harsh lighting by going back to 1875! I found the idea of making this hypothetical roleplay group rotate around a haunting convenient because that way I could exploit those resources.

The backdrop is supposed to emulate candlelight. The header is supposed to evoke the feeling of catching a mysterious something out of the corner of your eye while being unable to shake off the feeling that something's not quite right—that's why I added the grainy ballerinas in the middle, which was supposed to look like walking into a flashback, but ended up looking a little like Fall Out Boy's From Under The Cork Tree album cover. I'm gonna leave it at that and try not to think about it too hard.

#this is an inspiration rundown

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paintingdragonfeathers · 8 months

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Hey there peeps—Do you like cryptids, dark humor, and urban fantasy? Then read on for some exciting news from Painting Dragon Feathers!

(It’s a slightly long read, so feel free to skip down to the cryptid part)

As some peeps may already be aware if you crossed paths with me at these last couple of summer conventions, I have decided to step back and take a sabbatical from conventions until summer 2024. I love doing shows, meeting new people inspired by their fandoms, and admiring all your cool cosplays—but with a full convention schedule, most of my creating time was dedicated to restocking my EXTERMELY popular Poke’Terrariums and other creature terrariums. While I do continue to enjoy honing my diorama skills making them, especially with highly creative commission requests, I was, frankly, getting burned out a bit with making almost solely Poke’Terrariums; as the best-sellers and the ones putting bread on my table, they were my highest priority for convention crafting.

THANK YOU ALL for some of the best cons I’ve had this past year—Katsucon, Scifi Valley Con, Otakon, and Momentocon all broke record sales for us! Your enthusiasm and encouragement of my works, whether by taking home pieces or just compliementing both my fanart and originals have given me the confidence and support to regroup and turn my focus on to some exciting new projects over the next few months:

1: I will continue tackling all commissions I received at the summer shows. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for your support by commissioning me to make you some amazing terrariums from your requests! I cannot express my gratitude enough as these commissions will help support the Painting Dragon Feathers studio during the break from conventions.

Poke’Terrarium commissions will reopen online to the public once I’ve wrapped up my queue from conventions, which at this point, will probably be very late in 2023 or early 2024. In the meantime, existing stock is still available at the Painting Dragon Feathers online shop—with some new tarot decks coming in soon—and a whole bunch of other types of commissions from tattoo design to book illustration to character cards/sheets are currently available.

2: Since I’ve gotten into 3D printing, I plan on learning digital sculpting so I can sculpt and 3D print some new original creatures for new kinds of art pieces, mythozoological speciemens, and terrariums.

3: Finish unpacking boxes and setting up my studio from moving, and finishing off a couple of other house projects—we’ve been living without ceiling trim LIKE HEATHENS. There has also been some stalling on unpacking thanks to some surprise water issues in the studio space recently, but it should hopefully be resolved soon.

4: I wanna make a new panel or two, specifically about how to write/create a great villain. Cause sometimes it’s good to be bad.

5: Revaluate and restructure my social media presence a bit. I want to have more of a work/life/social media balance with more focus on creating time, and with so many corners of the internet kind of on fire, and my darn instagram getting hacked and stolen, it’s been kindof a mess….I’m considering setting up a newsletter for direct, periodic updates, including—

Last but not least,

—THE CRYPTID PART—

I am currently finishing what should be the final draft for my young adult cryptid novel, CRYPTOZOO.

What is CRYPTOZOO about? Here’s the elevator pitch:

“The creatures of the X-FILES meets the 4th wall wit of DEADPOOL as a plucky Chupacabra searches for her missing Sasquatch father. Reluctantly teaming up with their mutual drinking buddy, the Jersey Devil, they must masquerade as humans in New York City, where troubling clues and prophecies from the Mothman hint the missing Sasquatch may have fallen into the clutches of cryptid hunters.”

I received some great professional feedback from freelance editor Lorin Oberweger, and after some extensive reworkings of the outline (which admittedly took a bit longer than anticipated since I have been moving house and dealing with other major life changes) I am sitting down to rewrite and polish the story. Once I get the story all wrapped up, line-edited, and print-worthy, my goal is to have physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks available by Scifi Valley Con 2024. Maybe even some CRYPTOZOO/Cryptid-themed merch as well. *fingers crossed* As potential book readers and cryptid lovers, let me know what kind of goodies you’d like to see.

I also intend to make some cool book trailers as I progress in the project, so this neat little animation above was me experimenting with Procreate and Videoleap. I can’t wait to share Cleo the Chupacabra’s story with ya’ll—so if you want keep up with updates and me navigating indie publishing, follow along Painting Dragon Feathers for the ride.

Cheers,

#paintingdragonfeathers #fantasy #cryptid #chupacabras #chupacabra #jersey devil #Sasquatch #cryptozoology #Bigfoot #Mothman #writing #book #publishing #indie publishing

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sharath14 · 1 year

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How co-working space helps small business owners

In co-working space small business owners and freelance workers. It’s a place where you can go to work and feel like you’re part of a larger community. In this blog post, we will explore how coworking space can help small business owners. We will look at the benefits of co-working space and how it can help you grow your business.

Advantages:

Co-working space has plenty of advantages for small business owners. For one, it can help reduce costs associated with traditional office space. Co-working spaces often offer membership plans that allow businesses to pay only for the days or hours they use the space, which can be a fraction of the cost of renting or leasing an office.

In co-working space that offices are very much good in ambience, infrastructure and the office’s will be very clean looking, the ambience and the environment will create a very good mood. It keeps our mind very fresh so we can easily focus on work, Even your team will get motivated daily.

co-working space offers very good facilities, you will get 24/7 facilities like Food and beverages center, Laundry service, Costume support and much more.

Finally, working in a coworking space can increase productivity and creativity. The relaxed atmosphere and lack of distractions can help people focus on their work and get more done. And being around other creative people can spur new ideas and help people think outside the box.

Benefits:

Being a small business owner, you are always looking for ways to save money and increase productivity. One way to do this is choosing a co-working space. Co-working space companies offer many benefits for small business owners, Like

Cost savings - When you have co-working space, you only have to pay for the space you use. You don't have to worry about rent with a big budget, In small pay you get most of the benefits and facilities

Increased productivity - In co-working space when you're surrounded by other like-minded individuals, you're more likely to be productive and get work done smartly

Access to resources - Many co-working space will offer access to resources to small businesses, such as conference rooms, printers, and high-speed internet.

networking opportunities - By coworking with other small business owners and big company owners, you'll have the opportunity to network and build relationships that can help your business grow. In other cases Business owners can meet other like-minded entrepreneurs and collaborate on projects or ideas. This can lead to new business opportunities and helpful connections.

choose right co-working space:

As a small business owner, you have a lot of factors to consider when choosing the right co-working space for your business. Let’s discuss some of the points below.

Location: The location of your co-working space is very much important for both you and your employees. You have to choose a space that's centrally located and easily accessible.

Size: The size of the co-working space should be appropriate for the size of your team. You don't want to be uncomfortable in a small space or too spread out in a large one.

Amenities: When it comes to amenities, you'll want to make sure the co-working space has everything you need to be productive and comfortable. Things like Wi-Fi, break rooms, and conference rooms are all important factors to consider.

Cost: Of course, cost is always an important consideration when choosing any type of office space. You'll want to find a co-working space that fits within your budget while still providing all the features and amenities you need.

Conclusion:

There are plenty of benefits that come with co-working space for small business owners. From the social aspects to the networking opportunities, it's hard to beat what a good co-working space can offer. If you're on the fence about whether or not to give coworking a try, we hope this article has helped sway you in the right direction. Who knows, you might just find that it's exactly what your business needs to take things to the next level.

#office rent #office space #coworking space #bangalore #india

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nim-lock · 3 years

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Art Career Tips, 2021 Edition

Here’s an edited version of my 2019 answered ask, because... this feels relevant.

It is a problem of capitalism that folks equate their income as a judgement of their value as people; and let me preface. You are worth so much. You have inherent value in this world. Your income is not a judgement on who you are (plenty of billionaires are actively making the world worse). LARPing self-confidence will go a long way to helping you get paid more for your work, because clients will believe that you know what you are doing, and are a professional.

& real quick—my own background is that I’ve been living off my art since 2018. I went to art school (Pratt Institute). I work in a publishing/educational materials sphere, and a quarter of my income is my shop. Not all of this information may apply to you, so it is up to you to look through everything with a critical eye, and spot pick what is relevant.

So there are multiple ways of getting income as an artist;

Working freelance or full-time on projects

Selling your stuff on a shop

Licensing (charging other companies to use your designs)

This post primarily covers the freelance part; if you’re interested in the other bits there is absolutely info out there on the internet.

IF you are just starting (skip to next section if not applicable) dream big, draw often (practice helps you get better/more efficient), do your best to take "a bad piece” lightly. You’re gonna RNG this shit. At some point your rate of “good” works will get higher. Watch tutorial videos & read books. A base understanding of “the rules”; anatomy, perspective, composition, color helps you know what the rules are to break them. This adds sophistication to your work. One way you can learn this stuff is by doing “studies”—you’re picking apart things from life, or things other people have done, to see what works, and how it works.

Trying to turn your interests into a viable career means that you are now a SMALL BUSINESS; it really helps to learn some basic marketing, graphic design, figure out how to write polite customer service emails; etc. You can learn some of this by looking it up, or taking skillshare (not sponsored) classes by qualified folks. Eventually some people may get agents to take care of this for them—however, I do recommend y’all get a basic understanding of what it takes to do it on your own, just so you can know if your agent is doing a good job.

Making sure your portfolio fits the work you want to get

Here is a beginner portfolio post.

Research the field you’d like to get into. The amount people work, the time commitment, the process of making the thing, the companies & people who work for them.

Create work that could fit in to the industry you’re breaking into. For example, if you want to do book cover illustration, you draw a bunch of mockup book covers, that can either be stuff you make up, or redesigns of existing books. If you’re not 100% sure what sort of work is needed for the industry, loop back into the portfolios of artists in a similar line of work as whatever you’re interested in, and analyze the things they have in common. If something looks to be a common project (like a sequence of action images for storyboard artists), then it’s probably something useful for the job.

CLIENTS HIRE BASED ON HOW WELL THEY THINK YOUR WORK FITS WHAT THEY WANT. If they’re hiring for picture books, they’re gonna want to see picture book art in your portfolio, otherwise they may not want to risk hiring you. Doesn’t have to be 100% the project, but stuff similar enough. If you aren’t hired, it doesn’t mean your work is bad, it just wasn’t the right fit for that specific client.

If you have many interests, make a different section of your portfolio for each!

Making sure you’re relevant

Have a social media that’s a little more public-facing, and follow people in the career field you’re interested in. Fellow artists, art directors, editors, social media managers; whoever. Post on your own schedule.

Interact with their posts every so often, in a non-creepy way.

If you’ve made any contacts, great! Email these artists, art directors, editors, former professors, etc occasional updates on your work to stay in touch AND make sure that they think about you every so often.

Show up to general art events every once in a while! If you keep showing up to ones in your area (when... not dying from a sneeze is a thing), folks will eventually start to remember you.

Industry events & conferences can be pricey, so attend/save up for what makes sense for you. Industry meetups are important for networking in person! In addition to meeting people with hiring power, you also connect with your peers in the community. Always bring a portfolio & hand out business cards like candy.

Active job hunting

Apply to job postings online.

If interested in working with specific people at specific companies, you could send an email “I’d love to work with you, here’s my portfolio/relevant experience”, even if they aren’t actively looking for new hires. Be concise, and include a link to your work AND attached images so the person reading the email can get a quick preview before clicking for more.

Twitter job postings can be pretty underpaid! Get a copy of the Graphic Artists’ Guild Handbook Pricing & Ethical Guidelines to know your rate. I once had a twitter post job listing email me back saying that other illustrators were charging less, and I quote, “primarily because they’re less experienced and looking for their first commission”. This was not okay! For reference, this was a 64-illustration book. The industry rate of a children’s book (~36 pages) is $10k+, and this company’s budget was apparently $1k. For all of it.

Congrats you got a job! Now what?

Ask for like, 10% more than they initially offer and see if they say yes. If they do, great! If not, and the price is still OK, great! Often company budgets are slightly higher than they first tell you, and if you get this extra secret money, all the better for you.

Make sure you sign a contract and the terms aren’t terrible (re: GO GET THE Graphic Artists’ Guild Handbook Pricing & Ethical Guidelines)

Be pleasant and easy to work with (Think ‘do no harm but take no shit’)

Communicate with them as much as needed! If something’s going to be late, tell them as soon as you know so they aren’t left wondering or worse, reaching out to ask what’s up.

And if all goes well, they’ll contact you about more jobs down the line, or refer you to other folks who may need an artist, etc.

Quick note about online shops/licensing and why they’re so good

It’s work that you do once, that you continuously make money off of. Different products do well in different situations (conventions vs. online, and then further, based on how you market/the specific groups you are marketing to), so products that may not do well initially may get a surge later on.

Start with things that have low minimum order quantity and are relatively cheap to produce, like prints and stickers.

If you are not breaking even, go back to some of the earlier portions of this and think about how you could tweak things as a small business. Ease of access is also very important with this; for example, if you only take orders through direct messages, that immediately shuts off all customers who don’t like talking to strangers.

Quick resource that you could look through; it’s the spreadsheet of project organizing that I made a while back

Licensing is when people pay you for the right to use your work on stuff they need to make, like textbooks or greeting cards. This is generally work you’ve already made that they are paying the right to use for a specified time or limited run of products. This is great because you’ve already done the work. I am not the expert on this. Go find someone else’s info.

“I am not physically capable of working much”/ “I need to pay the bills”

Guess who got a hand injury Sept 2020 that messed me up that entire month! I had a couple jobs going at the time that I was terrified of losing, but they were quite understanding when I told them I needed to heal. So: Express your needs as early as you know you need them. Also do lots of stretches and rest your hands whenever you feel anything off; this will save your health later. Like, the potential of a couple months of no income was preferable over losing use of my hands for the rest of my life.

This continues to apply if you have any other life situation. Ask for extra time. Ask for clarification. If you tell people ahead of time, folks are often quite understanding. Know how much you are capable of working and do your best not to overdo it. (I am.. bad at this)

Do what MAKES SENSE for your situation. If doing art currently earns you less money than organizing spreadsheets, then do that for now, and whenever you have the energy, break down some of the tips above into actionable tiny chunks, and slowly work at em.

The original ask I got in 2019 mentioned ‘knowing you’re not good enough yet’. Most artists experience imposter syndrome & self-doubt—the important thing is to do your best, and if anything, attempt to channel the confidence of a mediocre white man. If he can apply to this job/charge hella money for Not Much, then so can you!

Check out this Art Director tumblr for more advice!

Danichuatico’s Literary Agent guide

Kikidoodle’s Shop Shipping Tutorial

Best of luck!

–

Once again disclaimer this post is just the ramblings of a man procrastinating on other things that need to be done. I’ve Long Posted my own post so that it turns into mush in my brain if I try to read it, but I wrote this so I should know this content. If you got down here, congrats. Here’s a shrimp drawing.

Yee Ha.

My reference post tag My tip jar

#reference #artist information #UHHHHH I don't know man

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chi-fhome · 2 years

Text

How To Make $1000 To $10,000 As A Freelancer In Your First Year

Reading Time: 15 minutes.

INTRODUCTION:

I have done an effective job of defining my value propositions, branding myself as an expert within my field, and getting my content in front of new target audiences. I now have a three- to six-month waiting list for new freelance clients.

However, that certainly didn't happen overnight. My rapid success in the world of freelancing is the result of a lot of strategic positioning, hours of hard work, and good timing.

If you're ready to get serious about freelancing and multiplying your self-employed income, please read through this article, so you can get my tips on how you can make between 1000 -10000 dollars per project in your first year.

But, before you get started, check out something awesome I helped put together, The High paid Freelancer Premium Program on Expertnaire. You'll find tips for learning the tech skills you need to get started, strategies for adopting "the freelance mindset", how to get your first project really fast, how to get clients who are willing to pay you top dollars for your services(and it works even if you are a newbie freelancer with no skill). Also, how to set up your profile and evade scam likely projects/clients. And more (Get the premium program here)

So, now let's get started, shall we?

Here we go:

If you're new to freelancing, you might feel ready to take any paid work you can get your hands on. But, as you get deeper into your freelancing career, you'll need to start being more strategic about the types of work you do and the clients you take on.

You might be thinking: How can I get picky about freelance work and still make more money?

This is possible, when you specialize and become an expert in a specific field, thus, experts do charge more for their specialized services.

In my opinion, the age-old debate of whether you should be a specialist or a generalist when starting your freelance career isn't even worth thinking twice about. If you were a client and you needed someone to fix your email marketing, so people sign up,or write ads that persuade people to buy, or just update your outdated website, would you rather hire someone who's a jack-of-all-trades, or a person who's a pro at doing one thing and doing it extremely well?

Well, I'll choose the specialist every time.

And when it comes to my own experience, choosing to specialize as a digital marketing consultant--as opposed to being a general digital marketer for hire--has been the single best decision I've made with my freelance business.

If you choose the right niche, decide to specialize and put some effort into branding yourself as an expert within your niche,it can really pay off for years to come.

One major decision you need to make early in your freelance career is what you do and what you don't do.

The more specific you can be about what services you offer, the better. Not only will it help you brand yourself, it'll allow you to control how potential clients perceive you and give you the opportunity to continue building your portfolio in the direction you want to move in.

If you want to focus on becoming a sought-after, highly paid Ruby on Rails developer, then you shouldn't even consider contract offers for customizing WordPress themes or designing the user experience for an upcoming app. While the short-term benefits of steady work are tempting (and sometimes necessary), taking on projects that aren't getting you closer to your ultimate goal of becoming the best in your field will only distract and delay you from making meaningful progress.

Before you can go out and start looking for clients, you'll need to develop a clear picture of whom you're going to work best with. Do you want to build websites for small-business owners, pitch in on new feature development for high-growth technology startups, or take on longer-term contracts with enterprise-size companies? Making these clear distinctions between whom and what type of business you're targeting will be essential to effectively pitching your services.

To define exactly who your ideal freelance clients should be (and how to start finding them)

Ask yourself these questions:

1. What type of business has the problems I'm solving with my services?

2. Can the business I want to work with afford to hire me?

3. What demographic trends can I identify about the decision makers in the types of businesses I'm targeting? Think age, gender, geographic location, websites they frequent, and their personal interests.

Once you know that you'll be more engaged and work most effectively with smaller startup teams, who are working on projects you can personally relate to. I've proactively chosen to make my scope of potential clients narrow. By working with similar startup teams, which new potential clients I target within my niche are able to instantly relate with, and have confidence that I'll be able to replicate my results for their business, too. Picking your niche and making yourself stand out is one of the core principles needed to adopt as a freelancer and this is covered in the High paid Freelancer Premium Program( click here to check it out)

It goes without saying that one of the best ways to demonstrate your technical skills is by having an amazing portfolio site of your own.

If you want to be taken seriously as a new freelancer, you're going to need a website that:

1.Showcases your expertise.

2.Highlights relevant past experiences.

3.Shows who you are.

4.Includes your contact information so potential clients can easily find you.

5.Plus, a stellar portfolio can really help you out if you don't have a lot of job experience to prove that you know your stuff.

But don't worry even if you don't have experience, the High paid freelancer premium program will teach you everything and how to go about that.

The purpose of your portfolio is to educate, spark interest, and convince potential clients that they'll want to choose you for their technical needs. That's why it's worth investing time in deciding what to feature in your portfolio and how it's being displayed--before you start looking for new projects.

I'm a huge fan of starting your freelance career as a side business, as opposed to leaving your day job to immediately pursue self-employment.

In addition to the fact that creating a high-quality portfolio website, building your personal brand, and adding to your portfolio naturally take a some amount of time, it's a good idea to have a few steady freelance clients on your roster before axing your sole source of income.

I recommend growing your side income to at least 50 to 75 percent of your total current income before leaving your full-time job, depending on your risk tolerance.

Managing a tight schedule, heavy workload (including demanding freelance projects), and being responsible for client deliverables with limited time resources will teach you quickly what it's like to run your own business.

The other awesome benefit of picking up freelance clients while you're still working full time is that you can be selective. You likely don't absolutely need the money. This puts you in a position to turn down work that either doesn't pay enough to justify your time investment, or that you're not genuinely interested in.

These are two points you'll need to be a stickler about if you want to be happy once you're freelancing full time. In the high paid freelancer program you will see a list of testimonials of people who started as newbies and began to get high paying clients for their projects. Check out these testimonials here

The best way to justify higher rates? Make sure you have impressive skills that are in high demand.

Practice using your new skills by building the types of projects that you want to eventually be paid to work on. Whether that's WordPress websites, mobile apps, or something else entirely, the more you can differentiate yourself among a sea of competition with cool side projects and examples that'll attract potential customers, the better.

And remember that while highly trained freelancers can get paid much more for their work, you don't have to head back to school for a B.SC. in computer science to get on the train. Taking online classes like a Super simple web design masterclass can get you on the right track and put you in charge of your education.

There are many ways to build your credibility within your industry. Aside from creating high-quality website/blog content(you can Check here for how to create a 7- figure blogging platform to grow your Freelance business and get high paying Clients). You can also collaborate with notable Influencers in your industry, you can write an eBook, create an online course, and line up speaking engagements to start increasing your visibility within your niche.(check here for guide on how to launch your first profitable online course based on your skills and experience)

These credibility boosters can help you add to your list of accomplishments that you can highlight on your portfolio and simultaneously demonstrate your knowledge for more potential clients to see. The wider you can broadcast your message, the more influence you'll build within your niche.

Deciding how much to charge for your freelance services is a major step toward determining your perceived value, you need to make sure you're charging enough to make a sustainable, comfortable living. Most clients won't hesitate to pay higher rates for a freelancer who gives them an incredible first impression and sells them on the ability to deliver high-quality results.

As long as I continue to deliver consistent value to my clients (beyond their expectations), I have no trouble setting and maintaining high prices for the services I'm providing.

Before setting your prices at the bare minimum you need to charge to hit your financial needs, consider the actual value you'd be creating for your potential clients and make sure you're not leaving money on the table. You can always increase your rates in the future and hope your client stays on board, but if you start at a price point you're already excited about, you'll be that much more likely to over deliver and continue increasing your value moving forward.

One of the most effective ways to land higher-quality and better-paying freelance work is through leveraging your existing networks. Whether pitching your actual friends and former co-workers on freelance help, or using their connections to make warm introductions to companies you do want to work with, this is a great alternative to cold contacting potential clients.

Whenever I discover a freelance opportunity I want to pursue on Angel.co, Cloud Peeps, or elsewhere, I give myself 10 to 15 minutes to research the company, find my ideal point of contact, and do a little homework to see if I have a mutual connection on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook before reaching out with a cold email.

If I do have mutual contact, I'll reach out to my friend (only if I'm actually friends with the person) and ask if he or she would mind sending an email introduction on my behalf.

This approach, in which my first impression is being endorsed by a recommendation from someone my potential client already knows, has consistently netted me higher response and close rates.

There's an art and science to pitching your freelance services to new clients. Because it's such an important part of running a profitable freelance business.

Landing new clients isn't just a matter of crafting an awesome freelance proposal. Your success depends on how you're selecting new jobs, how you position your value propositions, and how much research you do ahead of time.

I've won new gigs simply because I clearly put more time and effort into researching the company, determining its needs, and providing immense upfront value in the form of insightful recommendations before I even discuss payment. In the world of freelancing, much of your success will depend upon the strength of your client relationships, and how well you're able to forge meaningful partnerships.

The goal of having a website/blog showcasing your skills is to attract and convert new clients. What better way to increase the number of potential new clients coming across your website than by creating high-quality blog content that positions you as a standout expert within your field?

At the beginning, aim for creating one or two in-depth blog posts per month, geared toward providing truly helpful solutions that your potential clients may be searching for. Note: That means you'll be writing for an audience of your clients, not other people in your field.

Once they discover your content and get some free value from you, you'll naturally be top of mind, if they're ready to hire out for more in-depth help.

I initiated the majority of the freelance contracts I've landed over the past year by mentioning a company in a successful blog post on my website. After publishing my in-depth post chronicling all of the best side-business ideas, I spent a lot of time reaching out to a carefully chosen person at each brand or online tool I mentioned, asking if I cited it correctly within the post. The majority of the people wrote back either confirming or offering a suggestion, which then gave me an opportunity to either pitch a guest post, ask them to share my content with their audience on social media, or open the door to a potential marketing contract.

My blog has been by far my highest-return marketing channel for my freelance business. (Check here for how to create a 7 figure blogging platform to grow your freelance business and get high paying clients).

Once you have a website that highlights your abilities and clearly communicates that you offer freelance services, one of the most effective ways to increase your online visibility is by getting content published on the blogs and publications where your potential customers spend the most time. Marketing guru and consultant Neil Patel frequently shares about the huge contracts he lands for his business by publishing more than 100 guest posts per year.

While you'll be starting on a much smaller scale, don't underestimate the immediate benefit of getting your content featured on blogs and publications that can drive hundreds or even thousands of new visitors to your website. In the span of less than one year, I've been able to get my posts published on Entrepreneur, Inc., Business Insider, Hub Spot, and dozens more publications by creating extremely high-quality content and leveraging my pitching abilities.

This increased visibility has had a direct, positive impact on my business.

But there are some simple secrets to becoming a successful freelancer which I am going to share with you in this blog post.

Here they are in brief :

1. I Reached Out To Everyone I Had Ever Known

Literally. Everyone.

The very first thing I did when deciding to make the switch was to get in touch with every single person I have ever known and told them my decision. I told them the field I was going to be working in and as it became clear, even the date I was planning to leave my awful day job (in 30 days time).

I also told them that I would be more than happy to take projects right away.

The reason I told my friends and friends of friends, colleagues and ex-colleagues that I was willing to take on projects straight away was for three reasons:

Experience

2. Contacts

3. References

And the earlier you send this email the better. Do it 30 days before you want to go freelance, or do it six months before. But the point is, don’t leave people hanging.

Not only do you want to make your announcement actionable, but clients take time to develop. Don’t put yourself in a position to do the work “in a month”, when the discussion you need to start may take that much time anyway!

The more experience, contacts and references you have when you go freelance, the easier making that final break from your job will be.

And when people asked me to do a job for them that they couldn’t pay me for I would again consider:

1. Experience

2. Contacts

3. References

If I was going to get just one of these things out of the arrangement then there was no way I was turning down that work, money or no money. If in doubt, remember the wise words of freelance expert Jon Norris,

“Building a network and finding work are two sides of the same coin.”

Here I just want to include a note for those of you who have already started freelancing, as for you guys too I cannot emphasize the importance of this step enough. It’s never too late to start reaching out to people and expanding your network. If you have work to show for your efforts already, your outreach will go much further, a reason why this step should be repeated annually even once you are a successful freelancer! Keep yourself fresh in people’s minds and be their go-to person when they need a professional in your field.

So after I’d contacted my entire network, what did I do next?

2. I Began Developing My Personal Brand

So what does my personal brand have to do with anything? I’m an experienced [Digital marketer and consultant], not a social networker – why can’t I just make an ad and put it online/buy a spot in the newspaper/stick it to a tree/leave under windshield-wipers in the parking lot?

The reason is that as a freelancer, YOU ARE YOUR BRAND.

So, help me God, this is a truth among truths, irrespective of whether you’re a web developer, a user experience designer, a writer or a marketer.

What do I mean when I say you are your brand?

I mean that when you are selling your services, you are actually selling yourself. So, how you come across online or off is reflective of your success, your ability, and your professionalism. Your personality counts. Big time. If people don’t like you, they won’t buy what you’re selling.

So, how did I build my personal brand?

1. Got myself on Linked In and I fully filled out my profile. Every single detail of my experience. Every relevant job I ever had. Every morsel about me that could be interesting.

2. I then did the same thing on Facebook. I joined relevant groups for my field and started asking questions, lots of questions, as well as answering any I could.

3. I did the same on Twitter.

4. And on Meetup.

5. And when it was made available I did the same with Quora, which has become the fact-filled platform for experts.

6. I then went to every industry-relevant event I could find, afford and get to, and hustled like a maniac…

If you’re someone who still believes social media is the devil, you’re in trouble, because it’s never a single tactic that will get you anywhere, it’s a combination of many intelligently coordinated pieces.

Asking and answering questions is the easiest way to get people involved and invested in what you do, and while you could meet 15 people during a night out, you could meet 100 online. And perhaps yes, the contact is “shallower” but you can be a hell of lot more targeted. So, I recommend starting online, understanding who’s important for you, preempting offline events by connecting with people via Twitter, and leveraging LinkedIn connections into meetings for coffee.

If you combine a strong digital brand with meeting people in person, you’ll make yourself:

1. Easy to find

2. Easy to remember

3. Good to know

You want to be understood as an expert and an influencer in your field, and in a world where most industry communication is digital, you better be all over it!

Just remember not to get discouraged if you don’t get 1000 Twitter followers instantly, because what’s important here is that quality wins over quantity every time. Stay focused, stay targeted and talk to every new connection like they’re your best friend.

And vice versa, if you’re awkward and depend entirely on social media to drive your network, you’re doing it wrong. You have to get out, you have to meet people and confirm that you’re real and worth investing in. As Jon Norris explained:

“Although it can be awkward attending networking events, it’s a great way to build contacts. Get out there, hand out business cards and make friends.”

contacts. Get out there, hand out business cards and make friends.”

3. I Drew Up A Strategy

I want you to pay very close attention to the next statement.

Never, ever, undervalue time taken to plan. Never.

I also carefully drafted and redrafted a personal business plan, including my financial requirements, goals, and how I thought that would actually translate into work. I realized that if I landed the equivalent of 2 short projects a month, I could survive. Well barely, but it’s good to know where your survival limit is, because when push comes to shove, it's to accomplish that goal or be stuck eating dry toast for a month.

Unless you’re one of these eternally adventurous types, freelancing is no fun as a hand-to-mouth game. Nobody chooses this path with the goal of living on a financial knife edge. And by the way, it’s ok to be scared, in fact if you’re not, you’re either invincible or a dumb ass, so keep your eyes open, know your limits, and plan accordingly.

I also used this as another excuse to grow my network, reaching out to experts in my industry to ask for advice:

1. How much should I charge?

2. Where do I best find my clients?

3. How difficult is it to close a deal?

4. Should I template my pitches or create new ones every time?

This created an opportunity to learn, improve and perfect the skills I would need in a month while growing a power-network of professionals in the field. Two birds in one stone at its finest!

4. I Researched The Competition And Paid Close Attention To It.

Whether it was hours scanning social media, reading blog posts like this one, offering my services to friends, or just generally building a network however I could, I absorbed as much information as possible.

Sure, it’s overwhelming; anyone who has spent a 4 hour stint on a single topic online knows that the rabbit hole is deep, and easy to get sucked into. At the end of the day, you have to pick and choose what’s important for you, but what I found most helpful was taking a good look at what my competition was doing. And there is always competition.

Looking closely at what others are doing, I found out three ( 3) things that helped me a lot and they are:

1. I had local competition, and I mean local. As in down the street from me. But even if they had been doing it for a while, they didn’t seem to be effectively marketing themselves, it took effort to find them.

2. People who were looking for someone of my expertise had no central data bank to find me, or other freelancers like me. I had to be in the right place at the right time.

3. I could easily differentiate myself from my competition by having an attractive personality, and a digital presence.

Leif Kendall likes to tell people to:

“Deliver work that is better than anything your competitors are doing.”

and truthfully, I couldn’t agree more. Maybe you have a lot of experience, and maybe you don’t, but your job is to perform better than everyone else in your field, both in the work you do, and the way you act.

But how did I know what my competition was actually doing?

Remember that old adage “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”? This is one way of looking at it, but in a world of freelancing where your network is everything, you can’t afford to have enemies at all. So try this instead:

“Keep your friends close, and make friends with your enemies.”

Don’t be guarded, don’t be defensive. Share, trade, and exchange what you can from your own knowledge and then keep doing it better, and better, and better, and better, and better, and better.

In the end, you’ll find that some people have big egos, but a lot of people are happy to have a friend. Freelancing can be a bit lonely sometimes as by its definition you often lack those daily colleagues who understand the work you do. A lot of people out there are just like you, and happy to have someone they can relate to about work, and even share a bit of knowledge and experience.

5. I Found A Mentor And Landed A Paying Client

The best piece of advice I ever received was simple in theory and tough in practice:

“Don’t burn any bridges.”

If you’re a freelancer, this quote should be read in all caps lock and underlined, because you can’t afford to. Every contact counts, and on behalf of your reputation and livelihood, although it’s very tempting to give your boss the finger as you storm out the door, it’s not something you can afford to do, ever.

No one likes “kissing ass” and I don’t really recommend it, but now that you’re leaving you need your employer more than ever before, because face it: your current employer is your strongest link to your first job as a freelancer. If your job is at all related to what you plan to do, they may themselves be your first client.

In my case, the karaoke bar owner would eventually make it very clear that he didn't care what I was doing beyond his bar. But I needed something, so I went and found myself. I willingly put myself in thrall to an influencer in my industry. It was the smartest decision I ever made because despite totally overworking myself, I sure enough gained Experience, made Contacts, and walked away with one hell of a Reference.

Oh, and yes, I did this on top of the study, the job, and the prep. If you want something, don’t half ass it.

So, how did I manage to get myself a mentor?

Well, if you have a boss who knows anything, that’s the best place to start. But if you’ve read this article then you can probably guess how I did it: I networked like a maniac, showed my plan of action, and proved I knew how to work like the competition.

In the end, I convinced my ‘would be mentor’ that I was worth that little bit of time and effort, and sure enough got my first client after a couple of weeks. Boom! I was officially a freelancer, on schedule and making money.

Whether it’s a boss, mentor, professor, uncle or neighbor with good advice, the people you see daily are most likely to have the biggest impact on your transition. So be accommodating, be thankful and be willing to work your ass off for an opportunity to do what you love.

So finally….

So, what’s my last piece of advice? What’s that final nugget of understanding what you need to open the doors to your new career, new lifestyle, and impending financial freedom?

The simple answer is that there isn’t one. There is no one solution, there is no one path. Your puzzle is your own! And understanding how the pieces fit together is what will guarantee your success.

If you’re hunting for that single piece of magical advice that will get you out of your job and thousands of clients a year, let me tell you, it doesn’t exist. Like in life, relationships, and all other forms of comedy, it’s your ability to understand the big picture and refine each detail to pixel-perfect clarity that makes you who you are and good at what you do.

So, my advice is don’t forget that, don’t get hung up on singularity in a world full of complications, because what will make you successful is knowing how to apply who you are to what you want to do to the best of your ability.

As for the rest of what you need to know? Start by practicing all in this article! People will say you’re crazy to set out on this path of uncertainty, which if you’re like me, it is just confirmation that you should be doing! Freelancing is something you really have to want, and be prepared to work hard for. And the result of that is a lifestyle, and a sense of freedom that is unrivaled by any other job in the world.

So prep it, work it, and then LIVE IT for all your worth!

How to become a highly paid freelancer is the dream of every freelancer because it is the only way to realize the dream of these valuable workers. While many freelancers have achieved this goal, many more are still trying to figure out how to earn six figures from it. If you are in this group, how can you join the select freelancers who get paid top dollar? Broadly speaking, you need two major factors to be in place for you to succeed as a highly paid freelancer. One, you need to be highly skilled in your chosen freelancing field. This means that you have to build on the knowledge you already have and continue improving on it.

The second pillar of freelancing success is that you need clients. These are not just any clients but enough of those who are ready to pay you well for your efforts. Achieving these two factors requires a combination of events that include the following. Don’t be everything to everyone. You cannot just take every freelance job that comes your way. You must operate in a certain tight area where your expertise will shine through. This is called choosing a niche. A niche allows you to focus your energy on an area that people will associate with you and see you as an expert. In other fields, experts are paid highly in comparison to general workers. Be the go-to person in your niche. Become an important freelancer industry player in your field by going beyond doing projects for clients. Develop online content that helps visitors to your website or blog( check here for how to Launch a website in Few hours without writing a code) and here (for how to create a 7 figure blogging platform that will help you grow your freelance business and get high paying clients). You can also include free and paid online courses or eBooks( check here for how to Launch your first profitable Online course based on your skills and experience). Podcasts are another way of doing this. Down the line, speaking engagements or organizing workshops will put your credibility at a much higher level(check here for how to hold successful seminars and workshops). Using all these comes with high freelancing earnings for you. Let your freelancing portfolio promote you.

Click here to read more

One of the major hurdles new freelancers have to overcome is how they price their services. More often than not freelancers charge below what they are worth. If your work is exemplary, then you should charge enough to sustain your dream freelancers’ lifestyle. Avoid misunderstanding. Be very clear on what your services include and where necessary to mention what is not included in your service package. In this way there will be no misunderstanding between you and your clients. It is an important way of being identified with specific areas of your niche. You become a brand while at the same time; this approach helps you to move towards your freelancing goals. Network Use your existing clients, friends and other contacts to promote your services. Ask for references to those who may need freelance support with their jobs. Guest blog to expand your reach and also accept relevant influencers to be guests on your blog. This way your network will expand and your value as a freelancer will grow rapidly. How to become a highly paid freelancer is a process, but the rewards are worth starting the journey. I wish you the very best as you start your Freelance Journey.

Cheers,

Marve Samuel

Digital marketing Expert and Consultant

#freelance #freelancer #how to become a freelancer #how to earn a good living from freelancing #starting online business #work from home #making money online #how to make money through freelance #how to make money 2022 #how to make money online 2022 #how to make money fast

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alexwritesfiction · 3 years

Text

-> About Me (navigation)

Call me Alex. Born 2006, i’m a native indian student in high school. i like to write excessively in freelance times and make oddly specific playlists. 5SOS, One Direction enthusiast. It’s all about the aesthetic <3. I really love cats so please flood me with them. I love using emoticons :)

-> About My Writing

I mostly write contemporary fiction with diverse character representation. Number one enemies to lovers trope stan even though found family comes a close second. I also write fantasy (i love worldbuilding) and different genres to refresh. requests for drabble and fics are open! but it might take time since i get flooded sometimes.

-> About My WIPs (masterlist)

One Shots and Drabbles in Masterlist

Let Me Know To Be Added To The Taglists

Hey Micah (ongoing)

In which ayla has been in love with her best friend for as long as she has known life but his fate has other plans for him and alyssa.

“and i know in the depths of my heart that whatever happens to the three of us, we’ll always make it though. back to each other. home”

tw // major character death

Oblivion Of Everything (camp nano)

In which ten nights and a whole lot of coffee changes the connections between an insomniac and a sleepyhead, who just want to know what life is.

“whatever you do, don’t fall asleep” “well that’s ironic”

tw // insomnia

Noah And Peyton

in which two 15 year old best friends agree to date each other if they can’t find love till 19, and Noah is determined to not let Peyton’s relationships last.

“we made a pact, pey, and i’m just following it. break my heart, but don’t break the pact. or it’s gonna break us,”

best friends to lovers | diverse | coming of age | teen fiction

tw // eating disorder // assault

Xavier

in which a gang leader’s daughter is arranged to marry the world’s biggest mafia leader. Xavier Blackheart has been putting up a shield all his life, only to be ripped apart by Catherine’s diamond dagger, and she’s the queen he never asked for.

“i’m a spitfire, and he’s ice cold. i wait for the day he’s gonna melt and i’ll finally be able to see the boy beneath him. because as much as i hate to admit it, i know he’s there, trying to hold on to life while the world crumbles around him,”

tw // violence and gore // assault

She’s The Man

in which a neurodivergent girl dresses up as a boy to attend the most elite prep school to study and change the world, and she does. with the help of two twins, no less.

“I’d never really wondered how i’d look in a boys uniform. Until today, of course,”

“I might be able to live without one, because life goes on whether we want it to or not, but i certainly don’t want to. Live without you, that is. My world has two suns and i’m just as grateful to be their whole universe.”

Ashton Garcia and the Teenage Side of Things

in which a non binary pansexual Ashton Garcia tries to discover themselves while still struggling through the hell that is high school. coming out? therapy? fake friends? what has their life come to? they try to find all the answers by themselves, and realise along the way that sometimes, it’s okay to be different and it’s okay to accept help. they’re not alone, not if Tyler Jones has anything to do with it.

“the words on the billboard blurred as my clothes became wet in the rain and i couldn’t believe that, standing there, someone accepted me more than i accepted myself. and what do you know, it was a mind boggling feeling on its own,”

tw // minor transphobia and homophobia

Breathe - letter side project

a project that will contain letters for aesthetic topics and just normal every day things observed through the eyes of a visionary, with all of the freshness of new ideas and optimism and deep things. a salvation of sorts. words that are too different to merge into works but too important to not share with the world.

“it was a cluster of lost droplets falling onto the ground with ferocity, as if they'd lost their way home and had surrounded us with melancholy. seems that someone unravelled the bright cloud and poked it enough for it to break, to turn dark and broken and finally let go of the weight it was holding. only if the sun had been shining now, the sadness could have been converted into a beautiful spectrum of colours, a companion to the endless tears of the cloud, a smile in the darkest depths of the broken world.”

aesthetic | letters | philosophy | visionary | deep

We’ll Never Die (5SOS fanfic) (30k)

in which michael clifford and his fan meet on an airplane and the walls he’s built fall for her.

-> Do Not Interact

TERFs / queerphobic / racists / ableists / nsfw

-> Tag Lists

1. everything

@neptune-falls @metanoiamorii @thescatteredscribbles @little-boats-on-a-lake @talesofsorrowandofruin @w-l-ink @baguettethebooklover @euphoniouspandemonium @wannabeauthorzofija @lady-of-himring @the-writing-avocado @ink-fireplace-coffee @your-local-bi-disaster @a-completely-normal-writer @felonyfairy @cool-but-confused @47crayons

2. Hey Micah

@mel-writes-with-her-dragons @zoya-writes

3. BREATHE

@zoya-writes @unbalancedscale @just-colorful-regret

#about me #writeblr intro #writeblr reintroduction #writeblr introduction #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writers of tumblr #writer #hey micah #writer memes #spotify #writers kit #poetry #poets of tumblr

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miss-bakukiri · 3 years

Text

A good nights rest

18+ | Aged up Bakugou x Fem reader | Slight degradation

y/n = Your Name

2150 words This is a bit of fluff story that builds up into smut scene. So if your looking for pure smut (lemon) that’s not what this is. I hope you enjoy it. Its my first short story. Let me know if you want a prologue or part 2! ---- As a rule you don’t let your hookups spend the night. It can send the wrong message that you are interested in something more than fulfilling a need. But then again Bakugou always does what he wants and you have broken your rules just by letting him come see you on a regular biases. Just for sex though, you don’t have time for anyone needy. Which is why Bakugou was the perfect hook-up, he didn't have time for that either. You watch him snooze in your bed, considering waking him up for another round. You decide against that knowing the pro hero needed his sleep. Instead you direct your attention to the gauntlets he left by your door.

Today he had showed up at your door in full gear, smoke still steaming off of him from a recent encounter that had apparently been very close to your apartment. You were a support engineer and his gear had intrigued you from the beginning. They looked cool but you thought you could make some improvements. So you grab one and head down to your workshop, knowing full well you might get in trouble later.

You worked freelance to keep your creative freedom so you had everything you need just below your apartment. Hours pass in a blur and suddenly big arms encircle you. “What the fuck do you think you are doing Y/n” Bakugou growls in your ear from behind, sending a shiver down your body.

Acting perfectly calm you turn to face him and say matter of factually “Making you more badass”. He scoffs and replies sounding a bit annoyed but intrigued “oh ya? How so?”

A sly smile spreads across your face, you were not in trouble... yet. “Did you know the sweat in your palms isn’t pure nitro?” You ask in a way that was obvious you already knew he didn’t know.

Bakugou starts to ask you how you knew that but then stops himself knowing that at any point you could have gotten a sample from him while he was asleep.

You explain that you created a way to concentrate his sweat into pure nitroglycerin and the rest evaporates through a vent. This allowed you to design a much less bulky gauntlet. Instead of looking like one big grenade your CAD drawing looked more like packs of explosives strapped on his arm. “Each one holds quite a powerful concentrated amount of your nitro. It’s smaller but holds almost twice the power. So less bulky and more efficient!” you explain.

Bakugou evaluates your design, showing no sign of being pleased or pissed until he finally says “Okay. Make it” You squee out loud in excitement. “I’ve rigged my shop to start the machining process automatically so I just have to hit start for now and check on it again in a few hours”

Looking you up and down Bakugou asks “you sleep at all?” and you just look away not saying anything. “It’s 4am, you should get a few hours in” he says sternly.

You miss a lot of sleep and meals when you get into a project. Laser focused on perfecting the task in front of you. Bakugou has forced you to eat and sleep in the past, claiming that he needed his favorite toy charged up for him next time. He fusses a lot more than you would have guessed considering he is ranked at #1 least friendly of new Pro Heros.

Sensing your incoming protest Bakugou picks you up princess style and carries you upstairs. You squirm and resist his firm grip, knowing it’s useless against his strength. “HEY! if you don't sit still I’ll throw you over my shoulders like a sack” You knew all too well that wasn't a bluff and spitefully obeyed him. Bakugou lays you down somewhat gently in the bed and holds you to his chest. “Go to sleep” he commands. You can’t help at giggle at the fact that he’s being so nurturing to a hook up."Oi, what the hell are you giggling at?” he asks in an obviously annoyed tone. “I know you just wanted me rested for a good fuck later but i can take care of myself. No need to pretend you give a damn.” you reply flatly while tracing your fingers over his firm chest. Suddenly he shoves you back and takes you by the jaw so you are forced to look him in the eyes. Leaning slightly over you with his deadly eyes fixed on yours he growls “You are the dumbest smart person I have ever met. I mean really how is it possible you are this dense”

Confusion and anger sweeps over you. Bakugou was really angry right now. More angry than he has ever been around you. “I am not DUMB” you yell back defensively. “Oh ya then answer this question, what the fuck about my personality says I would stick around and look after someone I don't give a damn about” he yells. And it dawned on you. Bakugou isn’t the type to make sure someone that doesn’t matter to him eats regularly or sleeps enough. In fact at first he would just fuck you and leave. But he started sleeping over sometimes. You figured he was just tired from his work. I mean there is NO WAY Bakugou Katsuki would ever get attached to some random hookup. Right? But then why did he start cooking you breakfast in the mornings or check to make sure you were drinking enough water... How did you miss this? The whole reason you decided to keep this up is because you thought for sure there was no risk of this happening. You’re not the type to miss details... Bakugou loosened his grip on your face seeing that it was starting to hit you. He didn't rush you though. It was an uncharacteristic show of patience. You stared at him. You wanted him. And not just sexually. Somehow he has become comfortable in your life. Looking back over the last few weeks you realized you would even miss him when we was gone. A small joy would flutter in your heart when you heard him knock.. you had written this off excitement for getting laid.. you had been lying to yourself for weeks now. Finally you managed to say in a quite voice “You like me” A cocky and small grin spread on Bakugou’s face “About fucking time” he said as he leaned in and kissed you sweetly. This was a kiss Bakugou has never given you before. Usually his kisses were rough and passionate. You felt this kiss through your whole body and for the first time in a long time your felt vulnerable beneath someone. Pulling back from you Bakugou traced his thumb on you bottom lip and said “And you like me.” A small tear ran down your face. You had shut out so many emotional needs and just focused on work for so long. You hadn't wanted this but somehow Bakugou got through to you. That asshole. You take him into a deep and passionate kiss. This lights a fire in Bakugou and he returns your show of enthusiasm by pushing you forcefully against the bed and holding your wrists in his hands. He begins to kiss down your chest and nip at the tender flesh of your breasts. You let out small moans as he pulls your tank top down and reaches your nipples. He starts sucking and biting at your nipples with a dedicated enthusiasm. Your whole body feels hot and your back arches against his hold on you. His head drops down your stomach to between your thighs, finally releasing you from his grip. Your hands quickly grasp his hair as he kisses your clit through your wet panties. “That didn’t take much. You are soaked y/n” he says wickedly, making you whine. Bakugou bites your inner thigh and then licks it to sooth any pain. He is perfect at pushing your limits, knowing exactly how far to go. Little bite marks now line both of your thighs and you wiggle your hips begging for attention to be brought to your puffy clit. Sliding your soaked panties to the side he takes his finger and rubs your clit in small circles but its not enough so you attempt to grind against his fingers. He pulls back and says “Greedy fucking bitch” before suddenly shoving two fingers inside your tight pussy. The shock sending electricity up your body and for a moment he finger fucks you with the intensity you have been begging for before stopping. You let out a sad moan at the loss of your fullness. Before you can complain further he lowers his head to your clit and begins licking your clit forcefully. Again causing you to surge with sudden pleasure. You hear him moan in satisfaction. You knowing he is getting off on making you feel good. The vibrations from his moan hitting your clit in exquisite pleasure. He slides two fingers inside you again and finds that magic spot curving upward and hits it again and again. Each stroke sending you towards your climax. Knowing you are close he intensifies his tongue strokes and you release on his fingers, your tight walls clenching around him in orgasmic pulses. Before you can come down off your high he sits up and pulls out his dick, red and twitching from waiting so long. He strokes himself a few times to spread precum from his tip across his shaft, while marveling at how much of a mess you are from your orgasm. “You're so damn beautiful y/n” he says quietly as he inserts himself into you, filling you completely. Overstimulated from your recent organism his entering your body sends intense pleasure through you. Bakugou thrusts himself into you at a brutal pace, overwhelming your cunt. He holds your hips tight so he can be fully within you. Quickly you start to build up to your climax with each lightning thrust from Bakugou. Stopping just before your climax Bakugou pulls out and turns you over easily as of you weigh nothing, once again sliding into you as deep as he can from behind. He reaches his arm around you to hold you by the neck and pull your back up to his chest. Firmly choking you by pressing on the sides of your neck. You begin to feel your pleasure heighten as you melt in his arms completely. “Good girl” he whispers in your ear. You feel his hot breath on your neck and it sends shivers down your body. Using his other hand he begins to rub your clit “do you want to cum” he asks in a deep growl “ye.. yes” you chock out. “I’m not convinced. Beg me.” he commands in a whisper as he slows his thrusts. You cry at the loss of his momentum. “Please. I want to cum. Please Katsuki” you say desperately in your overstimulated and dumb state. At hearing his first name come from your lips for the first time katsuki goes over the edge, pumping wildly into you while rubbing your clit. “Cum for me. Cum like a good girl y/n” he says out of breath and almost on command you release and ride out your orgasm on him. It melts over you in waves and you moan as loudly as you can through his grip. Your walls tighten and spasm around his dick and send him into his own release, filling you with his hot cum. He gently lowers you onto the bed, again taking in the site of you and smiling in satisfaction at job well done. He knows no one could ever fuck you as good as he does. You love seeing this look of pride in his face when you’re done, because it means you did good too. Said the right things, begged in the right ways to make him go that level of crazy. Without saying a word he walks over and gets you a glass of water and a towel. He is always good at after care. After you both come down from your highs you look at him and ask “So can I call you Katsuki now?” he smirks and says “Duh, I am your boyfriend. You can call me what you want... except Kacchan or Blasty.” You feel your blush on your face at his words and you ask shyly “You’re my boyfriend now?” Looking at you directly Katsiki replies “Ya, if you want me to be.” Blushing now even more red than before you answer “Yes. And I am your girlfriend” you say just barely holding his gaze. Not being able to handle how cute this all was you buried your face in his chest and the both of you drift into a much needed rest.

#mha smut #bakugou x reader #bakugou katsuki #mha bakugou #bnha #bnha smut #mha fan #bnha fanfiction #bakugou fanfiction #bakugou katuski x reader

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waveypedia · 3 years

Text

The Real Deal

Ao3

Lena comes to the Nine-Tailed Diner just often enough for the waiters to know her face, but not often enough for them to know her name. She prefers it that way. The anonymity is comforting, but she knows in her gut it’s just an illusion when the waiters give her familiar smiles as she slides into her usual spot in the corner.

There was a time, before she met Webby, when Lena would scowl and duck her head away from the waiters’ friendly greetings. Where the mere notion of being noticed would make her gut churn and blood boil.

Not anymore.

Lena taps her carefully manicured nails against the smooth table as she waits, watching the cozily bustling diner. She’s not usually one for nail polish, but Dewey was just so excited when he saw the color that perfectly matched her magic, and despite her snarky exterior she couldn’t say no to Dewey’s infectious excitement when he bounced up to her with the bottles of nail polish. She smiles at the memory.

If Lena from a year and a half ago could see her now, she’d be unrecognizable. That’s not such a bad thing, Lena muses.

She pulls out her phone and quickly scrolls through social media, smiling when a picture of Webby pops up on her feed. Webby doesn’t post much, but when she does, just seeing her face never fails to make Lena smile.

The noise of the city and the harbor outside eventually fades into a calming white noise in the back of Lena’s mind. She’s used to the city. It was her home for fifteen years. But the sound of a particular car pulling up to the curb jerks Lena out of her thoughts, and she presses her face to the window, filled with an almost childlike glee.

A familiar car, light green and blocky and just as eccentric as its owner, putters at the curb. Lena can only see into the drivers’ side, but she snorts as she spots a familiar stupid-looking hat and chuckles to herself. Soon enough, a familiar face pops out from the other side of the car, looks to the corner window expectantly, and waves enthusiastically. Lena grins and waves back.

The bell on the diner door jingles, right on schedule, and Lena’s friend nearly sprints over to her booth.

“Hi, Lena!” Boyd chirps, and Lena grins.

“Hi,” she responds, significantly less energetic but with the same sentiment behind it.

Every month, Lena and Boyd meet at the Nine-Tailed Diner, just the two of them. It started one day when it was supposed to be all of the kids, but the McDuck kiddos were called away on an adventure, Violet had a school project, and Gosalyn was busy in St. Canard. It doesn’t take a genius to recognize how similar Lena and Boyd’s unique situations and backstories are.

Lena didn’t realize how lonely she was until she had someone who shared her experiences.

Boyd rubs at his elbow. It’s a nervous stim, and Lena’s attention is piqued. If Gyro said something insensitive to him again, well, he may be tall, but he’s a skinny twink, I can take him—

“Lena?”

Lena bites back a swell of nervousness and feigns casualness. “Hm?”

“How… do you feel about Webby?”

Lena blinks. “Well, I like her. You know that, dummy.”

“Yeah, but… how does that feel? You know… liking someone?” Boyd won’t meet her eyes.

Lena frowns. “What do you mean? Doesn’t everyone feel that way?”

Boyd stares at the table, lip trembling, and Lena ponders.

She doesn’t entirely know how to describe how she feels about Webby. Before Webby, it was just her and Aunt Magica. The two of us against the world, Lena always told herself, but it was always the world against Aunt Magica, with Lena sandwiched in the middle. And then she grew to hate Magica as well, like she always should have. For so long, Lena only knew hatred and apathy, whoever it may be directed to.

And then she met Webby.

And then she met Webby, and everything changed.

Webby was—is—a literal ray of sunshine. When Webby’s smiling face pops up in Lena’s view, when her bubbling laugh or high voice makes Lena’s heart sing. It’s stereotypical and cliché beyond belief, much to Lena’s chagrin, but that’s how she feels . If Huey offered her a thesaurus he must have stored in his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook somewhere (that thing has everything — it’s kind of ridiculous, honestly) she wouldn’t change it. There’s no other way to describe it.

“I… don’t know,” Lena hums. “Just… whenever I see her, I instantly feel better. It’s free serotonin, y’know?”

Boyd hums in acknowledgement, and after a moment of semi-awkward silence Lena continues.

She’s never been all that good about putting her feelings into words. She’s not particularly wordy like Huey, and she doesn’t have Violet’s extensive vocabulary (although she’s picked up quite a few words and phrases from the Sabrewing family). Not that she cares about it. It makes these kind of conversations difficult, though. But for Boyd, she will try.

“She was the first person to ever care about me,” Lena muses, fidgeting with the hem of her oversized sweater under the table. She’s had it forever. It feels like home, in the same way Webby does. “She has a special place in my heart. She was my first friend, but it’s different than my relationship with the boys, or Vi, or you.”

Boyd nods and avoids her gaze. He’s unhappy with that conclusion, although Lena can’t fathom why.

“So… by that logic,” Boyd begins, “I should be in love with Huey, right?”

Lena shrugs. It is true that Huey directly parallels Webby in their respective situations. “However you want to define it, dude.”

Boyd flexes his fingers. He’s still unhappy.

“Look, I’m not gonna judge you,” Lena says, snorting slightly and raising her hands placatingly in front of her. “I know homophobia is A Thing, but I literally just talked extensively about how I’m head over heels for another girl, so…”

“Homophobia is terrible,” Boyd responds finally. “I genuinely do not understand how people could think such a thing! How does one act so cruelly to another just because of something so trivial as sexual orientation?”

Lena presses her lips together. “Beats me, dude.”

After a moment, she adds, “So what’s your problem, then?”

Boyd’s head jerks up. “Huh?”

“You’re clearly disappointed about something ,” Lena says, gesturing with her arms and raising her eyebrows. “I know you well enough, ‘cause of these dumb meetings. I’m just gonna point out they were your idea.”

Boyd smirks, ever so slightly. “You love them, though.”

Lena looks away and crosses her arms pointedly, but allows the smallest of smiles to slip through her mask. Boyd cackles at that.

“But seriously. What’s botherin’ you?”

“By all accounts… I should feel that way about Huey. I don’t care about genders, and I feel differently about him than I feel about you and the other kids. But saying I love him, it just doesn’t feel right.” Boyd rubs at his arm.

“Hey, that’s fine!” Lena replies. “That’s kinda how I feel about labels, y’know? Webby likes ‘em, but I don’t.” She narrows her eyes and leans forward with her elbows on the table. “Is Huey pressuring you? ‘Cause if he is I’ll—”

“No! Nononono, Lena, it’s fine,” Boyd chuckles nervously, raising his hands placatingly in front of him. “If anything, I guess I’m pressuring myself. Logically, based on all accounts I have consulted, I should be in love. But…”

Lena gives an exaggeratedly frustrated sigh, making Boyd chuckle despite himself.

“Look, Pink tells me aaaaalll the time that my magic isn’t logical. Especially friendship magic. It follows its own rules, and it’s about looove and the power of friendship or whatever. So cheesy. But I guess your love might be the same thing.”

Lena takes a deep breath and leans back in the diner booth. “Stop pushing your feelings into dumb little boxes they don’t belong in. They won’t fit.”

Boyd smiles at her, small but not muted. “Thanks, Lena.”

Lena glances away, staring pointedly out the window. “Whatever. Don’t expect it to happen again.”

Boyd just giggles at that. His laughter is frustratingly infectious, and after a moment Lena finds herself chuckling alongside him.

The rest of the afternoon flits by, and for the life of her Lena cannot recall what they talked about. But their first topic of conversation, and Boyd’s worry, sits heavy on her mind for a while to come.

When Doctor (unofficially, shh, if the news got out that he had never finished his doctorate because of those ridiculous geese Gyro would be ruined ) Gyro Gearloose secured a job with McDuck Industries, he did not expect his precious lab would be run afoot by small children. Not even by Fenton, who acts more like a small child than some of these literal small children sometimes.

It’s almost closing time, but that has never mattered to McDuck Industries’ research branch. Even if Fenton and Manny go home eventually, Gyro has spent weeks on end in the lab. He will outlast them all.

Well, he used to. Before his team and his boss dragged him out to see the sunlight. And before Boyd.

For the record, Gyro did not forget about closing time. Not this time. He was working with that infernal little rodent, who, along with the blue nephew, had somehow wormed Mr. McDuck into allowing her to take some freelance work in the research department. Gyro’s department.

...He did have to admit that Gadget Hackwrench was frustratingly proficient at mechanics and machinery. Especially since she was so small. She was a great help to Gyro’s newest project, which required a lot of rough mechanical know-how.

Gadget, unlike the rest of them, was not incredibly self-sacrificial and actually liked clocking out when she was supposed to. She had to go home to her Rescue Avengers, or whatever they were called. Gyro couldn’t wrap his head around her way of thinking.

So they were tinkering away at the panel of the machine when Gadget glanced at the clock and reminded him of her obligations. She was packing up when Boyd came in.

“Dr. Gearloose!” Boyd, chipper as ever, entered the lab and bounced up to Gyro’s workstation. He was a bundle of energy, reminiscent of the blue and pink children. His hands darted around him like a hummingbird, never quite staying in one place long enough for Gyro’s tired brain to process. After a minute of unconsciously trying to watch and comprehend it, Gyro glanced away and rubbed at his forehead under his glasses while Boyd greeted Gadget with the same enthusiasm.

Wait. Was it really enthusiasm?

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Gyro watched carefully as Boyd flitted around Gadget, mentally comparing his movements and stims with what he knew of happy Boyd. And yes. It was off.

Gadget packed up, and Gyro slowly but carefully placed his wrench down and turned to face Boyd, leaning against his desk in a facade of casualness.

“So.”

“Can you fix me?”

Gyro pinches the bridge of his nose. “What did you do?”

Boyd clasps his hands nervously in front of him. “No. No. Nothing! I just… I know how I’m supposed to feel, but I don’t feel like that! So I must be broken!”

Gyro stares at Boyd like he’s grown a second head —- which, with Gyro’s robotics, is actually plausible. “Pft, you’re not broken. You think you could be broken?! I made you, kid. I fixed you up after Akita tampered with you. The great Gyro Gearloose does not make mistakes.”

Manny taps something unsupportive, and Fenton and Gadget both —- purposefully badly —- hide their laughter. Gyro screeches something incomprehensible at them. It doesn’t matter what he says; the point gets across.

Boyd is still staring up at Gyro, with that hero-worship puppy-dog look in his eyes that he wears so well, and he looks so scared that Gyro’s heart twists. His body sags, and he sighs and rolls his eyes and gestures for Boyd to follow. He perks up, and is immediately at Gyro’s heels with a characteristic grin, but his hands are trembling. Did he teach himself to do that?

Gyro kneels in front of Boyd, behind his desk, and stares into his eyes. Not in a symbolic way —- if he focuses just right, he can see the circuitry in his head.

Gyro purses his lips. “Everything looks fine. I told you I don’t make mistakes.”

“But—- But Lena’s in love with Webby and Dewey’s had three crushes in the past month and I don’t feel anything like that, ever! Lena says it’s fine but she’s had one girlfriend and that worked out for her perfectly and I’m happy for her and Webby, I really am, but I don’t know how to make it work for me and it must be some sort of error in the programming and I—-I just want to be a real boy!”

“Whoa, whoa!” Gyro shoves his hands in front of him reflexively. He pulls them back, out of Boyd’s face, when he processes and realizes how overwhelming that gesture could be. Boyd buries his face in his hands. “You are a real boy.”

Boyd gives him a tiny nod and doesn’t respond. Gyro’s throat feels tight and constricting, bile building up inside. He wants to say something and break the tension and silence, but he doesn’t know what or how.

“Love isn’t everything,” he says lamely after a minute. “I didn’t fall in love until Fenton, honestly. Not for real. Della said something about ‘demiromanticism,’ whatever the hell that is, and she says Mr. McDuck is the same way, but honestly I don’t really care. I don’t need to compartmentalize and hyper-analyze every aspect of myself that way. But if you want to, you could talk to her. Or the red nephew. He’d know.”

It’s weird, being this open and honest about his thoughts and feelings that aren’t inventions and blueprints. A part of Gyro is screaming at himself to close, shutter the windows and pull the walls back up and raise the prickly spikes to defend against anyone who dares get close. But he doesn’t. He doesn’t know why he’s doing this, really.

Strike that. He knows why. It’s Boyd . He’ll do anything to bring that kid’s sunny disposition back. And he knows why he’ll do that, too.

“Demiromanticism?” Boyd places a finger on his chin and tilts his head ever so carefully to the side, testing out the feel of the word. “What’s that?”

Gyro shrugs lazily. “I dunno. Some fancy way of saying I only want a relationship with people who get close to me. Which is a very exclusive circle.”

Boyd pauses. Blinks. Gyro can nearly see the wheels turning in his head. “If there’s a term for that, do you think… there’s a term for going all the way? A term for never wanting a relationship?”

Gyro raises his eyebrows. “Probably.” He reaches for his phone. Boyd could search for it in his internal search engine (proudly programmed by Gyro two months ago, since search engines didn’t exist twenty years ago, but for the record if he had thought of it Akita hadn’t had him on such a tight schedule he could have done it. For the record.)

“Aromanticism,” Gyro muses, reading out loud. “The lack of romantic attraction. Does that sound about right?”

“Hmm,” Boyd puts his finger to his chin again. “It fits! I like it!”

Gyro smiles, that soft and gentle smile reserved exclusively for Boyd (and Fenton, sometimes). “Perfect. Now get out of my lab. It’s past closing time.”

Boyd sticks out his tongue, playful. “Like you care. Don’t stay up too late!”

Gyro just smiles in response and resolves himself to not make any promises he won’t keep.

Boyd gives him a quick, tight hug goodbye. He always gives hugs, to say hello and goodbye and everything inbetween, and Gyro is never quite prepared for them, although he certainly doesn’t mind them. Gyro isn’t very comfortable with touch or affection in general when it doesn’t come from a select few people, but he never protests. Boyd is one of those “select few people”.

If today’s hug is a bit tighter and longer than usual (but still brief, since Boyd knows well how Gyro clams up with physical affection, even if it’s from him, and he respects that), neither Boyd nor Gyro say a word.

Boyd says his goodbyes to the rest of Team Science (Gadget is long gone by now) and skips out of the room. “I can’t wait to tell Huey about this! He probably knows all about aromanticism! It’s probably in his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook!”

Gyro leans against his desk, the cuffs of his shirt catching on the corners. “You do that, kid.”

“And Lena! She’ll be happy to know I figured it out, even if she won’t say so!” Boyd chirps. “Thanks, Dr. Gearloose!”

Gyro’s wry smile turns into something monumentally more sincere and real. “No problem, kid.”

The elevator dings and Boyd is gone. Gyro used to revel in the lab’s silence, but even with the background noise of Fenton, Manny, and Lil’ Bulb tinkering away at their respective projects (and decidedly not saying anything), it feels uncomfortably quiet without Boyd’s incessant chatter.

He hums softly to himself and picks up his phone to call Della before she hears about this from Huey and berates him for not telling her right away. He puts on a new pot of coffee for when he comes back, and lets Fenton know he’s going on his break.

“You know the workday technically ended half an hour ago, right? You don’t need me to clock you out,” Fenton replies, grinning. He can read Gyro like a book.

Gyro rolls his eyes and grumbles under his breath, but waves his former intern off.

As he walks out, he pictures Boyd. He would be sitting in the limo, brimming with excitement, tapping his fingers eagerly on his legs with barely contained enthusiasm. Launchpad picked him up for a sleepover at Mr. McDuck’s, so by this point he should be almost home. He’ll burst into the mansion and spill his discovery to Huey before he catches his breath, and he, Huey, Webby, and Violet will make a board and a list of thoughts and information on aromanticism while Dewey tries to catch popcorn in his mouth and Lena and Louie add snarky comments. They’ll all chime in with their own experiences and eat lots of sugary snacks until they eventually fall asleep in a pile of pillows and blankets and each other on the living room couch. Boyd will come into the lab on Monday and tell him all about it, and maybe Huey will as well.

Gyro smiles fondly to himself as he steps into the hallway outside of the lab and leans against the wall, pulling up Della’s contact on his phone. The tab on aromanticism is still open on his phone, and he scrolls through it idly, taking note of all the information and how it could relate to Boyd.

He’s not fit for this role in Boyd’s life. But he loves Boyd, so he’ll do his best. And Dr. Gyro Gearloose’s best is a feat they tell tales of.

Across town, in the mansion, sitting on her sleeping bag in her pajamas and sneaking handfuls of gummy bears behind Violet’s watchful eye, Lena shares a similar sentiment. Boyd explains what he’s learned, bursting with excited energy in the form of overenthusiastic gestures, and Lena wonders why this little, enthusiastic kid decided to choose her as a sister figure.

But she’s not complaining.

Lena sneaks another handful of gummies and wraps her arm around Webby, who makes a bright, contented sound and snuggles into her side. No, she’s definitely not complaining.

i wrote this almost a year ago actually, for the Because We're Family LGBTQuaranzine! (@ducktaleslgbtquaranzine) This is a nonprofit pay-what-you-want zine, with all of the money going to DirectRelief, a charity dedicated to Covid relief in countries that have been hit hard by it. I had a lot of fun working on this zine and this particular piece, and I worked with a lot of great people. The zine is chock-full of amazing pieces and really talented, skilled people, and all the proceeds go to a reputable cause. I cannot recommend it enough!

this piece is pretty close to my heart because it encompasses a lot of my favorite things - weblena, lena & boyd friendship (they have SO many parallels i think they would get along so well!), and gyro being a father to boyd! in all honesty, this was my very first zine and i was really nervous, but i had so much fun writing this and i'm grateful it was such a good experience!

a lot of boyd's confusion about aromanticism is taken straight from my self-realization process. that's some good ole projection, baybee! i didn't have anyone like huey, but it's certainly difficult to figure out what romantic love really is and how that affects you and your relationships. it's like a puzzle. it's not explicitly mentioned in the fic, but i'm autistic, and boyd is pretty heavily autistic-coded (and god i could go on for hours about that, and i have before, but i'll spare you all the tangent, although i'll happily talk about it if you want me to), which adds this whole other obstacle when figuring out aromanticism, because we struggle with social relationships and fitting them in boxes. sometimes labels feel really comforting and satisfactory, but sometimes it's a real puzzle to fit into these boxes that weren't always made for us. sometimes they fit, and sometimes they don't. it was pretty fun exploring that from a slightly different perspective, as well as putting some of my own thoughts and experiences into words.

if you ever wanna talk ducktales, writing, these amazing characters, or really anything hmu here or on my twitter! thank you for reading, and please leave a like/reblog/comment (i read tags) if you enjoyed it!

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