If Someone Is Making Art, Say Encouraging Things
Make More of Your Art
Since most YouTube and TikTok videos are unsolicited advice, I’m boldly going there. That’s right, and I deem myself worthy of imposing my views of the world on you.
You didn’t ask for this. You don’t have to listen to me. You won’t get rich or laid or be a better person. Worse than that, if you take note of my dumb advice, you could act like a real piece of shit, AKA ME. You have been warned.
Now, now. You know I’m teasing and don’t have a negative self-image. The only voice in my head that thinks I’m a piece of shit that makes mistakes daily, endangers my relationships, and has regrets is the same voice that told me that drinking for over 20 years was the “cause of and the solution to, all of life’s problems.”
That voice is a bastard. That voice hates what I create, from 1200-word rambling essays, vein podcast episodes, and, most especially, amateur Procreate (iPad) drawings. Doom Patrol is back for Season 4. My voice is like Cliff Steele, AKA Robotman’s frustrated punk rock t-shirt wearing ‘mistakes made daily’ inner dialogue.
I'm in love with that voice the same way that (to mix DC metaphors) Barry still loves his father, that has been convicted and is in jail. I visit him, and through the glass, we have telephone calls about what went wrong and how to “Make it RIIIIGHT” *
I have someone (not my father) who I visit (in a way) like this. They perhaps have been prosecuted and shunned and banished to exile (it won’t be hard to figure out who I am talking about here), but it is not like I care for this person any less or their family doesn’t love them. How did being an adult become so complicated?
Do you want some advice? I said, DO you want some advice? You better listen because this could be the first or the last time I will lay in on you! (Calm down, Cliff's voice!)
If someone is making art, say encouraging things.
This applies to:
Pros
Are you a fan of a professional creator? Let them know with a like or a comment.
Don’t know what to say on a famous person’s account or if you meet them in real life? Just say you are a fan of what they do. Crikey, if you directly tweet at Neil Gaiman, he’s likely to talk to you. Don’t be afraid! He can't trap you in The Dreaming (but I would sign up for that).
Credit where credit is due to Merlin Mann for this last one.
Are you a professional creator? Be generous with likes and comments. Or don’t, but don’t be one of those accounts with a million followers and following back only eleven. Unless you are KFC. 11 Herbs and Spices, indeed.
RIP Norm!
Amateurs
Get in there! Say encouraging things, especially to your peers and people struggling to make art but aren’t frankly that good at it. You’re applauding the effort, the time, and the guts to put it all out there!
I like something like “Fantastic” for drawings or photos or even someone process building IKEA furniture for their streaming studio or Marie Kondo before and after porn. It doesn't mean more than a quick burst of dopamine for the receiver. It costs me nothing but lets me scroll along to the next.
Strangers
If you have feedback, leave it (honesty over meanness, grace instead of avarice, no need to tear down). Not going to say something nice? Scroll away. Instead of commenting, “why didn’t you color this black and white piece?” Consider “Love it, would love to see it in color!”
The Algorithm
This post is not about engagement or followers. It’s about encouragement. Search YouTube to grow your account; you know what to do.
If Someone Is Making Art, Say Encouraging Things
For the past few years, I have been doing one of the October drawing challenges. I was hitting my head against the wall with the Inktober prompts this year, so I went to my favorite, Batman, for BATober.
No shade, no lemonade to Inktober. I like it … fine … but it’s easier for me to do it … in Gotham. Scratch that. I found Inktober to be inscrutable and brain-melting this year. Maybe it’s me? Maybe others had the same problem? Anyway, even though I gave myself permission to draw anything I wanted, off-prompt, toward the end of the 31-day drawing challenge, I was totally *OVER IT”.
I was posting on my Creatures By Design Instagram (@creaturesbydesign) every day…but some drawings weren’t that great! And when I switched to Batman, I got a couple of tablet drawings worth posting, but I’m not a professional like Chris Samnee, who can knock it out of the park any day! I love the man’s style! Thanks for the alt-prompts! If I could draw like anyone’s style, it would be his!
Some of My ‘Best” LOL I suck!
But speaking of pride, I was asked to make this for Cocked N Loaded, and I love how it turned out. I’m not a professional designer or illustrator, but there was a lot of thought and planning, and iterations from the sketches I sent the band. It was a great project, and they even paid me. (Next one is free, guys)
I took inspiration from Turbonegro art and other wacky things. Maybe the colors are wrong. Maybe it needs 10 more hours of work. I don’t know. But it looks great to me.
My good friend (and only substack reader?) gave me some feedback. If I ever do a remastered version of this, if I learn more about what is technically ‘right and wrong’ in design, perhaps I’ll revisit that feedback and incorporate it. I hope I expressed enough gratitude for someone giving me the feedback, but maybe I didn’t. I can be a little defensive on creative work (but do appreciate it). See! I do appreciate it!
“These colors are blown out! What TF is he drinking? Water? What a crappy drawing!” “No one would pay someone to do this!” — Cliff’s Voice
If someone is making art, say encouraging things.
I know I’m not a great artist. That’s OK. I want to improve, considering I have a degree in Fine Arts and a Video Minor. I work in a creative capacity, and though it is not my *dream job* to write or draw comics, I am very happy at what I do. It’s OK to be a fan. Someday, like Stan “The Man” Lee, I will write the great American Novel. Or comic book. Or make a YouTube video with a million subs and likes. I’m entering my Jack Kirby era.
Maybe, don’t post *everything*
Gee, now that I think of it, that exiled person I referred to before could maybe apply to two major figures in my life. This other person gave a photographer friend the best advice about his Instagram account. I try to do this, save drafts and look at things later. I try to be more careful about what gets out there. Not that posting 31 days of drawings and reels to my Instagram during the prompt month is a waste. It isn’t. But not all 31 drawings survived. Barely any of them did. Only the best remain. I love the archive feature in Instagram for this. If I change my mind, I can “republish.”
Here’s the sub-advice to advice, paraphrased.
“Only post the good stuff” — db
Our mutual photographer friend has a huge archive and creates new photos. What db is saying that you’ll be putting out your best to the community and not just every old thing because it is kicking around in a file folder or on your camera roll. If you are going to post 10 pictures, can you have the essence of all of those pics captured in 1 or 2 pictures?
Exceptions. Rules. Yadda Yadda. Of course, this isn’t a blanket statement, each situation is different, but you can help yourself by being careful about what the public sees! If you want to show the process, do that! I love the Procreate animations, but maybe I didn’t need to post to Reels all 31 days. It is fun to have a short IG Story clip of the drawing to promote it, and it disappears after 24 hours.
You can see some of my Reels here.
Why am I getting Linkedin messages?
Hell, I don’t know why you OR I are on Linkedin, except for their brilliant sponsorship of Deadpool 2.
Let’s carry over the encouraging things to these Linkedin messages that might help you. Just say hi and move on, I guess. Maybe they are offering a service you might not need at the moment but keep it alive. Or don’t, don’t be a Dick about it.
This seems related. to the main topic here. I don’t know why it just fits.
I have to get ready for my day now because I am feeling better but stayed up too late watching YouTube. In the early morning hours, I was confronted by this YouTube title so heavy that instead of watching it, I exhaustively said, “That’s It, I Need Sleep Now.”
Let me know how this video works out for you. I’m too scared to click on it.
* Stay tuned for the “Make it RIIIIGHT” customer service posts shortly.
Very wellll post. My nephew was super-excited that you knew who he was when you saw him, and definitely enjoyyyyyyed the feedback you gave him (He does The Chiptide on Youtube, in case anyone reads the comments). I'm not sure anyone outside of his immediate family ever gave him that kind of feedback before. So, thanks, from him, to you!