SigmaGalTG
patreon
PATREON UPDATE
🕑 Added 2022-10-28 18:43:13 +0000 UTCFuck, sorry folks. I don't think I'm gonna make it in time. I super fumbled and I'll eat the cost for it. Gotta do one more pause.
I've actually been pretty good about working recently, but it wasn't fast enough to recover from my previous sins. If however I can keep up a minimum of 6 hours everyday, like I've been doing, then this'll be the last time I have to forgo a monthly income. (Thank god I've got all those savings from my Onlyfans.)
Quick autopsy, here's what happened from my perspective.
September was mostly about Deck Of Spells, which, TBH, I wasn't feeling awesome about in the middle of making it. I know some people like it, and there are some parts that I think work, but I didn't love how it flowed overall. It sucks 'cause at the start I was super excited for it, mostly because the model for Meiko came out so well. I hyped it up to myself and a little bit to you guys, but then the pressure which that created, combined with how I felt it was going, manifested in some serious procrastinating.
So October started and I enthusiastically gobbled up the early days with *not working*, at least not on the stuff I'd not been eager to make. Actually I did do some work on stuff for something I'm personally excited about, but now I feel I really ought to suppress internal and external hype, lest we repeat the experience of DoS. To be honest though, I am already feeling some of that pressure as I feel the next thing I make needs to be in some way exceptional to show a positive trajectory. So let me try to deflate that now and say "it'll be a good enough a thing." I don't think my workflow right now is inclined to beget something incredible, and so that's what I'd like to fix.
When I first started making/releasing this content, I was doing 30 pages every other day. There are some good reasons (increased production value) and bad reasons (weird work habits) for that slowing down, but I want to at least exorcise some of the bad ones, which will be my goal for November.
First thing I want to address: SigmaGal, that fucking lazy sneak, can't be trusted with "release X on date Y" as a schedule, and not just because Y almost always ends up being Y+1. Mostly it's because I do the thing that everyone everywhere always does of waiting till the last day and that creates an exhausting weekly resetting exponential stress curve. I've got a nice start on a different style, where I'm working on a daily schedule on specific tasks at specific times. Since Monday it's looked like this:
TIME 09:00AM - 11:00PM
TASK Work on renders based on a script
VOLUME About 10 renders
TIME 11:00AM - 12:00PM
TASK Turn renders into pages + touch ups and rewrites
VOLUME Some days 30 pages, some days 10
TIME 12:00PM - 01:00PM
TASK Write detailed scripts based on ideas
VOLUME 15 pages of scripting
6 HOUR BREAK
TIME 07:00PM - 08:00PM
TASK Brainstorm and curate ideas for scenes/projects
VOLUME Enough for 50 pages of potential content
TIME 08:00PM - 09:00PM
TASK Work on characters in the character creator
VOLUME 1/2 a completed polished character
If I can just do that on weekdays, at that pace I could make 220 pages of content per month. I don't think I'll need more than 140, which leaves 8 days of flex per month. I don't want to ever plan around those days as being there, rather they should be treated like extra lives if I ever slip up, fall behind, get sick, or get too stressed.
Starting Monday I'm going to do a thing in the discord where I post just a simple thumbs up or thumbs down if I managed to stick to this schedule for the day, along with a behind the scenes render to prove I at least opened CharaStudio. I assume there'll be quite a few thumbs down, and it's honestly uncertain if this will manifest into a sustainable habit, but it's what I'll be attempting at this time.
Honestly, everyone's been great. I know y'all are eager to see stuff get released. Despite that people have been doing a great job of concealing their frustration behind humour, which is perfect as far as I'm concerned. There's a thing not on the schedule I'm planning to release in November, which right now looks to be an auxiliary bit of content to go with stuff coming later. It's weird, hopefully you'll see. Thanks for support, keep your fucking money, for now.
Comments
SigmaGal
Thanks! Don't worry, I'm in high spirits
Anon
you are really good and I like your work and I hope you don't get discouraged ^^
SigmaGal
*finger guns*
SigmaGal
Certainly we'll see how it goes and make changes as is necessary.
SigmaGal
Ayy, that's good to hear. Thanks <3
WurfWurf
I know I can't speak for everyone, but no biggie. Compared to alot of patron artists, you really put out alot of quality content. Just keep at whatever pace you think is best.
MassManic
Ayo! Welcome aboard the self improvement train. Next stop - ‘A Better Work Ethic and a Superior Notion of Self-Care’. Some wordy nomenclature for a location to be sure. Don’t worry; Tom Hanks punches the tickets. In all seriousness though luck with the new schedule, I’m sure everyone is rooting for you, and take it easy when you can.
icarue
Hope that schedule is good for you. It sounds a bit rigid, but whatever you feel confortable. I know game dev is different to comics, but I do "whole" days of one thing. Like this whole day is for drawing, this other day is for planning. I don't really have a set schedule for work (I do for waking up, exercise and going to sleep). But hopefully this schedule makes you feel better. All the best!
