February 2022 Update

February is debut month, and as promised, I saw it through.

MY WEBCOMIC IS FINALLY LIVE!

You can read it on the following platforms:

Aaah I can't believe it's finally here! After years of anticipation and preparation, I never actually thought this day would finally come. But it did! Needless to say, the days leading up to the launch was rife with anxiety, second guessing, and feeling unprepared. But as I said in the last update, I was going to force myself to debut whether I felt prepared or not - and that was the best decision I could have made. Perhaps I am still unprepared, but I think if I didn't debut now while I was free, I would have never made that step.

Feelings

How do I feel now that it's finally live? Surreal! I was not expecting all the positive feedback and support from the people around me. It made me so happy to see people encouraging me on this big day that for once in this entire journey alone ... well, I didn't feel alone anymore!

To be honest, a part of me remains a bit anxious, in a way I didn't anticipate. For years, this has been a story that I kept to myself. That I wrote for myself. That I enjoyed by myself. Now that it's out there for the world to see, I am suddenly struck with the realisation that I now have people expecting from me. What if they don't like the characters? The way I wrote the story? The themes that come up? What if I disappoint or write the story in a way that doesn't match expectations? These are new thoughts I found myself thinking that I didn't think was going to be an issue.

But I had a feeling this may happen - even if I didn't expect myself to actually feel this way. I had a feeling that somehow or another, making this story public will open it to public judgment and opinion that could impact on the way I saw and directed my own story. A part of the reason why I gave myself such a large backlog is not just for my own schedule's consistency sake - but also to protect myself from these harsh judgments that may affect how I write the story from the way it was originally planned. That is, even if readers don't like a certain episode or the way I directed the arc...there's quite literally nothing I can do about it because I am already working many chapters down the line. Of course, that's not to say I will not accept constructive criticism. I am always researching and learning to improve my storytelling skills. It is predominantly the opinions of those that this story is not written for - which I don't wish to be impacted by.

A small part of me is also anxious about the success of the webcomic. Will it be widely accepted by many, or will it remain a secluded tale that is only enjoyed by few? While for the most part, I am confident with what I've created - there's undeniably a part of me that is concerned about it's acceptance, as I'm fully aware that this story may perhaps seem to start out slow (considering how it takes a while for all the main characters to be introduced).

Disregarding these anxieties, I am nevertheless excited at this journey that has finally started! I am happy to share the story with the world, and I can't wait to meet fellow Arcanus Crucis fans!

February Summary

Webcomic Goals

Does any of this matter anymore? My webcomic just debuted! ...Okay, fine, I didn't finish all of it. All I did this month was complete the conversion of C1 :( But, I do aim for C2 to be finished in the coming week! (I have to, I will miss my deadline if I don't...)

Illustration Goals

I did not finish that steam train hell, in fact, I didn't even touch it...what I did complete however, was this:

Picture 1: The Witch's Secret

Yes, the promo art for my webcomic's launch! I am so happy with this piece. It's been months since I last drew an original illustration from start to finish, and I really wanted to make the piece good!

To be honest, I started drawing it because I needed a thumbnail for webtoons ... and somehow, it evolved into an entire poster that I've been using to promote my webcomic...either way, I'm not complaining!

Because I hadn't drawn an illustration in so long, my primary goal was to really do my best with the lineart and colouring. I felt bad that I hadn't been drawing much, and I wanted to remind myself that I am still capable of drawing illustrations! I think I achieved that. I think this piece took me 3 full days of working.

Social Media Goals

Oh man, this month was all about social media marketing for me, and it's still ongoing! I did all the promo art, a stream countdown to the launch, a raffle event, I opened a patreon, and I'm still looking into every other avenue to help promote this story! I think thanks to all this posting this month, I feel like I've become a lot less shy when it comes to posting on social media. Like, who cares? Just post - kind of mindset. Whereas before, I had the irrational idea that I was bothering people who were following me. Not anymore! Deal with my nonstop twittering!

So, in my previous journal post I mentioned creating a section on the site to post my webcomic pages ...

Sorry, but that's not going to happen. I am struggling to maintain posting on two webcomic sites, a patreon, discord, and social media as it is, I don't think I will be posting here too. Besides, reading it on the other sites is better for my engagement! So go!

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March Goals

I took a little break from my professional job last month. However, I told myself that next month, I will be returning to work again. Therefore, this month will be the last month of this "break" I've given myself before I venture into the academic landscape once more. It was enjoyable, but this isn't sustainable.

Webcomic Goals

I have no choice but to finish the C2 I keep delaying. I need a better method of working on my backgrounds that doesn't make me procrastinate for months... again, complete C6, and perhaps do some story boarding too. I really can't fall behind on schedule now that the rope has been lit.

Illustration Goals

I would like to continue the steam train vengeance, but even thinking about it as I type now makes me lazy. I have another illustration that will meet this month's quota that is almost done though.

Social Media Goals

Keep promoting, keep advertising, keep marketing! I don't know what my plans are yet, since I'm still traversing these waters, but I'm going to keep researching and experimenting!

tl;dr: I don't really have any major goals this month! I think I'm still recovering from the overwhelming emotions of the debut, but I will keep working and trying my best. Let's see what I accomplish this month!

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Thanks for keeping up with the journey up until the debut! The journey doesn't end here! See you next update! Ciao!

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