FreeMech

Hello fellow Deviants...

In case you've been wondering what I've been working on as of late, in between commissions I've been working with a friend to put together a website for my artwork, FREEMECHANISM.COM. Here you'll be able to see my finished personal illustrations and commissions in what I believe to be a better resolution than on Deviant Art. Also, I just like having this space of my own to do with what I want without having to think about algorithms and all the social jazz. I also have a mailing list if anyone would like to join to receive updates about the site and my current projects.

ALSO...

Hello everyone, if you have yet to notice I'm not as active on my Deviant Art as of late. The reason being that I've been placing all of my focus on Instagram and to a lesser extent Tumblr. I can't say whether I'll ever will be a frequent DA user again but I do try to come by to check out new work from those of you that I follow. Social media has just been a lot better for me in growing an audience (faster than all of my years on DA -_-) and reaching people that I probably wouldn't have if I had stuck to Deviant Art alone. Also, every time I come back and see the site it feels like not much has changed in terms of user experience. So, with that being said if you want to see me more active and and you already have a page, follow me on IG @ freemechanism.

Thanks!

Hey everybody.

Going in to this new year, I'm planning on expanding my art platform in a few ways. I'm going to make a website to begin posting art that I'd like to sell as prints as well as for a portfolio I probably should have started a while back. Haven't decided yet if I'll have the two as separate websites or not. I want to display a range and have something to put on a card that isn't a Deviant Art account that the Average Joe/ Joanna can navigate a little easier without all the extra noise. If there is anyone with any useful advice on art websites, I'd love to hear it.

Also, i want to take my art to various social media outside of Deviant Art. I've already done so on my Instagram: @mastacholee, but with the limited viewing potential I also want to start posting on Facebook. I was considering Twitter, but honestly I've kind of grown to hate Twitter. lol Not that I care much for Facebook either, there's just a lot more potential for the image posts I think. I've begun making a business page for my art, but I'm not entirely sure of what I'm doing. It's been a while since I've frequented Facebook (since the Old Ones invaded years ago) and can use all the advice I get on how to setting up an art page.

Also, I just need to get out in the world. This year and going in to the future I want to meet artists and creatives in my city and everywhere really and find different ways to reach people. It'll be great for inspiration and networking, so I plan on hitting every convention and festival in Chicago. My city is too big for me to only show my work via the internet. Really, I just want to be bolder in my actions towards being a career professional artist and why not start taking bigger steps?


Lastly, anyone that has followed me for a while now is probably aware of the fact that I've never finished anything that I started on this site. And if you didn't know, you know now. The reason behind that is that I'm scared. I always have been. I've developed a way of thinking that disallows me to take chances on things that aren't perfect/may fail. That's pushed me in to a space where I fear putting something out in to the world and no one caring, responding, or even worse; laughing at me, thinking that I'm weird, etc. Thoughts like this have invaded every facet of my life and it has taken its toll. A few weeks ago a girl I know simply stated "you draw a lot of women," and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. There was no reason to think she had any ill-intent behind the statement. That's just how I am.

Recently, I was on twitter feeling angst-y and I read a quote from the great artist and creator LeSeanThomas that said, "ARTISTS 2017 TIP: Avoid over-complicating simple things out of nervousness, anxiety, or pride. Just write. Just draw. Just Start. #DoItScared." It's a simple enough notion, but the words that hit me hardest were "Do It Scared". I'm always scared. Even now. Typing this. I can't wait until I'm not, or until I feel 'ready' because whether I previously wanted to admit it or not the two potentialities are attached at the hip. I'll only feel ready when I feel unafraid and I'll only feel unafraid when I feel ready. So essentially I have to abandon the entire concept and start from scratch. I have to come to terms with the fact that anything I do in the near future, afraid or not, will be the subject of praise, criticism, or a general apathy, but no matter what happens I will grow from it. I have to break out of the cycle I've developed (since childhood) of never finishing anything. It's my biggest hurdle and I'm actually excited to tackle it.

I'm proud of some of the things I've done recently. Many are small personal steps in my life. Though, I continue to make mistakes and have giant hurdles to overcome, I feel a small sense of peace in the fact that I'm still kicking and the passion in my heart for art still thrives. And of course, I'll never stop growing.

Hey everybody. Just posting to let you all know that i'm not dead, because that would be a very unfortunate turn of events.

  Also, I'm constantly visiting the site looking at all of the amazing artwork you've all been doing. It makes me happy.

  Just had to say that. Now, to the point:

  As some of you may or may not know, over the past year or so, I've dedicated a lot of time to drawing, thinking about drawing, thinking about writing, and sometimes actually writing . While this has led to some of my favorite pieces and greatest revelations in my work and work process, the burden of tireless mind and hand being coupled with working full time overnight at a job that shouldn't have been as stressful as it was began to take its toll on me mentally, physically, and maybe spiritually (idk). That, and living with my parents.

  I'd begun to notice that trying to tend to two major aspects of my life equally (money and art) had me running in place as far as personal and financial growth was concerned. I was often times exhausted and was sleeping way too much or not at all and bills just lingered or piled up. As a result, recently I decided to take a break from drawing (about two and a half months ago) to give me more time to focus on my financial situation, pay off debts that were holding me back, and just fix a bunch of shit that I'd been letting get out of hand. I've never been one to glorify the dollar bill, but I do understand the necessity of the strange tool especially living in a city as money hungry and costly as Chicago. Right now, it's what I need. Many professional artists (and others) speak of financial sacrifice for an art career, but at the moment that's just not working for me.

   Right now, I'm working to obtain my own living space (no roommates) in October that can be as peaceful or chaotic as necessary and also be used as a place to facilitate and nurture my work uninterrupted or disturbed; if I don't I'll go insane. In the time I've spent trying to further understand myself, I've realized I'm just a fish that needs a bigger tank. I want to use every inch of every wall for my work, I want to be able to draw upside down and naked if i need to (though I don't think I'll ever NEED to), I want to see things that inspire me in every room (though it may just be a studio) with no voices over my shoulder that I don't invite. I never had this with roommates and I definitely don't have it now. I want all of this and peace of mind that financially everything isn't quietly falling apart while my head is buried in my self-gratifying projects.

   So, for those of you that may have been wondering where I've been, or new watchers that think you may have watched a dead page/ or dead dude's page, fear no longer. I'll be back just as soon as I get my life in reasonable order. Not too much order though, because that'd be forever from now. I hope you all have a good day.

Just updating my journal for the sake of updating my journal.

In case some were wondering about the lack of uploads, I've recently began having pains in my drawing hand and wrist. Being a self-taught artist, the drawing method I grew up using has seen very little adjustment (until recently at least). Along my path to ultimate artist-dom, I was taught the "correct" way of drawing by a man named Yuri, but since that time in high school I've long since gone back to what felt easier for me. I've always depended solely on rigid wrist movements for drawing and now since I've recently began having pains in the nerves (I think that's how it works), I decided it was time to finally make a lasting adjustment.

So, I've begun incorporating more arm movement and loosening up my shoulders so that I can make larger sweeping motions in my art and sketch more loosely and with less pressure from my hand. At the moment, my art is a bit shaky, but since I've been doing a few exercises daily, I've begun to regain a bit of control. I have pages and pages in my sketchbook filled with ellipses, spirals, and geometrical shapes in perspective (no straight edge). My natural line drawing abilities are definitely better than they've ever been, but completing an entire drawing is still a chore.

This is all a welcome challenge, as I only see myself improving from this. Long story short, I'll be back.