Tracy-Williams.net

Alice (Author/creator of Goodbye Chains) is writing up a comics proposal to send out to a few different publishers and is looking for a collaborator to work with!

She explains in better detail here.

She’s great to work with–professional and fun. I’d love to see this story realized, so if you or know another other comic illustrator is interested, please drop her a line at her blog. :)

—

I’m taking the next step of overhauling my website and am moving this blog to tumblr. I really dig the ease of use and community features there. You can find me here: http://tracywilliams.tumblr.com/

Tre :: Mar.05.2010 :: comics, website news :: No Comments »

I have finished reading 59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman, a twist on self-help books in that it doesn’t try to motivate you with big talk, but documents the results from all kinds of the psychology and sociology studies. I used to like reading self-help books until I realized 99.9% of them are bullshit, (The War of Art is still near and dear to me though) but I love reading about psychology. It’s a short read, interesting, and it doesn’t try to hype you up like other self-help books.

One of the exercises in motivation is writing out clear goals for yourself. Explain the why and how, give yourself a due date and a reward. Seemed simple enough, but then suggests to share your goals with friends, family, even a blog if you have one.

I kinda clammed up at that point, and my goal writing became something I’d want others to read. I realized quick that’s deceptive to myself and gave it another rewrite. What did I REALLY want to achieve for 2010?

Overall, I have a list of must-do projects that I’ve mentioned before (FKMT anthology, convention goods) and a couple of personal goals to do this year.

First off, the FKMT anthology, which thankfully has the shortest due date. I can do it because it’s easy stuff left: having to contact Ka-Blam to figure if they can do custom size and trim it to their standards and I can do it between Goodbye Chains updates. I’ll have it uploaded to the printer by at most March 6th though I’m expecting days sooner. Reward: How to Draw Noir Comics (It’s research for Act 3!)

Second one is the Goodbye Chains standalone/convention book. I can do this because reading the script, there’s only a few pages where I’ll be weeping at the difficulty, but it’ll be smooth sailing once those are complete. I’ll be working on several pages a week between GC updates to get this done, and it is due to turn into the printers by June 15th. Reward: catching up on my Japanese collections such as Kongou Banchou, Kaiji, Zero, Akagi, etc.

After that, I concentrate on the other convention goods: the Chick Tract parody, a couple of postcards, a print, and my business cards. I will begin with the book, and work my way down from the most difficult (print, postcards) to the easy. (business cards) These gotta be drawn by September 1st. Reward: cruelly promise myself the iPad when I can afford it. (Probably 2011, lol)

This next one is a long-time dream project–something I’d push out of my things-to-do list because I saw it as something everyone was cool/good enough to do except for me. And that is challenge myself to make an original black and white (with some color) illustration art book. I believe I can do it because illustration work scares the bejeebus out of me, and it would be an exercise in illo layout, different ways to ink, different tools to use to ink (I’d like to make it mostly analog) and hope to learn much from it.
I’ll begin with making idea sketches in my moleskin every morning. By September 30th, I’ll pick 50 or so ideas I like and complete one each week until the end of 2011. I’ll self-publish it early 2012. Reward: upgrade my computer RAM to 16GB.

Finally a more personal, boring, and embarrassing goal for me–but I figure I need to get it out there to stay on track as well: lose 20lbs. Staying active drawing all the time is harrrrd. I’ve been good at keeping a daily morning routine, but I’ve been stuck at the same weight for almost 2 months. I would rotate high intense workout with low intense every other day, but now it’s time to up the ante. Make my high intense higher, and my low intense high. I need to stop being so snacky with the worst snacks, be more mindful how much I eat. I’m going to be fair and give myself til December 31st to lose at least that much. I already have a good thing going, now just gotta stop whining and do it HARDER. Reward: new clothes.

I have other dream goals I’d like to fulfill, but I’ll have that ready to rock next year. Enough on my plate already!

Now, I could just write this, and leave it here and hope no one remembers/notices. But I stumbled onto Jon Schindehette’s lovely blog–this post in particular–and I’m inspired how he has his challenges/goals right there on the side bar as well as at the bottom of every post. I hope he doesn’t mind me swiping it, because it’s an excellent (terrifying) idea.

Tre :: Feb.28.2010 :: Goodbye Chains, books 同人誌, overreacting :: 1 Comment »

I’ve been sick with a fever and away from the internet for the last few days, but from what I’m reading on Twitter, fanart was brought up during the Nick Simmons comic controversy. I’m baffled even why it was brought up. I caught up at Simon Jone’s blog on the matter. He brings a class act to the subject and the following comments are broad enough to read what else the internet says about it.

This is a topic artists and fans already have their own strong beliefs in and won’t change their minds on. Including myself. This isn’t going to be a “you’re wrong, I’m right” post, but I haven’t read any opinions that are like mine yet. (If there are, please point them to me!)

Obviously, I love doing fanart and fanbooks. I dislike making money off of them. It comes a lot from America’s intense sense of protecting copyrights, I suppose. I shouldn’t make money off of someone else’s work. (Though, the gray area begins when getting a commission or stand alone analog piece of someone else’s character: as long as it’s personal use only, it’s alright. But that’s an American comic culture tradition! Cue hypocrisy!) All of my fanbooks are sold at cost of the printing/s&h, the extra goodies like the postcards, are freebies.
For all these years, I couldn’t justify traveling across states to an anime con for the artist alley, because I won’t sell them anymore than the cost of producing them. (Also, my fandoms are so tiny, I kinda doubt I’d sell much, lol) It’s too much of a money loss.
But now that I’m apart of Goodbye Chains, I’m excited to begin to attend anime cons. Meeting fans, fellow fans of the fandoms I’m apart of (I hope there are, lol), fellow artists…! Not only I could possibly make some con money back with GC, I’ll have a chance to share the fan goods.

- – -

Speaking of anime cons, I was planning to attend my first anime con: Anime Vegas! Unfortunately, I probably can’t–it’s a few days before SPX. :( HOWEVER, I’m considering to attend for maybe the first day before I head over to the east coast. And as of now, SPX is not confirmed because I have yet to get a confirmation from them.
Still up in the air is APE–Alice won’t be able to come with me and at this point I’m too much of a wimp to go by myself. (lol) But we’ll see.

Tre :: Feb.27.2010 :: books 同人誌, opinion, overreacting :: No Comments »

First: thank you everyone for the sympathy and well-wishes this past couple of weeks. (´；ω；｀) <3 I feel like my normal self again, finally. :D I'm keeping up with stretches and exercise, so here's hoping this doesn't creep up again. *knocks on wood*

We're switching to 2 pages a week (Tuesday and Thursday) for the next few months while I draw the convention goods we plan to debut at SPX in September. There will be a small 24 page book with exclusive stories, a Chick Tract parody booklet, a print or two, and possibly more surprises. :D

Alice Hunt and I have been interview by Growly Beast at her blog! You can read it here.

Tre :: Feb.19.2010 :: website news :: No Comments »

For almost half a year, I was good at keeping an exercise regimen. I have suffered from back/knee and hand joint pain time to time, and I wanted to reduce this. Already last year, I completely cut out caffeine and began to eat healthier too. I was feeling great, but I wasn’t finishing work as fast as I wanted.
When I HAD to get the donation comic done by the new year, I put everything on hold to finish. I didn’t exercise, because I hardly slept and needed whatever little energy to focus on work. I stupidly did this a couple of weeks longer for Goodbye Chains. And I was pretty happy, having finished pages in a day.

The pain at my left hip/butt was a familiar annoying feeling I sometimes had before. Shifting and light stretches would normally smooth it out, but this time it wouldn’t go away and by the early afternoon it was becoming unbearable. I complained to Ms. Hunt, and after talking back and forth, we concluded my hip/thigh area nerve was agitated. The symptoms are exactly like Sciatica. (I haven’t seen the doctor yet, and if it becomes worse I plan to see one this week) I can say I’ve been sitting on my butt for 10+ years and never experienced anything like this before. On the first day of experiencing this, the pain was so severe I was sweating, could barely focus, and even thought I was going to black out at one point. I didn’t have any proper medication or heat pad, and sleeping like that over night and waking up was a nightmare. My toes were tingly, it took awhile to walk pain-free, and going up the stairs was a nightmare.

I really regret not working out for the last three weeks. I wonder if it wouldn’t have happened if I did. Stuff like this can take weeks to heal. But thankfully, only just a few days later, I think I’ve been managing it well enough. Working out again, (but being careful) taking walking/stretching breaks instead of internet breaks between pomodoros, even changed the way I slept (On my back and camping on the floor for the time being, I think this has helped the most). The bed will be replaced shortly after tax returns, for sure.

It probably sounds way over the top to do all of that, but this is some serious pain, even worse that it interferes with comicking. I’m up for anything and am very happy that it’s working. As of today, I can sit in the chair for about an hour before it starts feeling terrible. I’m hoping I’ll continue to improve like this the more I keep up this new regimen.

GC updates might be wonky like it used to be for a short while. :(

Tre :: Jan.17.2010 :: overreacting :: 4 Comments »

I constantly struggle with time management and focus. I’ve been gradually improving, but it’s at a snail’s crawl then I want! Ms. Hunt introduced me to the pomodoro technique, and with more research, I found the homepage and other apps and websites to help with staying on task.

http://www.pomodorotechnique.com

The concept is simple: Work in 25 minute chunks (a pomodoro), with 5 minute breaks in between. After 4 pomodoros, take a longer 15~30 minute break.

Now, you can just try this, or get more into it like I have. Keep track of how many pomodoros it takes to complete a single task. Also keep track of how many self-imposed distractions (for example: check twitter). Make a note of them. Can it wait until after this pomodoro? Often times after that chunk of work, it doesn’t really become that big of a deal to do after all.

Keep these records, and after a month or so, see what your average is to complete a single task. Now challenge yourself to finish it in less pomodoros. Find shortcuts, or just try to do it faster.

I’m sure there will be a list of things you wanted to do during your task. You make this into inventory list! And when you finish your first tasks, you can assign these afterwards or for another day. I have a loooong list of small things and major projects. I’ll finish them someday!

A nice pomodoro app is Focus Booster. You can also use their website if you don’t want to install it or don’t have a Mac. Another one I’m testing this week is simply the Pomodoro, that hangs out in the task bar. Pomodoro has a lot more options, but Focus Booster is much more visible.

Now I do have my Mega-list but it’s a train wreck. From several comic/art podcasts I learned about the app called Things: a time and project manager. I was kinda meh at first: it’s $50! But after my 15 day trial, I really wanted to keep using it. I find it incredibly useful to keep track of my little projects and tasks, and helps curb that time anxiety. It has an “inbox” for any little thing. I usually put reminders in there. You can schedule tasks, for something in the future or if it’s a daily/weekly thing. I love the “Someday” box, that’s where I put projects that I will get to eventually, but no time for yet. The “Projects” section is where you can group small tasks for one big project. Very helpful!

Of course, in the end, it’s up to myself to put the time in. The technique and apps are great assistants, but they can’t force me to sit down and work. But I’ll keep improving!

Tre :: Jan.11.2010 :: Nerd :: No Comments »