@ElectroNat - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: What does it mean to be an artist?

A: I'd say being an artist pretty much means making stuff you're passionate about. For some, that's music, others, painting. Anyone can be an artist, really, as long as what you make comes from a place of passion for the art itself.

Q: How did you get interested in drawing? You've been sketching for a while, but you only recently got into digital art. What sparked your interest in digital art? Why did you decide to get a drawing tablet, especially since you never actually used it until a month and a half ago? What are you trying to learn, and what do you find enjoyable about drawing?

A: I've been drawing for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I'd get notebooks specifically to draw in, making goofy comics about characters I liked and drawing my stuffed animals. I've always been the kid to doodle on the sides of her homework or notes too (often to the varied reaction of my teachers haha). As for the drawing tablet, I got it in high school for free as a part of my studies and they never asked for it back, so I still have it to this day. It's a pretty cheap tablet, but it works surprisingly well all things considered. I'm hoping to continue to improve and be able to create stories and characters I can be proud of, though I know I have a long way to go.

Q: What do you enjoy about gaming? What games do you like, and why do you think you are drawn to those particular games? Can you describe some of your favorite gaming moments or memorable experiences?

A: I like a lot of different types of games, but have always preferred those with interesting and emotional stories. I think my first game like that was Super Mario Galaxy. I've never really been one to tear up at a story, but the storybook scenes with Rosalina messed me up as a kid lmao. I think it was the music. More recently I really enjoyed playing through RDR2 and Mass Effect, which I liked a lot (mixed feels on ME3's ending tho). I've also gotten into Visual novels recently, which is a really neat medium in my opinion, and there are a lot of great stories there. Shout out to Our Life: Beginnings & Always. It was life-ruiningly good. I also like games with more emergant stories, like the Sims, Rimworld or Kenshi.

Q: What do you like to watch on YouTube, and why do you think you gravitate toward those videos instead of others?

A: Always a fan of video essays. Anything I can have on in the background while I do other stuff is a win. Otherwise I like gaming stuff. Not really watching gameplay but more ppl talking about gaming stuff, I.e. Peanut Butter Gamer and Scott the Woz.

Q: What do you like to do with your friends outside?

A: Just about anything: going out to eat, taking walks, playing games, going to the mall, etc. I like my alone time but I'm thankful I have people to get me out and about from time to time.

Q: Do you think sleeping is underrated in the current era? What would be your advice for getting better sleep?

A: I can't speak for everyone but I can say that a good sleep schedule is something I've only recently prioritized, and it has absolutely been worth it. Throughout most of college I was getting terrible sleep, and I felt it. Whether thanks to noisy roommates (and their noisier boyfriends) or just because of my own procrastination, leading to late hours of working on overdue projects. Since graduating, however, I've made a point to get to sleep at a reasonable hour and I've felt so much better because of it. Who knew that taking care of your body would help you feel better, amiright?

Q: How would you describe your experiences as an introvert? What do you think are some misconceptions about introverts?

A: It's had its ups and downs. I was of course always the quiet kid back in school, and sometimes that led to feeling ostracized or straight up bullied by people who forgot I was a human with feelings. I had a few friends but never more than one or two at a time, which was hard when they would leave the school. I'm only really in contact with one of those early friends to this day, but he's one of my closest friends I still talk to so I really can't complain. I'd say many people don't realize that people like me can still enjoy spending time with the right people. I'm not antisocial (I've always hated that label) I'm just selectively social. If our personalities mesh, I can hang out and joke around for as long as anyone, but some people drain my social battery much faster than others, to which I may need to step back and take some time to recharge before I get burnt out.

Q: What is a hyperfixation? Would you consider the series finale of Attack on Titan to be one of your hyperfixations, and why? What are some of the various hyperfixations you've had, and where do you think hyperfixations come from?

A: I dunno, it's just kind of a word I throw around to describe things I'm currently very obsessed with. I know it has a basis in certain conditions such as autism or OCD, the latter of which I've suspected to have for a while, though I've never been officially diagnosed with anything. For me, I tend to grapple onto one thing, be it a game, story, a character or a hobby, and I just put all of my energy into that one thing. It becomes almost all that I can talk about for a few weeks, before I inevitably drop it and move onto the next thing. The AOT example was after watching the finale with my friends at college, and all I could do was gush over how amazing it was and just recapping the story and whatnot. Other obsessions of mine have been Deltarune (especially the character Spamton. I doodled him in everything for like a year, and still sometimes do to this day), fire emblem 3 houses and its characters, and games like Rimworld/Kenshi. I still like all of these things of course, but I'm not like focused on just one of them like I was when I first got into them.

- Silly Band Story

When I was a kid, I had this plastic pencil case of Silly Bands (remember those?). It was my most prized possession, and I brought it to school every day to show off and trade with my friends on the playground. One day, however, some kid snatched it from me and ran away. My heart sank and I froze in place, unsure of what to do, but luckily I was there with my best friend at the time, who chased the kid down and shoved him to the ground. He retrieved my prized Silly band case back from the fiend and returned it to me, earning my eternal gratitude and respect. We're still great friends to this day.

Q: That's super cool! It's awesome that you're still great friends to this day. Why do you think it was your most prized possession?

A: Oh man, silly bands were the THING back then. Perhaps this dates me a bit, but when I was a kid, there was practically a silly band black market on the playground. It was a whole thing. I'd go to school with arms just covered in silly bands, to the point that my hands would change color. It was great. I still have my old collection, though it certainly isn't my prized possession anymore. That said, I'll still wear a couple from time to time for the nostalgia/accessorizing factor. Apparently things from my childhood are trendy now, so look at me go being an early adopter B)

Q: Your art advice

A: It's not original, but I'd say just keep at it. I've been working on practicing digital art every day for the past month and a half and its been a ton of fun. Not to mention, I'd say you can see a decent bit of improvement over time. I've been going along with Oddlem's OCtober prompts thru october and that's been a great motivator for me. I would certainly recommend trying a challenge like that to anyone wanting to get into art. It gives you inspiration on what to make, and you get to see your progress as the month goes on. I mean, look at my first OCtober piece vs. my latest one. I've improved a ton as I've learned the software and gotten more comfortable drawing digitally.

Q: Your favourite food and drinks

A: Always a fan of fruity drinks like lemonade and fruitpunch, and I like a lot of different foods, but I'm a huge fan of chocolate if that counts!