Hello everyone,
Today I've been feeling rather discouraged. It's been some time now that I have been going strong with everything that I am doing, but it seems as though a few things have caught some snags. More importantly I've come to the realization that writers in the comic industry are greatly unappreciated by artists and major companies, but more importantly rendered rather useless. I suppose I've been just trying to block it out as much as possible, but the skin is wearing thin.
It becomes difficult to compete in an industry where not many people are actually willing to work together to put something through, especially in an industry that requires you to work with many people to form a great creation.
I feel as though I am just another cog in this war machine, whether I do anything at all really doesn't matter in this industry because I am just a writer with some art background, or so they say. In the end it really just makes you question the motives of not only other people, but of yourself.
I just want to know if I am the only one who feels this way.
This is Sean signing out.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Softened Heart
Hey everyone,
It's been rough these past couple years to say the least, but like everyone else, issues are always lingering. Which is actually a great thing, well for me anyways. It sounds silly, but honestly, I think with out a lot of these issues reminding me to be humble, caring, understanding and sympathetic , I would probably end up being the most egotistical grouch on this side of the planet.
This morning I woke up feeling happy, yet sad at the same time. I suppose that sounds a bit bi-polar, but these feelings feel true none the less. It's difficult for me because I haven't really experienced that joy or happiness in awhile. Not the typical joy or happiness, like " oh awesome! I just found a $100.00 bill on the ground!" No no, it's more like, a peace. Something that I haven't felt since I was kid. The words that came to me immediately were "
It's been rough these past couple years to say the least, but like everyone else, issues are always lingering. Which is actually a great thing, well for me anyways. It sounds silly, but honestly, I think with out a lot of these issues reminding me to be humble, caring, understanding and sympathetic , I would probably end up being the most egotistical grouch on this side of the planet.
This morning I woke up feeling happy, yet sad at the same time. I suppose that sounds a bit bi-polar, but these feelings feel true none the less. It's difficult for me because I haven't really experienced that joy or happiness in awhile. Not the typical joy or happiness, like " oh awesome! I just found a $100.00 bill on the ground!" No no, it's more like, a peace. Something that I haven't felt since I was kid. The words that came to me immediately were "
Saturday, August 20, 2011
More than a thought, More like a feeling
Hey Everyone,
It's nice to see everyone has such an interest in my blog here. I appreciate you, the reader, coming out and reading what I have here on this website. This is probably one of the only areas where I can truly express my feeling and thought, aside from my fiction stories. I just wanted to take this time and thank you for being here, taking time out of your life to experience a little piece of mine.
Thank You, it really does mean a lot.
Today has been a strange day and most definitely a strange night. Things from the past have come back, really great memories. Some bad, but more so great. Talk about a very comforting feeling, something I haven't had in over eight years. I don't want to go into to much detail on this feeling or what has happened, but I can safely say I have some inner peace tonight. I will definitely be sleeping well.
With that being the topic, it can be difficult at times to look at our past in our present, in other words something right there in front of us from many years ago. Whether it be good or bad, it can be difficult regardless what state someone is in, especially if you had an emotional connection with that moment in the past with whomever or whatever it may be.
Something that I have realized facing this and experiencing this now is that everything will be okay, no matter what has happened or what happens in the future, even what may be happening right now. No matter what the circumstances are, that situation that may haunt you, or may even bring you a great memory that is no longer there or will no longer ever be again, it's alright.
You as the person have not only moved forward through your success and failures in life, but are a stronger person for even facing such a thing. Not only that, but the understanding, knowing that you are not who you once were, better or for worse, is a great thing. The change of it all, is great. If you end up beating yourself up over something, or listen to that lingering memory, you will only remain stationary and not move at all.
Closing this here, it's okay to move forward and it's okay to still remember those times, but more importantly it's okay to be happy with who you are and what makes you, you.
I want you to do something. I got some very wise advice from someone who plays a major influence in my life right now, very close to me. He had said, " You know, every morning I was told that when I wake up, I was supposed to look in the mirror and say good morning until I meant it; it really does make you feel a lot better about yourself. You need to love yourself in order to love others and push through, and leave all of the past behind you. It's the past. Look to a new light." Go look in the mirror when you wake up tomorrow and tell yourself "Good morning" until you mean it. You may notice a change in your day and a change with your outlook of those memories. You are epic, no matter what was said.
This is Sean signing out.
It's nice to see everyone has such an interest in my blog here. I appreciate you, the reader, coming out and reading what I have here on this website. This is probably one of the only areas where I can truly express my feeling and thought, aside from my fiction stories. I just wanted to take this time and thank you for being here, taking time out of your life to experience a little piece of mine.
Thank You, it really does mean a lot.
Today has been a strange day and most definitely a strange night. Things from the past have come back, really great memories. Some bad, but more so great. Talk about a very comforting feeling, something I haven't had in over eight years. I don't want to go into to much detail on this feeling or what has happened, but I can safely say I have some inner peace tonight. I will definitely be sleeping well.
With that being the topic, it can be difficult at times to look at our past in our present, in other words something right there in front of us from many years ago. Whether it be good or bad, it can be difficult regardless what state someone is in, especially if you had an emotional connection with that moment in the past with whomever or whatever it may be.
Something that I have realized facing this and experiencing this now is that everything will be okay, no matter what has happened or what happens in the future, even what may be happening right now. No matter what the circumstances are, that situation that may haunt you, or may even bring you a great memory that is no longer there or will no longer ever be again, it's alright.
You as the person have not only moved forward through your success and failures in life, but are a stronger person for even facing such a thing. Not only that, but the understanding, knowing that you are not who you once were, better or for worse, is a great thing. The change of it all, is great. If you end up beating yourself up over something, or listen to that lingering memory, you will only remain stationary and not move at all.
Closing this here, it's okay to move forward and it's okay to still remember those times, but more importantly it's okay to be happy with who you are and what makes you, you.
I want you to do something. I got some very wise advice from someone who plays a major influence in my life right now, very close to me. He had said, " You know, every morning I was told that when I wake up, I was supposed to look in the mirror and say good morning until I meant it; it really does make you feel a lot better about yourself. You need to love yourself in order to love others and push through, and leave all of the past behind you. It's the past. Look to a new light." Go look in the mirror when you wake up tomorrow and tell yourself "Good morning" until you mean it. You may notice a change in your day and a change with your outlook of those memories. You are epic, no matter what was said.
This is Sean signing out.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Angry like a Hulk
Hello Everyone,
I've had a lot on my mind today, and yesterday. The topic in this post is going to be blind rage. An anger that is not only scary, but dangerous to the person who has it, as well as those who around that person. I find that Blind Rage is very difficult to control, like a Hulk. Something to really set you mind into a question is this, Does someone with a blind rage have control? More importantly, how does someone know if they suffer from this "blind rage" .
I can safely say, I know what "blind rage" is by experience. Blind rage is basically someone who can become very angry and everything that they love, feel compassion for, cherish is removed from their sight. Blind rage is exactly as the words state, It is Blind and there is a lot of rage. An anger that bellows deep within.
In a realistic view, a hulk is much more real then someone may think. When someone becomes this angry, there is no real control over thoughts, feeling or anything of this sort. A berserker takes over and is thirsty for blood. For many years, and especially now this has been an issue I have suffered with. Knowing that I have no control is not a good thing, admitting it however is a great thing, which is why I write. I insert all of that anger, rage, and threatening feelings deep into my writing. If not writing, then my gaming. It's a great stress relief as well as a great way to pour out that rage.
However, it does scare me to know that other "hulks" are out there off their chain. Chain referring to their positive stress relief, rage relief. Not only is this scary, but it's truthfully life threatening to those who don't know how to battle a hulk. As a hulk speaking through this post, I hope those other hulks out there are reading my words clearly.
As a Hulk you shouldn't be ashamed to admit that you are one, anger, depression , addictions and many other things consume people every day, we are all human. That is something we can't change. The good news however, is we don't have to hang on to it, you can let it go. This however is up to you.
A great way to test yourself, is to take something very small, and work with it. Let's say you have this irritation with how someone sitting next to you in a lobby is clicking their pen, and it is literally driving you mad, mad to the point that you just want to take that noisy clicker and use it as a weapon of mass destruction upon them.
Instead, why not introduce yourself to them, shake their hand and tell them a little bit about what you do. If they aren't interested in meeting you, that's fine, at the very least you did something great and turned a negative into a positive. On a better note though, the clicking has stopped! Fantastic!
Wrapping this up here, it's okay to admit you're a blind raged hulk and that you do need some sort of support, from either your friend or your family. Life is way to short, and living angry all the time is a great way to waste what precious time you have left.
This is Sean Signing out.
I've had a lot on my mind today, and yesterday. The topic in this post is going to be blind rage. An anger that is not only scary, but dangerous to the person who has it, as well as those who around that person. I find that Blind Rage is very difficult to control, like a Hulk. Something to really set you mind into a question is this, Does someone with a blind rage have control? More importantly, how does someone know if they suffer from this "blind rage" .
I can safely say, I know what "blind rage" is by experience. Blind rage is basically someone who can become very angry and everything that they love, feel compassion for, cherish is removed from their sight. Blind rage is exactly as the words state, It is Blind and there is a lot of rage. An anger that bellows deep within.
In a realistic view, a hulk is much more real then someone may think. When someone becomes this angry, there is no real control over thoughts, feeling or anything of this sort. A berserker takes over and is thirsty for blood. For many years, and especially now this has been an issue I have suffered with. Knowing that I have no control is not a good thing, admitting it however is a great thing, which is why I write. I insert all of that anger, rage, and threatening feelings deep into my writing. If not writing, then my gaming. It's a great stress relief as well as a great way to pour out that rage.
However, it does scare me to know that other "hulks" are out there off their chain. Chain referring to their positive stress relief, rage relief. Not only is this scary, but it's truthfully life threatening to those who don't know how to battle a hulk. As a hulk speaking through this post, I hope those other hulks out there are reading my words clearly.
As a Hulk you shouldn't be ashamed to admit that you are one, anger, depression , addictions and many other things consume people every day, we are all human. That is something we can't change. The good news however, is we don't have to hang on to it, you can let it go. This however is up to you.
A great way to test yourself, is to take something very small, and work with it. Let's say you have this irritation with how someone sitting next to you in a lobby is clicking their pen, and it is literally driving you mad, mad to the point that you just want to take that noisy clicker and use it as a weapon of mass destruction upon them.
Instead, why not introduce yourself to them, shake their hand and tell them a little bit about what you do. If they aren't interested in meeting you, that's fine, at the very least you did something great and turned a negative into a positive. On a better note though, the clicking has stopped! Fantastic!
Wrapping this up here, it's okay to admit you're a blind raged hulk and that you do need some sort of support, from either your friend or your family. Life is way to short, and living angry all the time is a great way to waste what precious time you have left.
This is Sean Signing out.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Artists and Writers. Who needs them?
Hello everyone!
So today I just finished some of my own writing, and my own artwork and I am feeling very satisfied. However, I stumbled across a post today online that rubbed me the wrong way. It went something like this " Writers need Artists" . The reason this rubbed me the wrong way is mainly because of how this was said. It's true, writers do need artists, if they are creating a comic book. Artists do need writers if they are expecting professional content throughout their stories, web content and promotions.
How this was said though, is it was belittling writers. Feeling a little belittled and underestimated by this post, I can safely say that writers and artists both need to come together within the comic industry. Without either you don't have a very good title. A great script can't hold up terrible art and terrible art will never be able to hold a great story. There has been success on both sides, but that title didn't always continue.
The craft of writing is much more then just writing comic scripts and screen plays. I find that a lot of people don't consider this when speaking in terms of creating a solid title. Sure, the art is great and amazing to look at, but without the writer you just have the art. The story is what is suppose to bring life to the comic, if not then it can just become a book. Sure it requires more work on the writers end, but that option is available.
Of course the artist can just do pin-ups and such and also shine that way too. I must clarify though that both an artist and a writer don't absolutely need each other. Both of them can stand on their own very well. It's when they come together is when magic happens and a rush of excitement and a thrilling ride is thrown at the audience and readers that make them go "WOW" .
I personally read comics, the key word here is read. Although I can marvel at the artwork and do have a deep appreciation for it, if the story isn't great, I won't touch it. However, there are others who read comics strictly for the art work. The story to them is alright but the "wow factor" comes from the art.
To end this here, being both an artist and a writer, neither should be under estimated in the comic industry. They both have a lot to bring to the table in creating something amazing.
This is Sean signing out.
So today I just finished some of my own writing, and my own artwork and I am feeling very satisfied. However, I stumbled across a post today online that rubbed me the wrong way. It went something like this " Writers need Artists" . The reason this rubbed me the wrong way is mainly because of how this was said. It's true, writers do need artists, if they are creating a comic book. Artists do need writers if they are expecting professional content throughout their stories, web content and promotions.
How this was said though, is it was belittling writers. Feeling a little belittled and underestimated by this post, I can safely say that writers and artists both need to come together within the comic industry. Without either you don't have a very good title. A great script can't hold up terrible art and terrible art will never be able to hold a great story. There has been success on both sides, but that title didn't always continue.
The craft of writing is much more then just writing comic scripts and screen plays. I find that a lot of people don't consider this when speaking in terms of creating a solid title. Sure, the art is great and amazing to look at, but without the writer you just have the art. The story is what is suppose to bring life to the comic, if not then it can just become a book. Sure it requires more work on the writers end, but that option is available.
Of course the artist can just do pin-ups and such and also shine that way too. I must clarify though that both an artist and a writer don't absolutely need each other. Both of them can stand on their own very well. It's when they come together is when magic happens and a rush of excitement and a thrilling ride is thrown at the audience and readers that make them go "WOW" .
I personally read comics, the key word here is read. Although I can marvel at the artwork and do have a deep appreciation for it, if the story isn't great, I won't touch it. However, there are others who read comics strictly for the art work. The story to them is alright but the "wow factor" comes from the art.
To end this here, being both an artist and a writer, neither should be under estimated in the comic industry. They both have a lot to bring to the table in creating something amazing.
This is Sean signing out.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
A fresh idea.Spawn? The Umbra Flame?
Hello everyone!
I am right now sitting at my desk here mulling over the spawn stories, series, mini series and just the name in general. As a writer I have found it very difficult to put some of my works up here, but this is quite possibly the most difficult of all. Why? Mainly because of my own creations.
I rarely ever choose to talk about my creations because I feel as though I may come off as "trying to boost the ego" or "too full of himself". I was given some advice today by someone who made a lot of sense. "Don't be afraid of rejection, it's all about how well you can climb back up the tree once you have fallen." Right now I am going to talk about one of my heroes, The Umbra Flame. How is this any relation to Spawn? This has a lot of relation to Spawn, seeing how Todd McFarlane and Spawn are the inspiration for this character.
I have been a huge Spawn fan for only God knows how long. There came a point in my life where I had thought none of my creations would ever see the light of day, so I closed up shop and moved here to Texas and found myself working in a fast food place a ways down the road from where I had lived.
I thought "this was it", then of course I met my wife had a child and settled down. I worked at that fast food place for sometime, however with marriage and a baby on the way things changed. I "matured" and found myself leaving this fast food place to get a better job. Great! Well that's what I had thought at the time. It was in telecommunication, definitely not fun, not tolerable either so I left.
Finally a door opened into the graphic and web design world. By walking through that door I stumbled back onto some old writings. These writings have now lead me here speaking to you now. Again how does this relate to spawn? Well as of now, I am sitting here again, now more matured in my ways of thinking and have found myself reading again, the spawn series. In admiring Spawn and McFarlane, I have produced The Umbra Flame. The Umbra Flame is similar to Spawn, but there is a difference, he's from heaven, oh and he's from Texas.
Have I caught your interest? I hope so. Originally I was going to work The Umbra Flame into a Spawn character setting and set up some fan fiction and hopefully send it off to Todd McFarlane himself, in the hopes that he likes it. Then White Mane made a break through. Although it is interesting how most of my heroes are created around a similar setting to Spawn. Maybe someday I will send The Umbra Flame to Todd and maybe someday he may message back, someday.
These are of course all of my fantasies and me breaking out of the shell a little bit to introduce you into my life and emotions even more.
What happens when a Spawn meets a Flame? Chaos. What happens when a Spawn teams up with a Flame? Justice. To be so evil where both heaven and hell turn on you, you know you're doing something wrong. Knowing that I hold the copyright to the umbra flame I have to say is pretty epic, but will he see the light of day? Let's hope so.
If it so happens that things happen this way, wonderful! If not, I can safely see that you will still see The Umbra Flame regardless of what the original intention was for him.
If you want to know more about this character, feel free to comment here on the blog or you can message me on face book.
To end this here, the only thing I can really say is don't let your dreams go. If you have let them go, find and catch them. Hold on to them through the storm,because you never know what you may find on the other side.
This is Sean signing out.
I am right now sitting at my desk here mulling over the spawn stories, series, mini series and just the name in general. As a writer I have found it very difficult to put some of my works up here, but this is quite possibly the most difficult of all. Why? Mainly because of my own creations.
I rarely ever choose to talk about my creations because I feel as though I may come off as "trying to boost the ego" or "too full of himself". I was given some advice today by someone who made a lot of sense. "Don't be afraid of rejection, it's all about how well you can climb back up the tree once you have fallen." Right now I am going to talk about one of my heroes, The Umbra Flame. How is this any relation to Spawn? This has a lot of relation to Spawn, seeing how Todd McFarlane and Spawn are the inspiration for this character.
I have been a huge Spawn fan for only God knows how long. There came a point in my life where I had thought none of my creations would ever see the light of day, so I closed up shop and moved here to Texas and found myself working in a fast food place a ways down the road from where I had lived.
I thought "this was it", then of course I met my wife had a child and settled down. I worked at that fast food place for sometime, however with marriage and a baby on the way things changed. I "matured" and found myself leaving this fast food place to get a better job. Great! Well that's what I had thought at the time. It was in telecommunication, definitely not fun, not tolerable either so I left.
Finally a door opened into the graphic and web design world. By walking through that door I stumbled back onto some old writings. These writings have now lead me here speaking to you now. Again how does this relate to spawn? Well as of now, I am sitting here again, now more matured in my ways of thinking and have found myself reading again, the spawn series. In admiring Spawn and McFarlane, I have produced The Umbra Flame. The Umbra Flame is similar to Spawn, but there is a difference, he's from heaven, oh and he's from Texas.
Have I caught your interest? I hope so. Originally I was going to work The Umbra Flame into a Spawn character setting and set up some fan fiction and hopefully send it off to Todd McFarlane himself, in the hopes that he likes it. Then White Mane made a break through. Although it is interesting how most of my heroes are created around a similar setting to Spawn. Maybe someday I will send The Umbra Flame to Todd and maybe someday he may message back, someday.
These are of course all of my fantasies and me breaking out of the shell a little bit to introduce you into my life and emotions even more.
What happens when a Spawn meets a Flame? Chaos. What happens when a Spawn teams up with a Flame? Justice. To be so evil where both heaven and hell turn on you, you know you're doing something wrong. Knowing that I hold the copyright to the umbra flame I have to say is pretty epic, but will he see the light of day? Let's hope so.
If it so happens that things happen this way, wonderful! If not, I can safely see that you will still see The Umbra Flame regardless of what the original intention was for him.
If you want to know more about this character, feel free to comment here on the blog or you can message me on face book.
To end this here, the only thing I can really say is don't let your dreams go. If you have let them go, find and catch them. Hold on to them through the storm,because you never know what you may find on the other side.
This is Sean signing out.
What do you REALLY want?
Hey Everyone!
Today's topic is following on the same topic in the last post, just taking a different path. As we are talking about writing and other forms of entertainment, movies, video games and comic books, we all want something different yet on par with what we know.
When I read comic books, books, play video games or even watch movies I expect a lot out of any of them, close to a perfection, otherwise they wouldn't be where they are right? Wrong. Sadly, there is a lot of publicized entertainment, that should have never been publicized to begin with. Taking that deeper and questioning myself, am I right? In a general opinion, no. Why? The main reason for this is because we do live in a democracy and majority rules.
I will take one of my favorite authors and stories, J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien and his works had the most amazing depth I have ever seen and read. There is so much more to Tolkien's works then just Lord of the Rings however. In fact, he wrote so much more that when he has passed from this earth, he left it to his children. Sadly, only his youngest son Christopher Tolkien had picked up the works. Seeing how Christopher had picked up the works of his father, a lot of the fans were angry and upset because he was touching something "sacred" even though his father wanted people to add on to the world. Tolkien himself had said " This world that has been created is far from perfect" and knew that others would add in their own stories, races and feeling into it.
Another one of my favorite authors and stories is C.S. Lewis and the works of Narnia. C.S. Lewis delivered something on another level of deep magnitude. He brought to life a fantasy world that can only be seen through a child's mind. Seeing how then, it wasn't sociably acceptable at the time for a grown man to be stuck in a fantasy world. In fact, during that time you were nothing but a joke and considered less of a man. Aside from those times, things change and now these are classics and have a huge following.
Let's move off the topic of books and dive into video games. Video games is another story form that has always caught me in a trap of lore. I will take the World of Warcraft as an example. Despite what the game has turned into today ( nothing but a sickly filled competition filled with egos that pride themselves over gear that do not matter and will change within another year ) Warcraft has a very deep lore. The story is so deep in fact, that Blizzard could probably add another twelve expansions. Yes! I said twelve. To our knowledge, this is only what is available online, who knows what else they have stock piled up within the office and mind of Chris Metzen.
With all of this said, a lot of things seem to fall short for me without a deep line of story, and a captivating emotion. The first time I saw the battle of helms deep in the movie Lord of the rings on the big screen, I had an over powering rage that I wanted to jump through the screen and start busting heads of orcs and goblins. Or in Warcraft, as of recently my favorite leaders Thrall and Vol'Jin were going through some dastardly times, it made me want to pick up an axe and lob it into the face of Garrosh Hellscream and claim the throne of the warchief. ( This change has actually forced me to the alliance, which I am now thoroughly enjoying the storyline of the Worgen, I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't yet. )
Concluding this post, this is what I look for in a story. Although there are many more stories that I thoroughly enjoy. Spawn, Batman, Trigun, Deathnote, this is just to name a few.
My question now is what do YOU look for in a story? In lore? What emotions drive you?
Feel free to post here on the blog, I am looking forward to seeing your responses.
This is Sean signing out.
Today's topic is following on the same topic in the last post, just taking a different path. As we are talking about writing and other forms of entertainment, movies, video games and comic books, we all want something different yet on par with what we know.
When I read comic books, books, play video games or even watch movies I expect a lot out of any of them, close to a perfection, otherwise they wouldn't be where they are right? Wrong. Sadly, there is a lot of publicized entertainment, that should have never been publicized to begin with. Taking that deeper and questioning myself, am I right? In a general opinion, no. Why? The main reason for this is because we do live in a democracy and majority rules.
I will take one of my favorite authors and stories, J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien and his works had the most amazing depth I have ever seen and read. There is so much more to Tolkien's works then just Lord of the Rings however. In fact, he wrote so much more that when he has passed from this earth, he left it to his children. Sadly, only his youngest son Christopher Tolkien had picked up the works. Seeing how Christopher had picked up the works of his father, a lot of the fans were angry and upset because he was touching something "sacred" even though his father wanted people to add on to the world. Tolkien himself had said " This world that has been created is far from perfect" and knew that others would add in their own stories, races and feeling into it.
Another one of my favorite authors and stories is C.S. Lewis and the works of Narnia. C.S. Lewis delivered something on another level of deep magnitude. He brought to life a fantasy world that can only be seen through a child's mind. Seeing how then, it wasn't sociably acceptable at the time for a grown man to be stuck in a fantasy world. In fact, during that time you were nothing but a joke and considered less of a man. Aside from those times, things change and now these are classics and have a huge following.
Let's move off the topic of books and dive into video games. Video games is another story form that has always caught me in a trap of lore. I will take the World of Warcraft as an example. Despite what the game has turned into today ( nothing but a sickly filled competition filled with egos that pride themselves over gear that do not matter and will change within another year ) Warcraft has a very deep lore. The story is so deep in fact, that Blizzard could probably add another twelve expansions. Yes! I said twelve. To our knowledge, this is only what is available online, who knows what else they have stock piled up within the office and mind of Chris Metzen.
With all of this said, a lot of things seem to fall short for me without a deep line of story, and a captivating emotion. The first time I saw the battle of helms deep in the movie Lord of the rings on the big screen, I had an over powering rage that I wanted to jump through the screen and start busting heads of orcs and goblins. Or in Warcraft, as of recently my favorite leaders Thrall and Vol'Jin were going through some dastardly times, it made me want to pick up an axe and lob it into the face of Garrosh Hellscream and claim the throne of the warchief. ( This change has actually forced me to the alliance, which I am now thoroughly enjoying the storyline of the Worgen, I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't yet. )
Concluding this post, this is what I look for in a story. Although there are many more stories that I thoroughly enjoy. Spawn, Batman, Trigun, Deathnote, this is just to name a few.
My question now is what do YOU look for in a story? In lore? What emotions drive you?
Feel free to post here on the blog, I am looking forward to seeing your responses.
This is Sean signing out.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Is it for joy? Or money?
Hey everyone!
Today has been an interesting day. Earlier this morning I was messaged by a person who had asked me a very deep question. It seems as though this person has read both of the Power Zombie interviews that were given to me as of recently. In these interviews I talk about how my creations are not about making a lot of money.
Sure money is nice, but if I was only writing for money, it would be just another job and the stories would be bland. People don’t want to read bland, I don’t want to read bland. I only produce what I want to read or what I want to see come to life.
I know for a fact that if I just wanted the money, I would not have picked writing for a top end money maker. More importantly, I wouldn’t be doing anything that I am doing now. I would have either gone to Law School, Med School or have even tried dabbling with computer engineering. Writing, by far is not one of your higher paying jobs.
I create to immerse others, as well as myself into a story that is rather mind blowing. If I write non-fiction, that too goes into a deeper thought and will wrap someone into dwelling on what they can get out of it. This is how I write. It’s a selfless feature. Of course everything takes money, so yes that is and will always be involved. The support is always great too, but at the very least on my conscience I don’t have something wicked sitting there prodding me to make more money at a faster pace.
Writing is not my only “profession”, in fact I wear many hats when it comes to professions. I can do everything from business administration and advertising all the way to graphic and web design. This is what I do on a regular basis. With this being said, no, writing is not my main supplement of income. Normally people are afraid to speak about things like this, as you can obviously see, I am not. Comics, books, manga, technical writing : All of this is something that will come secondary in my life until I can claim it as a lead source of income.
For anyone who is just starting out in either the art field or the writing field, you have to be kidding yourself if you think you can survive solely on this. In time, you can most definitely, but those first starting out, you must have something else going on in the background.
I say this because no one else will. They think it’s a “secret”, when it truly is not. In the end though, this is my conclusion over all. If you are the type of person who writes or does art work because “it’s just a job and puts food on the table” I suggest you stop now, no matter how great you are. Why? The main reason is because your fans will see this in the work that is presented. If not through the work, they will see it through you. Fans are a prime example of how well something will become.
Anything can be hyped, but if it doesn’t live very long, we all know the real reason and tendencies behind the red curtain. Also, let’s say it does go far, are you ready to face the fans and actually get deep into conversation with them over your own title? These aren’t accusations and telling those who are like this that you are terrible people, this is about trying to motivate those to create for the right reasons and not the wrong.
The best example I can give of these things happening is any of the major movies that were hyped and then flopped, any major MMO video game or video game of the sort that was hyped then flopped or any comic/book you have read that had great reviews from the critics but fell short of good.
To end this here, I create what I do because I enjoy it and I feel as though I am a part of these worlds and universes, and that I am able to share them with all of you.
This is Sean signing out.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Creation while deep in thought.
Hey everyone!
Today I am very deep in thought while creating some new things for White Mane as well as other things for the new title I am working on with Kate Prime. It's been very interesting so far seeing how I have only been "creating" for only a little over two hours now and already have a lot of it completed.
As someone who tells stories and immerses the reader into the worlds and universes that have been created, I have realized I can be pulled in as well too. Which I tend to lose track of time, this time was a little different though. I did lose track of time, but this time I actually completed more tasks in a shorter period of times, which rarely ever happens with me.
Most of you who know me, know that I spend long hours into the night creating or I work non-stop during the day to just complete this one task. I think I have finally come to a balance and conclusion on the issue I had originally.
Writers block is never fun, as a lot of writers out there know, it can be extremely tedious and frustrating at times. The way I used to break writers block was to switch to a new topic, as of lately though that wasn't working anymore.
I was struggling these past few weeks, but I have come to this new way of breaking it. The answer? Walk away from the computer, relax and enjoy yourself. It's true! Yesterday I was with my family and we were celebrating my sister-in-laws birthday. I had decided to sit down and just talk about everything under the sun with my brother-in-law that day and BAM, things just flowed like a rushing river.
I find it interesting that I am able to finish more work, away from work, than I am able to complete tasks at work. Very interesting indeed. With this new found shattering, I am going to keep it at hand.
With that said I think I will be ending this here, so I can go "work" some more.
- Sean
Today I am very deep in thought while creating some new things for White Mane as well as other things for the new title I am working on with Kate Prime. It's been very interesting so far seeing how I have only been "creating" for only a little over two hours now and already have a lot of it completed.
As someone who tells stories and immerses the reader into the worlds and universes that have been created, I have realized I can be pulled in as well too. Which I tend to lose track of time, this time was a little different though. I did lose track of time, but this time I actually completed more tasks in a shorter period of times, which rarely ever happens with me.
Most of you who know me, know that I spend long hours into the night creating or I work non-stop during the day to just complete this one task. I think I have finally come to a balance and conclusion on the issue I had originally.
Writers block is never fun, as a lot of writers out there know, it can be extremely tedious and frustrating at times. The way I used to break writers block was to switch to a new topic, as of lately though that wasn't working anymore.
I was struggling these past few weeks, but I have come to this new way of breaking it. The answer? Walk away from the computer, relax and enjoy yourself. It's true! Yesterday I was with my family and we were celebrating my sister-in-laws birthday. I had decided to sit down and just talk about everything under the sun with my brother-in-law that day and BAM, things just flowed like a rushing river.
I find it interesting that I am able to finish more work, away from work, than I am able to complete tasks at work. Very interesting indeed. With this new found shattering, I am going to keep it at hand.
With that said I think I will be ending this here, so I can go "work" some more.
- Sean
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Freelancing
Hey there everyone!
How is everyone doing today? I personally am not doing so bad, just picked up some freelance work and I am trying to meet a deadline. Today's title says it all, we will be talking all about freelance work. I as a freelance graphic/web designer, inker, letterer and writer put in roughly fourteen to seventeen hours of work each day. This includes the weekends, working seven days a week without a break.
It's difficult, but it can be very rewarding. However, something I have realized over the years is that when freelancing, a lot of companies think that you don't really do anything at all. This is because you work within your home. So it blinds them to think that you are really just messing around the whole time when that is not the case at all.
Something that I have found useful is to constantly keep in contact with the employer. Keeping in contact with the employer, sending one or two emails a day updating them on where you are working on will give them reassurance. This is very important, and as an employer myself, when a freelancer cuts all forms of communication with me I assume one of two things. One, they don't want the job or two they weren't serious with it to begin with. This is actually another reason why I either do milestone, back end or royalty pay. I will never pay someone upfront ever again seeing how I have experienced some very terrible situations where they took off with the money I had given them and cut all contacts.
This not only brings a bad name to freelancers, but to any community within that specific industry as a whole. My experience as a freelancer personally has not been the best, seeing how this can go both ways. From either the employer doing that or the freelancer. In a reality form of work, it comes down to trust if anything plans on getting done.
Something that a lot of freelancers don't consider is that they do expect the employer to immediately put trust into them, when this will never be the case. They are the ones paying you, and they can clearly decide who they wish to work with. Sure you have the choice too as a freelancer, but as the freelancer you have the disadvantage because you are the one being paid for a service.
Again, as being a freelancer I have to say there is a lot of ridiculous competition out there, you have to make sure your work is the best of the best. If you don't, that is one flaw that will be seen immediately by the employer. Another thing that freelancers don't take into consideration is the business side of things. If you as a freelancer do not have any business classes under your belt, or do not have anything set up in a professional business manner, you will not be taken seriously. This is where I will recommend either getting a form of business operating certificate or hire on an agent to work with you.
Agents are extremely important when it comes to writing or art of any kind. If you are the type of freelancer that can't do your own type of business work with professionally made cover letters, presentations and meetings then I will suggest this even more so than I am now. I am mainly suggesting this, because if not, you will constantly land those $30.00 jobs that are asking you to write fifty articles with 5,000 words each. Or even worse, those jobs asking you to do a full fledged thirty page website with graphics and coding for $50.00 , or my absolute favorite, that $20.00 logo that is going into branding.
Those are not fun and are definitely not worth the pay. I've done these in the past due to inexperience. I can say now that with experience I was very foolish for taking on those types of projects. Knowing now that I can produce grade A work, I shouldn't settle for less. The statement then comes up, " Yeah Sean, but if I charge to much, then no one will want my work." At first, this is slow and can take many months before you land a decent project. Which is why a lot of freelancers work two or three jobs a lot of the time. I myself have five or six. This is something employers also don't take into consideration. As freelancers we know this. As both a freelancer and employer I can safely say I am very well rounded when it comes to both sides of the game.
Also as a tip to some employers, if you are only willing to spend $30.00 for a professionally done logo, $20.00 on web content articles and updates, and $100.00 for a web design , this shows the freelancer that you aren't taking this seriously nor are you a decent company. For all they know you are fraudulent. Sure everyone needs a start, but in order to actually be taken seriously, you also need to pay the serious prices. Other wise, you will get what you pay for. Unless of course you do all the work on your own, then you deserve a high level of respect.
Wrapping this up, both sides need to see their own faults and fix them so things may actually work out for the better. Freelancers, if someone says they plan to pay you, expect pay. If nothing is paid do something about it. Employers, if the freelancer doesn't ask for milestone pay, don't hire them. It's plain and simple, and this truly is how things should work. Collaborations now are a whole different story, as well as royalties. I will cover these two topics in other articles in the future.
Until next time, this is me signing off!
- Sean
How is everyone doing today? I personally am not doing so bad, just picked up some freelance work and I am trying to meet a deadline. Today's title says it all, we will be talking all about freelance work. I as a freelance graphic/web designer, inker, letterer and writer put in roughly fourteen to seventeen hours of work each day. This includes the weekends, working seven days a week without a break.
It's difficult, but it can be very rewarding. However, something I have realized over the years is that when freelancing, a lot of companies think that you don't really do anything at all. This is because you work within your home. So it blinds them to think that you are really just messing around the whole time when that is not the case at all.
Something that I have found useful is to constantly keep in contact with the employer. Keeping in contact with the employer, sending one or two emails a day updating them on where you are working on will give them reassurance. This is very important, and as an employer myself, when a freelancer cuts all forms of communication with me I assume one of two things. One, they don't want the job or two they weren't serious with it to begin with. This is actually another reason why I either do milestone, back end or royalty pay. I will never pay someone upfront ever again seeing how I have experienced some very terrible situations where they took off with the money I had given them and cut all contacts.
This not only brings a bad name to freelancers, but to any community within that specific industry as a whole. My experience as a freelancer personally has not been the best, seeing how this can go both ways. From either the employer doing that or the freelancer. In a reality form of work, it comes down to trust if anything plans on getting done.
Something that a lot of freelancers don't consider is that they do expect the employer to immediately put trust into them, when this will never be the case. They are the ones paying you, and they can clearly decide who they wish to work with. Sure you have the choice too as a freelancer, but as the freelancer you have the disadvantage because you are the one being paid for a service.
Again, as being a freelancer I have to say there is a lot of ridiculous competition out there, you have to make sure your work is the best of the best. If you don't, that is one flaw that will be seen immediately by the employer. Another thing that freelancers don't take into consideration is the business side of things. If you as a freelancer do not have any business classes under your belt, or do not have anything set up in a professional business manner, you will not be taken seriously. This is where I will recommend either getting a form of business operating certificate or hire on an agent to work with you.
Agents are extremely important when it comes to writing or art of any kind. If you are the type of freelancer that can't do your own type of business work with professionally made cover letters, presentations and meetings then I will suggest this even more so than I am now. I am mainly suggesting this, because if not, you will constantly land those $30.00 jobs that are asking you to write fifty articles with 5,000 words each. Or even worse, those jobs asking you to do a full fledged thirty page website with graphics and coding for $50.00 , or my absolute favorite, that $20.00 logo that is going into branding.
Those are not fun and are definitely not worth the pay. I've done these in the past due to inexperience. I can say now that with experience I was very foolish for taking on those types of projects. Knowing now that I can produce grade A work, I shouldn't settle for less. The statement then comes up, " Yeah Sean, but if I charge to much, then no one will want my work." At first, this is slow and can take many months before you land a decent project. Which is why a lot of freelancers work two or three jobs a lot of the time. I myself have five or six. This is something employers also don't take into consideration. As freelancers we know this. As both a freelancer and employer I can safely say I am very well rounded when it comes to both sides of the game.
Also as a tip to some employers, if you are only willing to spend $30.00 for a professionally done logo, $20.00 on web content articles and updates, and $100.00 for a web design , this shows the freelancer that you aren't taking this seriously nor are you a decent company. For all they know you are fraudulent. Sure everyone needs a start, but in order to actually be taken seriously, you also need to pay the serious prices. Other wise, you will get what you pay for. Unless of course you do all the work on your own, then you deserve a high level of respect.
Wrapping this up, both sides need to see their own faults and fix them so things may actually work out for the better. Freelancers, if someone says they plan to pay you, expect pay. If nothing is paid do something about it. Employers, if the freelancer doesn't ask for milestone pay, don't hire them. It's plain and simple, and this truly is how things should work. Collaborations now are a whole different story, as well as royalties. I will cover these two topics in other articles in the future.
Until next time, this is me signing off!
- Sean
Friday, August 5, 2011
"EPIC"
Hey Everyone!
So today I woke up feeling rather tired as usual and still a little under the weather, but I can safely say that I feel great now! Today's topic is the word "epic". People see me use this a lot and I feel as though I need to clarify, this is mainly for the older crowds out there who aren't "hip" in today's generation of words. ( yes, I used the word "hip". For younger crowds who don't understand that word, I will explain that word in another post. )
The word "EPIC" is slang and similar to words such as cool, awesome, great, fantastic, radical, bodacious, killer, tubular, righteous, out of this world etc. the list goes on and on. Anything can be epic. Cars are epic and phones are epic. You are epic and I am epic. Everything is epic! Now something that a lot of people don't hear is "CIPE" . Cipe is epic backwards, which means beyond epic.
In other words when speaking with some dude who is just too epic, he then becomes cipe. He is so Cipe in fact, his Epicness from his Cipe is Cipe. Were you able to follow along? ha-ha. I hope this clears some things up and sets the words in place now when you are reading my posts or even others posts, writings or even if you are talking with your children.
Remember to stay epic. For we all know now, without being "EPIC" you can't become "CIPE".
- Sean
So today I woke up feeling rather tired as usual and still a little under the weather, but I can safely say that I feel great now! Today's topic is the word "epic". People see me use this a lot and I feel as though I need to clarify, this is mainly for the older crowds out there who aren't "hip" in today's generation of words. ( yes, I used the word "hip". For younger crowds who don't understand that word, I will explain that word in another post. )
The word "EPIC" is slang and similar to words such as cool, awesome, great, fantastic, radical, bodacious, killer, tubular, righteous, out of this world etc. the list goes on and on. Anything can be epic. Cars are epic and phones are epic. You are epic and I am epic. Everything is epic! Now something that a lot of people don't hear is "CIPE" . Cipe is epic backwards, which means beyond epic.
In other words when speaking with some dude who is just too epic, he then becomes cipe. He is so Cipe in fact, his Epicness from his Cipe is Cipe. Were you able to follow along? ha-ha. I hope this clears some things up and sets the words in place now when you are reading my posts or even others posts, writings or even if you are talking with your children.
Remember to stay epic. For we all know now, without being "EPIC" you can't become "CIPE".
- Sean
Thursday, August 4, 2011
A different outlook on Humble
Hey there everyone!
I just got finished watching one of the older seasons of Hell's Kitchen. Hell's Kitchen and the food network in general is probably one of my favorite stations by far, although I don't have cable. I watch a lot of these shows on Hulu, so I am normally behind on new things, but I still get to enjoy them all the same.
Anyways, the title of this post is "A different outlook on humble". Now a lot of people won't agree with me on this, but I think that Chef Gordon Ramsay is by far one of the main types of people who I believe deserve a very high level of respect from every person within the food industry and out. This man does what he does to seek perfection from others, within his passion. I too have gone this sort of route, yet not as intense with the cursing. I guess you could say I am more at a "calm professional business" status more than the type of person who flares colorful words out and about. Although I do have to say that is definitely one big way to push someone to their breaking point.
In all my works I strive for perfection everyday. Just starting out in the industries that I'm in, I can safely say that I have taken a leap from the standard " Hey new kid on the block" to really pushing for something not only unique and fresh, but something reasonable and realistic. It becomes difficult in these fields that I work in to reach that goal and to constantly compete on that level of competition.
Something that Chef Gordon Ramsay has taught me, just through watching his show Hell's Kitchen, is that anyone can become a contender in a competition. This is something a lot of bigger dogs and well known type of people who are comfortable in their ways, don't take into consideration.
There are a lot of independent creators in the comic world, Novel world and the design industry that have a very special gift that can and will pull them through to the top. However, this will only happen if they can handle the heat in the kitchen and the pressure from the critics. Not to mention how they hold themselves at a respect type of level. These industries are tough, and like chef work, it can be very hard to compete with even those who are close to you. The key thing here is to not ruin something beautiful and make your decisions wisely, for any step could have you barreling through the wooden floor at full speed, crashing into a pile of who knows what.
Today, I have learned the lesson that everyone has a chance equal to what you have, no matter how great something is that you have tucked up your sleeve. In the game of life, a trap card isn't going to win you the levels of respect, loyalty, honor and most of all the game.
In other words, don't get a big head and take things for granted, but still have a wicked bite when it comes to your work speaking for itself and create that new form of humble.
- Sean
I just got finished watching one of the older seasons of Hell's Kitchen. Hell's Kitchen and the food network in general is probably one of my favorite stations by far, although I don't have cable. I watch a lot of these shows on Hulu, so I am normally behind on new things, but I still get to enjoy them all the same.
Anyways, the title of this post is "A different outlook on humble". Now a lot of people won't agree with me on this, but I think that Chef Gordon Ramsay is by far one of the main types of people who I believe deserve a very high level of respect from every person within the food industry and out. This man does what he does to seek perfection from others, within his passion. I too have gone this sort of route, yet not as intense with the cursing. I guess you could say I am more at a "calm professional business" status more than the type of person who flares colorful words out and about. Although I do have to say that is definitely one big way to push someone to their breaking point.
In all my works I strive for perfection everyday. Just starting out in the industries that I'm in, I can safely say that I have taken a leap from the standard " Hey new kid on the block" to really pushing for something not only unique and fresh, but something reasonable and realistic. It becomes difficult in these fields that I work in to reach that goal and to constantly compete on that level of competition.
Something that Chef Gordon Ramsay has taught me, just through watching his show Hell's Kitchen, is that anyone can become a contender in a competition. This is something a lot of bigger dogs and well known type of people who are comfortable in their ways, don't take into consideration.
There are a lot of independent creators in the comic world, Novel world and the design industry that have a very special gift that can and will pull them through to the top. However, this will only happen if they can handle the heat in the kitchen and the pressure from the critics. Not to mention how they hold themselves at a respect type of level. These industries are tough, and like chef work, it can be very hard to compete with even those who are close to you. The key thing here is to not ruin something beautiful and make your decisions wisely, for any step could have you barreling through the wooden floor at full speed, crashing into a pile of who knows what.
Today, I have learned the lesson that everyone has a chance equal to what you have, no matter how great something is that you have tucked up your sleeve. In the game of life, a trap card isn't going to win you the levels of respect, loyalty, honor and most of all the game.
In other words, don't get a big head and take things for granted, but still have a wicked bite when it comes to your work speaking for itself and create that new form of humble.
- Sean
Welcome to the site!
Hello to everyone in cyberspace!
Welcome to the site! Epic eh? So before I start posting like mad or actually dive into some sort of crazy rant on why I hate it when candy sticks to my teeth, I thought I would actually welcome you into the website.
I've had a lot of questions as of lately asking why I don't start my own blog. After a lot of thinking and consideration I have decided it's actually the best thing for me. No more strange updates of crazy purple chickens or why specific things confuse me about companies when the answer sits right in front of them. Although things really aren't as obvious as it seems, for someone in the business world who is on the higher side of things, you would think that it may be obvious.
That's me assuming of course, and we all know what happens when I assume, yep you guessed it. I am normally wrong. Which is why I like to spend a lot of my time dwelling in a deeper thought to bring all of you, the fans and people interested in my life and works, a bit of interesting news and even more interesting outlooks on life. A good one would be flamingos. Very scary and smelly creatures, to think they actually build their homes out of mud with their mouths. Very interesting indeed. This is probably why I would love to see a mutant zombie flamingo fighting against Predator.
Anyways, back on topic, welcome! I hope you enjoy your stay in my mind, because we all know I really have no where else to go seeing how this is my mind. Unless of course I would try to take over another persons mind. Or maybe even a strange type of ocean creatures mind.Well this just became awkward. Stay epic, and enjoy!
- Sean
Welcome to the site! Epic eh? So before I start posting like mad or actually dive into some sort of crazy rant on why I hate it when candy sticks to my teeth, I thought I would actually welcome you into the website.
I've had a lot of questions as of lately asking why I don't start my own blog. After a lot of thinking and consideration I have decided it's actually the best thing for me. No more strange updates of crazy purple chickens or why specific things confuse me about companies when the answer sits right in front of them. Although things really aren't as obvious as it seems, for someone in the business world who is on the higher side of things, you would think that it may be obvious.
That's me assuming of course, and we all know what happens when I assume, yep you guessed it. I am normally wrong. Which is why I like to spend a lot of my time dwelling in a deeper thought to bring all of you, the fans and people interested in my life and works, a bit of interesting news and even more interesting outlooks on life. A good one would be flamingos. Very scary and smelly creatures, to think they actually build their homes out of mud with their mouths. Very interesting indeed. This is probably why I would love to see a mutant zombie flamingo fighting against Predator.
Anyways, back on topic, welcome! I hope you enjoy your stay in my mind, because we all know I really have no where else to go seeing how this is my mind. Unless of course I would try to take over another persons mind. Or maybe even a strange type of ocean creatures mind.Well this just became awkward. Stay epic, and enjoy!
- Sean
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