Visual Storytelling, Getting Comfy, Making a Living + more

Hey Past-me,

Here’s this week’s collection to help you shape ideas into reality and stoke your passion for making.

Heads up for today:

1. Strategy for visual storytelling

2. Tips for seeing things through

3. A-ha! quote on presence

4. Scrollstoppers: Animation, Character Designs, #PortfolioDay

5. How to Start Your First Business in a Weekend

Strategy for visual storytelling

Every piece matters. Every piece has meaning.

That’s the boiled-down philosophy of Mise-en-Scene, a method for visual storytelling.

When deciding what to place in the shot, frame, canvas, board, page, whatever—we have the chance to convey a specific message that reaches a specific person.

Check out this excellent breakdown from StudioBinder:

Tips for seeing things through

We need to learn to walk with discomfort. Let it guide us past the borders of what we know.

It’s in the strain, the unknown, where our growth takes root. Every failure, every uncertain step. Those are not setbacks, but lessons that push us towards the artists we’re meant to become. Courage is our ally here—that fire to press on when the path narrows and the dark inches in. It’s in this struggle where we find our strength, our voice.

And that mountain that felt so steep, becomes the ground you now stand on.

Practice: Set a “hard mode challenge” each week for a month. Pick a task you’ve been avoiding or that challenges you. This could be anything from sharing your work, trying a new style, or even just sketching in a public place. Make sure it’s tough but doable and commit to completing the challenge within the week.

Life’s like a canvas that evolves with every stroke.

This flux isn't something to fight against but a canvas waiting for your mark. Embracing change, adapting to the new, and venturing into the unknown, you find opportunities for growth and creativity. Life’s shortness inspires us to create with urgency, turning fleeting moments into art. It’s life's changes that mirror the cycle of creation itself, where destruction paves the way for new growth.

By navigating these shifts, you not only fuel your creativity but also build resilience, making life and art a neverending act of creation.

Practice: Keep a “Change Log”. Each week, note one small shift in your life or around you. Write down how it makes you feel and think about how it could spark a new idea or shape your work. This habit turns change into a tool, sharpening your creative edge and teaching you to use life’s constant moves to your advantage.

Chasing perfect is like chasing a mirage.

It leads to nowhere but endless tweaks and disappointment. Instead, finishing something, flaws and all, is real progress. Each finished piece with its imperfections, is a piece of you, shared with the world. It opens doors, invites feedback, and connects you with others. Embrace this.

Your unique voice, your rough edges shine through, that’s what makes it yours. The value of your work isn’t in the perfection, but the courage to call it done, share it, and the lessons you experienced along the way.

There’s always the next thing. Finish this one.

Practice: Set a deadline. Choose a project and mark a date that’s not too far off. Work towards finishing by that day, not perfecting. When the day comes, share it, whether it feels ready or not. This teaches you to move forward, to value done over perfect, to learn from each piece you share with the world. It’s about accountability, not to others, but to yourself.

A-ha! I need to learn how to cook (and surf)!

In my quest to perfect my process, I picked up a book on how chefs work efficiently.

Move like a chef, live like a surfer

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

I've learned the value of using skills from one area in other parts of life.

The heart of it is being present because distractions are everywhere.

The one with focus gets things done faster and with enough space to breathe.

Scrollstoppers from my feeds

How To Start Your First Business in a Weekend

This is about survival.

Know what it’s like to make money from your work as soon as possible.

Whether it be a product or service.

Sell a print. Offer a mentorship. Design a character. Develop a game.

A working artist is often a one-person business.

Even working for studios on film/tv/game projects, they find you for your expertise, whatever it may be. Your success will be determined by how well you conduct your work and find opportunities that allow you to keep creating and to keep eating for another day.

This video is a call not to wait for work as an artist but to create your own opportunities.

To help you make your first dollar, here’s a brilliant playlist of business ideas from Kelsey Rodriguez.

Alright, that’s it for the stash this week. Hope you found something useful here.

Talk to you soon,

—Future-you

Say hi on TwitterX/IG/LinkedIn