Hey guys!
I recently joined a Facebook group called #nosmallcreator created by this youtuber named Cody Wanner.
The group believes that
creating is BIG. There’s nothing small about creating...there are NO SMALL CREATORS!!
We are here to bring together creators with a following of any size, on any platform, who want to share their wins and struggles while connecting with a community of creators
Of course as someone who thinks of himself as a creative, I had to join. Plus lately, I have felt that my creative journey was getting lonely. I wanted to connect with people who were on the same type of journey and are documenting the journey through YouTube.
Then #nosmallnovember was announced
I’ll let Cody tell you what’s it all about:
I have done month challenges in the past like #inktober or #mermay or recent attempt was #drawlloween . However, this one I am really excited about because its focus on creating something big for myself. Not just “here is a prompt now make it for a month and pull you away from a project.
Dedicated a month to #NoSmallNovember and this is what I was able to accomplish.
Big Project #1 My Graphic Novel!
Goal: 10 pages by the end of November
Accomplished: 4 pages
This has been a project that I been wanting to get done and to build over time. It has been a story that literally been haunting me to write and draw. So I took this month to put out the pages for people to read. While I didn’t hit my goal of 10 pages I did learn to have a consistent scheduling of posts and allowing myself to not get caught up in the details too much.
I also think challenges like #nosmallnovember point out areas where you need to improve on and re-evaluate your goals. Like for Molly’s Follies, the amount of time coloring had the most impact on whether a page would hit the deadline or not. Also not taking the time to really strengthen my foundation of the drawing and work on improving my line weights.
Overall I am happy that I now have an upload schedule for this comic and the pages I was able to create within that time really help me get into a rhythm.
Here are my plans for December for Molly’s Follies:
Reevaluate my color method
Focus on strengthening my line art and shadows
Document more of creating a graphic novel.
Continue posting pages every Wednesday!
Big Project #2 YouTube.
Goal: Post 1 video a week
Accomplished: posted consistently for 3 1/2 weeks. gain 7 subscribers!
I’ll be honest, I stopped unloading videos for about 6 months because I felt lost with what I was creating. Just like I was in the mindset of creating for someone else vs myself. I also was putting way too much value on the production when I haven’t have much experience creating videos.
This time, I took Eric Wen’s #takeonevlog challenge and just recorded myself talking about one topic then just uploaded it as is. It really help me get over my irrational thought that I was rambling and no one is wanting to listen to me talk. To my surprised you guys did so thank you! I also learn to by my authentic self and to just have fun with my videos. I felt this time around I focused more on how can I make this video unique to me and be less critical to how I sound or how I speak. Just talking to camera like I was talking directly to you. To be vulnerable, say what is on my mind and allow myself to be comfortable with who I am.
I think that posting my questions to the #nosmallcreator group along with my videos really help me break out of that self criticism loop I was in. I was getting great feedback and direction from them. I feel so comfortable on camera now and I want to record videos even if its just me talking about a single topic. It reignited a passion that I lost and now ever want to lose!
Here is my plans for December for my YouTube Channel:
Post 2 times a weeks
One polished video, two quick edits/take one vlog style videos
Incorporate animation somehow to my videos (I been itching to animate again)
Continue to draw animate and document my animation journey!
Continue to learn and to find my voice
Keep creating!
Chris J