I have no imagination and I must create · 3:00am Feb 4th, 2014
Please bear with me. I am not a great writer.
I started drawing, creating works, about three years ago. Compelled, as I am sure that many on this site were, by ponies. Ponies were cute and inspiring. They still are. Everything that resonates with me, and that I would like to transmit to others. This started a chain of sorts: ponies transmitted their adorable nature to me through the show. I was to distill, refine, isolate, enhance that nature and transmit it back to the world. My works would in turn endear and inspire others, and in time the world would acknowledge me for that. And three years later, that is still what I want to do most. My life has changed; I lost a cozy job that I hated from the bottom of my heart. In turn, I had to move from my homeland to a place that I hate from the bottom of my heart. Karma, I guess? If all of this was for better or worse, I really can't say (even though I would give a lot to be able to go back to where I once belonged).
But if one good thing came out of all of this, it's that it allowed me to pursue this self-assigned mission, and to improve my skills in illustration by leaps and bounds. With each new piece I strive to learn something new, and to enhance the ways in which to express the feelings I want to transmit to the viewers. Positive, inspiring feelings. Joy, tenderness and love. Determination and courage. And even silver linings in clouds.
But these three years have helped me realize that I lack something essential to an artist: imagination. Oh, I have some, of course. But it's a dull, slow, lazy instrument, and far from the hyperactive, bubbling lava cauldron that characterizes the truly great creators and sets them apart from the also-rans. And this, I feel, is something that can't be as easily trained as my stroke or my shading, or something that benefits from shiny new tools such as a tablet or drawing software. I'm stuck with this head for good - yet still I must create.
Since I started, I've been at my best when I put to the screen the visions of others, and so I have relied primarily on requests to be able to get training material that allows me to improve my illustration skills. Commissions are a different deal: I thought that I wanted them, but once I got them, they paralyzed me. It's one thing to work a new technique into a piece that is meant to someone, without knowing if it will really work and add to the result. It's another when that person is paying you to do what you have proved you do well. Experimental extravaganzas are not an option.
I am a few days away from exhausting my commission queue. After that, I have a few requests from friends to fulfill - the only kind of requests that I really execute with enthusiasm, for they allow me to strengthen the bonds I have with people I care for. After that, I am free to do what I want, and what I would really like to try, is to pursue sequential art as a means of conveying the things I want to send to the world. Great, right? And yet, I am quite afraid.
Memorable stories told in comics must have a good plot as well as good art. And right now, even though I feel that I am able to show people pictures that they want to see, I'm not as confident regarding my capability to create a story that they would want to follow.
I need a partner.
I need a partner to write some horsie stories for me to illustrate. And not just any partner: one that is 1) aligned with me in terms of the kind of story they would like to tell (for the good of us both), and 2) willing to eventually make the leap beyond the boundaries of fan fiction, and do *gasp* original works, even if true to the spirit that brought us to that place.
So, I guess this site would be a great place to find such a person. I've seen some truly inspiring, endearing, exciting stories told in the pages of FiMFiction, but few of them seem to be written in such a fashion as to make a comic adaptation feasible (or even adequate for that). However, I think that this could be changed with collaboration. I don't know many people, and I really don't know how I should approach someone with this kind of proposition. But if you happen to read this and feel that maybe you could be that partner, or able to help me find him/her, then I would really like to have a word with you.
It could happen that, even if some writer would like to write stories for comics, they aren't fond of my style or think that I am not good enough to do them justice. My deviantArt gallery should be able to help anyone decide if I'm worthy of their attention.
This text took me one hour to write. If you have read this far, it probably took you less than two minutes. I will be happy if 30 people read it. And if only one answers.
Thank you for your attention.
I imagine you'll find quite a few budding authors who want to partner with you. Your issues of wanting to create and being unable to do so at the level you think you can reach is, from what I can see, a common theme. Part of me really wants to partner with you, both because it will push me to complete works that I really want to do and because I find your art to be beautiful. I feel compelled to warn you, however, that my life right now is very full time-wise. I'm not really sure how you would go about picking your partner, but if you come up with a way to do so, please let me know. I'd at least like to give it a try.
Hello Myke Greywolf,
I came across your blog post and was attracted by the title and its resemblance to a short story/ video game. For a long time now I have been doing my best to start up projects with other people. For some reason it never seems to work out for one reason or another. Usually the people involved lose interest. I'm currently trying to get a web comic started with some people but due to school they have little time to really devote to anything...and one of them is kind of lazy. On this site I have officially written only one story and worked behind the scenes on stories for friends; in one case becoming a co-author. I love writing and filling books up with story ideas and have always wanted to do my own comic. Because of this I've looked into making comics and once did a freelance gig were I was paid to make one for someone else. Though in that case I was the artist not the writer.
I have lots of ideas for stories (though not all pony related) and currently have the time to get lots of writing done.
In regards to your two stipulations for a partner;
1) aligned with me in terms of the kind of story they would like to tell (for the good of us both),
So long as we stay away from clop and pointless gore/violence I don't think there will be any problems there. Though I admit I can be a bit suborn about my own ideas sometimes, I am always willing to compromise for the good of the project.
2) willing to eventually make the leap beyond the boundaries of fan fiction, and do *gasp* original works, even if true to the spirit that brought us to that place.
That is pretty much what I've been trying to do with other people so this shouldn't be an issue either.
I've seen your Deviantart page and you make great stuff. I would deeply enjoy working with you on something.
Regards,
MarickLOA
I would love to participate in this—I've actually looked a great deal for someone who would be interested in an affair such as this. A drawing partner who needed people to write for them? Fantastic! I'll write whatever you wish me to.
Oh, hello again, Myke! Dunno if you remember me, but I managed to (somehow) get a request from you a while ago that involved two ponies and an ICBM.
If I got into writing again, I would definitely consider helping you with your ideas, but I don't think I'd be able to keep up considering my low reserves of motivation. I can only write about 10% of a fic before forgetting about it for a while and then having your hard drive crash on you.
Y'know, just reading this is kinda making me want to take up writing again and actually upload something.
Yep, gonna go write something now. Probably.
First of all, I would like to thank all who replied to this post.
1794557 Looking forward to read more from you!
1793818 Right now, and taking into consideration the replies I got, I will probably be going with someone else who got a recommendation from a friend. But to thank you for your interest, I would like to reward you with a drawing. Just name a pony, and I'll do a portrait for you.
1793718 Same for you, so I'll be waiting for your reply.
1794172 You'll be listening from me very soon. Your body of work is great in both quantity and quality, and I really think that we could start a fruitful collaboration relationship.
1801358
Ah well...wish your project luck anyhow.
And since you offered. I would have to go with Trixy
1801358 Quantity? Certainly, that is evident, but quality? Debatable
Still, I DO look forward to working with you—I have waited for something like this to happen for a while.
Side note: did you draw your own avatar?