Hello, it's been a while since I have made a blog post, and there are several reasons for that. To be very honest I have gone through a sort of depressive period where the motivation to draw, and even communicate with people have been low, so writing blog posts or posting on social media has seemed pointless. I even went to my editors at my publisher to tell them that Nordlys had to go on an hiatus for an indefinitely amount of time while I figure stuff out for myself. I guess I thought that when I stopped drawing Nordlys I would be filled with the will and energy to draw anything that I wanted, and come up with really cool new concepts I could draw instead of Nordlys, but that isn't exactly what happened.
In fact, nothing happened, I felt the same as before I took the break. I thought my lack of energy to draw was that I was burnt out on drawing the same comic for years and years without breaks, but when I actually took a break it didn't really solve my depressive slump. Then I sort of realised that if not drawing Nordlys didn't make me feel any better, and if nothing of the exterior world in fact could make me feel better, I was sort of free to do anything I wanted, and I might as well continue drawing Nordlys, because the story I had built so far suddenly felt like it had new meaning to me, amongst the meaningless I felt.
So now I'm on track drawing Nordlys 7, in a bit slower tempo than before as not to get burnt out, but I have learned that by just being consistent, the book will get done. the only way it will not get done is by stopping.
Anyway, even though I have pledged to continue working on Nordlys I am still in the works of developing a new comic idea I plan on doing on the side of my main comic. I'm taking my time with it because I want it to be a solid concept that I can start before Nordlys is completed and continue after it is. I had no idea how hard it would be to make a whole new concept from scratch, this process has really humbled me.
It's almost a little disheartening because the concept that I wanted to make a comic started out somewhat simple, it was gonna be about little witches in a harsh fantasy world, but every time I tried to actually make the story nothing about it made me want to start drawing it, and holes in the plot would appear everywhere. If I'm not even interested to make the first few pages, how am I gonna be able to make a whole epic length comic?
One more thing that has also kept happening is that I have changed the genre of the comic about three times, making it so it feels like I'm starting the story over every time. This is also why I found out that this wasn't a concept I could rely on yet, and that I needed Nordlys as a constant in my life to take the pressure of creating something new.
So my witch concept has evolved quite a lot, but I think I have now found something I wanna try to develop. I won't write about the plot or story here yet, because I'm just not sure if this idea is gonna stick either. But I have some sketches from the carious stages of the concept, and you can maybe make out what I'm thinking from the development. Or probably maybe not, but it's fun to share sketches and concepts anyway, even if they go nowhere. Every drawing is questioning if the idea works, and every sketch is one step closer to something palpable.
Sounds like you've been going through a rough patch, but on the way up again. Proud of you ;__; It is so very normal to go through darker episodes in your life, and finding a new balance (i believe that is all life might be xD). Sometimes, if yoi have a close friend who is thrilled about fantasy stories, it can help to brainstorm ideas together. It is amazing how ideas can develop and spark new ideas when talking it through with someone else.
Buuuuuttt, i must say i am already loving your concept sketches, and i'm immediately excited to learn more about this new world that you are creating 😍
You do you, take your time, and remember to…