Back on Track

After my previous rant about not being paid for my art and deciding to put a little more effort into my Patreon account, I decided the next thing that I needed was a little motivation to draw. The question now was, how was I going to motivate myself to start drawing and get back on the creative track?..The reason that I needed to get back on track was due to the fact that, since I broke my arm last July, my art output has been almost non existent. As such, I needed something to get the creative juices flowing. So I decided to purchase a drawing journal and make myself draw SOMETHING every day.. For the first few days after purchasing the new journal, the results were pathetic. However, I then received some motivation from an unexpected source...my son. You see, when I bought my journal I also bought my son a drawing journal as well...AND HE WAS DRAWING IN HIS EVERY DAY?!?!?!? (*Note - the kid has some raw drawing talent!) Well, not to be outdone by a kid, I started drawing as well...

So that’s my story about how I got back on the creative track. Those pages will be posted on my Patreon account. If you’d like access to those drawing, just patronize my Patreon account. For as little as $1.00 a month, you'll get access to those drawings and exclusive Patreon stuff!

Also,, I have started a new episode on my Webcomic, Missed Approach (and this one’s in color!), If you’re interested, ckick on the link below and check it out!

https://missed-approach.blogspot.com/

That’s all for today kids, I’ll write more soon!

Pledge Drive

I’ve decided to invest my time (time is money) into Patreon. Although I love creating art, for the sake of creating art and sharing it with the world for free...

...I also need to make a living…What i’ve been doing, up to this point in time, is to work a full time job and draw when I can. Well, times, the are a changin. And Michael is a charging...for some stuff. Although to view my exclusive Patreon stuff, will cost you a small monthly fee, this Blog and my two Webcomics, Missed Approach and Cosmic Fowl will remain free. My Patreon page is a way for you to support my art and in return, get access to exclusive stuff on Patreon.

Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the nice comments about my art, when I post drawings online. However, the nice comments haven't turned into capital (i.e., money). So I need to reorganize and prioritize. I’m going to start running my art as a business (and a profitable business at that). I realize I’m might upset a few of the Greta Van Fleet lovin’, Bernie Sanders following, tree huggin’ people out there..but that's the risk I must take to make a profit (and make a profit, I must - Yoda). I can't continue to make the the success of someone else a priority, while my success comes as an afterthought. So in 2019, my art (i.e., my business) is the priority. Patreon is the first step.

For those of you who think I'm becoming callous and money hungry, I have a suggestion. Tomorrow morning, go to the company you work for and let them know you have decided to work for free. Tell them, you’re giving up your paycheck and volunteering to work for free. Basically, this is what I would be doing, by continuing to post my art work for free.

I’m not asking you to give up your hard earning pay for nothing. Most of my patron tiers come with stuff in return (i.e., free caricatures, birthday cards from me, discounts...) and of course, exclusive access to new art!

So I guess you can think of this Blog, as my Patreon Pledge Drive. Check out my Patreon page and see what you think…

https://www.patreon.com/michaelhopkinscartoonsandcaricatures

See you in the funny pages.

P.S. This Blog remains free!

Can't Sleep

12:14am. Cant sleep.

New Year, new me.

I need to pay more attention to my Art...so I shaved the goatee. That makes sense, right? Anyways, the thought behind shaving the face? What was I hiding? Facial hair is very common these days..and why? It’s high maintenance, irritating. Maybe it makes one feel more masculine? Maybe it's like a disguise? I don’t know...There’s really no benefit to facial hair. Unless of course, one’s in a very cold climate, say, Alaska? I'm not, so I shaved my face. I personally see it as a new beginning, which I needed. Moving on….

12:24am. Still cant sleep,,

I'm watching, Seinfeld, reruns. I like the show, but the bass music between every scene, is irritating...maybe I'm just tired. Favorite Seinfeld episode? I have two, The Merv Griffin Show and the episode, where George gets engaged.

12:30am. Still…

Yawning. That's a good sign.

My baby girl, just turned 36.

I need to draw more.

Building a wall is stupid. Wasn’t is Ronald Reagan (my favorite President) who said, …”tear down the wall”? Now Trumps got a, hard on, to build one. I hate politics.

Goodnight.

Goodbye 2018

Goodbye 2018. You've been an interesting year. Although I have made a few questionable decisions during the year...I've also made a few smart moves. Luckily, the smart moves were made during the latter part of the year...which puts me in the right direction as we approach the new year...now if I can just stay on course.

Contrary to one of my earlier blogs, I may not he heading to Las Vegas into 2019. I’m starting to feel comfortable where I am (not just location, but in my life). My psyche is starting reach a point in which it’s compatible to my happiness. We’ll see..I still may make the move south, however, it’s no longer definite. Is anything?

Thoughts and goals for 2019…

• Be there with love and support for my last fledgling as he flies from the nest and his life journey begins.
• Putting my, traveling salvation show on some wheels this spring and summer and see where it takes m
• Opening business location somewhere and start dabbling in familiar and unfamiliar directions(animation, drawing/painting on different canvases, stretching my limitations). There are some many paths in my mind, that I may not just choose one, but several.
• I’m going to explore myself and push my boundaries in not just my art, but my life. 
• I’m going to taste life and start chase those dreams that I’ve desired.

So here’s to 2018! It was an interesting year whose time has come to an end. I’m looking forward to 2019, with less shackles binding my spirit and more freedom for my soul!

Follow me on the journey...

Smile

It’s that time of the year again. I’m starting to book events for next year.

Looking back at the event caricatures I’ve drawn over the past few years, brings a smile to my face. Not just from the thousand of caricatures I’ve created, but mostly from the joy my drawings have brought to others. Although, that statement sounds rather, self-absorbed, I have the smiles to prove it.

It wasn’t always this way....

Not too long ago (during and after an event), I was way too critical of my caricatures. Did I draw that nose correctly?...Did I make his forehead too big?...Should I have made her boobs that big?? (Just kidding...boobs can never be too big :) When an event was over, I’d come home and relax...and then the self-psychoanalyzing, would begin. I doubted the importance of my life’s work. I knew that they were just caricatures (and I don't know what I expected from myself), but I do know that I questioned the value of what I had to offer. I set the standards for my drawings exceptionally high and if I didn’t think I met those standards (and I usually thought, that I didn’t), the self-psychoanalysis began. It’s was an exhausting cycle and occasionally made me think, that I never wanted to draw at event again.

What changed? I focused the the smiles. I focused on the joy that I brought to others. I think we sometimes try to find something that’s just not there..and ignore the wonderfully obvious.

The best parts of life are the smiles.

Dead Inside

I am dead inside without my art. It's what drives my soul, creates my happiness. Without happiness, I cease to exist and merely try to survive. I liken it to working on an assembly line (or what I perceive, as what that would be like). Connecting the widget to the whatchamacallit, for eight hours a day, five days a week, for the rest of your life..or at least till you "retire" and spend the rest of your life acting as a mere participant, on the path to that inevitable end. Not that there is anything wrong with working on assembly line (it's honorable work) I just couldn't do it.

I am an artist. An artist who occasionally wonders to himself, what if I would have taken the path of others, I have known? What would have happened, if I kept that union job at 18 and continued to spend the rest of my life, sleepwalking. However I didn’t choose that path, instead I chose to follow my passion...as if, I had a choice.

As an artist, you don't have a choice. Or actually you do. You can choose to ignore your calling and spit in the face of the blessing you have received or you can choose to embrace the blessing and share it with others. I have chosen is the latter. This is not a financial choice (I have to keep reminding myself of this fact). If you make this choice to for financial gain, you are a fool. You make this choice, because you have no choice. A true artist, can’t live without creating. Without creating, you cease to exist.

Over the last few months, I have started to cease to exist and have paid the consequences. No creation, equals a declining lust for life. Besides loosing sight of my passion for my art, I was loosing my passion for life, the thrill of the chase, for lust in life. I missed the touch, I missed the endorphins..I missed life.

Life is back...

Clearing the Track

All Aboard!!

I have restarted the steam old engine. Now comes the part, clearing the track and getting this “antique” rolling down the track again...towards its destination.

I believe that clearing the track, may be the most difficult part of this journey. I come to realize that I may have unconsciously piled blockades on my track to impede my success (a sort of fear of success??). I need to get these blockades cleared before this train can start heading towards its destination. Sometimes it’s easier to pile unconscious excuses in your way to impede your success, than to actually succeed and deal with everything that comes with that success. If success was easy, excuses would be easier.

I think the first impediment to my success, is thinking that these creations are going to create themselves. Seriously.  It’s easier not to create, than it is to create, especially when money is not the issue. I can probably continue working 8 to 430, 5 days a week, watching Frasier reruns, going to bed and doing it all over again the next day...FOREVER!!!. It takes much less effort than being creative. But alas, I’ve grown so tired of this routine. I'm bored and going slightly insane.

So I need to climb up on the edge of my proverbial cliff, strap back on my ACME Jet Pack and catch that  #$*&$#$%& Road Runner!!!

Fine Art America - Michael Hopkins

The above, Michael Hopkins original drawings (as well as other Michael Hopkins Originals and prints)  are now available on Fine art America. If you’re interested, please check out the following link! https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-michael-hopkins.html