#plus been really unmotivated with art recently

[thelunarsystemwrites]

Lunar's mental health. An update.

TW: bad mental health, EDs, depression, s/h, personal stuff, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, vent, self hate, heavy topics.

Sorry I haven't been posting!!

An update on me.

...Hi, you might know me as Lunar, or, TheLunarSystemWrites! I'm just an artist on here, trying to do things I like.... right?

Well, unfortunately, real life doesn't really... care. It doesn't care if I have friends to talk to, art to make, things I like to do.

I've been exhausted, physically and mentally. I've been busy working a lot in our home. (Painting, building, packing, inside work, cooking, etc) and it's always stressful... we're starting to get a little tight on money.

I've spent majority of my time in my bed. I don't wanna face my family members, so I've hidden away. It's hard to get up every day, and try to find the will to take care of myself.

I also recently relapsed with Bulimia, a disorder that, essentially means I throw up whatever I eat. I've been purging since September 16th, 2022. But I had awhile where I only purged once a day or none, but I'm back at it with full force. So my body doesn't have any energy left. I've also now lost my periods do to it.

I don't sleep well. It's much easier to stay up all night than waste my only free time sleeping. So I have no energy from sleeping well unless I sleep a whole day away, which makes me groggy.

Self harm is also something bothering me too, I'm too tired to do it and yet I keep doing it. Wasting precious spoons on it, I literally can't be clean for a whole year this year, that dream is dead. But, I am a few days clean as I type!

Suicidal and intrusive thoughts have been.... pesky. But I can't just leave my friends, plus I have prizes to make.

But, I'm unmotivated. I can't seem to write or draw anything. All my art is looking... regressed, to me. Everything is repetitive.

I've hated myself now more than ever in my life, I'm in a pretty bad place and I hate how self aware I am.

SPEAKING of regression! I have like, regression block. My brain isn't working with me, isn't regressing unless Involuntary. So my main coping mechanism is.... out of order.

I've been angry at the world, really pissy and moody. Tired, hungry, sad, then happy but not much. Numbness is a huge factor, I'm feeling depressed.

Not to mention, there's drama everywhere I look. This creator gets bullied, that one turns out to be disgusting. People get doxxed over opinions... it's constantly anxiety that I'll be wrongly accused, ridiculed, or abandoned. It's terrifying that people will go at each other's throats. It's exhausting to deal with it and be dragged into drama with problematic people.

Every day has been the same for me for the past 3 years. I'm tired, bored, understimulation controls me.

My friends are my lifeline right now.

I feel uncomfortable in my own body all the time, unsatisfied with my art, everything is essentially falling apart in my life.

Depression, anxiety... not a good mix to wake up disoriented and anxious, then gave zero spoons throughout the day. I'm not in a good home situation right now.

So... I kinda just... haven't been posting, role-playing, answering DMs, answering asks, etc...

I'm burnt out.

I feel like I'm a walking corpse.

Useless even.

I don't feel like myself anymore, I barely have the energy to talk to friends, every little bad things sets me back. I just can't bring myself to really engage much anymore.

So... sorry. I'm sorry, if I wasted your time. Or if this isn't like what you wanted to hear. I'm just not okay anymore, April was the last good month I had this year. APRIL.

I just wanted to update you all, there's a lot of other stuff I didn't share because it's nit important. I swear I'll get to the prizes eventually, I just ain't up to it right now. Might not be for awhile, apologies in advance!!

Hope you guys can understand, I might or might not be back to doing art, who knows. But I'll definitely get things done before that if I ever stopped. It just doesn't bring me joy, I used to hope I'd make an AU people cares about, and I've barely achieved that ^^"

Hope you're all well!! Stay safe, take care!! Remember to hydrate and to try eating if you can, you're spectacular!!!

Daily clicks!! ^^

Previous pinned post.

[mantasunray-art]

Are you still making art for the fandom ?

good question honestly cause i haven't drawn anything more elaborate than idk 10 min sketches and doodles in a loooong freaking time. just probably the most unmotivated to draw in general that i've been in so long. so like i'm not "done" making art for this fandom i'm just busy and tired irl and not really up for drawing recently in general.... plus my whole "distancing from the fandom cause it's not good for me" is probably helping my general lack of ideas of what to draw sooo :/

[retros-art]

https://retr0scomms.carrd.co/

I have rlly bad chest pain and apparently got a stomach bug, plus my dot at the end of a sentence started and in general i feel rlly crappy jsdfnj

Anyway, I tried shading and stuff. I've been on insta a lot and recently stuff's just been really upsetting to me and my art and i just wana feel good abt it but kdjnjgdnjg.

Idk if this is as much of a problem on here, but im gonna copy paste the rant i put on insta because SDJHFBEJHFBJ barkbarkarbkarb

TW long post

I spent an hour on this little doodle trying to test out shading and overlays and it doesn't look like i did anything I've been getting less and less confident about my art recently, to the point I think I have to shade and do what everyone else is doing. I have to use guidelines, I have to shade, I have to learn how to render, I have to listen to all the artists that are better than me's advice otherwise I'll never be successful.

I've been drawing seriously for 7 years (using guidelines, figuring out what works for me and what doesnt, etc), and yet seeing all of these people being like "beginner artists when they.." and like. I do that thing? And it's really hurtful and makes me really unmotivated.

Any time I try to shade, use guidelines, etc, my art doesn't change the way people say it should. Not even by a little. It makes me feel inferior to everyone, yk?

I take a lot of time and put a lot of effort into my art, and these people on the internet with their trends makes it so BARKABRKABRKAB. Same Face Syndrome, the shading with purpose thing, "beginner artists" only really having one perspective, etc. It's all really hurtful and Ik that's not the intention but I've cried over it quite a lot.

I know my art isn't beautiful, it doesn't spark anything, but I'm trying my best. And I'm sure a lot of other people are, too.

TLDR don't just assume ppl are beginner artists and don't try giving them "help" if they don't ask for it. Ik artists are just trying to be helpful but it can hurt a lot of people and snfjsnfdjngjdngj. Idk Nothing against artists that do this, obviously, but when it's the only thing I see it makes me sad

And to people like me: ur so valid ilysm and your art is delicious I promise don't let them get to u <33

anyway yeah im sick and sad so take this wah

Also look at my commission sheet bc i need moniez in these troubling times 😔😔😔😔 /hj

[constantobessions]

this started out as a steven universe drawing and turned into this?? lmao im trying to get better at coloring and line art ; v;

[browniesnivy]

Uhhhhhhhhh I’m literally so frustrated because I’ve fallen so behind on the Pride Month doodles and it’s not because I’ve gotten lazy or unmotivated. I’d be really pissed at myself if that was the case, but it’s because of a bunch of factors outside of my control. Since I’m really defensive and I feel the need to explain myself so...

1. I don’t have my own phone, so I have to borrow my mom’s phone to take pictures. But not only is that annoying for her (rightfully so, I wouldn’t want someone running off with my phone all the time) but my dad gets mad at me when I do that because he doesn’t trust me. Plus he gets irratated at Mom for some reason when she lets me have it, which just makes me feel guilty. 

2. Even when I do get a chance to use the phone, after the recent storms we’ve been getting the wifi won’t connect with my mom’s ancient phone so I’d have to use her precious data, which she is already using up whenever she needs to do something actually important. We’re already almost out because of how much she’s been using it.

3. And most importantly, I can not under any circumstances let my parents or siblings find out about my art and see me posting it on tumlr! My mom would get really worried about me and my dad would probably be so angry that he’d never let me use the internet again. There have been a few times when my baby sister walked in on me drawing and I literally almost had a heart attack thinking my parents might find out about my involvement in pride month. I really really really enjoy making art, especially queer stuff, because it helps me cope with all the anxiety my environment causes. But I can’t let my parents know that things are this way. 

Anyway, I’m going to keep making the art and then post it all in one big master post at the end of the month. It’s not at all what I wanted to do, but it will minimize the annoyance and possibility of myself getting caught. I’m super sorry and it really pains me to say that, but it’s super important I stay closeted and that my parents aren’t mad at me.

Thanks. 

[pirumparum]

selling art / handmade things is weird because (well i had something to say and i have no idea how to put it into words) idk i just want to talk

when i started last year i don’t know why i was so motivated yet also unmotivated, i would make something and be proud of it and then hate it a little while after. i probably wasn’t in a place to sell my art because it wasn’t that good and i wasn’t comfortable with charging good prices. some things were okay like a necklace for $25 but i am now selling the same thing but improved for $33. i would have raised the price more but i am pretty efficient at making them so i can get a bunch pumped out without spending too much time anyways. some things like sculptures were like $15 or $10 when really they should have been more considering my efforts, but they were also the product of a unskilled person lmao. i look back at the stuff i made in nov. 2017 and i’m like wtf why would i try to sell it when it’s “not good enough”

anyways i sort of kept going in this cycle of motivation and then despair over how much i hated everything but then i would make a little breakthrough and be able to keep going. and then eventually get frustrated again. but now, i think i am at the point where it’s a bit harder for me to become frustrated because i have a slightly larger body of work that i can look back on and try to reassure myself - although there are definitely still things i struggle with now

i feel like in the past few months i’ve pushed myself to keep trying and i’ve been doing better and stuff.

also it really helps when people actually want to buy my things.... i recently finished a skull necklace and a girl messaged me wanting to buy it. i told her it was $45 and i was worried she’d change her mind but she didn’t. also she’s a sweetheart and has bought a few things from me in the past and always has something nice to say about my work. i really appreciate it.

i haven’t been posting much here, and i still sort of deal with suicidal thoughts and feelings. i went quite a while with none and then they came back all of a sudden but i’m trying to push them away. i did cut myself the other day though.... ugh.

anyways, i still haven’t found a job but i was accepted into a juried market this year at the end of november. it’s kinda like the cool, hipster christmas market that’s REALLY popular and there’s a shitload of people that come by and i’m thinking i may not even be able to create enough in the two months that i have left. also, i applied to it last year when i was starting out and i never got accepted (which makes sense) so it’s an accomplishment to be recgonized for improving my work and stuff

also, about my work thing, i’m not working there anymore because the boss decided that she didn’t need me. however they are doing a thing where they provide studio space for one artist throughout the month, so a bunch of people applied and they chose three including me (!!!) so for december i get my very own studio space in the back of a shop, holy shit. they also are gonna do a little display of my jewelry and sculptures to sell so some extra income too, plus it’s december, so items sell for christmas. but i am confident i will make a lot of money at the market because of how high traffic it is

[kosmicdream]

hey!!! i just read to the most recent update of ffak (my favorite webcomic ive ever read tbh) and i kinda wanna try making my own. did you have the whole story planned out before you started or is it an ongoing thing? also how did you make the website for it? thank you for making such a cool comic!

Thank you so much!! And let me try to figure out a way to answer this properly. My process is a bit complicated to explain because it is very organic. Its almost like I am never done writing it, because I am always letting it grow/stretch and explore as I think about ffak every day, and every night before sleeping I’ll try to brainstorm things I havent thought of. So spending that much mental energy on something, you never really get ‘done’ with writing a story. Even when i eventually finish ffak, im sure i will be still working on it (or things I would have wanted to do.)

However!! Before i started working on ffak, when it was just called HELP! i established many things narratively that I stuck to and have not changed about the story. So I think the process of this comic, in a simple way, could have been broken down like this in.. stages?

1) I laid down the basic framework of the world, such as the functions of king worms specifically, the aiguille family, helpers, several characters (some havent even appeared in the comic yet!), king leadman, as well as antony/rome’s narrative arc/dynamic. that way their character arc was already figured out before the comic started and I knew it would be the central ‘root’ of the story. I knew how i wanted Rome to be introduced, and how he would meet canary, not knowing the connection between canary and his brother. I had a rough idea, even from here, how their character arc would come to a point (and basically what sorts of things the story would likely eventually close on) I also knew the general setting was on moons and how the humans got there, and how advanced society was, and what the red lights “really" were and what they meant..i figured out what ‘vein’ was here.. ect.. many worldbuilding things!!!It might sound intimidating, but this process happened very quickly. I basically figured this out in the.. day? before i started working. I have had a lot of experience with roleplaying so i think that helps with me making quick decisions. I knew i had enough to work with that I didn’t feel intimidated to start actually drawing it out-- especially because i had the rome/antony thing already set down. 2) Then when I actually started to work, things started to develop very quickly. I knew basically all i needed to for Hekatons before i got to introduce knife (their origins, history, involvement in present day politics) and before ch6 i also wrote all of the “supporting cast” (at the time) which included dylan, fork/spoon/knife, paper/scissor/rock. So i ws able to write Thumb and Heel, and set up the overall dynamic of what the world was like in the present day. (also Spoon/Scissor’s connection.) Cash was actually written in the first batch of characters oops, but her design really became more detailed during this stage because of scissor. 3) then things got more complicated as i dug deeper into the past, and wanted to include crimson. So!! I fleshed out the origin and true history of this world. basically as soon as crimson appeared I had everything in place and felt comfortable enough to include crimson, who borrowed many things narratively from a character i roleplayed for years. Anyway, i figured out all of the deep past of the world and decided to draw it out since it was so interesting in ch 9/10. I think this was around in the 2nd chapter when i figured this out, but my memory is fuzzy. I know by the time i did the flash forward scene in ch2 i had decided many things and so all i had to do was get to them in the comic to cement it in. 4) I forget when exactly (maybe around in chapter 5 or 6) , but i decided to bring in a very old story i wrote in 2009 for good leadman’s origin story-- as i thought it would be cool to make good leadman the protagonist for this old comic i wanted to do, and that helped make the background for heel and thumb more “believable” to me because they were already symbolizing this old story i had written the entire thing of. Oh that’s something else to mention, because that world was part of a collection of stories- i was able to develop DMTIA that way because i already had this cast and just decided to merge the stories into the FFAK setting. I think when i did this, it pretty much was the final big thing to make me understand everything i needed to know about this world. All the story arcs felt pretty realized and I could see how the ending could go at this point.

I guess to summarize, is that i let things grow but also had things planned from the start and once i commit to an idea, it doesnt change. Even if it might appear somewhat frustrating to work with, i like to use them to make my next decision. sometimes that means i dont get to do all i want to do, but i still have a lot of flexibility in this setting like i wanted to have from the beginning.

Even now when i feel like pretty confident that I’ve explored every nook and cranny, I’ll decide to revisit a older storyline or facet of the world and strengthen or build on that. That’s why i ended up with so many fucking side characters because I’ll brainstorm for them for a day or two and suddenly have a lot of material i know wont even “technically” go into the story even though its there. (like, Spot for example was not meant to be so interesting, but i wrote a huge fucking story for him that obviously wont get really any attention.)

So.. its ongoing and it is also not ongoing and hasnt been for quite a long time now? (after two years of constant work it felt.. really complete and done in a lot of ways. we are now currently on year three, moving to year four!) I think the best thing to do is to keep in mind what kinds of methods for writing make you feel comfortable and is your natural brain-pace. I like working with an aspect of fluidity and room for growth and flexibility because i don’t like being boxed in or “outgrowing” my project too fast. So keeping that in mind, i designed ffak to be a comic where it could grow with me and change. that’s pretty much why i decided worms would be a great subject and theme to work with because they are characters that naturally, evolve and change based on what they eat and absorb. plus the themes in ffak just are so fun to work with i will never be bored of it. structuring a project with these things in mind for when i run into walls or feel unmotivated have kept me engaged. I think that is part of why i cannot let it go because I still feel really excited to write and contribute ideas to it.

However, Chapter 12 really feels like I’m settling back down to my original plans and taking my time and patience to communicating all the structured planning ive put into it. I’m not letting it grow the same way anymore because it doesnt need to. I feel comfortable with understanding its voice/style and pacing and im no longer recovering from the uhh.. shock of it existing? I promise that once you actually start making a comic, its a wholly different experience than just it being in your head. and it will sound, look, and feel different than what you thought it would be-- that in itself has influenced a lot of change in ffak because honestly at first i was not expecting to draw it so explicit. that was difficult to get used to but im happy to have embraced that aspect of my work.

So HMM.. I made a strong spine or foundational backbone in the beginning before i started, then fleshed it out as i was in the process of making it, and i always continue to leave room for it to grow. just not grow in EVERY aspect anymore. i also dont chop down branches, but i try to hone in on specific things to make them more clear. i think chopping stuff down and removing things is generally not the best to do because its easier to build up and work with what you have than make big retcons after youve already started or established. also the challenge of working with limitations makes you feel that needed bit of pressure to really commit to your work in the moment of making it and i feel like its helped make me more serious and confident about what i write about. I never feel lost on what to do because if I cover and figure out something, that’s how it is. I make it work regardless! 

everything is done with careful consciousness to the overall balance and product of the story, while also not suffocating it in a box of limitations of what it could be. i treat it like a living thing in my mind and heart and that means i work to have thoughtful conversations with it and myself about what its needs are, what my needs are, what i want to do with it and what it wants to be.. ect. its almost a spiritual thing really. i feel like its important to always reflect and engage with your art and art process to feel a stronger connection and purpose behind what you are deciding to do and what it means to you. i am probably repeating myself a little here but!!!!!! its worth saying!!!!!!!!! 

I also really think it adds to the interesting and fun “layers” to the story, as there has been different stages to its development and it brings in different feelings with each layer. But then the older or more ‘’foundational’’ ones pop in and they seem to give off a different atmosphere (antony and rome) vrs some of the newer additions (like jacket) who are more for shallow, fun decoration or an interesting potential to explore in the future. Like, Jacket is not a character that has a lot of foundational plot connected to him, but he’s an interesting development in terms of the potential of a worm and symbolizes that early-ffak-mindset of growth and experimentation. so i think it makes him a really unique and fun character because he embodies a lot of new and old aspects of ffak’s narrative and my journey with working on the comic.

I could go on and on, but I hope this sort of gives some insight to my process and how I write/work. because in a lot of ways, it isn’t linear. just like how my comic is! sometimes this makes ffak very disorienting for people to read, but if you keep in mind that ffak is very organic and personally tailored to my mannerisms  and with that in mind, it makes a lot more sense why it is how it is and the patterns in it become much more apparent. Anyway! thank you for reading and good luck working on your own stories! it can be challenging but i think it is absolutely worth the effort. 

Also i did not make the website, my good friend Tegan did. :3 i do not know anything about websites.

[lareinedulune]

Venting

This is the only social media I have where I’m just about completely anonymous, so here is where this is happening. I am extremely depressed and struggling just to get through each day. I am carrying such massive load at my full time job that I’m being crushed under it. Furthermore, the one person who was of a help to me just quit because our higher ups have been using her as scapegoat and punching bag, which means that now in the time of Covid-19, I’m going to literally be doing 4 peoples jobs plus my own since they laid off my entire department and left it all to me. While I know I’m lucky to have a job,  the expectations are too high. Anyone who complains get treated as ungrateful and not a team player. I haven’t had a day off this year. I’m an artist and writer at heart. I’ve been struggling to keep my muse alive for some time now. I haven’t painted or done any art this year at all, and most of last year too. It is killing my soul. I recently tumbled into The Old Guard fandom and was so excited for a whole month, but not I’m seeing people being nasty to each other, really nasty, and fic writers are getting little appreciation. It’s so disheartening. It’s devastating to find a new fandom only to lose it so quickly. I can’t even bring myself to read fic, and it’s so sudden and overwhelming. I can’t clean my house because I’m so unmotivated. I’m eating unhealthy food and lazing around going in circles to the same 5 social media websites hour after hour. I have a rare and awful auto-immune disorder for which there is no treatment. I’m dealing with hidden physical symptoms that have been dragging me down for a decade now and it’s as bad as ever. I’m the one doing all the shopping and errand running for my family as my parents aren’t in great health and I don’t want them out in this Covid-19 world. I don’t have any friends who live nearby, they’re in other places in the world. I don’t listen to music anymore. There is no balance, no relief, no rest, no sanctuary and I’m in tears every time I’m alone. I wake up daily from barely sleeping full of dread for what they day might bring.

[iightwoodbane]

I was so excited for ir months but every time I sit down to make something I just :/. I have been so uninspired and unmotivated. Makes me sad cause I really wanted to make something. I feel like I just take from the fandom and never give. Like all these beautiful edits, fanfics and art all over my dash but I never make anything. Its almost time and I have nothing ;;-;;

tbh i can kinda relate. i went through a pretty shitty art block for like …a year that i don’t think i’m still really over. plus i haven’t been posting as many edits as i’d like to on here for many reasons. i’d say don’t stress yourself too much, it’s normal to feel uninspired. here’s what i usually do to deal w it:

do you have a favorite gfx maker/writer/fanartist? go through their work and that might give you some ideas. no stealing!!! just being inspired.

music helps me a ton when drawing or making edits. find some music that fits the mood of what you wanna draw/make/u know what i mean. 8tracks has some really good playlists for basically every genre. (if you have a similar music taste to mine hmu)

this might not apply rn but in the future try to keep all your inspiration material in one place. e.g. i keep all the ideas for posts i wanna make on my drafts (i have 100+ of them yikes) so whenever i don’t know what to make i just go there. for me they’re usually quotes but they can be p much anything. e.g. kingscrown’s ‘ichiruki txt’ tag gave a few ideas for edits recently.

this is kinda gonna be useless advice but tbh the only way you can get rid of lack of inspiration is to draw/write/etc. i usually just force myself to get to work and stop fucking around. you’re rarely gonna get a sudden burst of energy to create stuff, usually for me it’s just forcing myself to try out different stuff until i end up with something decent/that i don’t hate.

don’t be too hard on your own stuff. you might be judging it too harshly because you’ve set up expectations for it. try to find something good about anything you create.

just post whatever you’ve got. you never know the reaction others might have. honestly…some of the edits i hate most have a ton of notes (…that fucken studio pon*c gifset). you can never predict what your followers will like. other people might lovesomething you thought was below average.

in the end if you can’t find inspiration it won’t be the end of the world. IRmonth is supposed to be a fun month for us to create for ichiruki. don’t stress yourself too much.

[pedra-ring-blog]

10 Best Romance Anime of All Time

Top 10 Best Romance Anime It’s really not that hard to figure out what the romance genre in anime is all about. Essentially, it’s about love, romance, and the characters going all lovey-dovey. Usually, romantic and sweet moments come together. Bottom line is, this genre is about love and sweet moments—and most of the time there are added twists of drama and comedy. As I’ve already watched plenty of romance anime, I’ve built a collection of my personal favorites. Below you will find 10 anime series that represent the best in the genre. I've also added additional smaller lists that cover more particular subgenres in the romance category. Ready or not, here they are!

Toradora! | Source

10. Toradora!

It’s romantic, it’s comedic! And even sometimes very dramatic! Toradora is one romance anime everyone can truly enjoy. From the beginning, the characters are fairly hostile to each other until their true feelings and emotions are revealed. Everything is executed perfectly here. Some elements may seem very cliché, but even those things are handled in a very brilliant way. You’ll get captivated by the story. Takasu Ryuuji looks like a delinquent because of his intimidating eyes and stares. Aisaka Taiga, on the other hand, looks small and gentle, but she is actually as fierce as a tiger. Both Ryuuji and Taiga have their own crushes—coincidentally, on each other's best friend. So when Taiga mistakes Ryuuji’s bag for his best friend's, her secret crush is revealed. Now, Taiga is intent on pulverizing Ryuuji for knowing his secret, but he later discovers that Ryuuji also has a crush on her best friend. The two cooperate and form a pact to help each other win over their respective crushes.

Toradora! - Trailer

Lovely Complex | Source

9. Lovely Complex

If I can describe Lovely Complex in two words, I’d say cute and sweet! It’s in the name after all. It’s an adorable and super sweet romantic comedy love story. High school student Atsushi Otani is really short and Riza Koizumi is really tall for a teenage girl. Those traits wouldn’t really be an issue on their own, but as extremes of one other in the same class, these two tend to stand out as a perfect comedy duo. Being the opposites of each other, Otani and Risa are always arguing and bickering about their own complexes. But surprisingly, they have some particular similarities that only the two of them share. Hence, the start of their very sweet, very cute, very funny, and most of all . . . very lovely complex.

Lovely Complex - Trailer

Kaichō wa Meido-sama! | Source

8. Kaichō wa Meido-sama! (Maid Sama!)

While Kaichō wa Meido-sama! has a simple story, its set of characters (especially the leading characters) are so well-made that they carry the story far enough to shine bright. The characters are very relatable and likable. As many romantic moments there are, there’s an equal number of quirky, comedic moments that come along. Overall, Kaichō wa Meido-sama! is a very heart-warming romantic comedy anime that has little to no unnecessary complexities, which prompts it to deliver a pure love story with its own notable quirks and memorable moments. When an all-boys school suddenly turns co-ed, the only foreseeable struggle that’s bound to happen is that the new girl students will be intimidated and feel awkward. Ayuzawa Misaki takes the responsibility of being the student council president in order to rule the school with an iron-fist and keep the balance in place (much to the boys’ disapproval because of her harshness towards them). To keep up her appearances as the student council president with the iron-fist, Misaki has to keep her after school job a secret. She works as a very gentle and sophisticated maid in a café. One day, the popular heartthrob Usui Takumi finds out her well-kept secret.

Recommended High School Romance Anime

You may notice that a few entries on this list take place in a high school setting. It is a common backdrop in romance anime since it covers a universal place and time where young love blooms. If you are particularly fond of young high school romance in your anime, you can check out these recommendations. True TearsWolf Girl & Black PrinceHis and Her CircumstancesReLifeTsuki ga Kirei

Blue Spring Ride | Source

7. Ao Haru Ride (Blue Spring Ride)

Despite being a fairly recent anime, Ao Haru Ride stands out as a great romance show that conforms with today’s standards. The art, visuals, and animation were superb. The story? It wasn’t shabby at all! Plus, the characters and their development (especially romantic development) shined very brightly. Everything fell into place and delivered a perfect combination of elements befitting of a heartwarming story. Because of this, she wasn’t able to confess her feelings to the boy she loved, Tanaka-kun. Now in high school, Yoshioka has changed her personality into something very unlady-like (opposite to what she was before) so as to not repeat her experiences in middle school. Soon she meets her middle school crush again, but with a different name. Tanaka-kun is now Mabuchi Kou, and he reveals that he liked Yoshioka in the past. But now everything has changed. Have their feelings as well?

Ao Haru Ride - Trailer

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou | Source

6. Sakurasou no Pet no Kanojo (The Pet Girl of Sakurasou)

Sakurasou no Pet no Kanojo,also known as The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, is a show that tackles love and romance on a whole new level. It’ll give you the impression that it’s yet just another senseless harem anime with overblown clichés and fanservice, but that’s totally wrong! This show proves that it can be very complex, in a good way, while totally rubbing off the initial impressions. First, it doesn’t only talk about romance, it speaks on love in general. Second, the characters are surprisingly well-developed, as is the plot and story. Lastly, as I’ve said, everything’s surprisingly good, so giving it a chance is definitely a must! The combination of many great elements with romance and love produces a very good blend with this one. Everything’s pretty normal though, except the fact that all the students that live there have their own weird habits and quirks. A few days later, a girl, who’s the oddest of them all (super brilliant but doesn’t how to take care of herself), is going to live in Sakurasou, where Sorata is going to be in charge of taking care of her.

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou - Trailer

Golden Time | Source

5. Golden Time

If you haven’t seen Golden Time yet, then I suggest you do now. In my own opinion (and I think many will agree), Golden Time is one of the most realistic romance anime that exists today. It isn’t just all about being lovey-dovey, it also tackles the struggles and the complications of being in a relationship. As a matter of fact, the show did this by featuring very realistic characters that you could easily relate to. Even the story on its own is very decent. It has romance, comedy, drama, and they all fit together to tug your heartstrings and show the reality of relationships and love. Starting his life as a law student in college in the city, Tada Banri gets lost on his first day trying to get to school. Fortunately, he meets another guy named Mitsuo Yanagisawa who’s in the same situation he is. Then from out of the blue, a beautiful girl named Kaga Kouko suddenly appears and smashes a bouquet of flowers into Mitsuo’s face. As weird as it is, Koukou is Mitsuo’s childhood friend who’s overly obsessed with him. Trying to escape from her, Mitsuo enrolls in the school but Kouko manages to follow him. Now, Banri is caught up in the situation and he’s going to be the one who changes the course of this crazy situation.

Golden Time - Trailer

Clannad | Source

4. Clannad

I’ll be surprised if you’ve never heard of Clannad or Clannad: After Story. These are two of the best drama anime out there. And not only that, they're also by far two of the best romance anime! Did you know that there isn’t even a single kissing scene between the lovers here? That’s correct, there isn’t! But the romance and drama is high enough to completely rub that off and focus on the relationships. Love has never been this lovely and beautiful in an anime. I can almost feel the characters’ sentiments in this one. While walking to school one day, the unmotivated Okazaki Tomoya notices a girl who suddenly mutters the name of some kind of food. The girl’s name is Nagisa Furukawa, and unbeknownst to both, it’s just the start of the rollercoaster of love and life where they’ll first start as friends until they get attached to one another. But of course, no legit rollercoaster is without a bump. It’s just the start of their romantic, heartwarming, and even heart-wrenching story.

Clannad - Trailer

Recommended Romantic Comedy Anime

The genre most related to the romance category of anime is arguably the comedy genre. Like other mediums of entertainment, the two genres work cohesively to deliver moments that are as heartwarming as they are humorous. If you need some laughs with your romance, check out some of these anime series. School RumbleWagnaria!!HaganaiChobitsNisekoi

Special A | Source

3. Special A

Now this one’s so interesting that you’ll be very pleased watching it. Special A is another romantic comedy-drama show where the characters fall in love with each other. In this one, it’s not just one pair of friends that falls in love, but most of the characters. Each one has a story to tell, and most of the time the stories are very heartwarming and sweet. Add that to the fact that the main pair are always fighting each other for supremacy. You'll be entertained at how funny they are until the moment that they actually develop feelings and fall in love. Until the very end, Special A keeps the romantic pace up. Being both best friends and rivals since they were children, Hikari Hanazono and Kei Takashima have a bond where they are always clawing at each other. Now they’re both in high school in a special class of the most brilliant and elite—the Special Class A. As she always does, Hikari shall do her best to snatch the number 1 spot from Kei at all costs. But then, as the battle goes on, feelings from deep within their hearts suddenly manifest.

Special A - Opening Song Theme

Kimi ni Todoke | Source

2. Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You)

This is a rare gem in the romance department of anime. I know most won’t watch it based on first impressions, but as they say, don’t judge a book by its cover. Or should I say, don’t judge a romance anime by its title, poster, or summary! Kimi ni Todoke is very unique in the sense that it showcases elements that are very original to the romance genre. And I must say, it’s super effective! . On the other hand, Kazehaya Shouta is super popular in class and is well-known as a very kind and friendly guy with a really refreshing presence. Given Shouta’s personality, he’s the only one who’s willing to approach Sawako and talk with her, much to Sawako’s delight. It’s the first time she has befriended someone and she is so thankful. She feels blessed and hopeful that it’ll be the start of something new.

Kimi ni Todoke Trailer

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun | Source

1. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (My Little Monster)

We’ve come to the much-anticipated revelation. I don’t know if you will agree with me, but in my opinion, the best romance anime is Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun. I really encourage you to watch it. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is fairly new, yet it has already soared to the top. I mean, it has all the elements necessary to be a truly awesome romance anime. It’s unique, sweet (very sweet actually), cute (the love story is so adorable it will easily tug your heartstrings), very wholesome (which is a rarity today), and very lovable. There are many more reasons why this anime is a masterpiece, but I’ll leave those for you to discover. It all starts when Shizuku Mizutani, a cold high-achiever student, is tasked by a teacher to deliver some handouts to a student named Yoshida Haru, a student who was suspended from school. Haru is very touched by Shizuku’s delivery, claiming that only a friend would do that (even though it wasn’t really Shizuku’s intention). Shizuku is really cold, earning her the nickname “Dry Ice” while Haru is very innocent and clueless to the social workings in the world. Both are aloof and weird in a way. From their first meeting, Haru feels a spark in his heart towards Shizuku, so from then on he follows Shizuku. Soon enough, both begin to deal with blossoming feelings and emotions as well as various colorful complications that arise from within their hearts. Read the full article

[milktea-grn]

Hello everyone!!

I’m not sure of anything yet, but i just wanted to give you a heads up that i really haven’t been feeling well recently. I’ve been doing a lot of overthinking, lots of stress at home, plus my mental health just hasn’t been the best and all of those put together has been making me a little burnt out and unmotivated.

I’m going to try my hardest to keep posting art every five days, but if i miss some days or if they slow down for a little bit, i’m really really sorry. I don’t know if they will at all, but i wanted to let you know just in case they do. I’ll try to get art out regularly, and hopefully there won’t even be a difference! :^)

Thank you so much for understanding. Again, i apologize. I’ll still be active and posting text posts, my thoughts, etc. the usual stuff i post when i’m not posting art. Art has just been really tough recently, but everything will be okay. It’s definitely not permanent and my drawings are not going anywhere any time soon. Just not great right now, but it’s alright :^))

love u!!! <333

[woohooligancomics]

Artist Spotlight: Olivia Whitt, cute, whimsical, sarcastic, fierce

Welcome to the Laugh It Forward Kickstarter Artist Spotlight! Every day you'll meet new cool artists doing amazing things, so check them out!

Today I'd like to introduce you to Olivia Whitt!

Olivia is a freelance illustrator living in Florida with her assistant Foster. (Who also happens to be her cat.) She enjoys illustrating sarcastic and fierce imagery of cute and whimsical subject matter, and the occasional fan art. When she's not busy drawing, she's playing video games or reading inspiring works of fiction.

Sam: I used to make the mistake most artists make when asked about my work, and get into the details like characters, plot and story elements. Those are important in telling stories, but I learned they don't really draw people in. So I'm going to ask you to tell us a short story about the more important question:

why do you create your art?

Olivia: I think like most artists I got my start early on creating things as a kid. I love art just as much as I did then and when I graduated college with my Bachelors in Graphic Design, I felt lost and unmotivated in that space. I quit my job and started drawing and painting full time as a freelance artist!

I always knew I wanted to create stories that people would enjoy and now I'm lucky to be able to do that! I love creating comics because I want to give others that same feeling I get when I pick up someone else's labor of love.

Sam: Quitting is so scary, isn't it? But in the end, I think it's ultimately necessary for a lot of us.

My second question is who or what has most inspired your work? If I compared you to someone, what names would you be most flattered to hear?

Olivia: When I was younger Courage the Cowardly Dog was my favorite show. I was obsessed with the creepy atmosphere it had. John R. Dilworth the creator, was a huge inspiration for me then in terms of my love for the "bizarre".

Hayao Miyazaki of course was I think a lot of artists' first real exposure to what beautiful artwork could look like. He made "cartoons" more adult with serious themes that we can all still appreciate well into adulthood.

And if I'm being honest, Fran Meneses or how she's known online Frannerd, was one of the huge contributing factors to me jumping into the creator space. I would watch her videos on her Youtube channel tirelessly! Soaking up whatever I could from her wisdom. She made this career seem like it was really possible for me and I couldn't ever thank her enough for that.

Sam: I enjoy Miyazaki's work. I might have to go back and check out Courage -- I've never watched a full episode.

I think seeing other people's success is an important part of feeling like it's possible for us. I would look at Zack Weinersmith and see how well he's funded on Patreon, knowing that I could have written or drawn many of the same comic strips that were on SMBC. What I lacked (until recently) was what I think most of us artists feel is the scarier part of this career: knowing how to market myself. And now that I'm learning how to do that, I'm trying to share it as much as I can -- I hosted my first comic-con panel at Animatic Con in Cincinnati last weekend on how to market your art. Everybody was awesome! :D

Sam: What have you learned from your work? What advice would you give to younger creators?

Olivia: I've learned a lot in my short time. I've only just started my journey as an artist but if I could give anyone advice for creators of all ages, it's that you should always be willing to help your fellow creators. Don't always assume they're out to get something from you. And never stop being grateful for any support you get. Pay it forward and make friends. We're all too busy guarding our art and our careers like someone is gonna swoop in and snatch up an opportunity we "deserved". Be happy for someone who gets that opportunity and work hard to find your own avenues!

Sam: I feel a little weird whenever I see someone's DeviantArt profile and they've got a big banner that says "DON'T STEAL MY ART!" I can't really say anything to them about it, because I don't want to be that guy who's barging in with unsolicited advice, but I can't help but feel like they're focusing on the wrong thing.

Yes, having your art stolen is frustrating and it shouldn't happen. The same is true of having money stolen, but you don't see people walking around on the street shouting, "DON'T TAKE MY WALLET!" If you saw someone doing that in public, someone would be referring them to counseling, but you see it on DeviantArt all the time. :P

It's a rare enough event, you're unlikely to lose any real money from it over your lifetime. So in most cases you should probably just focus on whatever your current projects are and on opening doors for other creators.

Last question. What one thing would you change about the world?

Olivia: If I could change one thing about the world it would be to see that people stop being so hateful. It saddens me that even in 2018 were still behaving like were not all equals and that the voices of people trying to change that are seen as radicals for wanting a better life.

Sam: Why is it "radical" to think that rates of incarceration shouldn't be radically different for white people than they are for black or brown people? Why is it "radical" to think that the Supreme Court should have allowed women working at Wal-Mart to make their case in court that the company was underpaying them compared to the men? Why is it "radical" to think that someone working at McDonalds deserves to earn a living working only 40hrs a week and not being forced to work two jobs?

Any final thoughts?

Olivia: Thank you to Sam for putting all this hard work into this Artists Showcase! It's people like him that are helping people like me succeed and I'm very grateful for that.

Sam: Thank you, Olivia, you're so kind! And thanks for taking the time for this interview, it's been a pleasure.

To see more of Olivia's awesome work, check out her website. You can also find her on Twitter, or Patreon, and most importantly, if you enjoy her work, share this interview!

p.s. If you are also an artist and are planning a Kickstarter, you might find my Six Tips to Kickstarter Success helpful, plus links to other helpful resources. Also thanks to Andrea Demonakos who's handling the bulk of our rewards fulfillment to help our Laugh It Forward project go smoothly!