The world politically and financially lately is pretty much a stinky dumpster fire. "Dumpster fire" is an informal term, at least in the United States, used to describe a catastrophically bad situation. So when the world is going to hell in a handbasket, draw silly illustrations to make yourself feel better.
I actually drew the sketches for these characters a while back and found them while looking back through one of my sketchbooks. I have written and talked about the value of keeping a sketchbook. You should routinely look back at your sketches to get fresh ideas and inspiration from your past drawings.
Here are some of the original sketches.
Often when I draw, I make up stories in my head for the characters. In this case, the story centered around a sentient dumpster fire that had become a prophet for the city's animal inhabitants. I imagined the dumpster reciting empty, yet harmless, moral platitudes. However, the rats start a cult devoted to the flaming dumpster, oblivious to the toxic emptiness. There would be one central rat leader character and a legion of other devout rats. The raccoon is a mischievous character who is just trying to get by and have some fun at the expense of the rats. It could be a fun cartoon, but I have not worked out the rest/more of the idea yet.
A Grim Anniversary
This month marks a year without a job, contract, or regular source of income. I had hoped my illustration work would take off, but AI has made that more difficult. After applying for over 400 UX/UI design jobs without so much as an interview, it has been a rough year financially. The support of my spouse, family, and friends has kept me going. I believe things will get better, even if it is taking longer than I could have ever expected or wanted.
While I wish I could say that I have been able to focus 100 percent on growing my illustration career, the harsh reality is that I have had to focus much of my time on generating any sort of minimal income.
I wanted to share this rare personal snapshot in case you are like me and many others fighting difficult times in the creative and technology industry. You will weather this period of your journey.
If anyone knows of someone looking for an illustrator, writer, content creator, or UX/UI designer, please reach out. As the Beatles said, we get by with a little help from our friends.
Be kind to yourself on your creative journey.
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You have reached the end of the newsletter. I have been a long time Jack White fan since the White Stripes. I realized today while listening to his latest album, No Name, that the song “Rough on Rats” was the perfect song to go with this illustration. Here is the official audio “video” for the song and a second version if you would prefer a concert clip of the song.