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Mikhail Swan

@finishthatbook.com

18 followers 10 following 3 posts

Storyteller, ridiculous nerd, writers' block unblocker finishthatbook.com

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Reposted by Mikhail Swan

Noah Wu @passmethebamboo.bsky.social · 15/09/2023

Throughout the years I've redesigning Orella over and over again. It started out as an idea and a sketch, which turned into this concept that became very special to me, both personal and cultural. Here's Orella of the Dawn throughout the years, from 2017 till 2023. Check out the ALT texts too.

Initial concept in 2017. I loved the idea of some legendary fighter joining the fight and could tip the scales in any given fight, no matter how strong the opposition.

About a year later I redesigned some things, but I wanted to keep that same level of overpowered-ness. Something like... being met by a stormfront and knowing you'll lose, no matter what.

It was here I was struggling both in real life and in my artworks. I asked myself; "Who am I, really? Does my (ethnical) appearance have anything to do with how I should lead my life?"
I felt uncomfortable with a lot of the things I drew during this time, never happy with how things were drawn. 2019 was the year I produced the least amount of drawings, ever. I had an identity crisis, both IRL and in art.

But still, I wanted to push forward and I started to link Orella to my personal life. What if she too, was going through all these issues? So, I redesigned her completely to be this Chinese Sword master that was as calm as the wind.

And here we are, in 2022/23. I realized that my ethnic background shouldn't stop me from achieving the things I want to achieve, nor should it give me any unfair privileges over others. I'm simply me, and so should Orella be. She is who she wants to be and who she wants to become, not what people around her tell her.

I managed to let go of this fear of NEEDING to do something with my ethnicity in my stories. Instead, of focused on what struggles I had with my ethnicity throughout the years and used that experience to recreate the story and design of Orella.

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Reposted by Mikhail Swan

Amardeep Singh @electrostani.bsky.social · 30/08/2023

Friends, this is just your periodic reminder to BACK UP YOUR STUFF. (For a while this evening, a large digital collection I've been working on for 2+ years seemed to have been deleted from the university servers. Happily, it's been restored, but I feel foolish for not having done regular backups.)

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Mikhail Swan @finishthatbook.com · 08/08/2023

What's the book about? 👀

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Mikhail Swan @finishthatbook.com · 08/08/2023

You're always gonna be better at being you than some theoretically more acceptable/marketable version of yourself. The people who you will attract by toning down the you-ness are people who don't actually want you there. Maybe you don't want to let those be the people who get to define you?

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Mikhail Swan @finishthatbook.com · 07/08/2023

Lemme tell you about a piece of writing that genuinely changed my life: I once read a romance where actual legitimate Santa Claus showed up to offer much-needed relationship advice. That's how I found out you can write any words in any order. Santa can show up to save the day. No one will stop you.

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