UPDATE: I am no longer writing these monthly updates, but rest assured that I'm still alive, quietly working on this project in secret. See you sometime in 2025!
(cross-posted from news.wavetro.net)
Why is this post title in all caps? Wait... oh my god... is that...
IS THAT ANIMATION WITH A STEEL CHAIR??????
Before you continue, watch this semi-secret video below. Just click below and turn subtitles on, don’t read the rest of this post yet:
(If the picture link doesn't work, you can also just click here.)
Don’t scroll down yet until you watch this. Pretty please.
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Done looking at it? ISN’T IT AWESOME?
The gamble WORKED!!!!!!!!!!
Your eyes are not deceiving you: there has been a complete pivot for Snack Cactus to become a 2D animation series.
From the beginning of November to just last night, it has been proven viable for me to make 2D vector characters and animate them with full audio production (plus voice acting) in record time, just like Stickmen 2020.
“But why didn’t you do this way, WAY sooner?”
Switching to 2D would have happened a lot sooner had it not been for my very unproductive pivot to 3D printing. I even dismissed 2D as an animation idea at the end of that video. That aged pretty badly!
See, I was already on the right track when I was trying out vector art back in 2023. I’m not really a fan of drawing, as I prefer the CAD-like qualities of creating geometric characters with a computer mouse. The thought of using a pen tablet or writing implement to learn how to draw a character through sheer practice does not sound fun to me. But I found out I can get that same CAD-like satisfaction of creation using vector programs like Inkscape! However, I was still too focused on trying to shoehorn 3D into the picture.
(All the vector art pictured below is exclusively me modeling in 3D first and then tracing it in 2D vectors afterward.)
Something I’ve recently realized is that I’ve been clinging onto 3D like it’s my only creative identity, the one thing that separates me from other online creators instead of getting lost in the noise of the ever-expanding internet. But going 3D means nothing if you don’t actually like using it. It’s been very stupid of me to force myself to use 3D just because I was afraid of being less unique.
Coming to terms with this may be one of the healthiest realizations I’ve made this year. This has been a constant battle with myself to lower my crazy-high expectations for myself until I have a healthy relationship with my art again.
So is 2D-animated Snack Cactus the guaranteed promised land? We don’t know. It could be many more projects before I finally find balance, but at the bare minimum, Snack Cactus is a big leap forward. We’re getting there.
You’ll still see some 3D from me here and there, but the primary goal is to have it take a backseat and not use it too often. Maybe 3D will help with the occasional character reference, poster, or motion graphic, but I’d otherwise like to focus on vector art as much as I can.
Early 2025 is the (tentative) plan
While I would love to go at max speed and crank out those five Snack Cactus videos to release by January, I can’t promise Early 2025 as a guaranteed deadline.
In order to prevent my 100,000th burnout, I need to learn how to properly pace my video production like a marathon instead of a sprint. To ensure this, I’ve chosen to work with a storyboard artist and a background artist. Both of them will be revealed later on. Sharing the work in general will be a great way for me to slow the fuck down and not try to accomplish so much so quickly, and I’m thrilled I can actually do it this time with 2D. Trying to share the work on my old 3D projects was way too complicated in comparison.
People have told me this a million times before, but it definitely applies the most right now: I NEED to take it easy on myself, despite how much I love not doing so!
Thank you
I really appreciate it if you’re still watching me.
I am constantly self-contradicting myself and re-learning things I already used to do, and it’s been a struggle for me to figure out what I want out of my online creativity. But I won’t give up. 2025 has the insane potential to be a massive year, and I can’t wait to see what Snack Cactus could turn into.
And it’s okay if it doesn’t work out. I’ll just keep trying things until it does.
(I’m also saying all of this now instead of next month because I anticipate myself getting no work done in December whatsoever. Holiday season moment.)
Stay tuned!!!! Thanks for reading.
George (wavetro)
