Rain, Growth, Paint, and Books - A June Newsletter
Intro
Hello friend. It’s been a while. How have you been? That’s so great to hear. Many blessings and prayers are coming your way, whether you know it or not. Me? Oh, you know, been striving to build a new community of like-minded creatives. Consistency is key. Whether someone is watching or not, my goal is to share what I have to offer in ways that only I can do. I’m not super talkative, nor do I enjoy being in front of a camera by any means.
I tried YouTube for a while to see if my body and soul could handle it, but shortly, I found that it was physically draining for me. Blogging every week? Eh, I ran out of things to talk about since I’m super busy all the time. I’ve found that going day by day, doing things that I love and posting as I want to, works best for my style. Deciding to scrap the things that are no longer serving me has helped with anxiety more and more every day.
Right now, I’d like to strictly focus on what I do best—my mini original art and writing my novels.
For a while, I was frustrated that sales weren’t going as quickly as I would have liked. On YouTube, I watched millions of videos for advice about how to boost sales. I even changed a bunch of stuff, which was indeed very important to do. However, I felt that some of the advice I was getting did not apply to me. I’m not about to reach out to a billion influencers who have no interest in my work. Nor do I want to shove my products in anyone’s face. What I’d prefer to do is build this thang organically.
Novel Update
Hatred For Bugs is going well so far. Not going to lie, I am quite behind with the final edits. Motivation has plummeted recently since writing a novel is HARD. No one talks about the whole process. It looks perfect on the outside—yep, just write it and that's it. However, that is NOT the case. It involves writing the initial draft, which can take months if not years. Then, finding an editor who is not going to drain your bank account to wait months for them to review your work and get it back to you. Designing the cover yourself or hiring a professional to do it takes time as well. Revisions are needed to make sure the thing is perfect. Did I mention that editing is not just once? Self-editing at least five to ten times is a requirement. I’m getting sick of looking at it! Just kidding. But seriously… No one mentions these things.
The book is hilarious. Sometimes when I’m editing, I start to crack up at my own jokes. It’s like watching a movie all day in my head. While I enjoy the writing process, the editing process is what always gets me. It’s so hard to get through it. I’m expecting to get it published by mid-June. Honestly, I had been procrastinating because I thought my LLC was going to take a bit longer to get accepted. It’s my fault completely for underestimating the state’s fast capabilities to review paperwork.
Newest Art Drops
I feel that I painted some of the coolest ones this month. I no longer care what anyone thinks because I’m having such a blast doing it. Aren’t they adorable? My inspiration comes from all sorts of things—the rain, my dog, cities, water, God, my faith, my husband, my family, and so much more. I hope that whoever buys them receives as much joy as I had painting them.
Book Recommendation
I’m currently reading: Not Here To Be Liked by Michelle Quan
The book is extremely relatable, my goodness. The main protagonist is in her last year of high-school and had worked super hard for the school paper chief editorial position for some jock to come out of nowhere and steal what she’d been striving for because he was “more of a leader”.
I highly recommend it.
Final Words
Thank you so much for sticking around for the entire newsletter. Summer is coming up soon. Can you believe it? The year is flying by. I don’t think I’m ready for the heat, but more importantly, the BUGS. Help me! Make sure to have sunblock with you, even if you have olive tan skin like me. I’ll miss you! But I hope you have an amazing, successful month ahead. If you like reading my writing or enjoy peeking at my art, please consider subscribing to the newsletter. It is completely free, I promise. I also don’t send a million emails like some of these people out there.
Until next time,
Victoria Loria
