I recently updated the intro video that new viewers see on my YouTube channel, and it turned into more of a creative challenge than I expected. The hardest part wasn’t editing. It was figuring out how to capture what Maizi is in such a short amount of time. I know the usual advice is to focus on one topic or create separate channels for different interests. I’ll be honest… I don’t have the energy to manage more than one channel. 😭 After a lot of brainstorming, I realized it made more sense to keep everything together. Gaming is still the main focus, but I also wanted the channel to reflect the other creative things I enjoy, like art, editing, vlogs, and behind-the-scenes projects. I’d love to hear your first impression. Does the thumbnail and intro communicate that balance, or is there anything you’d change?

One week of intentional practice with new tools and materials can change a lot. This past week I spent 1 hour a day really learning my new paper, brushes, and water ratios instead of rushing to make finished work. Just slowing down and experimenting, researching, and playing~ seeing how much water the paper can actually hold, how pigment disperses, when ink blooms beautifully versus when it muddies, how different brushes carry and release paint. This kind of practice is IMPORTANT~! We NEED this to further ourselves. We can't expect to get better on a whim and some sheer luck. A week of focused experimentation builds familiarity. Familiarity builds confidence. Confidence builds fluency. Suddenly your hand hesitates less because you understand your materials instead of fighting them. I think a lot of artists feel pressure to constantly produce finished pieces, but growth happens in the quieter moments more often than not~ the testing, the failed marks, the weird little experiments, the “what happens if I try this?” sessions. Practice is not wasted time. Learning your tools is part of the art itself. What would it look like for you if you spent even 20 minutes a day learning your tools, materials, process, or craft a little more~? (Here are my 6 days... I somehow didn't take a pic of some of the things I added~ last one was from tonight where I started playing with ideas for how this can be applied to designs and patterns~ slightly blame @Jen Ritchie for that 🤣🫶🏻)

What’s in progress this week? Not everything we make is meant to be finished in one sitting~ and honestly, most of the good stuff isn’t. This is your space to share what you’re currently building, whether it's: sketches, rough drafts, half-finished pieces, messy middles, all of it. A few gentle reminders if you need them: • What are you working on right now? • What part feels clear vs. uncertain? • Where are you in your process~ start, middle, or refinement? Remember~ WIP isn’t “not done.” It’s in motion~ Drop your work below (or just tell us about it) 👇 Let’s see what’s unfolding with everyone this week.

Like it’s just something you do when you’re not focused. But sometimes… this is the most honest thing you’ll put on the page. No planning ~ No expectations~ No pressure to make it good~ Just your hand moving~ Doodling is: - where your brain gets out of the way - where ideas show up uninvited - where your style starts to take shape without forcing it A lot of my pieces don’t start as ideas, sometimes they have a thumbnail~ but more often than not~ They start like this. Loose~ Unplanned~ Half-finished~ So try this: Give yourself 10–15 minutes. No goal~ just draw~ See what shows up~ ^_^

This is my most recent painting and first abstract. So. Much. Freedom! I follow along in a live paint along on Saturdays, so this is not an original piece be moi. Can you find the signature @Hansheng Lee