Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Practicing Courage

Illustration of a cartoon girl with a bun rowing a boat with an oar-sized pen, navigating a Hokusai-style wave made of crumpled paper. Titled "Practicing Courage." Original cartoon by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024


Panel 1/5: Illustration of a girl with a bun on the shore of a deserted island, looking out on open water. Text reads, "To find my way back to cartooning, I had to remember why I started in the first place." Original cartoon by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024

Panel 2/5: The girl is wielding the giant pen like a spear now and says defensively, "You know, there's really a lot that could go wrong!" The caption reads, "This thought played in my head on repeat." Original cartoon by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024

Panel 3/5: Text: "It never stops being scary to open yourself up and risk vulnerability. And the world IS a scary place. It's not just my imagination." The girl peeks out from behind jungle cover, eyeing her surroundings suspiciously, thinking to herself: "Hah! As suspected...danger, EVERWHERE." Original cartoon by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024
Panel 4/5: Text: "I had to convince myself to pick up a pen everyday, regardless of outcome." Illustration of a cartoon girl with a bun rowing a boat with an oar-sized pen, navigating a Hokusai-style wave made of crumpled paper.  Original cartoon by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024

Panel 5/5: Text: "This is what I had to do to start over." Girl in a small boat, rowing through a sea of crumpled paper with a large fountain pen, singing to herself, "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream...Merrily, merrily, merrily..." Caption reads, "Cartooning, like courage, takes practice." Original cartoon by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024

Life seems to test our courage constantly, in big and small ways. It would be nice if it were easier, but maybe the practice makes us stronger in the long run. 

I definitely struggled to come back to cartooning, but I'm glad I convinced myself to be braver than I felt in this instance. Often, all we can do is be a little bit brave, everyday. 

Wishing you daily courage, wherever you need it most. - Connie

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(After some time offline, I've started sharing updates again, on my blog and Ko-fi page. I'll be back on Instagram selectively. You can also sign up to hear from me directly on my portfolio website. Thanks for reading!)


Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Modern Existence

Illustration of a cartoon girl with a bun sitting at a desk, with an elephant walking by behind her. Girl asks the elephant a rhetorical question: "If a person deletes all their social media and nobody hears what they think, do they still exist?" Original artwork by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024
Illustration of a cartoon girl with a bun sitting at a desk, with an elephant walking by behind her. The elephant turns to respond to the girl's question: "Well, if there's one thing humans are good at, it's making their existence known. Original artwork by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024

After over a year offline, I’m having to change my relationship to blogging and social media. Not easy to start up again, but I’m glad to reconnect with friends and readers. 

Does art need an audience? I’m not sure yet. I’ve been filling private sketchbooks and journals, which has been great for developing ideas and techniques. But there is something about sharing work with you all that forces me to “translate” and clarify ideas a step further.

Thanks for reading and for your patience as I get my blog up and running again. Lots of new work to share in the coming weeks! - Connie

(Starting this month, I'll resume sharing updates and artwork regularly, on my blog and Ko-fi page. I'll be back on Instagram selectively. You can also sign up to hear from me directly on my portfolio website.)

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Godzilla Algorithms

2-panel comic illustration of algorithms in 2010 compared to today (2024), depicted as a cute baby reptile that grows into a fire-breathing Godzilla that destroys big cities. Panel 1 shows a cartoon girl with a bun, cooing at a newly hatched baby lizard: "A baby algorithm! OMG so cute!" The year is 2010 and she is crouching to pet the hatchling. Panel 2 cuts to "Today" and shows an illustration of a cartoon Godzilla-like monster, towering over a metropolis, breathing fire and destroying buildings. It's gripping small figures in its giant claws, one of which is the girl with the bun in the first cartoon panel. In big bold lettering, the caption reads, "Godzilla Algorithms wreak global havoc." Original cartoon by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024

Thanks for your love and support, especially after all this time. I've been working offline to develop my ideas into book-length stories. 

Since art and algorithms don't always mix, thanks in advance for your patience as I figure out how to come back online with brand new cartoons. I'm excited to share new drawings with you in the coming weeks.

Starting this month, I'll resume sharing updates and artwork regularly again, on my blog and Ko-fi page. I'll be back on Instagram selectively.

My new portfolio website is up as well, where you can also sign up to hear from me directly.

Thanks for your patience as I get my systems up and running again. - Connie

Tuesday, October 08, 2024

A Long Time Away

I've been a long time away, but I'm back! Though I was offline for longer than expected, I never stopped writing and cartooning, and I'm excited to share what I've been working on with you.

Starting this month, I'll resume sharing updates and artwork regularly again, on my blog and Ko-fi page. I'll be back on Instagram selectively.

My new portfolio website is up as well, where you can also sign up to hear from me directly, if you haven't already.  

Thanks for your patience as I iron out my schedule and get my systems up and running again. - Connie
Illustration of a cartoon girl in a cave with a messy bun, sitting alone in front of a fire. Titled "A Long Time Away." Original artwork by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024


Illustration of a cartoon girl in a dark cave, making rudimentary cave drawings. Graffitied on the wall is the text, "How can you even call yourself an artist?" Caption reads, I took a break from social media for over a year to relearn how to make art offline, free of algorithms." Original artwork by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024
Illustration of a cartoon girl in a cave with a messy bun, sitting alone in front of a fire. The shadows cast by the light are scary and taunting. Caption reads, "It was hard to start over. Cartooning online had been my first love and longest relationship of 12 years." Original artwork by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024
Illustration of a cartoon girl stranded on an island, dressed in rags, looking out at the water under moonlight. There are frogs on lily pads croaking, "Fraud, fraud, fraud" at her. Caption reads, " I struggled to find my bearings again and make some sort of peace with being 'lost' for a while. There were a lot of ups and downs and difficult lessons along the way." Original artwork by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024
Illustration of a cartoon girl with a bun sitting at a desk, drawing, no longer stranded on an island. Caption reads, "But most importantly, I'M BACK! And I can't wait to share what I've been working on with you!" Original artwork by Connie Sun, cartoonconnie, 2024