This is that post that comes in between all of everyone’s exciting posts that no one will probably read because everyone else is making much more awesome posts. Oh well, here goes.
Zielle gave me some questions as part of her “Guest Interviews” thang, and so that’s the first order of business. Who doesn’t love to answer questions about oneself?
Zielle: What brought you to name your blog ‘Steeplechase’?
Tess: Oh wow, these questions are personalized! Epic. I had always loved the word, and I thought it reflected the random nature of my blog without being “Tessie’s Random Crazy Stuff Blog!!”
Zielle: How was your blog born? Who/what inspired you to start one?
Tess: Well, I had already made an AG doll blog (still running, btdubs), but I found a bunch of posts that weren’t AG related were falling through the cracks, so I bucked up and made a PB. And now I love it.
Zielle: What quote do you live by if any?
Tess: Literally anything that Winston Churchill said. In particular:
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”
“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” (used in the literal sense of the word, btw)
Okay, that wasn’t one quote. That was five. Bad Tess. *spanks hand*
Zielle: Who are some bloggers you look up to or who inspire you?
Tess: I look up to anyone who’s been blogging longer than I have – Madi and Hayley in particular. As for inspiration, my inspiration comes from all of my followers, all of the people I follow, any random visitors that stop by – in short, every blogger is an inspiration to me.
Zielle: What are some of your blogging goals for the year 2018?
Tess: Finish what I start XD. I have five random drafts in my folder right now and I need to get better at that. Make a two-minute animation for you guys to enjoy. I also want to get to one hundred followers. But that’s just a selfish wish. I don’t even have 50 :P.
Zielle: Are you just naturally good at drawing, or did you have to learn?
Tess: *thinks*
Big Important Drawing Rule One: There is no such thing as natural talent. There is such thing as extensive practice. I’ve been actively drawing since I could scribble. My mom always nurtured me by providing clean paper to draw on and good tools to draw with.
Big Important Drawing Rule Two: Copy. Hold it! There’s a difference between copying and plagiarism. Go to Google, search what you want to draw, and pull up an image. Now draw it as best you can. Think about what it would look like as a coloring page. Also, try to draw from life as much as possible. If you can’t draw from life, then watch someone else draw what you want to draw. Steer clear of ‘drawing tutorials’, though, because those will teach you how to draw that thing in the creator’s style. Not good. You want your own style.
Big Important Drawing Rule Three: Be unique. Do things your way, not someone else’s. That’s the only way your drawings will look like YOU.
Big Important Drawing Rule Four: Block. If you want to be able to draw something from every angle, learn to block. Go look it up. Art Ala Carte is a great Youtube channel for learning how to block.
Big Important Drawing Rule Five: Don’t buy expensive stuff until you’re sure you’re serious.
(This was an essay. Sorry. :P)
Zielle: How many times have you flown in a plane? (#random)
Tess: Only once. I didn’t get a window seat though. So that kind of stunk.
Zielle: Do you stall reading until you’re in bed, or do you read whenever you can?
Tess: It all depends on what I’m reading. If a book is meh or average or not really that interesting, I wait till bed. But if it’s so enthralling that I can’t wait to see what happens next and can’t put it down, then I read it whenever I can (including while getting dressed).
Zielle: How old were you when you wrote your first story? (if you’re okay sharing)
Tess: I was nine. I wrote out a story about bunnies that now, remembering it, sounds mysteriously like Alice in Wonderland…even though I hadn’t read it at the time. I sadly don’t have it anymore.
