Changes in Tutorial Making and Further Content

Some of you may have seen me mention it elsewhere, but I have decided to not move forward with making large, detailed tutorials.

The initial plan in action

For two years, I had tried to figure out a plan to make myself visible for opportunities to create characters for companies - for pay. Or at least to get the followers to monetize social media accounts like YouTube and maybe eventually Tiktok. Unfortunately, I severely underestimated how long it would take to do full-length tutorials. Not only that, but I ended up feeling ill at some point, making me barely able to get up and work on the large costume tutorial.

I ended up in a slew of doctors appointments and all that, only to realize that I had a vitamin D deficiency taking me down. But it wasn’t just that - it was my body fighting me on the fact that my tutorial wasn’t getting me anywhere.

Maybe 10 followers gained.

No tag backs on my tutorial follows.

No invitations to game companies for even the smallest things, like a creator program.

Learned from other makers that 80-90% of tutorial files and 3D models are never credited. And I’ve seen this in action, even to where others gained opportunities on files left uncredited, so I believe it can be that high.

I saw that it seemed being in a costume was way, way more important than how it got made. Not just files to make, but actual construction of the files themselves.

It wasn’t until I had decided to quit my current tutorial and got the vitamin deficiency resolved, that I realized my issue. I just didn’t want to continue such hard work for no recognition. Crafting was fun again - with the pressure off.

The resolution

After my realization, I ended up deciding not to do said tutorial. I even ended up taking the set of Xal’atath files down because I couldn’t handle having it up anymore. The pressure of that tutorial’s existence even weighed on me. I am glad that people found enough interest in it to download an incomplete file set, but I need to take some time to make cosplay costume art for the sake of it. To have fun again.

I spent 7 of my last 9 years of cosplay trying to learn costume construction and keep an eye out for paid opportunities. And I am thankful for the two game companies that did momentarily allow me in their creator programs. I got to experience what they were, and realized the #1 program I want to be in won’t allow me. So I won’t seek any anymore.

The future

For now, I will help with guesting at some conventions with the cost being travel, food, and lodging. I’ll help out with some community events that are not for profit. Small events still do need my help, so it’s best for me to put my efforts there.

I also may end up releasing files for other characters I build in the future. But this will be after I finish making my costumes. And there’s no guarantee as to which ones those will be. If the files seem useable as they are, I can publish. If they’re a mess, and I barely got from point A to point B, then I will keep them hidden.

And as always, I’ll continue to make Warcraft costumes. I made a lot of friends through this fandom, so I’ll be sticking to that plan for the rest of my life. Opportunities or not.