Performing at Louder Than A Mom — Onicia Update  

Ya girl is getting back on stage, baby! I’ll be performing at Louder Than A Mom on Louder Than A Mom on February 19. Since many of you are not in the U.S., I’ll do my best to post the performance on YouTube as soon as I have it.

BTW, thanks for the kind words in response to my recent bad luck. Honestly, I feel very in the zone; those tiny speed bumps aren’t slowing me down.

In this newsletter:

• Romcom Table Read Update
  Check out my super cute pitch deck for Rest in Piss, Devin Damuels.
• YouTube Journey Update
  Yay, new subscribers!
• Cosmic Love: an Audio Drama by Amy Thorstenson
  Can you spot which character I voiced?
• Should we bring back Scams, Swindles, and Schemes?
• Watch ’98 Honda by Niles Abston
• Update from Devin
  He’s having a signing for is comic on February 22!

“You Have to Like it a Little” by John Parrish

Recently, I saw someone posting advice about making art and about how you get better. I then saw someone reply, “When does that happen? I’ve been making art for years and I see no improvement. I hate making stuff unless I’m getting paid.”

I looked over their art and while it was good, it really did just all look the same. And I realized that it was because they didn’t draw unless it was a paying gig. And while there’s nothing wrong with getting paid for your art, if getting paid is the only reason then your art probably isn’t going to improve.

I should clarify that art did not seem to be this person’s primary source of income. It seemed more like a hobby which made me wonder why they didn’t find a new hobby if they hated it so much.

If you don’t enjoy making art then you will avoid making it. And when you have to make it, you will hate what you’ve made because it won’t be that good. You won’t be looking for ways to improve, you’ll just be trying to get it over with so you can do anything else. And if you aren’t improving then you won’t make that much money off of it anyway. You’re just going to perpetually be frustrated the way that the artist was. It’s very self-defeating in a way I can’t understand.

I feel fortunate that I don’t think I’ve ever HATED something I’ve written. I can look at something and know it isn’t good but I still see promise/find something I do like in it. For me, part of the fun is figuring out what didn’t work and how to improve it. It’s like putting together a puzzle. And when the pieces fall into place, it’s just an amazing feeling. I just enjoy writing. If I didn’t, I’d go do something else.

I don’t know. It just stuck with me.

Stay warm.

Jon

Subscribe to the “No Title Needed” newsletter to get updates on the latest comics from Jon Parrish as well as advice, art previews, stories from his life, and what he’s watching/playing at the moment.

Romcom Table Read Update

OMG, y’all my pitch deck is so cute. Rachel Osbourne (nuancecasting.com) and Whitney Wasson (soberrabbit.com) did amazing work. I’d love to hear your feedback. Yes, your opinion is valid even if you’re not an “industry” person. Does the story sound interesting? What do you think of the layout? Who would you cast in this film?

To access the pitch deck, click here and scroll down to the bottom. You’ll need to provide your name and email. If you don’t feel comfortable putting your contact information into the form, just reply to this email and I’ll forward you the PDF. THANKS!!

YouTube Journey Update

For a YouTube channel to be monetized, I need 500 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. The table below shows a summary of my progress.

YouTube Monetization Goal	Week 7 of 16	Week 9 of 16	Progress
500 Subscribers	278	280	+2
4,000 Watch hours	15.6	9.2	3.2 more than usual

Two new subscribers?! Baby, I’m over the moon! Yes, please keep streaming my ‘Ultimate Onicia’ playlist. THANK YOU <3

Cosmic Love: an Audio Drama by Amy Thorstenson

I would say Cosmic Love is like Star Trek with sex but anyone who has every watched the series knows Star Trek is super horny and there’s lots of (implied) sex. Can you spot which character I voiced?

Should we bring back Scams, Swindles, and Schemes?

Serious question. Devin and I really enjoyed this project. Knowing you were waiting for the next season would inspire us to hit record.

Watch ’98 Honda by Niles Abston

So pleased that Niles finally released ’98 Honda. The story is so captivating I completely forgot I was watching a short and the ending came as a surprise and a bummer. The Spider-Man scene always cracks me up.