#creativestruggles

Daily writing promptWhat’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?View all responses I never thought reinvention would feel like walking through a maze with no exit sign. The idea of “Me 2.0” was supposed to be exciting—an upgraded, wiser, and more strategic version of myself, ready to take on new challenges. But here’s the catch: what do you do when what you love just isn’t working?…

When ‘trendy’ becomes the ultimate design brief😅

Today I learned something that really shook me. After over a month of pouring my heart and soul into Snack Powered Mage, working late nights and revising tirelessly, I finally checked my earnings. The grand total? $3.42.

Seeing that number hit me like a slap. Less than four dollars for weeks of effort. It felt like a punch to my motivation—a sharp reminder of how brutal creative work can be sometimes. I’d slaved over every chapter, invested emotionally and mentally, and this was the return? It’s hard not to feel like quitting altogether.

My editor already knew I was taking February off to regroup, to take a breather and recharge. But now, even with that plan in place, it feels like I want to quit entirely. The disappointment is overwhelming like all that work amounted to nothing. I have 51 collections, but it seems like hardly anyone is really reading or unlocking anything. Or are chapter unlocks so cheap that each one only pays chump change once it filters down to me? I don’t know.

I’m tempted to say forget it and try working in Unreal Engine for a while—maybe create a game that might make me a little money on the marketplace or something. Who knows? I’ll still update the blog every so often. Maybe I’ll even work some on my other book.

When ‘trendy’ becomes the ultimate design brief. 😅

Designers, we’ve all been there. What’s the most ‘trendy’ client request you’ve received?