Meet Ace Bundy

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ace Bundy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ace, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I developed these things by surrounding people who were kind, understanding, and didn’t treat our relationship as transactional.

As someone with AuDHD, OCD, GAD, BP1, and BPD, the trust I have in the people around me tends to shape my world view.

For example, being borderline means I have no stable sense of self, so oftentimes I feel like my friends know me better than I do. The fact I trust them enough to reassure and remind me about the type of person I am lets me know that I have a place in the world; even if I don’t exactly know who I’m meant to be.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m Ace! (He/They/Vamp)
I also go by many different names and pronouns. I do many different kinds of freelance work and I love to create characters!

I’ve done art for merchandise, comics, and games! I’m also taking my sweet time coming up with chapters for my own comic I’ve been tending to on and off over the last few years. I would describe my style as alt, gothic, vibrant, distinct, and most importantly, fun! I take a lot of inspiration from the world around me and different things I watch.

I’m also beginning to worm my way into the entertainment industry. I have a talent agency on deck and some coaching coming my way!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Adaptability, patience, and contrast!

When it comes down to adaptability, it can mean many different things. This includes the types of mediums you use, different styles you have, and your varying work eithic on different days. For example, I have fibromyalgia and I cant always draw in a sketchbook for hours. I then have to accommodate my self by either making a note of what I wanted to draw initially in my list of projects, or if my ipad is around, I get my basic idea out to work on later.

As far as patience goes, it’s something I’m still working on. In regards to creating and being patient with myself. I tend to get ahead of myself and expect so much to get done, knowing I have very little energy most of the time. I’m also a perfectionist, which is VERY frustrating since I take longer than most to draw and finish pieces. But that’s where the patience comes in. I still take my time, and I no longer expect myself to draw as much as I used to.

Toying with contrast is my FAVORITE skill I’ve been working on. It doesn’t only have to mean colors. Contrast can be prevalent in shapes, features, silhouettes, and vibe. I have many character designs where contrast is at the forefront 9 times out of 10. Once you learn all the ways you can incorporate contrast into your work, you’ll never want to stop.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I’d prefer to be well-rounded and strategic, considering my health. I don’t really have the luxury of completing everything I’d like to when I want to. Unfortunately, time is very tricky. I don’t feel the same every day and I’m tired 24/7. If I put my all into everything I do, I’m never going to get physical or mental rest.

Dividing up my time with practice, projects, and interactions with others is the best way to navigate my life at this point in time. I may work on messing with different body shapes one day for a little bit, and then either touch up a WIP, color in a sketch, or mindlessly doodle another day. I even have to pry myself away sometimes just to sit and exist for a moment. I have a bit of a problem with thinking I always have to be productive.

I’ve had to kind of beat into my head the fact that a little goes a long way. If I keep on giving myself at least 10 minutes just working on something I’ve been thinking about, it will greatly benefit me in the long run.

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