"do the art that makes you happy" @yasmeenaffendi

Dear Diary,

Hi! I'm Yasmeen, or more known online as Prism Arts! I'm a 22 year old artist from Malaysia, currently studying for a degree in Computer Animation!

I first got into art as a little kid! I am a self-taught artist who learned drawing from being inspired by cartoons like Power Puff Girls, My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic and Phineas and Ferb! I got into digital art specifically from just teaching myself how to draw on a drawing app on my phone with just my finger for making pony art and OCs and transitioned into using a Wacom tablet for digital art by 2019 - 2020.

Credit: Yasmeen (Instagram @yasmeenaffendi)

I think social media has changed my art in leading me to making friends in fandom spaces for my favourite shows and movies, it helped me gain more inspiration for my art and how to better build my OCs (fandom and original ones) in terms of both story, lore and character design. I like to think without social media and being a part of the fandom spheres, my art probably wouldn't be as vast and creative as it is now.

Sometimes, I have slowly learned to just post my art and what I like drawing over time but it does sometimes hurt to see an art piece I work so hard on not get as much attention. However, having a few mutual and online friends that constantly like my art or comment or share always warms my heart and it kinda makes up for the art not going viral and such.

Credit: Yasmeen (Instagram @yasmeenaffendi)

What sparks my creativity lately? Definitely Fandoms and OCs! Like I mentioned, I don't think my art would get where it is without them and nowadays I not only have a main fandom I do art for, that being the Tales of Arcadia series, that never ceases to stop being such an inspiration but I also have just been going back to old fandoms and making new art for them, whether it be redesigning old characters like the Winx girls or the Mane 6 ponies or just drawing my favourite characters and OCs, fandom culture really inspires me.

I think if my art had a message, it would be to just draw what you love to draw, do the art that makes you happy and inspired and SOMEONE whether it be mutuals and friends or people who like the same media as you, will find it and will support you! But even if your art doesn't go viral, as long as it makes you happy, I think that's the most important part!

Till next time!

Yasmeen

Featured image credit: Yasmeen (Instagram @yasmeenaffendi)