The Driver's on Fire!
It's gonna be a lonely but exciting road
Happy New Year!
its 2026 now, and 2025 was a conquered but battered battlefield. I hit many emotional and personal milestones that I’ve been building for years. I’ve opened up to people closest to me, created art as my most intimate self, gained an insanely supportive following, befriended great people (with many consistent figures ily<3), moved into my own apartment, found the meaning of life (for now), fundraising, made the highest annual profits from my art ever, reinterpretation of what it means to be grateful, shared my art in some of my favorite ways, and had a cheeky giggle and laugh.
But lord was it hard. Sleepless nights (typically seven a week), financial burdens, dissociations, aimless stares through my work laptop, isolation, frequent bouts of delirium and mental deregulation, infestations, large neglect for my personal health, lack of routine, and daily thoughts of “why hasn’t this paid off yet”. I still have these thoughts, and the lack of sleep doesn’t help. My insta algorithm keeps talking about cortisol but I haven’t met her irl.
Alas, a new year has started, and I have new goals in mind. My art has been slow since November, but that is because I have been working on a new short film, titled “Sticks”. My last short film was ok, but it was pretty rushed tbh, so I do plan on taking my time with this. I should be wrapping up the animating soon, and then after cleaning up the footage I can start with video editing and getting silly with it. I’ve been thinking about the role “play” has in life, and the commercialization of it in our current world; this piece is a testament to this notion.
A wip of my short film! I forgot to rotate it but u get it fr
I don’t just want to release the film though. As an animator, it’s odd releasing works while hoping to be paid as well. It feels awkward. You can’t crack and egg and expect a cake to fall out of the shell. There’s missing steps and I want to figure it out. For this piece, I want to run a whole campaign. A trailer to introduce it, apply to grants to have a physical show to highlight the piece, as well as accompanying art works to go along with it. From either posters/prints, small scale sculptures, or illustrations, there should be more ways to accommodate the film itself. And I want more ways for people to invest in my art. I’ve sold books, artworks, and commissions, and I am open to more. I set up a new website and I want to build from it. I am applying to grants and film festivals, and I just need to get this film done to push it forward.
I think the new year has lit a fire under me. I have a sense of direction that I didn’t have before. It’s no longer a fire for creating art - but a fire to be an artist. I don’t make art from passion or desire, but it is now my curiosity to see what I can do. It’s what I have to do to stay excited for the days to come. This is a fire to become an artist. I will be one of the greats, regardless of how cocky that sounds. I’m tired of seeing people lose their luster for life, but I have seen people gain it back. I want to create something new to show people that there is more in the world to see. Online isn’t the only thing left for us. I want to push art through my time here, and I already see the effect. Theres a good 4 other people on Earth who have replicated my handheld stopmotions. thats a 400% increase since I began, for those who are interested in data. I know what I can do, and I know what is left for me to do. May this new fire keep me warm.
Cheers-
Faraz
Have yall seen this yet I got a lil interview from @menna.nyc
ps. “May this new fire keep me warm.” jfc the drama who wrote this like omg
pss. the past few months have turned me into a Geese stan if anyone has been listening. I don’t know where i am going, but here I come! and I do love a 7+ minute ballad so yay
psss. i honestly dont know how filmmakers make money but i can figure that out later.
pssss. what if I made another sculpture soon? hmmmm thinking experimental thoughts fr but I do want to make a series about the club.. i miss going to the club
https://raz-does-art.com/product/handhelds-zine/ check it out!
thats all folx!
!!!!! love to see u keep expanding!!!!