March updates (2025): I talked with Discord users for the first time

Newsletter updates, manga updates, sneak peek and more! (+I created an online club for artists).

Hey there!

You may already know that I skipped posting a monthly update for February. And the things I wanted to share have piled up. (That's why this post is a bit longer than usual.)

So a part of me has been looking forward to posting this article you're reading right now. (Because this is like a blog post series where I can talk about anything.)

But first– before I get into the good stuff, here are some usual updates for those curious about my manga project and the newsletter.

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Newsletter updates:

I didn't make any significant changes to this newsletter this month.

I skipped a week of posting articles.

I also realized I haven't posted another episode of the Art Journal in months. (And I won't be able to for a while. So sorry if you were looking forward to that.)

But hey! A good thing is that–

The open rate has increased a bit, which is a good sign! (Did this improvement happen because of the headlines, I wonder?)

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Manga updates:

Chapter 1 of the manga is complete, and I'm currently working on chapter 2.

If you've been reading my Notes, you already know this:

This week has been a dull one for me. I had a great streak going last week, when I drew 2-4 pages of storyboard each day.

But then, some real-life problems got in the way and broke my streak.

If you're wondering about the problem, don't worry; it's mostly resolved, so I'm focusing on getting back on track and gaining momentum for now.

I drew a few panels, and I’ll share one of them as a sneak peek later in this article.

Alright! It’s time for me to tell you the interesting (internet) thing that happened to me this week.

Here we go!

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Rabbit holes and entering an unfamiliar territory:

Since I got stuck with an art block, I knew taking a break from drawing and trying something new would help me get unstuck.

I looked for a few things to do and fell into a few rabbit holes. Which felt like going on an exciting adventure without knowing where it was going to lead me, and I returned with some loot. (Aka, random or relevant pieces of information that I find interesting).

(That reminds me, you have to read this article written by my friend about rabbit holes. It's very interesting):

Why Your Brain Loves a Good Rabbit Hole

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Using Discord for the first time:

One of the rabbit holes I fell into was learning to use Discord.

Many people I know use Discord, so I wanted to stay updated, keep up with today’s tech and platforms, and not seem like I live under a rock. So I figured this is the perfect time to explore the platform.

I knew I was entering a completely unfamiliar territory. So I took it as a challenge and was ready for anything. (Even handling rude people and scammers. I was careful not to share any personal details about myself).

First impression!:

• Seems like a chaotic platform with the potential to destroy my brain cells and waste my time if I'm not careful.

• It seemed a bit too fast for me to keep up, but I was able to manage it because of my this-close-to-becoming-hyper-active brain.

• The platform has a lot of complicated buttons and features.

• There are so many people who don't use discretion when chatting with strangers.

• Some parts of this platform seem desolate, like a desert.

• And yes, there were a lot of rude and mean people… and they ask where you live. (Note: Don’t tell them your personal details– not even your town or city, to be on the safer side).

But hey, the good news is– this doesn't apply to all of Discord!

There are a lot of “Servers,” which are similar to WhatsApp’s group chats or Substack's subscriber threads. So, each server is unique.

I joined 4 servers. Here's what happened in each of them (and I'll tell you about my favourite server out of these 4 at the end):

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Server #1:

One of the servers I joined was that of a Youtuber. It was full of kids, teens, and gamers, so that much speed and chaos was as expected. (After a few minutes, I figured that the server was not for me).

But I also met a new person there who was also very interested in art and creative works. So I showed him some of my artworks. He liked them, and I shared my Instagram with him, too, so he could see more of my drawings.

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Server #2:

Another server I joined… was a manga scanlation group. A group where people translate manga chapters and post them online for English language readers to enjoy.

(They mostly do it as a hobby and they translate their favourite manga because the manga have no official english translation crew).

(If you're curious to know more about Scanlation, I recommend reading this Wikipedia article.)

This group's work was interesting.

But… The people…I felt that they were not for me, so I left that server.

I saw one last message before leaving the server, which was, “Great. You guys scared off the newbie again”.

Hahaha, yep…

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Server #3:

Anyway, another server I joined was for the fanbase of my favourite Japanese singer and songwriter, Eve.

I am a fan, so I joined.

Seemed like a friendly community– great for artists, too. But it felt… A bit empty. I introduced myself. There were not many people talking, so I'm still waiting for someone to reply to my messages. (My messages probably got drowned by now; maybe I'll try sending another hi later).

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Server #4:

The last server I joined– it was the best one. It's a server called the “Lofi Girl” and most of the members seemed chill and friendly. (At least– during the time I was there).

I think this server is friendly because there were more, stricter rules than on the other servers I went to. (For example, the Lo-fi girl server banned bad words, but the scanlation group didn't.)

I talked to someone in one of the many channels, and along the way, I shared my first manga with them as well. It was super fun!

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I learned that each server is unique and the energy and environment of the community– depends on the people who are using it to connect and hang out at the time.

I thought it would be a great idea to build my own server on Discord to create a place for mangakas, comic artists, and art enthusiasts to hang out.

So I created a Discord server!✨

Here, have a look!:

(Screenshot of my server, “Manga artists Club“)

(And it took a whole day to set up because it was way too complicated and confusing for a complete newbie like me…😩)

I may need to make some more small edits to it, but it's pretty much ready for people to enter and have fun chatting. I intend to keep it a peaceful, kind, and friendly place for artists.

If you're an artist, mangaka, illustrator, or manga reader, feel free to message me. I'd love to send you the invite link and have you join. We can keep each other accountable and encourage each other to draw and grow together! 😄✨

I haven't 100% learned to use Discord yet. But I think I got the hang of most of it.

With what I learned, I set up the server and made it look as good and easy to navigate as I could.

After that, I decided not to spend too much time on it and to do the more important things first, like drawing.

However, I remembered my art block didn't go away. I decided to reach out and find an art buddy who would keep me company.

I posted this self-introduction to the Lo-fi girl community:

(Introducing myself in one of the “Channels”.)

I got messages from five people at the same time. I didn't expect it, but I replied to all of them and was curious to see what would happen.

Luckily, 3 of them were pretty nice, so we're friends now.

And one of the other two– who's in their twenties, replied with “Bruh, tf u so pvt for? I ain't coming over to ur town” when I politely refused to tell them the town I live in. (Translation for those who don't get the internet slang: “Why the [__] are you so private for? I'm not coming over to your town.”)

And I teased them in return, saying they sounded like my 16-year-old friend.

(Kinda mean, don't you think?)

So that's that. (Heh. Told ya, I was ready to face rude people, remember?)

On the other hand, the 3 people I befriended were pretty interested in my art. I got to show them my first manga, and I got encouraged by them in return.

(Receiving encouragement from nice people)

It was a much-needed nudge to keep drawing, and their encouragement reduced my art block a bit.

Here's the drawing I drew after talking to them– a little sneak peek for you:

(Just did the lineart/inking)

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Final thoughts on Discord:

In conclusion, I don't think all Substackers will like Discord. Substack is for the more mature, calm, introverted, thoughtful, and nice people (and some parts of Substack are a bit intense at times).

While Discord was more casual, fast-paced, silly, and a bit harsh and pointless at times. (But most of it was quite entertaining, if you don't take anything personally).

I kind of want to write more about my Discord experience because as I spent more time navigating through the platform, it grew on me, and I started to get a feel for it.

I also got to have wonderful conversations with people who shared the same interests as me. (It felt like…home… it was like talking with Substackers, if I talk to the right people).

As I learn more about the features of Discord, I might (or may not) get the urge to write an article about it and post it. So bear with me if I ever do that, haha.

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Favorite video of the month:

There is a YouTuber who creates fun manga review videos on his channel, “Coggsie”. I watch his videos sometimes, and discovered that he recently created a new animation YouTube channel named “Cooper Galanis”. This is one of his new videos– and my goodness, it's a masterpiece! (This is the most relatable thing ever. And the humor is amazing):

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Author’s note: I think I’m growing fond of this monthly updates series. I had a lot of fun putting this article together, and I hope you had fun reading it as well.

See you at the next one!

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Thank you for reading! I hope you liked reading this article, and I hope it was helpful. Come again next week on Friday for a ✨new post✨

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- Harshini

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