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🌟 Spotlight: pogpals

A space for (almost) limitless creativity, Here lets you create rooms \ that let you fully express yourselves. But sometimes, we need a little inspiration. Welcome to Here Spotlight, a series of interviews with some of our favorite artists and creatives out in the world.

Hi Poggy, could you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you in the world and how are you spending your summer so far?

Hello hello I’m a filipino illustrator. I live up in the Appalachian Mountains, so I’ve been spending my summers enjoying the breezy mountain weather. I’ve been getting into gardening so if I’m not on the computer I’m probably in my garden hanging out with the bugs and slugs.

Why do you love frogs so much? We love frogs too.

Frogs are squishy little boops that vibe in the woods. What’s not to love about them. Frogs are both cozy yet chaotic creatures. They are also SO TINY, and I love smol things. The feeling of being so small in a big world is something I relate to on a visceral level.

Tell us a little bit about the room template that you made!

So the room template I made I call it Dreamy Picnic, it’s a cozy space for studying, focusing, and getting things organized. It’s a lovely picnic scene where you can add your own snacks and drinks. I also put relaxing Minecraft lofi bops because video game music always helps me concentrate.

Who are some of your favorite artists on the internet right now?

I have so many favorite artists it’s hard to choose which ones I love the most. I’m always inspired by @leighellexson paintings. @wooqiart’s colorful worlds. @jisoupy’s comics.

What are some of your biggest challenges and anxieties as an online creator?

Content creation is a marathon that never ends. You are constantly performing nonstop creating content and burn out is inevitable. It’s a constant mental gymnastics to keep your head above water. It’s very easy to get wrapped up in the numbers and the metrics of how well a posts is performing. It becomes unhealthy and toxic to base your artistic self worth to a like button.

What inspires you? Who are some of your favorite artists online right now?

The idea that right now in 2022 you have access to so many creative tools to make any idea a reality is what truly inspires me. A decade ago, it was much harder to get into art or animation. There’s so many tutorials online and so many resources to start your own creative project.

Do you find inspiration from being online? Where are some of your favorite places to spend time online?

Being online unlocks a ton of possibilities. You can make a podcast, an indie game, a YouTube channel, a silly Tiktok, or others. I love the idea that you get to create and make whatever you want and share it with so many people. I have found a lot of likeminded friends through the internet.

I’ve been really into live streaming lately so I love playing video games with others. I also like hanging out in virtual chat spaces to concentrate and focus while drawing. My favorites have been watching anime episodes with friends on here.fm and other platforms.

Do you have a story of a meaningful creative or personal friendship in your life?

One of my closest friends I met in college Hats (@humblefeels) has been my creative rock. No matter how many ridiculous crafty ideas I have she has always supported me. I come up with a TON of ideas, too many ideas, ideas on top of ideas. It can definitely exhaust my friends who hear me nonstop chatter about my infinite amount of obsessions. Hats is the best and listens and encourages all my wildest art ideas.

What are some books or movies that inspire you? How did said book or movie influence your work or how you think about your creative work?

There hasn’t been a specific movie or book that has impacted my art. Video games have greatly influenced my art a lot. I play a lot of cozy games most notably Animal Crossing New Horizon. It’s such a wholesome game that lets me be creative without touching my pencil. It has influenced my art in more ways than I can imagine. I found so many creative friends through playing Animal Crossing. I love building worlds and making up fantasy landscapes and animal crossing definitely lets your imagination run wild.

What are you some of the things that you are working on that you’re excited about right now?

I am really close to launching a shop update for POGPALS.COM! I have a lot of new art prints that are in the works and I’m getting into apparel designs. It’s been a dream of mine to put my little froggy on a hoodie or shirt.

How do you stay hopeful?

My coping mechanism starter pack is: Frog memes, Kirby Memes, Naps, Snacks, More naps.

What are some of the songs that you can’t get out of your head right now?

ChriSSy waKE uP!! I don’T liKE thiS.. CHRISSY WAKEUP!!! hey HEY HELLLOO (this lives rent free in my head)

Where else can we find you on the internet?

I’m @pogpals on all my socials!!

🐸 pogpals.com

🐸 https://twitch.tv/pogpals⁠⁠

🐸 https://instagram.com/pogpals

⁠🐸 https://tiktok.com/@pogpals_

🐸 https://youtu.be/KuynO64wOew