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

Hi Cherish, thanks for joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

The time I received my first dollar was on Pateon, a subscription-based platform where fans can support their favorite creators financially. My Patreon account was linked to my WEBTOON creator page, which was where I published my main comic Destiny Indeed.

You wouldn’t believe the way I ran about screaming in joy at the very first Patreon I received. In a way I could say that moment was a life changer for me.

Comics take a lot of time and dedication to create. Much more time for those which update weekly in the hands of a solo creators. It can be really difficult as a creative to maintain that lifestyle of creating art, especially with the pressures of life and its responsibilities piling up as we grow. In order for me to fulfill my financial responsibilities, I tried to have my comic reach the required WEBTOON monthly views to earn money through ad revenue. This was to the extent that I gradually developed an unhealthily fixation on accomplishing that goal. However the results were so meager it depressed me, accompanied with burnout which caused me to be even more impatient and stressed, especially as time mercilessly flew by.

I will say that one Patreon subscriber saved me, and more people subscribed after that. Having people subscribe to my Patreon in support of the work I did felt really rewarding, and that was also when I realized there were many other ways of making money with my work other than ad revenue. This also helped me snap out of the stifling obsession I had with reaching that massive goal in the first place.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m CherHyuga, an animator, digital artist, and webcomic creator dedicated to creating captivating stories and stunning visuals.

My Artistic journey began with my love for Anime.

The visuals, choreography and overall flow of animation in the majority of anime I watched had me inspired as I strove to be able to create animations of my own in that level of skill and creativity. With 6 years of experience in the creative industry, I’ve honed my skills in bringing imaginative worlds to life, reaching closer to that dream.

I later transitioned to webcomics as a way to share my stories with a wider audience through the several platforms available to me, and I currently have four published comics under my name.

My expertise includes:

– Webcomic creation (writing, illustration, and storytelling)
– Animation (2D, motion graphics, and character design)
– Digital art (concept art, illustrations, and commissioned pieces)
– Storyboarding and visual development

As a webtoon artist and animator, I’m proud of creating engaging stories, creating and mastering unique art styles and bringing characters to life. Seeing readers resonate with my work is really inspiring and inspiring fellow artists fuels my passion.

Through my work, I aim to transport readers to new worlds and evoke emotions, whilst providing engaging visual content for both clients and collaborators. In Zimbabwe, I also aim to empowering young artists, providing access to resources and skills I didn’t have, and paving the way for their future success in animation and digital art.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I had access to time management skills when I started. Knowing how to prioritize certain tasks, setting realistic goals and completing them, even coming up with strategies which suited my needs would have saved me countless hours and reduced stress and burnout.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is finally mastering the new set of skills I’ve always wanted to learn. It’s even better if they’re learnt in a way that uniquely blends with my own art style. Being able to achieve results in a way that’s easiest for me, all taking my strengths and weaknesses to account.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Cherhyuga.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherhyuga?igsh=ZGNrcG44Mm9saXVv&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherish-waldman-14a1212a0?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
• Twitter: https://x.com/cherhyuga?s=21
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@cherhyuga?si=ACcWpxuy09GLdEiu

Image Credits

@cosplay.zw