Carceri, the Red Prison

About a week ago, my RPG group gathered for our session. We're currently playing in a Planescape setting (using D&D 3.5 rules), and I'm the DM. Since I own the old Planescape box sets (yay! 💕), I wanted to find an illustration of a creature from one of the books to show my players. While flipping through the pages, I stumbled upon the map of Carceri.

My idea of Orthrys, the first layer of Carceri (Image AI generated by Alan Frijns on Pixabay)

Carceri is a plane in Planescape, known as The Prison. Not just any prison, but the ultimate prison—one that, according to rumors, can only be escaped if you become more powerful than whatever force put you there in the first place. We joked for a moment about whether the party should take a little trip there someday, then I put the map away, and we continued playing.

A day or two later—I'm not sure exactly when or why—the idea for a new drawing popped into my head. I don’t want to say too much about it yet because I don’t want to create pressure or expectations (mostly for myself 😅), but I spontaneously started sketching, even though I should have been working on something else to meet a deadline.

So I sketched… and before I knew it, almost like magic, I had a rough drawing of Carceri in front of me—one like I hadn’t drawn in a long time. It’s not finished yet, so I’m not sharing it just yet. :) The line work still needs refining, and many details aren’t clear yet. But the way this sketch just happened—even the tricky parts I usually struggle with—felt incredible. I haven’t had that feeling in a long time. It made me think. Especially since I recently switched from my detailed, exhausting coloring style for character sketches to a lighter, faster one. It might look less “professional,” but it lets me work more freely—and for me, that means it feels more alive.

Now I realize that my focus on growing my follower count, Patreon support, and commissions led me down the wrong path. Of course, I still want those things! :) But I need to move away from perfection and back toward spontaneity—back to what made me fall in love with drawing in the first place: my love for RPGs.

My first step in that direction will be to revamp my website so it truly represents me again. My Instagram posts will probably shift as well, though I’m not sure yet exactly how. My Patreon project will definitely continue because I genuinely enjoy it, and by now, it feels like a part of me—even if I sometimes struggle with deadlines. 😅

Other than that? I don’t know exactly what will change. I just know I need to let go of optimal posting times, SEO perfection, and content that prioritizes consistency over passion.

And this blog post? It’s my first step in that direction. 😊 May many more follow.

#ArtistAtHeart #DrawingPassion #PlanescapeVibes #DNDArtist #FantasyWorldbuilding #TTRPGCommunity #PassionOverPerfection #ArtFromTheHeart #FollowYourInspiration