About the Samurai Ruach BOOKS

Samurai Ruach has a few different types of books. If you want to know more about the overall writing process, click here to go to that post. There is also a page dedicated to the whole History & Development Of Samurai Ruach, if that's what you were looking for, which is linked in this line here.

As far as the finished published titles, honestly, it started a long time ago, with spirituality and philosophy writings, most were centered on restructuring society based on understanding how poverty is a planned, organized thing (an inevitable part of economics), which is a pretty soulless system, yet used to manage souls. TO ME, that was unfair because in limiting those with poverty, even though it does "make diamonds" with its pressures, there is a lot of loss and waste, which is counterproductive, but allowed in the grand scheme. So, suggestions on alternate, "more balanced" ways of being and living were developed in titles like "The Guerrilla Wing Manual" and "The Art of Chillin'." Those writings led to the creation of a facebook page, THE UNITED SLAVES OF AMERICA, which started to get into more spiritual matters, seeing how the law and spirituality were connected-- all of it just a way of chronicling personal development, and sharing the experience for whomever was on a similar path, or just whomever could benefit from the information. Life being what it is, namely a largely economically pimped and drained beast, through distractions and the economic games, I kept up with that as best as i could. Other projects came about, and some of the other writings became songs. ALL OF THE MUSIC IS AT www.littlebyrd.bandcamp.com if you were interested in that, or a lot is linked to the music page here. Here's a Cheat-Sheet for you. If you go to the "READ ONLINE" tab a the top, or button in the revolving slider menu at the bottom of every page, it takes you to a directory listing of ALL of the Samurai Ruach reading material. It's all categorized and linked by platform. It's an organic process, so some things may be linked, and some may not. Some things may be draft versions, so you get a sneak peek at things before they're done. There's a lot there. "READ ONLINE"....

THE ALL-GENRES SCI-FI SERIES SCRIPT
Samurai Ruach The Series was first written as an all-genres script: vampires, werewolves, faith-based, ai-zombie-robot-world war apocalypse, dystopian... originally written for a tv show/web series. It follows BEN, who emerges from the tunnels and underground world after "The War", where AI and humanity went to war, at the same time those plotting to overthrow all governments were warring, which also at the same time tore the veil spiritually and other beings from other realms entered the fight... nothing major. While living "topside" he explores the world and discovers himself, and spirituality, eventually finding out his connection to a group who was planning to overthrow the ruling family. All of those groups get wind of each other's vulnerabilities, and with BEN unknowingly holding a key to the undoing of "The Family," all of the beings (dragons, vampires, werewolves, robots, AI ruling family, elves, demons, angels, corporations, gangs, etc.) all begin the hunt to get the key from him. This leads him to discover the Samurai Ruach, a secret order thought to be eliminated, who are spiritual warriors, and he stays with them and learns their ways to see if it is something he would do, and if he'll even take part in this whole huge battle to save mankind, given what it's done with the world. One scary thing is how everything in this story, which is supposed to be sci-fi and fiction (hence, "-fi" ...as in SCI-ence FI-ction) is becoming more and more real, second by second, in this world... Yeah, that needs to stop. But that also makes me want to really do well telling this story, so that if there is a warning in it, it can do whatever good it will do. There are a lot of stories out there that are... well, real. Not saying this is one of them. I really would not like it to be, but it keeps finding ways to become more and more real. A lot was based on dreams, so maybe that might have something to do with it too.

THE ALL-GENRES SCI-FI SERIES NOVEL/BOOKS

Anyways, after the first season was completed (8 episodes), it was converted into a novel, which had a similar, yet different storyline. In a book/novel format I could add more detail. That sounds off, because it's not visual, but the visual stuff actually limits you. 10 people could read the same one line and see 10 different things, meanwhile the same 10 people look at the same 1 picture and all 10 see the same 1 thing. The end result was a whole new vision and version of Samurai Ruach. It hit harder, dug deeper... each single episode of the series (scripted) turned into at least 3 episodes. The novel version even added more characters, like Aminah (in the background picture) who introduces Ben to Mind Over Matter (The Game of 7's). They play at her shop seen here in the background (if you can see it). It's in chapter 02. There are plans to do even more alternate versions, graphic novels & web series-- a different spin on the story with a different outcome, each in it's own medium. That way, whatever version you pick up, you get an alternate reality for the same story. Seeing the heroes as villains, or the version where AI beings are the main characters, etc..

THE ALL-GENRES SCI-FI SERIES SHORT STORY SERIES

After the storyline was developed, and I noticed how much more open things were with the story and how it could be expanded, I started doing the short stories series, which added more color and foundation-- more background to the whole world of Samurai Ruach the Series. Things like the whole New Haven digital domain, which is an online multiverse created by AI where humanity uploads itself to escape the world, though you can visit and experience earth as a hologram (depending on your subscription plan), and telling the stories of the Reaper Crew, and other gangs that were formed that pop up in the story-- this allowed me to tell those stories in full detail. It's a work in progress, because doing EVERYTHING when it comes to this project, with not-so-advanced or properly working tech gets to be tricky for one person... who has yet to figure out how to use AI assistants to get things done. I'm keeping everything as human as possible, so, all of the creative aspects are just me.. even designing the patterns for the clothing in the store... when the photoshop feels like behaving. Anyways, the short stories are still in the works, and take on various forms (scripts, diary like entries, even text conversations, along with traditional short story formats), and it's proving to be a very fun process and project.

THE SPIRITUALITY & PHILOSOPHY WRITINGS

After the written versions of the series, I noticed how some of it tied into books, essays, manuscripts, and other writings I'd done before this series. I incorporated those works into this project after giving them an overhaul. They were more spiritual in nature, but still practical at the same time, with perspectives that were widely accepted on other platforms, so I polished them off, updated them, and added them to the catalog here. Those became The Book of The Samurai Ruach, which is a book of thoughts and philosophies inspired by the diary/journaling writing style of The Hagakure. That, The Bible, and a few other texts are the core philosophy of the Samurai Ruach group in the story.

THE MUSIC BOOK PROJECT

So there's a fiction series, and a philosophy series. Later on, as a fundraiser, I did a compilation album, just gathering all of the "stringed" instrumentals I'd done (bass, guitar, etc.) and put together "Byrd Mess On Strings," which has over 60 songs. I got the idea to do another book for that, which gives the backgrounds of the songs, the cover images (album artwork) since I'd done all of it myself (music and artwork), and even putting in some unreleased material, and alternate and clean images (images without all of the titling, so it's just the clean picture). That project is also still in the works, but will be included in a planned "Blacklight Version" of the album, which is just extra tracks and the book. The regular version of the album is out on littlebyrd.bandcamp.com/album/byrd-mess-on-strings-collection-01-instrumentals which is a long link, but I linked it for you. IN THE STORE it's available, but that page still links to Bandcamp, because bandcamp doesn't link to Wix. When I finish the Blacklight Version, I'll more than likely just add all of the files in a .zip format so you can get all of the images, the book, and all of the music, with those extra tracks.

As far as making more music, and one reason the other versions of the series are not completed is because my DAW (digital recording studio, basically) shut down on me, and it's been a headache getting it to work, along with the computer slowing down and doing more and more interesting annoying things. There are loads of issues with this project, and that was a major one. There's a PayPal link, if you want to help, and a STORE, and MUSIC. Or you can just watch the whole horrific story unfold right outside of your window, and see the world swallowed, while keys to stopping it just sit in this computer because I'm doing my best, but so is life...

THAT'S ALL OF IT... so far...

So, yeah, there are a few different types of books here, and each one in different formats. You should see all of the covers below that go to a page for each book with a link at the bottom to read or purchase (A page for that one book so you can get to that one book in every format). I'll update the book cover listing below as new books come out. "I HOPE THIS HELPS", the spiritual, esoteric, religious and [other] "cheat sheet" listing opens directly to that page in Patreon, which is open to the public. The READ ONLINE links are an excellent way to get to EVERYTHING on every platform that is readable. The Patreon page is always a great place to find everything as well, since it was the first page, and intended to be the main page for the Samurai Ruach project. I was having issues with social media, but Patreon hasn't failed, and actually has improved, so I focused on that page, even though the other socials (in the menu at the bottom of the pages here) do exist. THERE'S A QR CODE linked to PAYPAL, if you wanted to donate to contribute to the project, and to the Patreon page (collections) so you can easily get to everything on that page.

Directory and listing of ALL of the Samurai Ruach reading material...

P2 Book List top

The Publishing Process

Store & Book Process - from idea to in the store here

If you've been to the Patreon page you know about the "Behind-the-scenes" stuff there, and the "What's Needed" post, which tell the whole story, all of the software and hardware, tricks, every bit of what went into this whole Samurai Ruach project to get it done. I do that because, basically, life is life, but living it is a jerk sometimes, so for whoever needs the help, here's how I got THIS SITE (and store here) done. If you didn't know how to do it, and wanted a straight up, no sales pitch, no "like and subscribe" but "JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU DID SO I CAN GO DO IT AND GET ON MY FEET!!!" answer, here it is.... Go be successful. This whole page is linked, btw.

Fun-fact: #2 - If you buy or sell a book in the US then an ISBN is involved. An ISBN number is the "social security number" for your book. EACH FORM OF YOUR BOOK needs it's OWN ISBN NUMBER. If you make 1 book (The Book of Blacklights) you need one ISBN for HARDCOVER, another different/separate one ISBN for the SOFT-cover (paperback).... ANOTHER DIFFERENT/SEPARATE ISBN number for a comic book... another for an EBook... ANOTHER for an AUDIOBOOK. Right there, one book, all of those 5 formats= 5 ISBN numbers for one book. In the USA the "only" place to really get an ISBN (or the place that makes them, where everyone who will give you one got it from) is called BOWKER (Bowker.com). At the time of writing this, the price for ONE ISBN is $125, or you can get TEN ISBN's for $295... keep in mind, all of those formats for just one book was FIVE ISBNS. You can get 100 ISBN numbers for $575, or get 1,000 ISNB numbers for $1,500. If your book is in stores and sold, you need an ISBN number so the sales for that one book in that one format can be tracked.

How do you sell your book? That's Distribution... people who distribute your book. There's a publisher (people who print/make public or make available) who does publishing and distribution, called INGRAMSPARK, which i use and was told about by my dad, MooreBooksR.us who has a bunch of books of all kinds done and in the works, from self help, to educational stuff, spiritual stuff, motivational... But INGRAMSPARK is a print on demand publisher, meaning AFTER YOU GET YOUR ISBN (or you can get it thru them, but they get it from Bowker, so you might as well get it and own it your self and use it however you want, says me)... you upload your book to their site. You're going to have to use an EPUB FILE if you're doing an ebook. People charge for that, or you can use the app I got which said it was free but later basically said, "YAY! You've magically used all your credits you didn't know you were using! Buy me now! :) " as I was testing it out. I just went and paid for it, like $5 or something, because I was tired of everything saying it's free and then charging, and I just wanted to get the books done. I wasn't trying to pay someone who's going to use a program to convert a PDF file into an EPUB file, when I could just get the program to do it myself. Anyways, so after you get your EPUB file (which is the online amazon ebooks and all of that) INGRAMSPARK prints it up, or turn it into an ebook. THEN they put it out on Amazon/Kindle or wherever else (they distribute it to stores). You can get a link and post it to your own site, so people go to your site, click "buy", the order goes to them, they print it, ship it, take their cut, you get yours, people get your book, everybody's happy.

Also, there's DESIGNRR which is where I do the FLIPBOOKS. There are loads of places that do flipbooks, even CANVA which is free, so if that's all you need, check those out too. My dad has DESIGNRR and told me about it. I checked it out. To really use a lot of better features you need a paid thing. They have a few different conversions for book files (epub, flipbook, pdf, etc.) but normally I'll use WPS OFFICE which i have, and do a PDF file of the books, then upload that to Designrr as a PDF to convert to a flipbook. Then I just embedded the flipbook code that they give to WIX here.

Some of the books here I didn't get an ISBN number for because even though I own the copyright, YOU CAN'T MAKE YOUR OWN ISBN numbers. It has to be from BOWKER so it can be tracked. So, some of the books on here, no one will know you have it. A lot of the books I write and sell here you might only be able to find and get here. The books I did that have ISBN numbers, you "have to" put it in the title and copyright page for your book, which is the page in the front with all of the legal crap, the ISBN number, who published it, it has that "all rights reserved. Sales are illegal..." notice there, etc. I say that to say, there are a lot of games in the system to keep you down, hoops to jump through, things to pay for, things you "have to do". Here's one way around that whole book thing. This page is made on WIX. You need an upgraded (not free) account to get a store. I paid for that. I got the EPUB converter. I convert my books on my own from word/text file to PDF to EPUB. I load it up here. I sell it here. I keep 100% of it until by beloved uncle shkam comes around to rob me. Doing it that way I'll have to do my own "distribution" (making accounts on other platforms and loading it up (which you need an ISBN FOR)... OR.... just promote MY OWN SITE which is where you can buy my stuff.

Also, there are scammers out there who look for books and songs that are "hot", get a copy, and sell that. There are too many ways to scam these days. Too many "AI artists" making content. It's not art. They didn't express anything. They wrote a prompt. If anything, the prompt is poetry and that is the expression. AI converted their poem/prompt into a song or image or whatever. Whatever, people will do what they want, and do it more and at a lower level but higher rate when money is involved. The system of things is to keep you in need of them. Apply that to money. Pick what you have a need for and will spend your life never having enough of, for the chase.

P2 Book List 02

Designing & Store Setup

Store & Book Process - from idea to in the store here

Also, If you go to the "READ ONLINE" tab a the top, or button in the revolving slider menu at the bottom of every page, it takes you to a directory listing of ALL of the Samurai Ruach reading material. It's all categorized and linked by platform. It's an organic process, so some things may be linked, and some may not. Some things may be draft versions, so you get a sneak peek at things before they're done. There's a lot there. "READ ONLINE"....

Fun-fact: #1 - I originally made this site because I was looking to use the Print On Demand services/companies CustomCat and Printful for merch, but couldn't link them to Patreon. I needed a way to make the site pay for itself to stay up, and also to pay me, so I could keep creating. If I have to go out and slave the last bit of soul and life out of me again, after learning everything I've learned, and seen and experienced everything I have... I'd do something. It would not be worth being here on tis planet, in "this life" like that. Flat out. People pray to the author and creator of Armageddon for an escape from Armageddon. Think about that. Also, just because you had a great week in prison, doesn't mean you're not still in prison. So, print on demand...

POD or Print On Demand is where I can go to a POD website with my logo or image or thing... I pick from their selection of shirts, hats, mugs, bags, socks, cards, stickers, whatever.... I put my image on their stuff... I post that picture on my site which is linked to their site. You come to my site, you see it, click to buy.... the order goes to POD company. POD company prints and ships the order. Most will keep their cut, then send you yours. Some will just charge you, and you pay for it with what the customer paid you. But there's no overhead. You don't have to store anything. It's print (or make the stuff)... on demand (when someone orders it). Nothing exists until it's ordered, so there's nothing to pay for.

THE MERCH CREATION PROCESS

I ended up going with Printful who connects directly to WIX where I built the site that you're on right now. I had to link the WIX store to PRINTFUL, so I could design merch in PRINTFUL, and it would then be added to the WIX store (here). Printful shows you the cost they'll charge you (but not with the sales tax or shipping prices) so you know "If I sell a shirt for $10, they'll charge $6 and I'll make $4. All I have to worry about is sales tax (paid by whoever buys it), and what I'll be charged for shipping (also paid by whoever buys it)."

So in a sense:

(1) You design designs (images, patterns, etc.)... That's what people want. Create that expression of genuine humanity, since everyone is losing theirs, and selling it out for money to BUY HUMANITY... they will always, as long as there is a human spirit... need and want.... art. Music, dance, food, paintings, shows, etc. And Fashion. Something to validate their being, by reflecting their thoughts of their self in the moment. "This is me now. I am somebody. understand and know the divinity of me now." That's all it's about. Put that into a t-shirt.

(2) You build a website (if you didn't already).... You build or buy a custom house (website). It's up on blocks at some dealership. So you get domain name (plot of land and address for your house so people know how to find you), which is HOSTED on a server (a neighborhood or city you will pay property tax/domain aka hosting fees, to). You pay the host (city/Server) for the space your house (website) is sitting on, at the address your purchased (domain name/ .

website address). YAY PAYING FOR THINGS!!!!

(3) Set up your mailbox. Why? So people can contact you, and you can contact them, and they can leave messages about how to buy your art. Plus it's like your strawman. Its the thing that gets all of the ads and notices, it's the social-security number in a way, that connects you to everything online, and the real proof that you exist online. You need an email to get a domain, or build a website, or put up a store. You need an email (maybe) to have the people who will build it to contact you. They're usually free. The more free, the more evil backed they might be, and the more people will go for those because they're free, so the more that company will have power over the people. Make sure it's JUST FOR BUSINESS. GET A DIFFERENT ONE FOR PERSONAL STUFF. AND GET A THIRD ONE FOR RANDOM CRAP so you don't get scammed or hacked or whatever else. Make sure one of those is a Proton free account, and one is a Gmail (linked to the devil and system) account. The Gmail one is your beast chip, in a way. Anyways, so you have all of that. Create all day long in your house/website. No one knows it's there unless they randomly look thru your window, or you invite them in.

(4) You need to to establish your presence... meet the neighbors. Advertise, but nothing major, because you don't have a store. What you want is a Launch-- something to introduce you and your art to everyone else. But there's a lot of confusion out there. So, start in a like-minded circle. No need to re-invent the wheel. Find spots that already love AND WANT your thing, but might be lacking (might also NEED) your thing. Find a place and group where there's enough support for it that you'll be off to a good start. Social media = neighborhood and community groups you can have events with, and talk to, who are interested in the same things you're doing. It's also full of commercials and crap you don't need, that will distract you from creating, and being free and your self, sucking your soul out one hourly scroll that only feels like seconds at a time.

(5) STORE. Not everyone wants a store. Not everyone needs a store. It all depends on what you're selling. If it's music, you can get something like Bandcamp, where you can make an album and embed it into your website.... like so...

There are things like music sites where you can sell directly from that site. All you need is to link some text, or embed a code to install or display a player, like the one here, that links to that site. So if someone buys a song from the link, it goes right to your profile on that site. They have their own ecommerce setup. All you have to do is link it to your bank. Also, there's PAYPAL, and other sites that I don't know about and didn't have time to look into really, but other banking sites, where people can purchase things from your profile or link, and it goes directly to your bank, when they buy your digital products. For physical products you deal with shipping, so you'll have to figure out the rates you'll be charged, so you'll know how much to charge the customer. For instance, if you sell a shirt for $10, but the shipping is $5, you can either say, the shirt cost $15 and it's free shipping, or you can charge $10, so people will see a cheap price, and $5 shipping, for however they feel about that... or you can sell the shirt for $13 and people will think it's higher quality because it costs more, and there's $2 shipping, which they might complain about, but it's only two bucks. They usually feel a lot better paying $15 and getting FREE SHIPPING. It depends on your crowd, and products. Print on demand things usually cost a little more, but they handle the shipping, so you just have to figure out the price breakdowns.

So you have a home (website) and all of that, and a little community who likes your art. How will they buy it? And how will their friends... in France... buy it? You'll need a STORE (a garage to store it all in, and show people, AND SELL IT FROM) on your website to sell your soul.. I mean, art. Same thing. So, depending on how your website is built, and who is hosting it (the city it's in, Wix, Squarespace, Wordpress, etc.), when you build your home (website), it may have an attached garage (comes with a store), or you can use a company (Etsy?) to build one that you can connect to your house (website). So you get them to build teh garage (Store), but you have to connect it to your house (website). You need the walkway (ecommerce), and fence (virus protection), so that you, and others, can get from your house (website) to the garage (store). Some people will just look around the house. Others know what they want and just want to go to the garage, get it, pay you, and move on.

(6) Onto Ecommerce Platforms.... So, you have designs and art (products), and a website (a house), that also has a store (Garage) you can sell your stuff from, so people don't trample all over your house. YOU, just having those, are WAY AHEAD OF A LOT OF PEOPLE. Most just get job and hate life, as they're getting paid to do. You've got a foot in the door to get out, and are prying that door open. Now, Pick your Ecommerce platform. Connect that to the STORE on your site. Ecommerce? Ecommerce platforms are how the money moves from the customer and your store, to the bank accounts of all of the people involved (you, the print-on-demand company, whoever else i involved in the product being created and then shipped to the customer, and then paying everyone their cut). They're your personal STORE MANAGER AND ACCOUNTANT... It's your book keeper person in charge of finances, shipping, orders, and everything else. So, Shopify, and WooCommerce are the big ones there. WooCommerce is free. With those, you can connect the store to the site you built, and can connect whoever else is going to be involved. Ecommerce is that walkway that connects everything, and even an escort person, who deals with anything and everything that has to do with the garage (store), and reports it to the house (website) so you don't have to manage all of that.

Some sites have BUILT-IN ecommerce, like WIX, so everything happens in the WIX store. When you get your Wix site, you get the store, and the ecommerce comes with it and connects it all in one shot. Same for Squarespace. BUT if you already have an ecommerce platform, you can add it to those sites. Patreon did not connect to Printful, so I made a WIX site. Before the WIX site, I was experimenting with WooCommerce and making a site on Wordpress. So I built a site on Wordpress... built a Store on Wordpress... Got WooCommerce to handle all of the ecommerce and business stuff (sales, inventory, payments, etc.), and was looking into CustomCat to be the POD company I'd use... BUT, between the Wordpress website, and CustomCat-- there were too many other charges (fees), connection/linking issues, and things to deal with, and I didn't have time to learn it. WIX was more simplified. I went with WIX. I do enough with this project already and don't need more micro managing things to eat up time I don't have to spend on that.

(7) Speaking of CustomCat... I know, you're an artist and you make your own designs, but someone has to print them. YOU CAN GET A TRANSFER MACHINE. I've done that. One good thing about heat transfers is that you can set up and do jobs on the fly... events, shows, just go out and if you have a generator and a van and a laptop and printer, you can make shirts on the fly ANYWHERE. It really doesn't take a lot. If you get great paper, a great printer, and great shirts, you'll make a lot of cash. And it's CASH, so there's that untraceable factor that's good. I've gone around the country selling shirts with some guys, setting up a tent, they got shirts from a printer who was in the group, and I designed a few things-- they followed sporting events. Pretty good money, but all money runs out. You need a vendors license, and you need to know the rules, like copyright stuff so that the FDA, Trade Commissions, and whoever else don't roll up on you with fines, cease all of your product because the logos look too similar or you're using images that are IP (Intellectual Property) or violate something-- there are laws. A solid way to go? Just make your own designs, build a brand, and own all of your own original stuff. If you end up needing a printer, pick a Print On Demand Company, or buy your own machines to print your own things, or create and paint, and do whatever. There are plenty of people doing bleach painted items. They look pretty amazing, some of them. Anyways, CREATE STUFF.... Take pictures of your products, or get the printers to give you pictures (mockups= pictures you could use as advertisements, or models wearing your stuff or interacting with it) to load onto your site. To get the products made, and get pictures for customers to see and pick from. Usually a POD company does all of that. They get your design, give you the mockups to advertise on your store, connect to your store through your ecommerce platform, get the orders from your site and PRINT ON DEMAND so there's no overhead, do quality control, ship the order, and your ecommerce splits up the money from the transaction so everyone's happy. Now, POD prices are higher than if you did it all your self, but that's the tradeoff. One good thing is, since nothing gets printed until it's ordered, you can design as many variations as you want, and have them all in your store, so people have almost unlimited options-- kind of playing a numbers game. Like if you have 1 solid design, whoever picks that one is your sale. But if you put up 20, then you have more to pick from. Anyways, PICK YOUR PRINT ON DEMAND COMPANY....

(8) So take your designs, make sure they're solid. Connect the ecommerce and POD to your site. Now that it's connected, load your designs into the store to make products and get mockups. Don't go too crazy, because you'll get better and better as you do it more and more, figuring out more tricks to get better designs. I'll do a video or something too about some of this stuff. Like, one on designing a design, and then loading it onto Printful, and making the mockups, and then adding it to the Wix store, so you can see the process.

(9) When you're finished, and it's all finalized by you, then take the product mockups and link the products to your store (whatever store you have. Etsy, WooCommerce, Shopify, etc.).... You can go back and make edits, even after it's live in your store.

(10) Then go back to those groups, social media, and wherever else, and advertise your store and products. They're all just pictures for now.

(11) People see the pictures and want your product. They go to your store on your site. They buy. You get paid. After designing products and customizing it on the POD site, you just sit back and keep designing. They handle the rest.

Printful has a decent selection, but I also like CustomCat because they're more local/close (Michigan?), and I've heard the shipping times are faster. CustomCat (Custom Catalog) also has a different garment printing technique (Digi-Soft) that no one else (at the time of writing this) is doing, which is a blend of the top techniques: supposed to be the best of all worlds. Youtube all of them for your self so you can choose. As far as shirts, which ones, how they hold up, you can look at Shimmy Morris, who did a good study on t-shirts, but just going with a company and getting one is the best way to see if it works for your design.

As for the setup here, I'm still working on "THE HORSE." (laptop), which is at least 4 - 5 years old. The screen is falling off and the LCD panel kinda comes out but it's doing the job but it's time for an upgrade as they say. SPECS: HP Pavilion Laptop 15 cw1xxx - Processor AMD Ryzen 5 3500U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx 2.10 GHz - Installed RAM 8.00 GB (5.92 GB usable) - System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor - Pen and touch Pen support.

All of the designs I have I either drew them myself on an XPpen 15.6 Pro tablet which you can get at their site, or did in the old Photoshop 6.0, which is giving me issues at times (understandably). The laptop in general is slow. It sometimes takes me 2 mins (60 seconds) for a letter to pop up when I start to type. Write a 100 page book with that. I was given a desktop which stopped working just as soon as I loaded everything (that would fit) onto it. I says all of that to say, more than likely, your equipment is better than mine, and there's AI out there, so you should easily be able to take this info and do what you have to do, and do way more, faster, and better than me. There's more about my setup, what gets used in this Patreon post here that shows how the character sketches were done.

10/25/25 Update - Also, I'll work on throwing together a video playlist to add to here, of the current tools, even if I'm not able to currently use them. THE HORSE is still kicking, but things are... interesting, so it's still a bunch of ripping out hair and teeth, and overstressing to do simple tasks. Also, still trying to make all of this profitable, make money doing this, but that, too, is a learning curve. Look up Instagram Shoppable Posts.

P2 Book list 03