:evolution:

With all the projects that I alluded to last week, I'm finding that to get anything done on any of them I need to work a little bit at a time on each. At least that's the method I'm going to try for now. This past week I've been progressing further on the new Homunculus doll, and it's pretty much evolving on its own, I didn't have any preset idea for this one. To be honest that's how a lot of them were produced, almost like they were creating themselves, and the last thing to emerge is a name. Not even near that part yet.

Also making sure that I can still draw, by using another Suicide Girl as subject (not in person, alas), mainly for the blue hair. I think this one will have to be done digitally to get it as intensely blue as I want it to be. Some day I will actually do a photoshoot with one of them, perhaps.

On that note, the promise of spring has me looking forward to photoshoots again, and I've been contacted by several traveling models already. Two of them of are possibly available for a session together, which would be intriguing, as so far I've only worked with one at a time. Always look for new challenges.

:the tyranny of time:

I didn't post on Wednesday as per usual because of the issue I'm going to go into now; the lack of (free) time.

I recently unearthed some old journal entries of mine, from the early 90s. I started writing pretty regularly in 1992. It's clear from what I wrote then that I was mostly angry and frustrated, partially from the atmosphere that I felt trapped in, but also because of the lack of time to do what I really wanted, namely create art. That much hasn't changed, even if the world now has a lot more distractions. I only "discovered" the internet around 1993 or so, and that required a dial-up modem. Be glad if you've never had to depend on that method. But even then I could see the pull of it.

I voiced a lot of the struggle to create the artwork, get it seen or sold, or to actually find a job that utilized my actual talents. I've lost track of how many places that I applied to! Possibly why I don't try as hard now, although job searching is an entirely different world now too.

That said, the main purpose should be just be to create the damn artwork, not looking ahead to where it might end up. One unofficial resolution for this year was to produce more, and in that I've technically faltered so far, but what I seem to be doing is little parts of separate projects, and I'm not sure if that's the best method.

My attempts to sell Valentine-themed artwork through Etsy didn't succeed, so I need to further tweak that. The next idea is to further push my Instagram photos. I keep ordering small prints and buying small frames for them.

Progress on the new Homunculus doll has stalled. Trying to decide on what else to do with the face for now. Drastic eye makeup, and maybe an extra eye or two. And even so I spot other dolls and buy and add them to the pile of future ones.

Which is a theme in other creative avenues too. I find or buy things that I think I'll use some day in something. Found some interesting papers that can either be backgrounds or drawn/painted on themselves.

The bones keep piling up.

Haven't done a photoshoot since last spring!! But truthfully I was working on final shots from them for a good portion of this time. And I find things for future shoots, like hanging lights, and surely I can get someone to wear a cat mask or wield a samurai sword.

But the need to reschedule my life so that things get done is still there. Outside distractions are okay as long as they don't sidetrack me too far. I have to literally keep myself out of bookstores, my to-read pile is ridiculous, and am in dire need of another bookcase or two.

:piece by piece:

As promised, I put up a framed original art piece up for sale on my Etsy page. It intentionally has a Valentine's Day theme (through my twisted eyes), so who knows, maybe someone will consider it for a last minute gift. But I'm just trying to get more of the artwork out there, a sale would be a bonus.

I also keep taking advantage of print sales that I manage to come across. Bought a ton more of these small prints of Instagram shots that I intend to put into equally small frames, and will probably add them to the shop, along with selling them at any markets and fairs that I manage to get into. Been trying to get into one of the monthly ones in Lowell, but twice so far they've passed on me, citing too many vendors applying for spaces. Try try again.

The current Homunculus doll is slowly progressing, yet if I spot another one out in my travels, I still buy it if I can. Of course I have no idea what this one will become either. The long hair on it is just ridiculous.

Much of creative time lately has actually been taken up by continuing to work towards a final draft of at least one of my NaNoWriMo novels, and that's not really easy to show in this blog. I've been editing with the aid of a online tool called AutoCrit, which literally goes through the novel piece by piece in various ways. It's amazing how much you can change when you go sentence by sentence. And already I know I need a whole new first chapter. A title is still up in the air for it. The working one is "Devices," but that sounds a bit too plain to me. Another idea is "#embraced," which is from a major plot point, but I'm worried that a hashtag in the title would date it, even though I don't specify a time in the story other than the near future.

:commerce:

Moving steadily along, as per usual juggling several projects at once, doing little parts on each one.

One goal for the year is to get my artwork out and for sale more, so I've been looking into art markets and fairs, though some of the booth space costs for some of them are ridiculously high. I also continue to look into different ways of presenting and selling what I do have. I'm definitely going to keep pushing more of the Instagram shots, which are easier to frame in smaller sizes.

At one place that I was selling them at recently (a bazaar at my day job), a few people thought that they were coasters. So, I ordered a few actual coasters to see what that would look like.

I'm still enamored of metal prints too, so when I see sales or Groupons and such, I try to get another one.

We're in February now, if you didn't notice by the excess of hearts and the color red about. My Valentines are still available through Etsy, and I'm going to offer my original framed artwork of the zombie valentine drawing, probably putting it up in the next few days.

I regularly discover the advantage of always having some sort of camera on me, even if it's just the phone's camera, for you never know when something will catch your eye. I saw this as I was heading out the door this morning. That's a doll in progress hiding beneath the mask.