:nanowrimo week two:

At 11 days of this year's NaNoWriMo, I'm currently at 20,563 words. I think I'm going at a good pace, have a vague idea of an ending, but still need to fill the space between. I've found that, once again, I prefer to write female characters. Feel free to analyze that. When I first started this in 2009, one of the main characters was male. He's still in the story, but I don't think that he's the main character anymore. Another male I created as a bit of a comic relief, but now he's a bit annoying, and if he annoys me, imagine how readers will feel. Interesting how once again characters sometimes write themselves. One female character has stepped out of the background into the front.

That said, once again, when I finally get a real creative groove going, life takes a stick and sticks it into my spokes. My recent car accident has resulted in insurance not wanting to pay the damages on my "old" car (2001!), so it's considered a "total loss." Now I have to use what little free time I have which could be used for writing this novel, to find another car. And the settlement check isn't a very large one. No other words for it, this SUCKS.

I briefly went to Waltham's open studios, which are pretty much in just one building. Par for course, I once again wonder why I can't find a space like this for myself, why these events draw so many people but they don't actually buy any art, and why we have so many abstract painters in the Boston area (sorry but it does nothing for me). Or I could just be cranky from all the car bullshit.

:dreamspace:

I know it's out there, the perfect or near-perfect artist's studio for me. I just have to find it and also find a  way to pay for it.

:barricaded:

It often seems that just when I can see a clearer path ahead of me and I'm all set to go forward, something gets thrown in that path and forces me to abandon it and focus on something I'd rather not waste the time on. Once again this involves my living situation.

It appears that the building owners sold it and other local buildings to another company. We found out not from them, but through a letter shoved under our doors last Friday night informing us of this change, and of a ridiculously high increase in rent with very little time to move out if it's not accepted. Actually I didn't receive the latter, but I sincerely doubt that I'd escape an increase. Most people got a $200 monthly increase at the least. If you saw these apartments you'd agree they're not worth $900 or more. But the new management and the "market" says they are. Complete bullshit. So people have have had meetings and are united to fight this. I am still striving to get out of here, but as long as I'm stuck here, I'm fighting it. It's not like I can afford the increase. If I could I wouldn't still be living here!

Judging from the Yelp! reviews, they do not have a great reputation.

But needless to say this has gotten in the way of any creativity. It's difficult to focus when you are wondering about where you're going to live. SO tired of this.

At the very least I can offer you some more spaniel abuse. I wouldn't doubt that I'm taking out my aggressions on the poor little bastards.

:in sickness and in health:

I went to another figure drawing session last night, but had to leave early, as the sore throat I had woken up with was turning into something worse. I had a most uncomfortable night trying to sleep but I think the worst of it has past. It figures that I survive the Winter without getting sick but on the first amazing Spring-like day, it happens. Thankfully I still seem to have the "talent" of only being sick for a day, so at least I have that going for me.

Again I can't help but notice the studio of our host, and wonder how I can get one myself. His is not a live-in studio, although like most artists I'm sure I'd spend more time in the studio than at home, which is one reason why I'd prefer a live-in one, the other being I can't afford both an apartment AND a studio, and I don't know why they think many artists can. Certainly not in the Boston area. They give a lot of lip service to supporting the arts here, but not really supporting the artist. I'm not looking for a handout here, but don't go calling condos for sale and not for rent "affordable," and don't go renting them to non-artists when you denote them as such. Don't drive out artists from their studios by "developing" the area that they had discovered first. Fort Point is still a ghost town now, a shadow of its former self. Oh, it's SUCH an improvement there now.

I don't know. It's beginning to look like I'll have to find some abandoned place and squat there, although I'd prefer a place with niceties like heat and running water, too. Electricity, too.