The Shallow End – July 2021

So, we finally got our stuff! No more sleeping on the floor, no more living out of a suitcase! Yay!!!

I expected that once we got our things, I’d jump back into my old routine, get my paperwork in order, and open my shop again…

Yeah, that hasn’t happened.

I am working on unpacking everything, including getting my studio space organized and set up. It also turns out that the steps to getting my business set up here are fewer than before, but are also more tedious. I’m not looking forward to getting started on that project, now that it seems more complicated than I expected (why is it not all online?!?). Ugh. Hopefully I can get it done soon, now that the unpacking is nearly done. And once that happens, then I can get my shop open again! Wish me luck!

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In terms of my actual art, I’m still making sure part of my days are spent drawing. I know its easy for me to get distracted by other stuff on my to-do list, so that the creative work gets set aside. But I’m trying to find better balance to do both.

Most recently I’ve been working on figure drawing again, using manga illustration techniques as a jumping off point for my own style. I was working on improving my ability to draw people last summer, and I’m glad to be back at it. It is definitely not a strength of mine, but is important to improve for the work I want to be doing.

Because the more I think about it, the more I realize (or I guess, remember) the kind of artist I want to be. And it always comes back to comics. There is something about the art of comics, manga, cartoons even, that is so captivating. I feel best about my work when it features the inky line work and bold visuals typical of comics. I think it used to feature predominately in my illustrations, not just in my actual comics. But I think in the last year I got so excited about trying new media, techniques, and styles. That is a good thing to be sure, and I always want to be learning! But I think I had forgotten the kind of art that I love to create! Oops! I mean, if thats the kind of artist I dream of being, I suppose thats the kind of art I should be making!

I guess that said, I should probably start creating actual comics again… I took a break to develop a cast of characters to feature in my weekly comics. But that project has totally stalled! I have my characters designed, but maybe I’m nervous to start using them? I guess I’m worried I’ll run out of ideas. But that is silly. I should at least use the ideas I have now! So maybe somewhere in my work to-do list of business stuff, and things to practice, I can sneak in “hopefully weekly comics” again!

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Outside of work, we are loving our new home and the new scenery!

I’m starting to get back into a fitness routine again, which makes me so happy. I genuinely love it. But also its probably a good idea since the rest of the day, when I’m not unpacking, I’m working from the couch and watching all the sports! The EUROS have been insane, Wimbledon is exciting, MLS is going (although living in Eastern Time is killer for those West Coast matches!) I tuned into a bit of Olympic qualifying for track, and I’m trying to watch more baseball sometimes. I did watch the documentary Long Gone Summer, about McGuire and Sosa’s race for the home run record. I remember following it as a kid from St Louis, so it was a joy to watch and relive, plus I learned so much to that I had missed as a kid. Highly recommend!

Also, Taskmaster is brilliant television (and its on YouTube!). That is all.

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On my bookshelf, I’ve been reading Grady Hendrix’s work — My Best Friend’s Exorcism, so fun! We Sold Our Souls was good, but not as good (mostly because I don’t anything about heavy metal, so that’s on me.) I have his Horrorstör queued up too, but it is set in basically an IKEA and I think I’m already traumatized from building so much furniture as it is.

I’m reading For The Winner by Emily Hauser right now. I’m a sucker for Greek mythology, and this one is not yet another Iliad retelling (thank goodness). It is about Jason and the Argonauts and Atalanta, and I’m really enjoying it so far, it is so beautifully written! (I also don’t know a ton about their stories either.) I think she has another book available, so I’ll probably seek out that one next too.

Yay for finding new authors I enjoy– makes it so easy to find my next books!

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Hope you are having a great summer! Thanks for joining me in The Shallow End!