Quantified Yearning

What's that you say, it's a little late for a 2021 recap post? Well, you know, feel free not to read it. Sure, we're still in and suffering from the vast damages from a global pandemic that has killed or weakened many of us, and left everyone else with the scarred brains of collective trauma, but life goes on nevertheless, and for someone who suffers from, anxiety-based procrastination, well, better late than never.

This year (2022) I hope to transition to having a dedicated space to make art that isn't my bedroom. So far, I'm absolutely still including the constellation of my passions in a TIGHT orbit of my Brooklyn bedroom. But for one, January I was busy sulking about all the Shipwreck designs I lost due to a hard drive failure. And even though it's mid-Feb I didn't want to miss out on highlighting 2021, it is BECAUSE it felt like a lost year ( for me, more than 2020 even) that I don't want to lose sight of all that I did accomplish even while having significantly less time to work on Shipwreck than normal (on account of a six-month promotion to a full time position at my day job). Let's look at the stats, folks!

Stuff I did last year

I'll translate since these are kind of shorthand. I donated my first large scale cut paper bird to my day job since it was inspired by the kestrels that hang out there. They auctioned it off for donations to our non-profit during our fundraiser. It felt nice. Before I mailed it off, I rigged up some DIY lighting and took a high res pic of it (as best as my amateur ass could) and edited it and made a print of that bad boy.

I got accepted to and then processed into two online retail systems where stores from around the country can order my cards for their stores! I got a couple orders and that's pretty cool!!! I'd love to get in some more this year. I did my third year in a row of my card design voting tournament ( Vote-a-thon), and we reached another goal of 75 subscribers to Shipwreck Circle! Which leaves only one last goal of getting to 100. I reached out to subscribers about upping their pledges since I upped my card prices, and over 50% of members were kind enough to help me out!

And I finally made an online store that I feel is pretty professional. There are still little quality of life things, but for once, I feel like my store won't dissuade anyone from ordering. Matter of fact, if Shopify didn't make these blog posts look so janky, I'd really have next to no issues with it. And I made some small batches of my mini album art to put on my new store.

There were maybe other things, but these are the ones that come to mind. I felt it was nice to look back and take account of how much you can get done even when you feel like you don't have any time. And it's helpful to see where I want to pick things up again this year. If anyone is not in the know, I am planning to move somewhere cheaper, probably Philly, so that I can rent artists space, or have a dedicated room in my house to do art. I feel that this will probably change the amount of energy I am able to put into my work, and allow me to do all sorts of things I've felt hesitant to attempt in my bedroom these past 5+ years. So HOPEFULLY next year looks like one of those crazy years where I accomplish everything and Shipwreck grows and enters a new tougher, cooler, dare I say, richer phase.

Obviously it's basically March, and that's certainly not the case yet, but I think things will start happening here pretty soon, I had some friends help me buff up my resume and I've applied for some jobs I'd actually like, and soon to apply to many more that I think I could tolerate, and after I land one of those bad boys, it'll be time to try and find a place and then make the move. And then, you know, moderate to severe chaos. Cheers! Hope you enjoyed if you enjoy end of year breakdowns and the organization of accomplishments into blocks of time for motivational purposes. What's that? You wanna know my goals for this year? OK, but I'm trusting you with this.

This year I will

• Start Tiktok (much fear/ very scared)
• Learn to love  Teach myself to not despise social media
• Birds
• Enbiggen Cardinal and Bluebird design
• Automate (and embiggen) Hummingbird Stained Glass
• Prints of Cardinal / Bluebird / Hummingbird (Done Professionally)
• Get in 5 shops across US (currently 2)
• Get studio space outside of my bedroom for 1st time ever (wowee!)
• Do craft shows again? Yeah!
• Make zines
• How to write a Letter
• How to Cook or whatever
• 2nd Grandma Comic
• Get Grandma Comic tattoo
• Reach 100 subscribers for Shipwreck Circle

And who knows what else. Honestly, I fully believe getting a dedicated art space will help me reconnect with my creativity and drive in a big way, even if I have to have a full time day job in order to afford it. The path I have set myself on, though daunting, is truly one I have wanted for myself for nigh upon ten years (for those doing the math at home, yes the entire time I've been in NY). I am so excited to make it happen! Good luck to me!