mizarchivist

Have I just lost my capacity to blog? It feels like it in this moment of a blank page and wondering what to say. I swear I used to post all the time, now I mostly marvel that I don't know what the heck I'm doing. So, with that thought out of the way, let's see....

Job stuff- It's been almost exactly 2 months since I left my job. I don't dream about it much, but sometimes I do. Last night it was definitely anxious-making. The library space changing drastically. Being downtown, but everything felt wrong. Ghosty.  I miss the people. The people may or may not miss me. Mostly they don't ping back when I ping them, which feels shitty, but not much I can do about that but keep moving, I guess.  I did pick up a consulting gig, but I don't see that as a sustainable model for me. The resumes I put out there have very much not landed, thus breaking the statistical trend I'd set over the last 3-4 years of at least getting a fair number of phone interviews and some in person ones. I'm looking at a temp agency for work. I think I'd like the idea of knowing when I go in I won't be there for more than a few months. It won't be archival work in this instance- that's for sure. It also is a thing that several of my potential opportunities come from the federal government, which isn't paying its existing employees, so therefore won't be looking for or paying new ones any time soon. Mostly trying not to fall into catastrophe mode. Hah.

Arisia- I'm excited to go to Arisia this year. Even with the turbulence and uncertainty and all. Yesterday I looked over the tins I'll take to art show. Last year was very much fewer than the year before in favor of scarves. This year even more so since I think I've done *one* in the last 12 months that I still have in stock. It's all about the scarves, which I'm making a lot of in the next few days. I still have no idea how I'm going to display them. I'll figure it out somehow. But, I'm playing a tabletop one-off role play w friends on Sunday, a closed door party also Sunday, and the art reception on Friday. Other than that, I'm winging it per usual.

Projects- Oh hey!! I have a new art-centric website. fnamelname.com. It's great. I love it. I'm also taking a tutorial on silk painting from a woman who had a booth at the Harvard craft fair this week. I have to figure out what I want to do with that. No idea. Something? Show me things!! It's going to kill me a bit to learn all this stuff mere days before Arisia, but so it goes.

OK. I guess that's what I have for now.

42itous requested pictures.



I think I'll be OK.

It only took an extra week, but my Square arrived! Now I just need to find or manufacture a reason to use it to make sure I have the concept down. I'm sure I've been doing other stuff, but all my extra time is all about making more items for Open Studios.Last night and tonight I worked on Harry Potter (in house colors) ornaments, made snowflakes for the Ana and Ilsa fans, and one Rebel Alliance logo. The thing I've not really sorted out is cleanly attaching the ring that gives the flat ornaments structure. Hot glue is MESSY.

I have about 3 times more ideas than what I have done. So when I say "I have no time".... hah.

In non-clay news, we are hosting coworker Robin for a few days til she can move into her new house. She was adorably bouncy now that the worst is over and she knows where she'll be sleeping next week. This was a question til yesterday.

Further not-clay: QE got a cortisone shot yesterday, and it should be kicking in any day now.. And since his union health insurance started back up, he can go switch doctors to one that's within the union universe. They may know a thing or two about chronic pain.

Prepping for art show next month and sketched graphics for decorating my plain glass globe/ornaments (3" diameter)... 28 ideas. Some will work, some are a shit-show.( LONG list )Already in the lexicon:

• Hellboy


• Abe Sapien


• Serenity


• Browncoat


• Cthulhu

I've been sketching all night, so I have a catalog: if I sell out, I can show what I can do. If I didn't get around to it, I can demonstrate the design. Plus just keep track for future work, especially after a long lag. I can also put hash-marks on them to keep statistics if I want to be super-planny in the future. And it lets me determine colors, particularly the base one so I cans streamline production (do all the red ones first, fer example). And because I keep coming up with more ideas, if I at least sketch them out, I may have project-creep, but I don't have to ACT on said creep necessarily. Unless there's major demand...?

The designs are by nature logo-ish and things I will make into stencils. The new ideas are all things I've had some interest in, fan-wise. There's plenty more out there, some that's already even been suggested, but I'm unlikely to pro-actively do anything outside my interests because I feel like a poser. I'm open to doing material outside my interest, but only if I get requests. Because they are minimalist designs and easy to replicate cleanly and quickly, it will help bring costs down a bit... once the templates are done.  I particularly like this whole concept of decoration because anything I have after Open Studio, I can put toward Arisia art show. IF they go well, I can on them throughout the year and have a hell of a stock come next Open Studio/Arisia.

Can you tell I took a project management workshop yesterday?

Here's my office space at work-

See how it's NOT against the wall with Han Solo and my mom's painting? Yeah! Me too. I didn't want to publicize the entire office space because that's where three other people spend their day, you know? The truly curious may need to visit me at lunch sometime.

This is what my desk at home looked like until sometime this morning:


and this is how it looks now:

There's a plan to get a stack of drawers and put them on casters, and it'll live to the right of my desk. I'm also planning on finding more rigid side canvas boxes like the one on the top shelf here for stuff that doesn't fit in drawers. Considering I have NO drawer real estate except for the movable card catalog drawers currently not showing, (there's a metal bit that sticks out and will mar the pretty new finish, you see... also hideous overall compared to the beauty that is now before us.) This is remarkably not-cluttered.

Did I mention lately that quiet_elegance is a rock star? Because he is. 

So, there's a thing called Project For Awesome, which is a charity that was sparked by the most excellent Nerdfigher- Vlog Brothers. And this year, they asked their Nerdfighter artists to participate by making art as the prizes for those who are financially going to be giving to Project for Awesome. It's a nice way for many who want to be part of the project, but maybe have more time than money. Or maybe not even more time, but still have more time than spare money.  The fun part was that they announced that people could submit ideas early last week, but none of us would know until the after the deadline (7th) if we were in and mailing deadline was the 12th. Paramters included sending 20 of what you make. I went with watercolors that were primarily (hahahaha) Nerdfighter in-jokes. French the Llama, puppy sized elephants, giraffe love, hanklerfish... 

I mentioned yesterday about this Finishing Book project by Ze Frank. Well, by golly, they got their acts together and the book is arriving at my place of employment sometime tomorrow morning, traffic willing. The courier is not someone I know, and I do not know by what method she plans on traveling to me or if she knows Boston, so... I'm hoping she arrives by noon. :) 

IF the project appeals to you, and you can get to me, consider coming down and writing down something you are ready to "forgive yourself for, forgive someone else, or just ready to let go," then please do. Here's a tutorial on Hanko Stamp making. I'm biased and think it can be done relatively quickly.  I think I'll bring some of my own stamps I've made over the years just in case.

I'm arranging for the meetup to be from 12-3. Ping me if you think you can make it and/or need more details. 

drwex was a creature of great excellence and kept me company while I sorted through goodwill for 10th Doctor outfits. He amused Crime Fighter and gave me good feedback on suit jackets and the necessity of having the camel colored overcoat. I acquired both jacket, coat, and reasonable pair of pants. I am using the Chucks I got from my now former coworker (a different color of brown, but so be it. I'm not going to win awards) and thanks to purple_terror, I have a sonic screwdriver. I think that's good enough, eh? I also figured out how to arrange to have Crime Fighter delivered to me at the hotel, thanks to rintrahroars, so all this means I feel like this is really coming together.

The hilarious thing is I was thinking about how I didn't really want to deal with extra stuff, and my prime Naughty Nurse participation is Friday after I set up art. But I'll be in my Doctor outfit, since I thought it'd be HI-larious to wear it to the meeting I'm attending earlier that day. I mean... why not? Makes for less faffing about and should be interesting to see if anyone else notices... or if I can keep my mouth shut about my outfit long enough to see if anyone notices. So, what to do. Wait! I won't be a nurse this year because I'll already be The Doctor!

The question is-- aside from maybe an arm band with a red cross on it, is there another way that might distinguish me as someone soliciting for people's blood? I figure the clip board might be enough.