Chapter 1
Yup we're doing chapters, so did I remind you to bring coffee and eye drops. If not, I'll wait....ready? Okay...so I really never meant to be gone quite this long. The sabbatical was filled with all over the place moments. The best laid plans, often fail. I was thinking a month, maybe 2 tops. I didn't expect to be at the end of June, blogging my "I'm back" and launching myself back into the arty art world. So many tales to tell...so many followers lost. So much of me learning not to care about stats, and the rest of what comes along with being a freelance artist.
I was actually planning on being back next week! (well a lot earlier, too, but that is later) I got the PC upgrade...and boy is THIS a nightmare. Remind me never to have my hard drive wiped, ever again. So the PC is limping along, still, but it's up and ready enough for me to come back. Can't wait for the perfect because, I'd never be back. My initial wanting to come back, that week, my Wacom finally died. R.I.P. poor thing. I got many years out of it and the stylus just fell apart...So I'm fully upgraded...The new Wacom, I'm still getting used to. Same size, model, but the upgraded version. The first week I was scared to death of it!! I was seriously afraid of it. So new, smaller, but the same size...the stylus...holy crow!! The nibs it chews through that I'll be ordering in bulk as well as a new drawing space cover...so I hope it'll slow down on the chewing of the nibs. But the beauty of it, it blows my mind. Still does blow my mind.
So with the hard drive wiped, I had to re-calibrate all of my brushes on Painter. All of them. I was going to go one step at a time, while working on a pre-uprade piece. Nope. Didn't happen. The calibration as I go, the piece was looking super funky. I decided to wait until after the upgrade. Nope, even funkier. I had to scrap a fairly strong piece because the changes were too big, and yes, that is what she said! The brushes, all of them are calibrated and ready to go. It took a week...I fell in love with brushes I forgot I had, some of my go to brushes, I fell out of love with. I'm all out of love...what am I without you?!?! Okay sorry for the cheesy 80's song reference. I couldn't resist. No, I haven't lost my twisted sense of humour, nor my twisted art style, and with the upgrades...holy crow I can do almost anything now. Which is opening me up to mediums that would crash my poor PC. Not anymore!!
After I get 2 commissions out of the way, I'll be focusing on how creepy and twisted I can actually get. Maybe I'll rein myself in, but I doubt it. Let the canvas talk...see what the hell is stuck in my noggin!! I'm sure a lot.
Chapter 2
So the technical shit is out of the way...now you may or may not be wondering what the hell I've been up to? Well a lot but then, not a lot. Reading, a lot. A really lot. And playing video games. Yes, you heard that right...The Universim mainly. It is in early access but it is very playable and very entertaining! It's also on Steam where I stumbled onto it. The dev's are fantastic. At one point I couldn't play the game due to motion sickness and camera shake. They added the option to turn the shake off. Seriously! I was humbled and so grateful. I am hooked on this game! I have spoken with I think 2 dev's? One for sure that is just a great guy but they listen to the players! A rare thing for early access games. I met a few people from the past early access games and a new friend that has been my voice and advocate. Thank you Kyana!!! Again, check it out, if you're a gamer, it's hard to describe it, but it is fun.
I've also met an amazing fellow artist and we have become dear friends! It was a very chance meeting on Twitter, since I really wasn't on social media that much over the months. But she is an amazing being and an amazing fluid abstract artist and throw in she makes jewelry, too! Again such a beautiful soul and talented in her arting whatever medium she chooses! Check her Twitter feed out and follow her! All the links in this paragraph head to Laurie Adamson...an amazing friend, artist and creator!
Other than that, I've had Dad Days, one is coming up this week and game sessions, which the game is currently dead. As in no amount of resurrection spells can save that puppy, dead. I got the plague which led me to falling off the workout wagon. I'm going to be attempting to get back on that wagon next week! Just relaxing and recharging...which leads us to the plan...that hasn't quite been made, shocking, I know!
Chapter 3
Addressing the giant argyle elephant in the room. Don't get my wrong I liked when he was pink, but argyle is just so much more fun! What is my plan? What are my goals for coming back from sabbatical after many months away? I can't really answer everything, but I can tell you I will not be going at the break neck pace I was at before the major burnout. I am still learning the balance thing. I can't tell you that every week there will be a new piece up, or if I'll even be blogging every week. I do hope to at least blog every week. I've missed blogging. I have spent a lot of time pondering and trying to make a schedule that is balanced and won't burn me out. So far, I have the evening planned...I know what I have to do in the mornings. The rest is up in the air. Being on sabbatical was very healing for me on so many levels. But I am not sure I'm any closer to finding a balance. So we'll play it by ear. I am hoping to not give you eye strain every week, no promises, and I am hoping to have a piece to showcase every week, again, no promises. What I learned from my sabbatical is that I need to art. That is the number one thing. The social media stuff, I know I need to do, but being unplugged was very nice. And I plan on unplugging in the evening. And taking vacations when I want/need to, so I can prevent another massive burnout. I am not sure if I'll be doing weekly updates, or every other week...or maybe monthly. I told the hubby last night, maybe I should have planned better before coming back. But his sage advice and my thinking, as well, is it will fall into place as I go. I know I'll have him putting me in check if I go all OCD break neck speed. I can't do that anymore. I did it for years before the burnout, but I don't want to do that again. Where every waking moment I was focusing on art, social media and the blog. That was it. It took it's toll...and I can't let that happen again. The chill sabbatical me, well as chill as I can get, doesn't want that either.
I guess we'll see what happens. Together we shall blaze a new trail that is less go, go, go, now, now, now! A more relaxed pace so that I can grow as a human and as an artist. One thing I learned being on a sabbatical for as long as I have, is that art is not the only thing that defines me. I have learned and grown a lot with the time off...doesn't seem like it from the what I was up to chapter. But a lot of things that I did learn, would bore you to bloody tears...and that's no fun. It's been a very interesting series of epiphanies and just being moments...hard to explain and to be honest I don't want to explain them. We'd be here forever! You'd all be blind and over caffeinated. It wouldn't be pretty. This is long enough as it is! Whoops!
The End to the New Start
On that very long note, it could have been longer...trust me, I will leave you here. I am back from sabbatical and we will all be on this new journey of me being back from sabbatical together! I am very grateful for all of you that have stuck around. And I'm looking forward to being back with a slower pace. Growing as an artist and as a human! On that note, my minions, I hope you have an amazing week...own it! Until next time! I bid you an adieu!