Actually, it's mainly incredibly busy. I'm moving, starting at a new workplace on Thursday, and it's all just really, really hectic because then we'll be moving AGAIN in a month, and then I think we'll settle. Kind of. Regardless of all this, though, I am determined to really keep up with my projects, especially because I'm actually branching out and moving into collaboration territory. This is all a bit nuts, mainly because we all know that, creatively, I function like a college student, which means that I tend to have to somehow get into a particular mood before I get things done.
Exactly.
However, because Hemingway and I will be living together, and he is actually and legitimately interested in what I spend my days doing creatively and always wants to know, I am kind of anticipating that being a bit of added incentive to actually be productive that I do not possess now. So, I thought that for my own elucidation (and because things look more immediate when they're actually written out and presented visually), I figured I'd set up a list of projects I want to work on and need to, you know, REMEMBER.
1. Dominion Jar
Dominion Jar is the one absolute project that I am going to make myself complete by the end of the year. I've been working on this project for a really, really long time, both just generally in my head and finally out on paper. There have been about 700 versions of it, and this is the first time that I really do feel like I've... well, not got it right, per se, but that it's the most complete it will be. I did indeed finish those paper revisions, the one I was posting pictures of earlier in the year. I've gotten up through chapter four of the rewrites on my computer file based on the revisions, and so this is what I need to really focus on. I keep getting kind of frustrated with it, probably just because it's taking so damn long and I've been working on this one story for SO LONG, BUT I NEED TO DO THIS. IF IT IS NOT DONE BY THE END OF THE YEAR I WILL SET MYSELF ON FIRE AND DIE. Basically.
2. Strange Children
So this one is not as formed as Dominion Jar, not by far. This is something that was a complete random shot in the dark. I started writing it for no particular reason, kind of just because I wanted to write something very different from what I had been working on (I've been stopping myself from turning the story's apartment building into the doorway to hell, or making the boiler room in the school into...uh...the doorway to hell, or any other lower levels into doorways to hell). Right now it is a hideous rambling mess, and I sort of keep writing myself into pointless corners and writing myself back out of them, but I'm getting an idea of what I think I'd like to do with this story. It would require a complete rewrite, but I think for now I'd like to just keep going and see where it all ends up, even if it spans into additional notebooks. But I think that could reasonably conclude itself by the end of the year, wherein I could see if there's anything to shape out of it.
3. Pre-existing Conditions
Not an official title, but it's what I'm going to call this for now. This is the graphic novel that myself, Virginia Woolf, and Leviticus (or is it St. Paul?) are all kind of working on. We're slowly getting through the concept stage, and trying to formulate how we'd like to put it all together. We have the basis for our story, and we have our main characters. I think that, for this particular endeavor, I'd like to see a vague story outline, and maybe some test panels for the intro, which we do have an idea for. But that could be a good place to start drawing practice and all of those good things.
Well, one of the issues coming up this semester is that I'll only be teaching at one school. I have yet to find another area school, which is problematic not only because the job I have now is a temporary one, but also because of money issues. I have enough saved up that I could actually live off of it for over a year, but that's not the point. So, I'm going to look into creative endeavors, and one of the things I want to attempt is making t-shirt designs and submitting them to various websites for possible selection. Some sites pay you good money, others pretty standard, but at least it would be something and it would require me to actually produce something.
5. Artwork Portfolio
Speaking of producing something, I would also like to get back into the habit of creating different kinds of art. I used to actually *have* a portfolio, believe it or not, but lately I haven't been producing much of anything unless if I saw a specific reason for it. However, that doesn't really allow for much practice. So, I would like to force myself to output a certain amount of artwork per month. I don't particularly want to set a specific number, since there is a lot of difference between big pieces and little, digital and traditional, and all that good stuff. However, I've already completed one painting today, a painting of a dinosaur head (I don't know, don't look at me), so that's more than I had before. I just want some kind of output. Let's leave it there.
6. Stitching it Up
This one is a bit more immediate, but I'd also like to see about making sewing products that I could actually sell. One idea that I had is making superhero swimsuits, and preferably ones that aren't super slutty or for people who are a size zero. I've already put together a Spiderman one, and have the pieces for an Iron Man suit, but I need to put the pieces together. I also think I could do some interesting things with fall dresses and maybe some pajama pants and things, so we'll see how that all goes. But I'd like to put together a portfolio there, too. See what happens.
7. Shoot the Birdie
All this talk about portfolios also includes the fact that I've been working on amateur (very amateur) photography projects for some time now. I think that by the end of the year, I would like to have put up a selection of photographs onto my facebook, and maybe - once I look into paintings and sewing and all that other stuff - create a page just for stuff that I've created. I know that tends to be a trend, but I want to actually be goaded into a degree of output, as mentioned before, and I feel like if I keep pushing myself to do that, I'll be more productive in my free time. Also, the photography thing is good because I like making people feel good about themselves, and also if I can get people to wear some of my stuff, that looks pretty damn good too.
8. Shape Up
I also would like to work on making little figurines out of sculpy clay. Largely just for fun, and also... well, heck. Yet again, something to use as a creative output, to potentially put in a portfolio, and maybe to use as another form of... well. You get the picture here with all of the additional add-ons. Haha! Get it? Hurm.
9. Poetry and Short Stories
I want to still try and find inspiration in new ways, and lately I've been very randomly having the urge to put together little pieces of poetry. None of them are particularly good (or necessarily coherent), but it's still something I'm going to try doing again. I may try posting some of those here, just for me or for any other poor unfortunates who accidentally stumble across this stupid blog. Same with the short stories, though that's really just to get myself out of the horror genre that I mainly like to hole myself up in and hiss at people from.
I was aiming for ten, but I don't have a tenth option right now. THIS IS AMAZING. AW YEAH. Because, obviously, less than ten is totally more manageable than ten, right? Right? Oh, good grief. I'm going now, because it's taken me far too long to type all of this up. Sheesh!!
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