Gratitudes

Life Updates

It’s that time of year again.

I’m stunningly grateful for a loving and supportive wife, who has pushed me to pursue even my most self-indulgent ambitions when she knew they would bring me joy, who constantly reminds me to take better care of myself and to treat myself with grace, and who is supporting me through this next exciting phase of my journey — more on that in a moment.

I’m grateful for my kid, who continues to blow my mind with his intelligence, curiosity, and humor; at his dedication to learning the things he’s passionate about; at his gift of perfect pitch and his ability to play music by ear; at his confidence, his compassion, and his creativity.

I’m grateful for my siblings, who I have always been close to, but with whom I have reconnected this year in a way we haven’t since we were children; I am grateful for their incomparable, dark, and sometimes surrealist humor; and I am excited to see what the three of us get up to in the new year, from sleepy Sunday brunches, to more silly escape rooms, to artistic collaborations.

I’m super grateful to a number of people — Becky, and Aimee, and Sarah, and Patrick, and Maria, and Michael, and and and — for being part of the figure drawing group that my wife and I started on a lark back in August and has been a consistent highlight of every month, making sure that even in the trenches of art block, I always get some art (and socializing) in.

I am grateful to my coworkers — not limited to, but most especially for my office mates, who respect my knowledge and experience and value me as a professional; who always have my back and support me in both my professional and personal life, and who tell my stories that routinely have me absolutely rolling. Even on the worst days, facing the chaos with them makes it bearable.

I am thankful for finding such a vibrant and active fan community via the Red Dwarf fandom — for bringing me back to creative writing after a decade away, for spearheading wonderfully fun collaborative projects, for being exactly my flavor of unhinged, and for bringing daily doses of levity to even the darkest days.

And, returning to something mentioned earlier, I am so grateful to be embarking on the latest phase of my journey — I’ve recently started HRT, and am excited to further explore my non-binary identity in the coming year.

I hope you all surround yourself with those you love today — family (biological or found), friends — and take the time to breathe. The world is on fire, but there are still beautiful things.

Everything is on fire,
but everyone I love is doing beautiful things
and trying to make life worth living,
and I know I don’t have to believe in everything,
but I believe in that.

– Nikita Gill

Take care of yourselves, and each other.

Oops

Last night, exhausted from work and finally throwing in the towel on this year’s writing challenge (25 out of 31 prompts, and over 26k words…!), I was telling my wife how hugely excited I was to work on visual art again, how many ideas I had, how thrilled I was to start working on my own stuff again — just as soon as I finished these two pieces for a project I’m a part of.

“Then I think I’ll end it there,” I said. “Just do the two.”

“Ok,” she said, as one of the two organizers of said project. “That’s why we on-boarded pinch hitters, so if someone drops out they can pick it up.”

That more or less stopped me in my tracks.

Pinch hitting?

Dropping the project??

It was then my lovely wife reminded my that I had signed on to complete six pieces, ahahahahaha. Oh my God, how had I forgotten that…??? I’d even had a prioritized list of all my concepts. But it had complete slipped my mind.

So, yeah. I will be working on my own stuff in the coming weeks, but I will also be working on the remaining four pieces for my part of this project. Jesus. How embarrassing, lol.

Anyway, I’m not exhibiting, but I’m looking forward to attending Nerd Alert: A Micro Con at Essex Art this Saturday, it looks to be a good time!

What stuff is coming up that you all are looking forward to? I’m excited for a day with my siblings next week (escape rooms, bowling, and possible tattoos), the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (in just about a month), our friend Aimee’s book event (woo!), and of course our November figure drawing session on the 15th.

Hope you all have good things to look forward to. Do good when and where you can, and take care of yourselves and each other.

Things That Buoy Me Along, Pt. IV

Life Updates

1.) These Recent eBay Fandom Finds

I opened my first eBay account in years last summer to try to start properly collecting, and I’ve been dabbling in throwing some bids out here and there, but my favorite thing in the world is finding something I want with a startlingly cheap “Buy It Now” option.  These past two weeks, I have acquired both a rare zine and an incredibly cheap copy of a tie-in book that I’ve been eyeing since August.

The Small Rouge One is a limited run, 1994 fan-published Red Dwarf zine – old school fandom, the kind of vintage, pre-mainstream internet shit I love.  I’ve never seen it going for less than $10 to $15, and almost always from the UK (so essentially, double that cost – at least – when you include shipping fees).  This one was, including tax and shipping, under $15.  I was stunned, I was thrilled, and of course I snatched it up.  This is the second in a run of three, I’ve got eBay alerts on for the other two, but obviously they are all standalone, so the order doesn’t matter.  I’m thrilled to have it.

I also picked up Psych’s Guide… for under $6, with free shipping.  Whaaat???  This is a big book – I was expecting a trade paperback, but this is a substantial QP that retails for $18.  I’m so excited to have it, I love these stupid detectives with all my heart.

2.) This Jacket from Torrid, via Savers

Look at this jacket.  LOOK AT IT.  $6.99!

3.) Halloween Goodies at Aldi

From Halloween LEGO kits, to crochet amigurumi kits, and fucking Halloween cheese…?!  I’m so stoked for the season.  We grabbed one of the Halloween LEGO kits for Bear (who worked on it while he was sick at home last Tuesday) and two of the crochet kits, as well as a couple of Pumpkin Spice Wensleydale cheeses (which came with us to our adults-only pumpkin carving night last Sunday – most of us, including me, really liked it!  Kira seemed… perplexed.  She ultimately decided she didn’t hate it, but it really wasn’t for her). This is on top of the candles and such we’d already snatched up, lol.

4.) Pumpkin Carving at Aimee’s

Our friend Aimee hosts an annual pumpkin carving night, and this was our second year attending.  I never really carved pumpkins as either a kid or an adult, but since starting to hang out with Aimee, I’ve found I really like it, and I’m not bad at it.  I decided pretty last minute what I was actually going to do this year, and I free-handed it (well, I drew the design on the pumpkin first, but I didn’t use a stencil or anything, is what I mean).  I’m really happy with how it turned out!  It was a beautiful night and it was a lot of fun hanging out with this group, watching schlock horror, and doing something creative.

(Also, peep Chouli’s kickass Bill Cipher design! Loving it!

Mine is the skull, btw!!)

That’s it for now. I’m finding comfort and happiness in the community around me, and in the support and creativity of my friends and allies. I am doing creative things that I love, giving back when and where I can, and I hope you are able to do the same.

My final check-in for the collaborative project I am working on is October 31st, coinciding with the end of my writing challenge, so expect me to come back to visual art with a renewed resolve and passion, lol. I’m already thinking of so many things I want to do and make.

Take care of yourselves, and each other.

Dipping Out on Drawtober

Life Updates

Here’s the thing:  I will (and do) enthusiastically encourage everyone to try challenges when they are first establishing a creative practice.  I’ve done NaPoWriMo, NaNoWriMo,* Inktober,** Drawtober, and ArtFight, and all have been instrumental in pushing me to explore new techniques, tackle subject matter I otherwise wouldn’t have, and adhere to some sort of schedule.

But.  But but but.  

For me – and this is a very “for me” situation – after a certain point, the usefulness and appeal of challenges starts to fade.  The more established I am in my own creative routine, the more creative momentum I have of my own, the more of my own original ideas I have to work on, the more said challenges start to feel like burdens rather than buoys.  And that doesn’t mean I don’t think people with their own art practices can’t benefit from or enjoy challenges, God – please don’t take this to mean that you shouldn’t engage with things like ArtFight or Drawtober or whatever other challenges are out there if it makes you feel fulfilled and productive.  I’m just saying, when (or if) they begin to feel like a burden or an obligation, it may be time to rethink your participation.  Not even wholecloth; even just from challenge to challenge.  Drawtober 2024 might have been a snoozefest for you, but 2025 makes you vibrate with excitement.  That’s fine, that’s cool.  Just listen to your instincts, is what I’m saying.

All this to say, I charged into Drawtober 2025 gung-ho and then realized… I’m not sure I’m totally feeling it.  And it’s not a Drawtober issue – like, I really love four of the six prompts, and find the last two intriguing-but-not-for-me – it’s just that with the exception of two of the prompts, they aren’t really anything I feel compelled to churn out on a deadline.  Like, I think I still might pursue them, but they aren’t priority items for me.  Which is fine.  It’s fine.  These are the problems I wish I had, back when I first thought I might like to get involved in visual art – too many ideas, too many concepts and ambitions and projects rattling around in my brain.  A glut of inspiration is an enviable problem to have.

But it means that Drawtober as a timed challenge maybe isn’t for me this year.  That’s not to say I still can’t use the prompts as inspiration, just that I will not be breaking my back to complete them on the week-to-week deadlines.

Especially not since I’m running my own writing challenge in October again. And man, let me tell you, I got one hell of a positive reception to that, so I am really looking forward to it. I’m excited to be writing again, and I’m looking forward to an influx in fic in this fandom, for sure.

So that’s where I’ll turn my attention for the next month, while I update and elaborate on my Art Ideas document (best thing I ever did — create a color-coded Google doc with every spare thought and idea I have for potential art projects. Easy, accessible, and literally at my fingertips — no more lost ideas. It is about a dozen pages long and has been an absolute lifesaver).

Work has been fulfilling, but non-stop, lol. Domestic life has been full of creativity and whimsy. Social life has been quiet this month (had several schedule upheavals), but I don’t have a single free weekend in October due to social obligations, so that’s clearly picking up momentum.

More big things on the horizon, both personal and creative, but I’ll talk about those when I’m free to (…spoilers).

Hope all is well, and good luck to those of you participating in any creative challenges next month.

Take care of yourselves, and each other.

Swinging into Fall

Life Updates

So, following up from my last post, as an update: I did in fact put in for the Embrace the Deception zine, and I’m currently awaiting acceptance or rejection. Planning ahead, because I’m participating in so many challenges/projects, I have successfully sourced a reference image (from the lovely Adorkastock) and will be drafting that in the next few weeks. If I get in I’ll be ahead of the game, and if I don’t, I can always grace the Psych-o’s on Tumblr with it, lol.

We’re entering into a portion of the year where we are consistently busy. Fall is really my favorite time of year, and it feels like that’s the overwhelming consensus in the majority of my social circles, so of course it tends to be a busy time when everyone I know is trying to cram all variety of seasonal celebrations in.

We had our first party of the season on Labor Day weekend, hosted by our friend Raeann, which is always fun; and just this Saturday we had “Wing Out til You Ding Out,” hosted by our friends Pete and Jane, which was huge potluck centering on — you guessed it — wings (and holy shit, how many wings, lol. It was so good).

I also have a fancy, five-course, themed dinner party with my sister coming up; the start of Bear’s dance classes; apple-picking with Dan; pumpkin carving at Aimee’s; a six-week tarot-reading class; and of course, our September life drawing group. I’m very excited.

Today I plan on a mellow day spent relaxing and doing prep for my annual Red Dwarf writing challenge; my moot Artemis started it back in 2023, and I picked up the mantle the last two years. It’s yielded some really, really wonderful fic, and it’s just a joy to log on every day and see half a dozen new stories or vignettes (or sometimes art!) and to know that I’m in part responsible for their existence, lol. Generating the prompt list was less of a challenge than I’d feared it’d be, though I’m (foolishly, I guess) looking to next year already and thinking, “ugh, do I actually have another 31 prompts in me…?,” lol.

Also on the roster for today is working on tentative completion (pending review) of the two piece for my Big Collaborative Project), and hopefully starting my sketches for Drawtober. I’m not enamored with every single one, but I definitely have some great ideas for at least three of them, and I hope to get ref photos and sketches done today.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Take care of yourselves and each other.

Last Day of Summer

Life Updates

God, that went fast.

So, yes; I return to work tomorrow (starting off with a bang with a seven-hour Safety Care recertification!) and have to get back into the swing of things — like going to sleep before midnight and getting out of bed before 9, ugh.

But the last few weeks of summer have been gratifying; I’ve eaten some amazing food, seen some amazing friends, and reading some amazing books (I’m finally reading The Locked Tomb series! Oh my God, the end of Gideon the Ninth had me in ugly tears! I also just recently finished Harrow the Ninth, which was… a lot, lol. Taking a breather, but planning to start Nona the Ninth this week!)

On the 16th, we had our monthly figure drawing group, with two new people (new to the figure drawing group, lol. They’re friends of ours, obviously; one a practicing artist, and one a hobbyist who mostly works in fiber arts, trying to get back into sketching), and it was lovely.

I’m still struggling with the 1 minute poses, but far less so than our first session! I genuinely feel like this group is helping me make fast and tangible progress with my sketching, which is something that I have struggled with in the past.

I’ve put some of that to good use in completing two portraits in the last few weeks, one of my beloved Timothy Omundson, and one of the gorgeous Yasmin Finney — neither of which are perfect, but both of which look more like their intended subject than many of my portraits in the past, lol. Progress is progress!

Speaking of my beloved Tim, today is the opening on applications for Embrace the Deception: A Psych Zine, which I am hype for. I am already involved in a large collaborative art project (which I am thrilled about!) and returning to work, so I’m a little hesitant to throw my hat in the ring, but by the same token, letting this chance slide by while I am in Psych hyperfixation seems like a wasted opportunity, lol. So, I might give it a go; no guarantee I’ll even get in, but I gotta shoot my shot, as it were.

No new art shows to speak of, but it’s felt like one after another after another for a while, so I’m cool with taking a break for a bit and focusing on my collab, my own personal projects, and maybe zines (’cause if I’m being honest, I’ve missed doing zines, lol)

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

Take care of yourselves, and each other.

Another Year Round the Sun

Life Updates

Happy birthday to me. The Douglas Adams fan in me is sad to let go of 42, but I feel like cool things are on the horizon for me at 43.

I’m nearing completion of two large, personal art projects; I’m wrist deep in a huge, multi-artist collab, and on the precipice of joining a second; I have a lively and successful life drawing group that I run, and I’m overall just very enthusiastic about what I’ll be able to accomplish on this sweep around the sun.

43. Though some days I feel 16, and some days I feel 500.

I had a relaxing lunch out with work friends on Wednesday (lovely to catch up with Paula, who I hadn’t seen since mid-June), beach plans this weekend, and plans with my sister on Monday. All in all, a lovely, slow-release into the next phase of my life.

I didn’t intend to make this a long entry — and I won’t — but I do want to let you all know that the next several entries are very likely going to be about the intersection of domesticity, art, and whimsy, because I have been thinking about that a lot lately, and with a new year of my life starting, it felt like a good time to delve into my feelings and wants regarding the space in which I live.

Just, you know, in case you’re into hearing about that, lol.

Take care of yourselves, and each other.

A Smattering of Updates

Life Updates

I started back up at work last week (for Extended School Year; no, schools in Massachusetts don’t have a three week summer break!) and contrary to my belief that it would grind my summer productivity to screeching halt, it actually gave me the external structure I needed to prioritize thing and motivate me. My biggest issue with executive dysfunction has always been task initiation, so sometimes having something externally imposed that forces me into motion can be helpful.

And helpful it has been — over the course of this week, I have almost completed the mural in my studio. It has been so, so fun and so gratifying to do — I haven’t worked in traditional media in something like six years — and I cannot wait to show off the full design, completed and in proper perspective, but for now, here’s a short little reel of my painting last Friday:

I’m also four fully rendered illustrations into my Feminine Archetypes series, with The Lover, The Huntress, The Queen, and The Mystic done, and The Mother Ready to be inked (have an older, unfinished sketch that’ll work for The Maiden; stumped as shit on The Sage, to be perfectly honest), and I feel good about it as one of the bigger personal projects I’ve undertaken. Working in a limited palette is always so much fun for me, and I don’t know why I don’t do it more often, but I probably should. There are a few sparse sneak peek and preview images over on my Instagram, if you are interested.

I’m also weirdly excited (???) to announce that my Big Personal Project might have to go on a slight hiatus, because I have been onboarded for a Big Collaborative Project that I m so, so, so excited about. I can’t really talk about it yet, but suffice it to say I am working with around 16 other very talented artists, and the project feels both gratifyingly new and yet also comfortingly nostalgic for me. I’m so thrilled to be a part of something collaborative again, especially one being spearheaded by a friend. Anyway, as I said, can’t speak too extensively about that yet, but I am so eager to share with you all when I can.

A Mini Edition of “Things That Buoyed Me Along This Week:”

1. Blue Prince on Steam
My wife, son, and I have been playing this game for about a week now, and it has been such an entertaining game! It was released in April on Steam, and we were initially introduced to it via Secret Sleepover Society. It intrigued Kira enough that she opted to stop watching immediately and buy the game herself. It’s a great little exploration/puzzle game, rife with lore, cool visuals, fairly intuitive mechanics, and enough lateral thinking to keep you busy. It’s not a fast-paced game — which honestly, I like — but it’s interesting enough that it’s kept my AuDHD 10-year-old engaged for each of our runs, which have all been an hour-plus. You can find it on Steam here (not an affiliate link/not getting a cut just really like the game, lol)

2. My recent sticker haul from Queer and Feral:
I’ve followed Queer and Feral on Instagram for a long time, and when I recently got my newest sketchbook, I knew I needed to get some new stickers for it, so over to Q&F I headed, lol. Love the quality of the stickers (the holographic ones are gorgeous, and there are lots and lots of fun ones).

Not the final configuration, but the best shot of the stickers themselves.

3. The Murderbot Finale
Ahhhh, ok. Ah. Ahhhh. I’m so glad we got a confirmation of a Season 2, because — ahhh. I will admit I wasn’t 100% sure about Alex Skarsgård as Murderbot at first, but holy hell, he plays the uncanny valley and social anxiety/awkwardness so goddamn well. And I’ve got to say, I wasn’t quite on board with it just from reading the books, but I almost hate to say, I’m becoming a hardcore Murderathin shipper. I mean, that ending. Holy shit. Here’s a lovely edit, because apparently that scene broke other people in exactly the same way it broke me, lol:

@theliteraryshard

#murderbot s01e10 | *let me go check the perimeter with you!!* i scream as the pre aux team drags me away to give SecUnit its personal space #alexanderskarsgard #appletvplus #appletv #edit #fyp #letdown

♬ original sound – Worldhopper

I think that’s about it. For those of you local, please stop by The Essex Art Center to take a look at the Salon Show, and consider purchasing some art to support the organization, they do amazing work for both the youth of Lawrence, and the Greater Lawrence Community as a whole. We attended the opening this past Saturday as part of Fiesta en la Calle, and the art is incredible.

Also, speaking of Fiesta, shout out to Hey Emily Dee, one of the local vendors from whom I purchased this amazing print and sticker:

Until next time. Take care of yourselves, and each other.

Community and Creativity

I don’t talk about the wider world so much on here, because I talk so much about it in real life, on my personal social media, and because I, personally, need at least once space where I can talk freely and indulgently about my own life, plans, projects, and small joys. So please never mistake my silence for ignorance or apathy.

Also, if anyone would like a list of organizations to throw money or volunteer hours at (ones that allow for virtual volunteering as well, given the likelihood of location discrepancy), I would be thrilled to pull one together. I am in the process of figuring out my own giving budget, and would be happy to share those orgs that are nearest and dearest to me.

All that being said, I have been spending time cultivating my own community.

Today is our inaugural (hopefully monthly) figure drawing session. We’re a cohort of six to ten interested, local artists who will be modelling in rotation for one another in 5, 10, and 15 minute intervals; this is partly in response to the lack of accessible life drawing sessions (Essex Art has one that is wonderful, but it’s on Thursday evenings, which is not feasible for everyone), and partly simply an excuse to get together and have a moment of calm, collective creativity. The fact that many of the attendees are both neurodivergent and queer is just icing on the cake for us.

Today we are expecting six attendees for our three hour session, but in future we are hopeful for up to ten (we had four “no’s” this round — one is tabling at a convention in Western Mass, one had a family party, and two couldn’t get out of work) and, who knows, as word get around to friends-of-friends, maybe even more in the future.

This all brings to mind an idea I had ages ago, that was borne out of watching what is probably a hugely niche web series called “Strip Search,” which was a one season show by the creators of Penny Arcade. It pitted ten artists against one another in a variety of art challenges, and I remember watching it and just thinking, “Oh my God, this would be such an amazing thing to do with friends.” Like, just isolate ourselves in a cabin (or like, an AirBNB or whatever) for a week, and just have this competitive and collaborative challenges to complete. It felt like such a great way to connect/reconnect with friends, get a new perspective on your work and process, and just make really fun, cool art.

I’m still up for it, by the way!! If I could find enough interested people able to make the time commitment — (therein lies the rub, really; most of my friends, myself included, not only work full-time, but have kids, which makes something like that difficult) — I would still be 100% for it.

Has anyone had any experience with something like this? Either a homebrew sort of get-together, or a slightly non-traditional artist retreat, maybe?

Anyway. For those local, we are exactly two weeks away from Fiesta en la Calle, and opening reception for The Essex Art Salon Show, where my illustration #NoFilterII will be shown. It’s a great event for families, and a great chance to support a wonderful organization — as both a lagacy exhibitor and a former student, I can very confidently attest to the amazing work Essex Art Center does, and the vibrant artistic and creative community present in the city.

Everyone, take care of yourselves and each other. It’s fucking rough out there.

Things That Buoy Me Along, Pt. III

My loves and lovelies, we are in the home stretch!  Summer break begins at 2:51 pm on Friday, and I am hype.  Hype hype hype.  I cannot wait to have a schedule cleared of work obligations for a full three weeks – and even ESY duties this year are only three days a week for me, 8:30 to 11:30.  I am excited to have time and space to breathe, relax, and create.

Some things that have been buoying me along this week:

1. Bobbleheads

Specifically this one I got off eBay of my babygirl, Detective Carlton Lassiter of the Santa Barbara PD: 


For any Psych fans who, like me, didn’t know these existed, there are ones of Shawn, Gus, and Jules as well, though listings are few and far between – and a few of the one’s I’ve seen recently are either more than I’m willing to pay, or broken (they talk!  Ahh!!!!  And there’s no way I’m buying one with a broken sound box, sorry not sorry).

There are also Red Dwarf bobbleheads that I’m eyeballing that just got listed literally this morning (I have eBay alerts set for them, what can I say) from Australia, which initially gave me pause, but the currency conversion is telling me the shipping is only $9 USD???  I dunno, check back with me in a few days, but it’s possible by this time next week I may be a few bobbleheads richer.

2. Assets for Artists

I discovered this through MoCA, I believe, and it look like it could be game changing.  None of the upcoming workshops currently work for me (happening either during work hours, or (the June 30th one specifically) while I am out of town, but the pre-recorded workshop about building an Instagram following look super useful (yes, I’m back on Insta; see my post about that, for those wondering. I am still and plan to remain on Cara, as well, and will be using that as my portfolio site).  The resources are free for all artists in Massachusett, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont, and are pay-what-you-can for artists elsewhere.  I’m excited to watch/attend, this looks like a resource that can help take my practice to the next level.

3. The Wicked: For Good movie trailer


This movie trailer was responsible for a nearly ruined lunch, lol (I sent the link to my sister the second it showed up on my Insta feed; she was making lunch and subsequently burned her dumplings watching and rewatching it, lol)  I remember back in the day when it was suggested that Ariana Grande was going to be playing Glinda that I was highly doubtful, but oh my God, she was perfection (as was Cynthia Erivo, ofc) and Wicked was one of the best musical adaptations I have ever seen (and I’ve seen a fair few).  I cannot wait until November, but in the meantime I suppose I’ll have to settle for rewatching Part One ad infinitum.

4. Free services through my local library (Kanopy, Hoople, Mango Languages, CreativeBug etc)
I cannot express how happy I am about this.  If you have a library card, go to your library’s website and do a deep dive to see what it give you access to.  Through my BPL card, I get access to Mango Languages (I’m going to take German), Hoopla and Kanopy (streaming media – movies, TV shows, and documentaries), and CreativeBug, which is video instruction and online classes and workshops in all sort of arts and crafts.  I am so, so psyched about that last one especially, because I kept think I’d love to do something like a SkillShare class but really didn’t want to pay those fees, and then, lo and behold, the perfect solution!!

5. I got my Ggggrimes prints!

Oh my God, his stuff is so damn cool, and they threw in two 4 x 6 prints for free, how cool is that:

Anyway, the world is a dumpster fire, but I hope you are doing what you can to keep yourself and your  community safe and cared for.  Stay strong, stay motivated, and take care of yourselves and each other.