ok day - week is sort of a fail production wise.  Would be a lot happier if I had more to show for it.  Maybe tomorrow I can knock it out of the park.

Working all week on these prints for SM, and they are all just ok.  I am stuck in a reprint rut for sure.  Some of these I have printed over and over.  

Totally uninspired to make new work, and these positives are all complete.  So fucking stupid - I hate spending $$$ on ink for one thing.  Anyway, that has been an ongoing project that I should finish tomorrow.

Went to BUZZ to drop holiday cards, and then old navy and Michaels.  Dave's little adventure.  

For a minute or less, I liked the idea of weekday shopping, giving me nostalgic memories of Rockville and childhood.  Then while I was in the store, especially Michaels, with all the holiday CRAP, I felt repulsed and like I just was in the WRONG place, and had to go go go !!!  Bad feelings / memories of Jimmy came to mind, so I rushed out after buying some paper for printing.  

Got a donut at Giant, which should have been at least good (not great), but it was terrible.  Turns out you really need to microwave them!  

I was tempted by the fried chicken at the hot bar, with memories of press check lunch breaks at G & G.  Such nostalgia.  EVERYTHING is a memory!!  But I figured it would be $$$ and not so good, so I went with the cheap shitty donut instead. 

Waiting to hear from Hex, who will be finished working soon.  Pick up at 18th & P. 

 

So this is a quick day rundown.

Made screens, and continue to work on my prints for SM.  Ordered cards, and painted some boards.  All uneventful.  Trying to find some creative juice!  Putting of drawing as usual, but the days go by and the vice tightens.  I always do this to myself.

Slipped up over the weekend with news reading, but back to ...

 

hex called - bye! 

ha ha I just keep sitting at my desk consumed into my screen, tweaking this and that on my site, and stalling going to the gym.  

All I do at the gym every night is sit in the sauna and steam, and shower.  Cardio has been a thing of the past, too lazy by the time 7pm comes around, and I really enjoy ending the day this way.  But its lazy, that's for sure.  

After COVID I just said fuck it - I can do what the fuck I want!

Anyway, positive day.  Started the prints, and got sort of uninspired as I went along.  I NEED TO DO NEW THINGS, not just reprint the same stuff.  The harder path but more rewarding for sure.

Midday my holiday cards arrived (early, yay!) so I realized it was best to shift gears, put off printing (happily) and prepare cards for GTown.  Made the trip over and think it was a good plan, and good to check in.  It's been way too long, out of fear, and convenience - parking is always a BITCH.  Got a good picture of what they need -- a good way to make a plan into action over the next few weeks.

Hoping to work over the weekend, we'll see how that goes.  Usually I just an instantly out of the mood, and just want to slug. But there is a lot to do !!

 

Good day!  Started early (for me) with hex and coffee at Firehook - ha, we can't stop calling it that.

Posted cards to site, and ran off to photograph Precipice print.  Mixed results.

Started big SM project of prints on wood.  Sort of fun feeling creative and free.  Made screens, so all set to print tomorrow.

Early evening walk with ladies after running out quickly for coke at gas station ($1.50 !!).  The sun was shining, the start of golden hour, and I realized I should be out with them THEN every day instead of walking in the sad dark.  So that will be my new plan!

Sold chairs finally on marketplace, and then was off to SMUM.  Metro was apocalyptic - filled to capacity, yet we kept stopping at super crowded stations and people kept squeezing in.  It was harrowing!!  I managed to find a set and all was better, but I was so isolated that I missed my stop.

UM good , a happy drop.  Then the gym, which was totally empty.  It's sad when it's like that.  Where is everybody??

Tomorrow > print.

- - - - - - 

Sitting in the sauna, my mind wandered to bsur, and all that bloomed out of that, and just now thinking about posting shot of Irene in my first tee design, and what came out of that!  

Jordy > bill and John > Adam > bsur > branddave.  Its a crazy progression, and IS SO FUCKING MAGICAL (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) how all that came from the tiny seed of creativity and spark of an idea that I put into motion with a series of actions.  All the people, products, $$$, happiness, (frustration) everything that flowed out of that one thing - that idea, that motion and action.  It's just so exciting to think about, all that I have done.  Its very powerful ! 

 

 Weird time(with govt shutdown)?  I don't know, it just seems like the streets are empty and holiday is not started.  Good election last night.  I am staying away from the news!  Glad about that discipline.

Working slow this week with stomach issues.  Monday was a full day of cheryl, and yesterday I printed for SM, and that was pretty much it.  Today I finished that (soooooo sloooooow) and finally got my nov postcard finished (redo of course) and Steve's cards finished up.  Creative energy very low.  I have drawn nothing lately.  For weeks.

Have a lot to do, so i'll keep on moving forward.  Hopefully stomach gets better over time, and I can gain some sort of momentum.  I need it! 

Quick post post-gym pre-getting the fuck out of here.

Week going by fast.  They will from now until Jan.  Worked on prints today, and prepping envelopes.  haha, that sounds pretty pathetic when I write it down.  Buckle down, Dave !!!

Started holiday cards too, and that could easily become a swamp.  

INSIGHT on my walk home from gym ::: DON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME DESIGNING HOLIDAY CARDS, MAKING A PERFECT COLLECTION ETC - YOU DON'T SELL A LOT ANYMORE, AND YOUR TIME IS BETTER SPENT ELSEWHERE!!

Good SM news which injected some spring in my step.  That and NSYNC Girlfriend/Gone.  Forgot about those!

ok time to leave for the night.  Tomorrow is another chance to make progress! 

INSANE Friday led to a relaxed weekend.  All worked out, but not at all how I expected.

Got a lot done friday amidst all the chaotic feelings - finished and shipped print + commission, and finally got out the SM UM/W with Totes, tees, and leftover Holiday cards from '24.  Needed to make these trips so bad, but they were sort of inconclusive.  Got a blah reception at W, disappointing actually.  I felt like yesterday's news.  Funny, not typical.  And UM was busy with an event, so I was sort of coming in with bad timing.

Anyway, HATE the card spinner W is using, so in the process of replacing that.  Such a strange selection in 2025.  But think I found one that will work.

The commission was well received, which makes me feel good.  Lots of angst!  Stayed out of the studio most of the weekend.  Stayed around the apt with Hexy and ladies.  Coffee, walks, tv - weather is turning.

No big trek to the woods, felt uninspired.  Haha, I always do now.

Back today and muddled Monday as usual.  Made some progress here and there.  Its a turn the page kind of time.  New projects, and things to buy - ugh.  Too much to buy. 

 

Productive day, even keeled, which is a nice change!

Finished tees for SM, made a new plan for P_ _ _ _ (devious) and finished prints on wood.  Adding the Branddave really helped the cat, and the Dog commission came out great.  Plain, but looks right that way.

MAJOR progress in my push to stay off fucking Drudge, and away from the Dow.  I am happily oblivious for almost 24 hours now about what happened today.  NICE !

Home to pizza - yay!! 

 

Rough start to the day with Emma waking Hex up early to walk, and the off-ness flowed throughout the day.

Made my screens for prints that are ordered, and figured out my wood dilemma pretty quickly.  

Printing for one went ok, wish the cake was a bit less messy, and I think I need to add a logo at the bottom to balance it all out.  It looks pretty plain as is.  

Made the choice to orient it a little higher on the wood, and of course that was not the right choice.  Now it looks a bit top-heavy.  I'm so picky about my work.  If I could, I would do it all over again.

Frustrated with FB Marketplace and extreme lack of movement on these great things I have up.  Where are the customers?????  I'm baffled.  At the same time the govt is shut now for weeks, no end in sight, and economic indicators are in the shithole.  2025 health insurance scares me.  Scares me.

Walking back from gym, after a nice serene sauna, and came to the OBVIOUS realization that I have have have have have to stop constantly checking Drudge, my one-stop site for "News" about the world ending.  It's been a slippery slope back into the moment by moment lust for info that I escaped after the FUCKING election, and it's just destroying my mental health.  It has to stop. 

Tomorrow is about printing shirts (arrived at Fed Ex) and finishing up these prints.   

 

Ugh - I keep going over the issue with _ - over and over and over.  Every dog walk, every walk to the gym, over and over and over and over.  So exhausted with myself.  When will I stop ruminating over this ????

Anyway, productive day, but inefficient.  Cut some wood for commission, primed, only to have to do all the steps over again, because I realized the original pieces were not right after all.  Think I have it set and settled now.  But then -- another mess-up happens with another reprint ordered, so I need to cut even more wood to work it out.  Ugh.

But my big idea to push for holidays NOW has stalled completely.  Production is super laggy (non-existent) so I'm slowly entering myself into the position I am in EVERY YEAR.  November comes, and I say to myself, if only I had prints MADE, I could then spend time trying to sell them, rather than be bogged down making them.  I can never seem to break the pattern.

So worried and focused on "events" that I have ZERO control over, but just are bonkers, and are heading somewhere, and the uncertainty drives me insane.  I am constantly checking my phone to see if the world has ended.   It's debilitating, to say the least.

 Long time no post.  Each day comes and goes, and I guess I just haven't had time to blog?  Sort of.

After AOA I spent time making the extra tees, and what ?? Haha, I'm at a loss - what have I been working on ??  

I made some prints for SM g-town, and then I finally worked on my commission that has long stalled, Friday.  Today I got my subs out, and updated the tees on site a bit.  

I look at them now and am not satisfied.  I AM NEVER SATISFIED !! 

 

Blah blah blah, in a negative mood.  Maybe just best to leave it there, and as ALWAYS, hope for better tomorrow.  And the next day. 

Great Saturday at AOA.  Not as terrific as '24, but still good.

Lots of thoughts, but it's time to go home.  Tomorrow is my B-Day!  Yay/Ugh

Until then. 

 

Bleary-eyed at 7:40pm after a long day printing bits and pieces.  Sort of drudgery, going back through, printing small runs of disparate pieces.  

Totes coming out well.  Staying clear of designs that I think would be tricky, and that was a good policy!  

The new shirts are harder than I thought - some just don't look good with the designs I have.  Or it's not universal.  So I have to plot it all out, which is exhausting at this point (the 12th hour).  Just want to be done.

Sadly, I still have a bunch of printing tomorrow.  Wanted to be done.  Ugh 

Finished Next Gen NYC as I printed, and it was a fun distraction but much better first half.  All stories sort of fizzled, which I guess is normal.  Brookes - not a fan.