July 21 goes out with a blur.  Months go by so quickly its hard to keep track.  Of course Im always on edge when they turn-over, because of all the rent and expenses that must go out.  Wish all that $$$ came right back in.

Today (saturday) we had coffee and then I was back at the apt.  Last week I made the mistake of staying home A L L saturday, and even though I resolved to change the pattern, I still was there way too long.  

Came to the studio, but pretty quickly I didn't want to be here either.  Sunny and hot out.  I just wanted to do what I imagine saturdays are for, relaxing with friends at some park or beach or porch or pool.  But that is all a distant fantasy, and the reality is that I usually don't have much to do.  Hex busy with his errands, and I always enjoy the idea of doing nothing (and then get bored with myself).

Anyway, printed the leftover shirts I owe GTown, which of course got separated from the ones I dropped off yesterday.  There is always a wrinkle to every branddave action.  Always missing something, and doing tasks in convoluted ways.  Nothing can be  a straight line.

 

Still sweating micro drawings - of course!

 

Poor emma got into fight this morning at logan circle.  Totally unexpected as we walked up to a dog, which seemed friendly enough.  No indication from the owner that there was any problem.  They went nose to nose, and the dog snapped, and Emma snapped back hard.  Its was 5 seconds of vicious.  We walked away, and then I saw the long scratch.  Sucks!  Poor baby,  I really really hope it doesn't leave a scar.  Happened so fast.  There was nothing I could do differently.

 

 more printing today- mostly control and Diversity.  Pickle tee with shading came out well! 

tomorrow > > > > finally finishing the micros that have vexed me alllllllllll week,

goodnight!

 Bummed about losing Seeker, even though I never had her.  Found her on the site Sunday, and have thought about her since.  Contacted Vickie for info, and found out she was $2500.  Some back and forth, ha - I actually thought she might be free.  Looked for her again today, and she was gone.  Good Luck Seeker!  I miss you already

 

 S T R U G G L E D with drawing past few days (as usual).  Really tough mico commission.  Think I cracked it, but now not so sure.  ugh

Oh well, had some fun drawing this afternoon after walk with emma.  Creative juice, which is nice!

 

Made shirts for Gtown, and not much else.  Days melt away.  Fun project with Supon in the works.  Still not sure about Art on the Ave.

 

off to home

 

 Weekend was so so.  SUPER SLUG Saturday after really fun coffee with Kim and Mer and Hexy at coffee bar.  If I go home saturday afternoon, all is lost!  I settle in to the apt / couch/ phone/tv /nap routine and cannot extricate myself out.  I kept telling myself 30 minutes more, but suddenly it was 6!  No great Falls for poor Emma.

Walked to the studio and worked on website a bit.  Felt mildly productive.

Sunday am was Buzz and Lees.

oops, rain coming.  Should leave for the night. 

 

Productive week overall - cleaned screens, cut lots of wood, managed to print a bunch of prints and get them to georgetown. 

 

Frustrated with g-town till when I saw the fing prints back in the fing backroom.  Hopefully it gets fixed.

 

So life chugging along.  Fretting about end of month as usual.  July was not so great $ wise.

 

Ugh/

 semi productive day

cleaned screens

printed some small prints

cut wood.

ha - not much - but pushes me along on all projects.

Tomorrow - DENTIST.  ugh ugh ugh

 

 Good weekend - highlight was massage by jeff Saturday.  ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS beneficial to my sense of well-being.

Took Emma out for abbreviated great Falls hike sunday, then off to Rockville.  not a fan of combining those two activities, but it was just the way it worked out since I got the massage.

No work, which was a nice break.

 

Back today and finished Pam's micro, which I think turned out really great.  Almost forgot eyebrows in my rush to photograph and ship.  last minute I realized my mistake.  THANK GOD ! ! !  So of course I had to reshoot all.

 

Tan shirts are blahhhhhh.  Frustrated by that whole foray.  Dumb dumb dumb.

 

Ok, off to w a l k home.  thinking a lot about rejoining gym.  i need something else besides work and coffee with Hexy daily. 

 

BUT > > covid cases rising again.  very very ominous for masks and distancing again.  THOSE FUCKING anti vaxers.  They are going to fuck us all.

 

 Up and down week, but ending on a good note.

Finally, got my prints to WHARF, shirts too.  Took the metro, and regretted it instantly as I walked to Dupont station with the super heavy bags in the blazing sun.  Why didn't I think to take the cart?????  Next time.  

 Nice to get out of the studio, even for a pain in the butt errand.  Another one yesterday dropping off print in G-town, because I refused to just pay for the postage and ship it.  It was such a psychological WALL for me to get it there.  I kept wanting to combine it with a drop-off trip to shopmade, but in the end, with so many twists and turns, I finally decided to bring all the prints I had to the Wharf.

MAKE A FUCKING DECISION!  It really was impossible to decide what to do, how to best spend my creative and printing time.  But it's all over, and I like how it shook out.

Cat t-shirt done too.  I stretched and got lighter tan tees to print on, because I just couldnt print it on black or red, the most practical and economical solution.  Turned out great, and was a good choice to print on tan.

So I got more tan shirts than I needed, and now I have those.  THIS IS HOW I END UP WITH EXTRA DEAD STOCK.  It's weird, as much as I know not to do it, I do it anyway.

Shirt colors SO vexing.  I can never find the right combo.  Its either too light or too dark.  Colorful but not the right color.  Its weird, I'm ALWAYS unsatisfied with the choices.  And so unsure on what will sell????  I will never know.  never.

Drawing was painful, but I ended up finishing two that were taking a long time.  Always a good feeling.  But then . . . I wonder if I could do better.

Wow - this all started out much more positive than it ended.

I guess I'm frustrated with myself again.

 

 ok monday

printed tees for orders, worked on cat tee drawing, and worked on boxer mini (in progress).

Cat tee finished, just need to print when I get the shirt.  i just couldn't print it on black, when I thought it looked best on light color.  So sucked it up and ordered new shirts.  hope thats the right choice.

Found a great board, but is huge and heavy and far away.  Wonder if i'll get it.

Big plans to print for shop mades.  trying to refine my ideas so I'm not just printing on the fly always.  Concentrating on stuff for holidays.  NOW IS THE TIME TO WORK AND PLAN!!!  I hope I make that a reality this year.

** really excited to have new contact at Buzz.  Hope that's a huge plus!

SUPER SUPER hot and humid today and ahead.  ugh.

 

 A moment of mental transition.  Such an up and down week last week I didn't even have time to blog.

monday - lonely holiday

tuesday - back to work, and a super fun chicken with Kim

wednesday - long emotional slog out to Frederick with Bill John Mom dad to look at new home for them.  rest of day was mental d r a i n.  then I got gusto to work on DCAC wall mountables which was last minute - just like I always do to myself.  

Pulled out all the Dolcezza construction boxes and slapped paint on them indiscriminately, and was all inspired by them (blank).  then when I put energy into what I would actually print on them, I hit a roadblock, and left for the night (jazzed)

Thursday - Returned much more practical, since I only had up to 3pm to pull together 4 prints for the show.  Made a cicada which I was really unhappy with, and then last minute remade it, and hung up at the show just before closing.

 

Friday - Got cards and envelopes in, and made a mad dash to get them all out to PIXIES, BUZZ and shop mades.  Late afternoon I got stuck in rain at g-town shopmade, and put off other trips until today.  

Terribly disappointed and super discouraged by shopmade g-town, and where they put me in the shop.  It was a punch in the gut to see my stuff removed from the main store, and with f-ing dog treats.  I was seething inside, but stuck there and didn't want to explode all over.  Finally said something, and hopefully it got resolved for the better (to be continued ...).

 

Today Hex and I went to Buzz and Wharf / Roost to do a grand drop off/pick up and mental reorganization.  All has gotten me really down about how things are selling, and how they just get stuck there, rotting like fruit.  Its mostly mental, and tied up in sentimentality and personalization.  In the end, they are just products.  But I take it all very personally and let it bog me down.  Meaning, if things are not selling, Im a total loser.

 A continuation of a shitty spring, turning on myself as an artist and a business person.  Always saying: WTF am I doing???  YOU SUCK!  Nobody wants to buy anything you make.  Im always chasing around to figure out what to make and sell, and I never get an answer.  I think I found a new event or situation or hashtag that will turn things around, but it doesn't.  I'm just treading water, trying not to drown.  Am I delusional?  What has happened?   It seems like it was so much easier years ago.  What changed??  Something did, i just can't fucking figure it out.  

 

Then I lose interest, and convince myself to stay the course.  WHAT COURSE??

 

 

Back at the studio now, in the AC, and trying to recover my head.  Make a plan for success going forward.  Let the shit go, and move forward.  there is a path for success, I just need to find it.

 

 Productive day(s)

Yesterday finished and prepared prints

Today ordered and revised cards

Holiday weekend ahead, not sure how much I will work.

Happy 4th!