I seem to do a fabulous job of only posting “big” updates once a year. If I could choose a phrase to sum up the last six months, it would be “every day is a lot.” If It only encompassed one area of my life, it would be (mostly) manageable. But no, that’s not how it is.
Post-‘Rona Recovery
It’s been six months since I got COVID-19, and I am just now getting out of the financial hole it left me in. Physically, I am fine. I think. I haven’t been to a doctor in a long time (even pre-‘rona). Fatigue is ever-present, leaving me with the question of “can you be existentially tired”. Pretty sure the answer is yes. As with all things physical since the beginning of the pandemic, asking myself, “Do I have COVID or am I just tired” is ongoing, since my day-to-day covers about half of the usual COVID symptoms.
If you have managed to avoid getting COVID-19, bless. You do not want it. It sucks ass, and not in a nice way.
Edjumication
I am not being hyperbolic when I say college is the best thing I have going for me right now. I am learning so much and it has me excited for the future that I’m not sure that I’ve ever felt in my life. I had to take six classes last fall, and the aforementioned ‘rona really put a cramp in the start of my semester. I managed to pull through, though, and collapsed across the finish line.
They called me crazy when I said I was going to take four art studio classes for the spring semester…but this is exactly what I want to be doing with my life. My Tuesdays and Thursdays are ten hours of classes, covering three different mediums, and I love it. Mondays and Wednesdays are my materials studies class, covering fabric and textiles in sculpture, and again…I love it. I told myself that I needed a mental brain break this semester, and limited myself to the minimum required amount of credits to be considered full-time (which is 12), and no classes that involved writing papers. (I have a serious mental block regarding writing which I do not like, but will probably be a topic for another blog.)
Best idea. Good job, past me.
A Whole New Dimension
A lot of my focus in my art education the last couple of years has been creating three-dimensional works. I’m pretty dang comfortable in the illustration/drawing/painting arena. Still salty about not getting an equivalency credit for my watercolor class I took, though, so I have avoided any painting classes. ‘Cause of the salt.
To satiate my desire for a relaxing, low-brain energy class, I have been taking printmaking classes, and it’s been very very nice to indulge that side of my art. Intaglio printmaking has been my focus this spring. It really satisfies my love of fine detail and lines, tapping into those inking skills. It’s meditative in a way that “normal” meditation is not for me. It’s remarkable how much quieter my mind is when I’m in that zone/flow state/whatever you want to call it.
But back to the third dimension.
Sculpture is a strange thing for me. Learning how to express myself in a sculptural form, determining what I like (or not), to translate my sketches into something physical, has been a wild journey. Something I have figured out, is that I fucking love working with clay.
Yes, there is a part of my brain that has tapped into my ancestors and they are all shouting “CLAY CLAY CLAY”. It uses the four classical elements (fire, earth, air, water) to make something new. You’re making ROCK out of MUD. How freakin’ cool is that? Ceramics tickles my neurons in exploring how the materials work at different temperatures, and how they do what they do. Truly, it is making better art through science.
So, yeah, expect to see a lot more ceramic work from me.
Future Planning
I am four, read ’em, FOUR required classes away from graduating with my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. I can hardly believe it. If it weren’t for the minor that I am deeply invested in, I could have graduated in May. But the Arts Leadership and Business program at UNM is phenomenal and incredibly useful. Their “Business of Being an Artist” class should honestly be required for every art major. For real. I’ve been doing the self-employed artist thing for a while, and I learned so much in that class that either reinforced what I already knew or gave me new perspective on how to handle Business Adulting things. Our textbook was pretty great too.
Everything is on course to graduate in Spring of 2024, and I am excite. While the prospect of applying to grad schools is daunting as hell, it does open up the possibility of moving back to the Pacific Northwest, which I desperately, desperately miss. I think my skin misses it the most.
This is your reminder to go drink some water.
If it all goes according to plan, I get to move back to the Seattle area and go to University of Washington. If not, well, I have other choices that are still in the Cascadia area.
My body is so ready. New Mexico has been good to me, but I miss the rain and the green and the fresh seafood. Mostly I miss my friends, though. (Shoutout to my homies.)
Patron Shout-Out
Y’all have literally kept my business afloat the last couple of years. I have been able to stay on top of the things that keep my business running and invest in the tools and supplies that keep me arting. You rule.
Blazej ◘ Boomer ◘ Chris A. ◘ Donna P. ◘ Jon C. ◘ KApp ◘ Kate B. ◘ Lissa G. ◘ Patricia W. ◘ Scott Y.
If you’re interested in becoming a patron, you can do so on Patreon or here on my website. The best way to stay on top of everything I’m doing is through Discord, which you’ll get access to when you subscribe. I’m pretty active on there, and it’s a chill place to talk about art and other neat things.
What Now?
Right now, I’m just going to keep moving forward, like the shark on my “Sink or Swim” coin. Maybe I’ll eat some fish along the way, ’cause I gotta have the fuel to keep making things.
I hope you’re making things too–remember, it doesn’t have to be finished, or even good. It just has to be. Happy making, y’all. <3
