Making Book Journal
I can't believe I made a book from nothing to this! The one in the photos is the journal I made for myself. Testing out the layout and how I use it. AHH! It came out so nice! :)
Down With The Constant Lawnmen
This is more of an unserious annoyance blog post. But I am tired of lawn men who think the grass grows in 18 hours. no grass grows that unruly and unholy in 18 hours. I want you to rest. Go home.
Social Media Circles
With the constant changing and round about of social media, at best I am keeping and catching up my old pages before I even think to hop and jump ship to another social media platform. I say this in the mourning of what once was Twitter, now X. (Okay.) I can barely keep track of the small business I sometimes remember is a concept; then the business I accidentally signed up for but will continue my work there; and let alone whatever new is happening with my day job. If anything, it's showing my growing once again dislike for it. The very hard relationship I have with social media. "To post or not to post?" Hopefully one day, it won't matter. And here I can keep any and everyone who wants to keep tiny tabs on my nonsense, they can come here. If anything maybe this is teaching me to truly be one with the phrase "the joy of missing out".
I Miss Oil Painting
So this was a cool experiment to get started with. I made some fruits here and there and honestly I love how a couple of them came out. Definitely want to make more silly willy nilly palette paintings. They were really relaxing to me. No thoughts. Just paint vibes. Hopefully soon I can get back to these.
One of these days I gotta show you my acrylic pours! Maybe later when I get some time back :)
I Love My Friends & Tiny Online Community
I swear as corny as it is, I shout my friends are my power more often these days. I'm excited to have a final summer drop for those not ready to let it go quite yet. I have a couple of prints that I think would make really good final summer sale things. Keep on the look out for impulse shop things. :) And thanks to the friends that reminded me that I do in fact want to do this xo.
Long Time No Annoyance
So, it's been some time. But it's because I slowed things down. After a too eventful spring and summer against my consent, I slowed down my online presence a bit if it meant I feel like I could attempt to catch up again. With anything. But I'm slowly missing the time to myself & making things for myself.
So here is a catch up of what me and my silly little brain have been up to:
* I bought. The printer. :) if you have been watching this little page for long, then you know I tied too much expectations to this printer. And unfortunately buying the printer did not magically increase my happiness like I thought it would. Not immediately. I've grown to love it for a reason that I know is better than the original. So soon, MY OWN PRINTS will be a concept and I am beyond STOKED to have that set up soon. And possibly an online shop!!!!
* Speaking of online shop, I'm looking to where I can figure out a host. I looked at Weebly. It's a lot of adjusting and tweaking on my end. But it connects to my bank account and Square business easier. OR I could just do Ko-fi. My followers are already used to the Ko-fi platform and it woulddddd be easier to do drops for artwork here and there. Leaning towards Ko-fi but we will see how this dusts settles this weekend. (I'm deciding this weekend and NO LONGER dragging my feet on this anymore lol.)
* So not only have I been announced as Creative Director over at this lil place called WildStar, but the big projects I've been working on since Jan-Feb have finally come to surface. Is it a bit surreal for me? Yeah. Definitely lol. But all and all I feel like the brunt work and the entire point of why I barked at the kid in charge (hey Akira lol) is because I really had this passion about presentation mattering; voice from the home base mattering; and execution mattering. So seeing my point be published and live; and seeing many eyes noticing and loving the new looks; then complimenting them have been so reassuring. It reminds me that not only do I love what I do, but tames the imposter syndrome demon that even gets to me every now and again.
* Happiness wise, I've been a lot better actually. Extremely. I no longer have this grey cloud that would keep constantly coming back. I'm able to communicate with the world better these days it seems; also I'm able to understand when someone just does not want to understand me a lot sooner. Being in spaces and held by people who understand I will never come from a place of malice and just want to willingly understand me has been by far the best feeling in the entire world. Honestly and truly. So I've been happier knowing that. Like, the deep depression storms I would battle have not reared its head in such a long time. And even if they did, God am I prepared; armed; ready.
How ever your waves look I hope they look just as calm and feel as optimistic as mine have been.
New hobby alert:
I am reacquainting myself with oil painting, but a bit different this time than my normal. And I am also getting into ink and acrylic pouring. So stay tuned for those pictures.
Please God Just Leave My Life Alone For An Hour So I Can Buy This Damn Printer
So ... I'm counting down the days where I can have two functional printers. Looking up printers and specific paper to buy has definitely been a challenge. There are so many things and variables that come into play about "what kind of printer do I want and why?". Instagram sends me many of the small business girlies living the small business life I want. Stationary and bookbinding are a passion of mine. I've always enjoyed stationary and the pandemic gave me time to find my live and appreciation for sewing my own books. I loved making my own personal lay flat sketchbooks so much. So this printer truly has to be able to meet my needs with printing my own design and being able to fold that paper onto a cover to them become the cover for said sewn sketchbook.
Recently, on Instagram I saw this account called Kindred Spirits make memo pads. They had similar tools and supplies that I had and a light bulb just turned on for me. I want to try making my own memo pads and designs for them too. And (once again) my problems just seem just need "this magical printer" and then I too can be on my own little journey of printing.
Instagram truly has been an inspiration for the kind of art booth I want my table(s) to soon be. Small mixed media artists; artist alley junkies from comic cons to anime cons; stationary lovers and their art markets. Selfishly, I want to try all of it. And unfortunately, I'm delusional enough to do it just so that way at the end of the day, I can say "oh well, I tried" than forever overthink the "what if?". It's good to be back in touch with the "before traumatized version" of myself before the pandemic. But yeesh why is that kind expensive and so persnickety? Tuh. I'll keep you posted everyone xoxo.
🤚🏽 Literally Stop 🤚🏽
Well spring is the season that keeps on giving I guess.
I had so much planned to get myself and small business of the ground, but a new large hurdle was thrown my way and there just isn't a lot I can truly do. It's something about having a new big life event (heavy emotional and physical ones back to back). April Surgeries bring May Deaths and June Identity Thefts. Or however that rhyme is supposed to go. I'm hoping that July's surgery goes well and then life can leave me ENTIRELY the hell alone. I just want to nap. And I'm so aggressive about preserving the right to that nap. Treat me gently or face the wrath of either your god or me. Honestly I'm not sure which is worse because in my opinion if your god sends me to handle it, they are not going to stop me.
Here's to hoping my financial situation stops being aggressively beat up every two business weeks. Because I can't handle it anymore in any capacity.
RIP To Two Wild Beans
The past month has been hard, so do excuse my absence. I had to say goodbye to my grandmother and my cat Cake. What made it a bit harder is that I don't really have people to help me with these sort of things; and not even discussing financially. I have ... a lot relatives at best; I was shown anger for not being willing to deal with travel advisories and state lockdowns than attend and say goodbye with (in my opinion) a large group of strangers.
Mourning, understanding feelings, and support has always come from online or the mental team I hired. Thankfully my chosen family and people online just understand and get me far better. They talk with me through things and show themselves to me far more & to you all I say thank you. Your consistency, loud love and support, understanding, and respect for me paints a clear picture that I am cherished.
Bessie (Human) and Cake (Cat) were loud and creatures with their own personalities. Truly! It's funny, because Bessie did not care for Cake. Matter of fact, she would tell Cake "Go on cat cat." So I think it's hilarious in a way that a week after my relatives buried Bessie, Cake follows her to where even tired souls go. For the rest of June, all I will hear is "Go on cat cat," and laugh.
The Shop Will Leave Etsy and This Time I Swear I'm Serious
Final nugget for today before I leave here (cafe),
Pensurfing shop is going to move from Etsy and be hosted on my website here. It's going to be one haul of a move. (Because unlike on Etsy the listing posts are going to be a bit more fleshed out here) So please stay with me as Etsy listings expire and I figure out instructions for how to shop on my website and then use the contact form to order. (Because from there I can send you a Square invoice, blah blah, etc etc.)
I always say I'm leaving Etsy can't stand Etsy. But this time I mean it as I finally found a solution that can work out for me. Thank you for your AMAZING patience LOL xoxo
~Cait
Make the Boy A Vanilla Lavender Latte
While I wasn't thrilled about this particular brew, I'm sure it could make someone's morning. Light sweet accents with a hint of floral after taste. For me, it was a solid meh. But for someone else I'm sure it's someone else's jam.
I'm working on getting a schedule to making my own impulse blog adventures. But until then follow me on twitter and instagram for my sporadic updates. Tumblr and Facebook have to have a massive art catch up as I have deeply neglected those (unintentionally). It just took one time for the Instagram and Facebook "share to page" to mess up and I was entirely and completely done with Facebook in general. (Along with other reasons I can get into in on another post on another day.)
Director duties on my off days, I guess employing reviewers and editors during my breaks, and then slowly rebuilding my own brand and shop during my down time is what you can say, a busy life. But I'm glad to have a busy after-my-day-job sort of session. Not to say I don't enjoy what I do at my day job, but there is a lot of passion in being able to help a brand that is close to home and building yourself up in a way you can finally execute. It truly shows that my levels as a creative are sky rocketing at a rate tiny me would be so satisfied with.
Until next post! I'm reading, reviewing, and then resting. ✨
Listen, You Can Use My Contact Form This Way Too
I got this contact form in March 2022,
I won't use your NAME name for the sake of our privacy but I wanted to let you know D not a DAY goes by where this submission doesn't make me smile. Thank you. And I hope I spruced up the place to your liking xoxo.
✨🌊✨🌊
*See the very first blog post I posted on this page :)
Gums & Printers
My shiny teeth and me are doing alright these days. As I spent a few days recovering from surgery, I ended up dreaming of either traveling again or going back and hitting the ground selling at art markets again. (But this time, leaning more art markets than anime or comic conventions. HOWEVER that does not mean I will abandon my roots quickly!) I thought about investing in a printer once I sat down and did my own particular numbers on:
-- Investing in new prints in small batches. (Which usually can run me at an up-charge.)
-- Investing in the printer, and slowly printing my own prints at my own rate. (This gives the freedom if something sells, it sells. But if it doesn't, I'm not stuck with hard to push inventory.)
-- Print on demand in the event I am at an event, can travel to my studio, and then print more.
It's a lot to think about for sure but all and all I'm glad during my recoup I was able to think about it. I have / can get so down in the dumps about my art career and whether or not I am "trapped" or "stuck" on if I can move forward in a way that suits me. 2024 I definitely want to get back into tabling and the art market scene again. Especially now knowing how I can handle these art markets in my newer environment.
I hope your days have been bright and those daydreams manifest into your realities. Take care xoxo.
Remembering The Good Times and Solid Foods
As always when I go on adventures I will take pictures of architecture that I think is neat and THE FOOD. I also identify as a persnickety food connoisseur. I now understand why Maryland talks their mad talk about crab cakes. I hereby give them the full arrogant pass (like they needed it from me). Because I could NOT go back to the crab cakes I've had elsewhere. I know I will always be disappointed. 12/10. Just wow. But please enjoy the cloudy sites of Chinatown, DC & the solid food I cannot have currently because I have had my wisdom teeth yoinked recently. (Can't believe the dentists finally have jumped me LOL.)
Take some time out of the water to rest at shore. Until another day 🏖️
🎨 The Creative Director 🎨
Okay, really I have been playing Art & Creative Director, but all and all what a cool title to add to my utility belt. (And by that I mean jeez, now I get to go and update my resume ✨again✨). But this has been a cool mission. The CEO doesn't act like one(*), so it's easy to have conversations and talk about the planning, adventure, direction of art, direction of writing and future publishing, direction of [ redacted because of pinky promise NDAs ]. But best believe when I can gossip more and tell more, I will. But for now I thought this was a cool thing that's happened recently and the sheer amount of work that I've put into so far has been 🤌🏽.
May the waves you catch soon are not only calm, but uplifting. 🌊
(*) Not all CEOs. But many can be unyielding to change, growth, and adventure and to that... I cannot vibe.
🕺🏽 The Interview Kid 🕺🏽
It's been quite a long time since I have been invited to do an interview. I think from my last interview a while back with TaLynn Kel in 2018, Black Card Members Gala 2022. (skip to 39:30), versus now there is some growth and maturity with my interview style. And a bit more conformability in speaking without having to prep a script per se. Even though I am absolutely one to babble. You can read my interview here on Canvas Rebel! As always thank you for sharing this adventure both art and non art with me.
Icon Revive! After 3 Long Years!
No because seriously I was so sick of my old icon. I had it for three long years lol! So look forward to eventually the old surfer will retire off my social medias and email signatures for this one. 😌🌊🤙🏽
Look At All The Food
Valentine's Day Breakfast and Dinner was a blast!
Not only did I eat good food, but I was allowed to skip da loo to a Barnes and Noble with my piles for $25 gift cards and spend >>> not <<< my money on a bunch of books. I've recently been on a poetry genre kick. I wonder where I will wind up next. Anyway please appreciate the food hehe.
Tiny Digital Art Studio Gossip
Please please please never underestimate the importance and quality of a good chair. I recently got my digital art studio to my LOVING (not liking). It's helped with lower back fatigue, crankiness in the evenings, and we well as just great on the eyes in my studio. Currently I feel as though I have my digital art studio to perfection. Now I have to just get my traditional up to speed.
The Very First Blog
✨ Hello yes ✨
I wanted to start a blog on this page talking about not only my artist adventures, but a couple personal ones as well. While most posts won't be long, thought provoking, or in great depth; I still wanted to give a place to anyone who graces my website from time to time with a little bit about me and what I am up to. One of the best compliments I received in my Contact Box years ago during a depressive slump was someone returning to compliment my art. And that she visits my website frequently for new artwork & for things to pin on Pinterest. So, Here's to that kid, I appreciate you more than you realize. And I thank you so so much.