for 4 days...

round 8 / day four

The gods were not smiling down on us today.

Someone (ahem, not me) overslept for the zoo. And then hinted that she would kill me if I made her spend tons of time in the sun today, as she was not feeling well. Fair enough, after all, love is all about compromise. I never need much of an excuse to avoid 90degree weather. When we finally did venture out I forgot my camera, the world seemed too crowded, and all we wanted to do was curl up and watch a few hours of assorted dvr goodness together back at home. Once we gave up on our plans the day was lovely, filled with cold beer, record collection listening/sorting, and laughing fits. I'm lucky to be in love with my best friend.

Boy, I am sappy lately. I think the idea of having to be separated from lilo for long periods of time starting next month kind of freaks me out. I miss her already.

Anywho... without the zoo, I still crossed off some stuff today including sending in a postcard to post secret, wrote a letter (8/50), lost another 2 pounds (!!!), and made this mix. Not the originally planned self portrait, because other stuff is more center in my mind. Technically, I crossed off another goal, though not because I accomplished it, but because I have no intention of doing it anymore. It was an unhealthy goal to say the least. This mix is about that. This is the last of what I've had to say about that, simply because I have been saying it for far too long.

Goodbye. Click photo to download mix. Dead link? Let me know.

round 8 / day three

I'm afraid I am going to start this post by again saying that the day went by so fast. Most of my time today went to taking photos of the apartment we are leaving at the end of the month. We figured this weekend was probably the last time everything was going to be clean and organized. Next week we sign the lease for the new downgraded studio, so pieces of furniture and what not will start disappearing from this apartment very soon. I'm a little sad to say goodbye to this space. I barely had time to get bored with you. Lots more pictures in my flickr.

Goal wise I crossed off the gruesome task of getting our company books up to date. For a bookkeeping firm we do one craptastic job of keeping our own QuickBooks file in order. Shhh. Don't tell anyone.

I also posted a bunch of plus size clothing on ebay as per my liquidate pretty pumpkin stock goal. Pretty Pumpkin was this business idea I had started to develop about 2 years ago. Since I am usually at a thrift store

once or twice a week, and I have a lot of past professional experience selling clothing on ebay, I decided to create an online clothing boutique for plus size women. Unfortunately some life issues crept on on me, and I had to leave the biz on the back burner over and over again, till I got to the point that I plain lost interest. Though that did not stop me from gathering stock every time I hit a thrift store, which is now taking up a huge amount of space in one of our closets. Definitely not worth carting all of these clothes, shoes and accessories to Nashville for a business I may never get around to. So to ebay it goes.

Tomorrow is going to be fun... picnic in central park, walk around the zoo for awhile, and see easy rider for free in bryant park. A perfectly lovely anniversary plan. Please don't rain. Thank you.

round 8 / day two

Today went by so quickly. I spent most of my time having excited conversations with lilo about our move, and sorting through boxes + drawers in my creative space. Who knew this house was so full of unnecessary paper? Here is a tiny sampling of random things that ended up on my desk today.

The day wasn't a total loss for 101 goals. Made a little progress on my goal of archiving all the notes lilo and I have exchanged since we met. The best one I found so far is this little handmade note card I sent her in 2005, when I still lived in Florida.

Other points of progress for today:

created preliminary track list for my self portrait mix cd
made final arrangements for Monday's anniversary plans (which will include several 101 goals I cannot reveal until after I surprise lilo)
took photos for planned liquidation of pretty pumpkin stock on ebay.

More about that last one tomorrow.

round 8 / day one

Do you know that feeling when your body and mind are humming to the same tune? It is nice.

I took the above photo of myself last year, and while I still look pretty much the same as then, I feel completely different. Then I was depressed, suffering from anxiety so much that I was on a regular xanax regiment. Back then I needed a new word for hopeless. Now, I'm ready to be exposed and to let everything change in a nanosecond if that is what is necessary to feel alive more of the time. My thirst for a journey has become unbearable. That is why I am moving to Nashville, TN at the end of the month.

The short version of what we are all now referring to as THE PLAN...

lilo and I downgraded our nyc apartment to a tiny/cheap studio in journal square
we rented a charming bungalow house in Nashville with a yard, loft, central air, fireplace, and all sorts of other amenities that we could never get or afford around here
our business is going to remain based in nyc
lilo is going to be hanging out more in nyc (taking care of clients, transitioning them to our new employee, etc)
and I will be hanging out in Nashville more (getting a new business off the ground, finishing up school online, and getting into hoards of good ol' trouble with mufasa)
we'll visit each other lots and lots, and soon enough business commitments in nyc will not require such constant attention and will be handled more remotely
then lilo gets to join me primarily full time in our Nashville bungalow

The reason for all of this is complex, but rest assured that my dear lilo and I are as in love as ever, and we cannot wait to improve our quality of life. We've just become supremely unhappy and stuck with our life in nyc, and think a change will do us a world of good.

Since today is the beginning of a brand new spanking month, and a whole bunch of stuff is going to go down in the next 30 days, I thought it would be a perfect time to fit in a round before my "free time" all but disappears. Stuff like a new quarter of school starting, hunting for an amazing car deal, training a new employee to work for our company, and lots of packing.

For the next four days I am going to work really hard to cross as much off of my 101 in 1001 day list as I can, especially nyc specific stuff. Let's call that 101 in 1001 turbo speed!

Having this list to guide my productive energy is working out really well for me. After just 3 months, I have completed 8 goals, and made good progress with many others. Stuff I have done so far includes redesigning both my art site and company website, listing 10 handmade items in my etsy shop, had a solo art gallery show featuring my atc work at brooklyn art library, made 100 atc's, saw one of my favorite comedians live (steven wright), put out two zines (see above), and reconnected with my aunt. The last might be the thing I am most proud of, considering how infamous I am for being stubborn and uncommunicative when upset. Lord knows I don't agree with half of what she says, but I accept and love her. Family is important.

See you tomorrow.

round 7 -- day four

Well, these are the 10 cards I decided on. Boy do I have a new found respect for professional framers. If I never have to cut another piece of matting ever again it will be too soon!

I did not write my artist bio yet, because I actually don't know if it is supposed to be a long sort of bio or one of those small bio's they put on a card next to your pieces. Clearly should have asked that question before sitting down to write said bio. I guess I will just find out when I drop the pieces off tomorrow. I am hoping it is the short card variety, as I only have a few things to say about myself. Self taught, mixed media, blah blah blah.

By the time my art is actually hung in the gallery, I will have a few original atc's, postcards, and at least one giclee print available for sale in my etsy store. I ordered a pack of 20 postcards from moo cards and the giclee prints are coming from Skink Ink. They have this awesome print on demand service, where you can print as orders come in. Once print more than 5 of a certain piece you get 15% off future prints, and after 10 prints you get a 30% discount of future prints. It is the perfect setup for me, because I have no idea what prints people are going to be interested in. This way there is very little risk.

Overall I am really proud of myself and this 4 day round. Two weeks ago I was in such a mental funk, feeling like I was not doing anything worthwhile with my life. But, I pushed myself through those negative tendencies, threw myself into my art, and reached out. Now, I am about to drop off the art I made to a pretty cool gallery. Isn't life amazing? Whether or not my pieces sell really makes little difference to me. The feeling of accomplishment when I look at them all framed like little grown ups is payment enough.

Speaking of payment... 76. That is the number I came up with. The price. Seriously, it felt really weird to put a price on something that is meant to be traded. I've been at the preachy end of the artist TRADING card debate many times. All I can say is, fuck it. I am still going to trade cards, and maybe I will be lucky enough to sell some as well. I'll never make a card with the express purpose of selling it. That is not who I am. As long as I remain true to that, me and me are solid.

Until next time, hold your head high and never give up.