Ok, quick update. I spent much of the month cramming in custom orders left and right, and was very happy to do so knowing that most of (I say "most" because I never hit all the deadlines just so) July, August and September are mine to do as I wish! Which is to say, stocking both Etsy shops as much as possible for the season to come and exploring many, many new ideas!
Even with the load of custom work, I had a great month with so many fun requests and the satisfaction of all the completed projects that did get out.
And the writing of the short stories is taking shape nicely too. Still too early to share anything but soon, I promise!
I joined a site called 750 Words which is for writers who want to get into the habit of writing every day. I promised myself I would write at least 5 times a week and the goal being 750 words each time.( about 5 pages in book form) So far I have exceeded the required 750 every day I have written, sometimes doubling it.
It feels so good because the most intimidating thing for me when I began is that the idea of writing with a project/goal in mind seemed just overwhelming at times. When would I find the time? How could I ever write complete stories?
All the world-building has paid off though as so many of the ideas and little details are already fleshed out. . . and new ones arrive every day to continue the creation process. Now I think my biggest worry is "How will I know when I have enough?" and "Will I be able to stop?" :)
Also this week, as a treat to myself, I took an afternoon and went to our county's main library. We have a branch in our little town and via the internet can have any book in the system sent to us here in a day or two but it is literally a one room operation. . . though it's one room filled with books! :)
Still, I love to hit the main branch once in awhile to spend time just browsing and reading. I found two books on the "New" shelf that are completely inspiring to me as I go about writing. One is called "The Natural World of Winnie the Pooh" and is about the landscape and locations within the actual forest that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood of those Winnie the Pooh stories. The other, is called "Ivory Vikings" and is about the set of Ivory chess pieces discovered in the 1830's, that date to Viking times and the identity, skill and artistry of the woman who, in all likelihood, carved them. It's a grand peek into the 400 year history of the viking sea trade as well.
More on all that another time. . . the month left me with quite a few pieces to show for my monthly new work post so I hope you'll enjoy!
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| Cottage from another town of the Pine, named Sylvan, with their crooked chimney stacks. |
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| And I love little gabled, nooks (for reading or spell practicing) of houses so I add them often to mine. :) |
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| Finally getting these back in the shop this summer. I needed a better support design for such skinny, wonky, top-heavy houses. The metal door charms help and a thicker but flexible wire inside. Trial and error. . . and more trial and error. lol |
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| These are not "new" actually but the addition of the long "meadow grass" growing on top of each level is. |
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| An original Anubis Amulet. I've been working on making functional, smaller amulets while still trying to get decent detail. Not easy in polymer but my confidence with it keeps growing. |
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| Chatsworth Village (Alpine) Houses I mentioned last month. The available selection is starting to grow! |
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| This may be one of my favorite anthropomorphic pieces that I have ever completed. Thoth, the Ibis headed deity of creativity, time and writing. |
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| Another Mushroom House! |
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| A fine garden Gargoyle, named Callalla, for watching over ones magic gardens! |
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| and finally, a custom pair of statues. . . this is Nephthys and Sutekh (or the Set animal), both based on traditional statues and styles from antiquity. |
Thank you, as always, for dropping by!
XO
nicolas
Happy July Nicolas! Busy, busy, busy! So happy July, August and September, are all yours! Your writing project is coming along well! So excited! I don't know how you find the time! I have to start making myself "times", of when to paint. I have so many things running around my head. I need to clear it and breathe! Your new creations are amazing! I love the Mushroom houses! Callable is adorable!!
ReplyDeleteHappy July! Ahh yes, "I don't know how you find the time". . .well, truth is, it's always a trade off. I built my life around my creativity,as a parent would with a child, so I do little else actually. I swear, I have the same wonder about people who have actual kids, large social networks, etc etc.
DeleteI suppose I came to the realization that we can't really have it all, not with depth and unless I wanted to just touch the surface of all the things I had running around in MY head, that I had to be willing to start making hard choices. :)
Since I started pursuing my art as a way to make a living, I've said that I've got to start treating my art like it's my "child". . . and in that sense, with my shops, it's only 6 years old so to speak, so I can't imagine leaving it alone or thinking it will take care of itself just yet. lol I can't leave it for a week, or stop "teaching it" . . . It needs me to focus my energy on it every day, to give up many other things, just as my mother did raising me as a single parent, for the bettering of the "child" as it grows. : ) I do not know if I could've been a good parent of another human, my selfishness for my personal, alone time tells me no, but I DO know I am certainly able to do so for a creative pursuit. My little "six year old" is thriving and when other people, who say they want to do the same thing, ask "How?" I say it comes down to one thing. I put my art first. I have the desire to work on it every single day. Improve my skills. Try to learn new things. Grow as a maker of things every day. And the rest I gave up? Time with friends? other hobbies, some of my down time and maybe making a lot of money ever again? That's all fine. All of it fades away under the happiness of doing what I do now. . . ahh but this novella is another blog post for a future date. . sorry. :) Thank you Stacy! I appreciate so much that you drop by to see what I am up to!
I love all the new work but especially the wonky mushroom houses. So glad the writing is going well. It is quite a challenge to write that much everyday but that is the way to do it. I have been searching out the advice from writers i like online lately and you seem to be successfully following much of what i have found. I only had moderate luck trying to work on the novel again. I have been planning a post about it and haven't even succeeded at that. There is just too much else going on now for me, not a good time to focus. I know, excuses , excuses, but i do think you have to be mentally ready and i am sooo glad you are!
ReplyDeleteThank you Andrea! Yes, the wonky mushrooms are so much fun to create. . . when they balance right! lol
ReplyDeleteAs for writing, I think it's easier at the start of a project, when every single idea needs fleshed out, to get the ball rolling. I know you will get back to the novel and I know you have so much on your plate! I'm taking so much of the advice I find to heart and so much of it works well, at least at first. . . mostly it's been setting aside the first hour of my day, at least 5 days a week, to write. I gave up a few little morning indulgences but it's worth the trade off so far! :)
Thank you for dropping by Andrea! :) Have a lovely holiday weekend!
Delightful! Every bit. But the garden gargoyle did give me a little wink so she's my favourite.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nichola! Oh the garden gargoyles are the charmers of the stone sentinel world aren't they? Much better acclimated to the social graces than their high and aloof cousins. ;)
DeleteI love all your work! I think the wonky mushroom houses are adorable. Your attention to detail is amazing!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear the world building is paying off, Nicolas. I love your writing style and look forward to reading some of your short stories. :)