#what i did last week

[starline]

Making Pieces for My First Art Show! | July 2024 Artist Studio Vlog is up!

[studiohromi]

What I Did Last Week: July 8-13, 2024

Here we are with another edition of “What I Did Last Week,” where I share my day-to-day life as a self-employed person. Every weekday (and some weekends) I keep track of all the work I’ve done each day, as a way to keep me on track as a full-time working artist. Fellow creatives and freelancers, whether or not you choose to share it publicly, I urge you to join me in this weekly professional accountability exercise.

Monday July 8

Reordered products.

Social media/blog posts.

Caught up on holiday weekend emails.

Worked on custom illustration commission edits and sent for review.

Prepped for an upcoming art market.

Creative work.

Sent various check-in/follow-up emails.

Worked on a medical illustration client project and sent for review.

Studied for CMI exam.

Tuesday July 9

Stock art uploads.

Volunteer stuff.

AMI Membership Committee stuff.

Responded to a new inquiry from a longtime medical illustration client.

Studied for CMI exam.

Wednesday July 10

Attended an all-day stained glass conference workshop.

Responded to a new medical illustration client inquiry.

Caught up on emails.

Studied for CMI exam.

Thursday July 11

Volunteer stuff.

Responded to a new inquiry from a longtime science design client.

Sent various check-in/follow-up emails.

AMI Membership Committee stuff.

Met with a new medical illustration client about a potential upcoming project.

Worked on edits for a commercial illustration & design client project and sent for review.

Sent files to Brownlee Press to be printed.

Finalized paperwork for an upcoming medical illustration client project.

Studied for CMI exam.

Friday July 12

AMI Membership Committee stuff.

Checked PO box.

Borrowed tent weights from Twin Goats for upcoming art market.

Online shop update.

Worked on edits for a commercial illustration & design client project and sent for review.

Three invoices were paid today!

Saturday July 13

Packed and shipped a custom illustration commission order.

Picked up and packaged new prints from Brownlee Press.

Online shop update.

Participated in Creston After Dark art market.

[inkskinned]

the thing about art is that it was always supposed to be about us, about the human-ness of us, the impossible and beautiful reality that we (for centuries) have stood still, transfixed by music. that we can close our eyes and cry about the same book passage; the events of which aren't real and never happened. theatre in shakespeare's time was as real as it is now; we all laugh at the same cue (pursued by bear), separated hundreds of years apart.

three years ago my housemates were jamming outdoors, just messing around with their instruments, mostly just making noise. our neighbors - shy, cautious, a little sheepish - sat down and started playing. i don't really know how it happened; i was somehow in charge of dancing, barefoot and laughing - but i looked up, and our yard was full of people. kids stacked on the shoulders of parents. old couples holding hands. someone had brought sidewalk chalk; our front walk became a riot of color. someone ran in with a flute and played the most astounding solo i've ever heard in my life, upright and wiggling, skipping as she did so. she only paused because the violin player was kicking his heels up and she was laughing too hard to continue.

two weeks ago my friend and i met in the basement of her apartment complex so she could work out a piece of choreography. we have a language barrier - i'm not as good at ASL as i'd like to be (i'm still learning!) so we communicate mostly through the notes app and this strange secret language of dancers - we have the same movement vocabulary. the two of us cracking jokes at each other, giggling. there were kids in the basement too, who had been playing soccer until we took up the far corner of the room. one by one they made their slow way over like feral cats - they laid down, belly-flat against the floor, just watching. my friend and i were not in tutus - we were in slouchy shirts and leggings and socks. nothing fancy. but when i asked the kids would you like to dance too? they were immediately on their feet and spinning. i love when people dance with abandon, the wild and leggy fervor of childhood. i think it is gorgeous.

their adults showed up eventually, and a few of them said hey, let's not bother the nice ladies. but they weren't bothering us, they were just having fun - so. a few of the adults started dancing awkwardly along, and then most of the adults. someone brought down a better sound system. someone opened a watermelon and started handing out slices. it was 8 PM on a tuesday and nothing about that day was particularly special; we might as well party.

one time i hosted a free "paint along party" and about 20 adults worked quietly while i taught them how to paint nessie. one time i taught community dance classes and so many people showed up we had to move the whole thing outside. we used chairs and coatracks to balance. one time i showed up to a random band playing in a random location, and the whole thing got packed so quickly we had to open every door and window in the place.

i don't think i can tell you how much people want to be making art and engaging with art. they want to, desperately. so many people would be stunning artists, but they are lied to and told from a very young age that art only matters if it is planned, purposeful, beautiful. that if you have an idea, you need to be able to express it perfectly. this is not true. you don't get only 1 chance to communicate. you can spend a lifetime trying to display exactly 1 thing you can never quite language. you can just express the "!!??!!!"-ing-ness of being alive; that is something none of us really have a full grasp on creating. and even when we can't make what we want - god, it feels fucking good to try. and even just enjoying other artists - art inherently rewards the act of participating.

i wasn't raised wealthy. whenever i make a post about art, someone inevitably says something along the lines of well some of us aren't that lucky. i am not lucky; i am dedicated. i have a chronic condition, my hands are constantly in pain. i am not neurotypical, nor was i raised safe. i worked 5-7 jobs while some of these memories happened. i chose art because it mattered to me more than anything on this fucking planet - i would work 80 hours a week just so i could afford to write in 3 of them.

and i am still telling you - if you are called to make art, you are called to the part of you that is human. you do not have to be good at it. you do not have to have enormous amounts of privilege. you can just... give yourself permission. you can just say i'm going to make something now and then - go out and make it. raquel it won't be good though that is okay, i don't make good things every time either. besides. who decides what good even is?

you weren't called to make something because you wanted it to be good, you were called to make something because it is a basic instinct. you were taught to judge its worth and over-value perfection. you are doing something impossible. a god's ability: from nothing springs creation.

a few months ago i found a piece of sidewalk chalk and started drawing. within an hour i had somehow collected a small classroom of young children. their adults often brought their own chalk. i looked up and about fifteen families had joined me from around the block. we drew scrangly unicorns and messed up flowers and one girl asked me to draw charizard. i am not good at drawing. i basically drew an orb with wings. you would have thought i drew her the mona lisa. she dragged her mother over and pointed and said look! look what she drew for me and, in the moment, i admit i flinched (sorry, i don't -). but the mother just grinned at me. he's beautiful. and then she sat down and started drawing.

someone took a picture of it. it was in the local newspaper. the summary underneath said joyful and spontaneous artwork from local artists springs up in public gallery. in the picture, a little girl covered in chalk dust has her head thrown back, delighted. laughing.

[thecmaly]

can't even cat nap in peace 😾

-

more windbreaker comics

[pokytoad]

photo of a REAL BILLBOARD that my best friend sent me on their daily commute, in case anyone needs money-laundering advice you know who to call

[hiding-under-the-willow]

anyways. What

[tevintersnakes]

back in the fallout pit, fortunately my art has improved since 2016 so I can draw doctors hanging out together somewhat effectively now

[slavhew]

charmed, i'm sure

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

some misc Barn & Wally doodles from the past week or so <3 i heart them

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Good Morning, World.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[bamsara]

How you doing over there, Bam?

Life update? Working everyday making pins, art prints, and stickers so I haven't had a lot of time to write or stream, which is making me a lil crazy cause I'm stressed tf out and its freaking my body out especially because there is a deadline fast approaching

As soon as this is over though, I'm gonna hard throw myself into writing because everyday I think about that ballroom chapter and the kallamar fight

I'm driving 12 hours today!! Yoinking a friend halfway

[starline]

New Artist Vlog is up!

Making more art for my upcoming show and taking my mom to the aquarium!

Like and Subscribe 💕

[studiohromi]

What I Did Last Week: May 6-9, 2024

Here we are with another edition of “What I Did Last Week,” where I share my day-to-day life as a self-employed person. Every weekday (and some weekends) I keep track of all the work I’ve done each day, as a way to keep me on track as a full-time working artist. Fellow creatives and freelancers, whether or not you choose to share it publicly, I urge you to join me in this weekly professional accountability exercise.

I moved over the weekend, and am (more or less) settled in now. I'm excited to set up my new office space and give a lil office/studio tour once it's ready!

Monday May 6

Packed and shipped an online order.

Sent follow-up/check-in emails.

Worked on preliminary sketch for a commercial art & design client project.

Final (?) edits for a science design client project.

Met with a new science design client for an upcoming project.

Volunteer stuff.

Tuesday May 7

Social media and blog posts.

Prepared and sent a quote for an upcoming science design client project.

Website edits/updates.

Responded to new inquiry from a repeat science design client.

Had a phone meeting with a medical illustration client about an upcoming project.

Wednesday May 8

Website edits/updates.

Applied for an upcoming art market.

Preliminary research for an upcoming medical illustration client project.

Thursday May 9

Volunteer stuff.

Final (?) edits for a science design client project.

Scheduled various meetings and consultations.

AMI Membership Committee stuff.

Checked PO box.

Picked up consignment checks.

Picked up artwork from Cocoon Art Space, from the closed Recycled Art exhibition.

Packed up studio.

An invoice was paid today!

[lesbianmaxevans]

daniel molloy, my new bestie

[cozylittleartblog]

here comes the boy ~ hello boy ✨

cleaned up a couple of the vash doodles i did while learning to draw him :)

[gossippool]

speaking of costume/makeup design i love that we go from wade wearing a toupee (at his own birthday party no less) as his way of trying to fit in in any way he can still control, to just him as himself!! which mirrors his character arc from needing to feel accepted or like he matters to other people to having self-acceptance and assurance in his own intrinsic worth <3

also *eye twitch* the white shirt representing rebirth and renewal. the cardigan representing comfort and homeliness as compared to a windbreaker reminiscent of a shield to block out the elements. both worn to keep warm but in different ways