Clearly this is a bit of a late “welcome” to the New Year.
It’s also been a bit of a clip since I actually dropped you a line.
Sorry about that.
I hope that you’re all doing well–it’s a crazy world out there, to say the least.
So, what’s been goin’ on?
Well…
…the last several months have had an overarching theme of adaptation, evolution and just good old-fashioned transformation in general.
If you recall, I had just lost the use of my computer after the last update. Bad Battery.
It was under warranty, thankfully, but I had to let it go for a while…which turned into more than a month.
At the same time, I was starting a new job…and still recovering from having my apartment turned upside down over the summer…thanks to some serious mold.
So, things had been rather chaotic for a while…but it seemed like the next chapter was about to unfold. But into what, exactly?
The New Job
What I’m doing covers a lot of territory and isn’t easy to sum up…so I’ll simply say that every week has brought new projects and fresh challenges for me to wrap my head around. Creative problem solving is a constant and I’ve been kept on my toes, to say the least.
So far it is all going well, and everyone there seems pleased with my results.
*knock on wood*
The people I work with are great, the schedule is ideal and my financial situation is far more stable. I am extremely grateful it has worked out so well. Gods willing, this opportunity will afford me better odds on all fronts–creative and otherwise–moving forward.
At Home
With a better paycheck rolling in and no computer to work with for a while, my attention shifted to addressing the mountain of needful things that had been piling up since the disarray caused by the mold. This kicked-off a season of upkeeps and sorely needed upgrades. Clearing out the cobwebs of old, making some repairs and laying down some better foundation to build from.
Adulting at its finest.
Long story short, though, my progress on all things art went from “grinding halt” to zilch. Instead, my creative juices just naturally flowed with the waves of change and transformation that had already been defining the season.
Highlights
One milestone of merit was dealing with my slowly deteriorating, motorcycle shanti-shack…
…before winter hit!
I’d been trying to prop-up a dying corpse for so long, it was starting to feel like a
Weekend at Bernie’s.
Eventually I realized that thanks to the new job I could actually afford to erect something far more suitable, for a change.
That was a nice feeling, though it was still a chore to get it all sorted out. Many unforeseen consequences, you could say…and more than a few weekends involved in getting it all fit-as-a-fiddle.
It’s all (mostly) good now, thanks to a little help from my friends…
…and it is one-hell-of-an-improvement, overall.
A huge Thanks! to Matt for helping slap it together, to Robbie for a vent fan to minimize condensation and to Jombie for a range of input!
Also of note—making a major overhaul to my living space.
The front room in particular had been cramped and awkward for a long time. I had started to improve on it…just before the mold hit. At this crossroads, every instinct was to go with the flow and “mould” the space into something that would actually be of better service. In the end it has morphed into something more like an office, with an eye towards versatility.
It was a beast getting it to this point though.
Trying to figure out the jigsaw of things was tight.
Hard determining which items to shed and which to shuffle where.
*one of the many shuffling adventures…
Big Picture: This space is far more copacetic and useful than it was. The improvements have had ripple effects throughout the whole place, mutating it quite a bit for the better.
—
Finally being able to procure certain needful things or basic tools which I’ve otherwise lacked has likewise made life a bit more manageable. Altogether, I’ve breathed new life into my workspace and am now getting way more feng for my shui, here. My physical, mental and spiritual health and well-being are much better off for it…and it finally feels fairly-well settled…for now. 😅
And the Computer?
Microsoft eventually replaced my machine. The thing is, I was without a computer for so long that I had come to appreciate its absence—not being constantly tied to the blasted thing for all I am wont to do. Then…what I got back from them was a new machine. A blank slate. Start from scratch.
Given the inertia which that represented…and the momentum I had going with everything else, I opted to just let it sit until all the worst of the many thorns in my side were boiled down to a dull roar.
I kept thinking I’d get the darn thing running and reach out to you all sooner, but by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, it just seemed farther and farther out of reach. Life was too nuts in December to even think about it.
Now, with the madness of the holidays behind us and with most other, outstanding business settled, I’ve begun to switch my “surplus time” gears to finally getting the computer up-to-speed…to work its magic for me, once again.
So…What’s Next?!
Well, when I look at the theme for this last chapter of my life, the message I get is,
“Adapt. Adapt. Adapt.”
Get used to change…embrace the change…embrace the chaos…become the KAOS, if you have to…
…just ride the damn lightning anyway you know how, and steady as she goes!
At this point I like to think that this particular cycle of being torn down and rebuilt reaches its crescendo with this computer business. As the computer becomes more and more agreeable in the days ahead, I will need to assess where I left off with certain tasks in order to get them back on track.
Conservatively, my aim is to have some real, creative oriented updates for you by March, with a plan to stay consistent moving forward.
That said, I want you all to know that I have not touched a penny of your patronage, thus far.
Your support is gathering in the Patreon account until such time that I have cultivated the conditions to be truly putting my creative energies to use as intended and to actually be delivering real results. These last several months have helped me to stabilize a path forward, out of a time when there were many uncertainties and obstacles in front of me.
There are galaxies of challenges and changes ahead, but where things stand now, I’m better prepared for the road in front of me than I have been in some time. I am optimistic that this coming season will bear good fruit as I get back in the creative saddle.
As always, my humble thanks to you for your patience and understanding…and your support.
Your confidence means a lot. I have loads of catching up to do…
…but the time, I think, is ripe for good things.
E!
P.S. – if any of you reading this post would like to stay caught up on my activities and show your support, simply becoming a $1 Patron will mean you’ll get notifications and access to my Patreon posts, moving forward. Hope you’ll join in the fun! Cheers!
