chantico

We all have stupid little boundaries that we make up in our heads. Things that we’ll do or years we’ll hit, places we’ll live, that we give mythical powers of transformation: when we past these goalposts, something about us will, fundamentally, be different. Then of course the goalposts keep up and moving on their own. We get to the place we thought it was and suddenly, nope, give yourself another few years because we don’t feel it yet. And then sometimes you just pass them without realizing you were even approaching.

Fabulous news! I have a new connection. I’m now a freelancer for authorSolutions Children's Book department. Regular projects at pro rates. It won’t pay all my bills, but it would pay my rent. There’s a contract and I have invoices and. AND. I submitted a W9 so that they could report my taxes.
Boom. Goalpost. The moment I lifted my finger from the send button turning that little piece of digital paper in, I new it.

Guys. I’m a PROFESSIONAL now. My taxes are being reported to the government. His has entered the realm of real career now. It wasn’t the money, or the connections, or the technical skill—nope. It was the damn taxes.

How many of those moments have I had in my life? And have I *ever* been right when I anticipate when those changes will take place? I don’t think so. I thought I’d feel like an adult when I got my own place, but it wasn’t until I could serve a serve a full meal on a nicely set table that the ticker dinged. I didn’t feel like I’d ever get married until my dead grandmother visited my dreams and told me in no uncertain terms that J was the one.

Maybe this whole “You’ll only (BLANK) when you (BLANK)” thing is for the birds.

I haven't updated very much recently, not due to any particular reason other than I feel like life hasn't been very . . . update worthy? Or the stories I do have to tell all require to much backstory, too much personal history, and too much knowledge of Avery pychology for public consumption. I have been good, at least. Spring is such an amazing, fantastic, inpiring season this year. Usually I'm not much a fan, but this spring has been stunningly beautiful . . . and I can smell summer around the corner.

I've been INSANE busy. I mean, seriously, April has been nuts. Thankfully, whiel stressed, my sanity has not been stretched, despite the drama, the homework, and the general life crazy. One of the things I've actually been most busy with is art-- but not any of my digital stuff. I actually fell head over heels for someone else, and took a mistress--- pen and ink. Oh my god, I'm loving this medium so much.

Art news is really the reason for this post. Aside from having new and shiny things to show off, I finally, finally, FINALLY have a portfolio that is ready for showing off. Once I finish *one more* ink piece and photograph some of my better Fine Arts stuff, I have somethign I can show off professionally (starting with your contact, princess706!) Holy crap! This means a whole lot more work, as I now have to write a cover letter, a resume and develop a semi-professional website-- but it's work I'm excied about doing! Career work! Whee!

On that more professional note, I actually have a question for you all. See . . . summer is breathing down my neck. And while this is generally good in most ways, it means no more student monies for my living expenses . . . which means another job. However, this year, I'm really wondering if maybe, just maybe, I couldn't maybe supplement my income with my art instead of waiting tables. Which is where you guys come in. See, I'll be toiling away all summer posting incessantly on message boards and trying to network, but those aren't guaranteed any turn around in the commissions department.

So, my questions to you . . .

[Poll #714516]

Please take these seriously. I'm going to try DAMN hard this summer to make this work out. And who knows? Maybe by the end of it, I'll have a professional gig . . .

Also, for any of those things, do you guys have any ideas for images that you'd like to see as prints/posters/tees? Anything I've done previously?

Okay, yes, there is a payoff for this money-whoring. New art below the cut!

( It gleams! )