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Saturday, June 23, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Giftage
In an effort to celebrate my friendships and use up my stockpile of art supplies and findings before I move, I've been making stuff left and right. It's so nice to finally be done with school (and the massive stress associated with it) forever and have my creativity back, though it'd be nice if it were my full time job. Hopefully I'll get to that point one day.
First there's the "Obamegoma" keychain I made for Carl as a get well present. I just copied pics I found online, but they're hand-drawn and painted either way, so, still counts.
This Tweety brooch is obviously based off an image as well, though I only used it for the silhouette and ended up making the proportions completely different anyway. Maybe I'll make some more and sell them?
Angelique gave me an awesome octopus ring after I commented on the one she was wearing, and I got the idea to make these ostrich and goose feather earrings for her in return. They were going to be hair accessories, but that didn't turn out too well, and they achieve something like 90% camouflage in her hair.
And finally, I did say that I'd post the first painting I've completed in 5 years, so here it is. The more I look at it, though, the more I regret not spending enough time on her face and want to add shoulder blades and detail to the bikini top and tail..
I've also been doing a lot of cooking and baking. A couple of other random things I've made include this little scrap Totoro pin (while working) and this collage (while watching Firefly), from which I'd like to do a painting.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Obscure 80's/90's Antiheroine and Crush
I've been neglecting this blog horribly (which I noticed is how I started my last post) since I started working full-time, but at least now my HubPages is getting equal treatment.
This time the actors I'm featuring aren't very obscure, either, but recently it's come to my attention that a lot of people around my age don't know who they are. As it turns out, my mom had watched My So-Called Life when it was on in the mid-90's, but I didn't find out about it until a few months ago. I wish I'd been able to watch it when I was in middle school, alongside Malcolm in the Middle, The Osbournes, etc.
The antiheroine this time around is more of a foil and she's a fairly popular style icon, but whatever. It's A.J. Langer as Rayanne Graff.
This time the actors I'm featuring aren't very obscure, either, but recently it's come to my attention that a lot of people around my age don't know who they are. As it turns out, my mom had watched My So-Called Life when it was on in the mid-90's, but I didn't find out about it until a few months ago. I wish I'd been able to watch it when I was in middle school, alongside Malcolm in the Middle, The Osbournes, etc.
The antiheroine this time around is more of a foil and she's a fairly popular style icon, but whatever. It's A.J. Langer as Rayanne Graff.
She's your typical troubled friend from the wrong side of the tracks, a drug-addled drama machine with a heart of gold you can't help but love and pity at the same time.
You know, the one who acts like she doesn't give a shit about what everyone thinks but who's secretly fragile and insecure and desperate for attention. Oddly enough, she's (Langer, not her character) married to an English lord now and her title is Lady Courtenay.
Duchess Random Girl Trolls-a-lot, maybe...
My crush is definitely not obscure, but he has pretty much fallen off the radar as of late.
It's James Spader.
As always, it's not really the straight-up eye candy I go for so much as the personality. It has to be the kind of weird/dark, brooding, intelligent guy with the intense eyes. Which is why I haven't dated in nearly two years; those guys keep turning out to be crazy. Interesting, intelligent, emotionally stable... Pick two. Apparently all three can't exist in the same male body. :(
Spader is really unforgivably sexy in Secretary, and is very reminiscent of my professor crush in Stargate, which is what finally prompted this post. I realised how predictable my attractions are when all of that coalesced in my mind. And then, of course, if you didn't know his name before, you'll most likely recognise him from his Pretty in Pink days:
Or maybe from other completely forgotten kitschy 80's non-classics such as Starcrossed, a.k.a Earth Girls Are Easy (oops), and Tuff Turf, which also features baby RDJ:
Unf.
Well, I'm glad I started posting again. I've actually been getting really crafty lately trying to use up all of my remaining art supplies and finish all of my intended/planned/half-finished projects before leaving the country, and it's going quite well. I'm working on a couple of collages and several pieces of jewelry, and I finished my first painting in about five years, which is a pretty big deal for me. It'll be in my next post. :D
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Generation Y, Generation Sell, Generation Me
Just as I thought might happen, I've been grossly neglecting this blog ever since I joined HubPages. I've posted a few things on there that I simply can't force myself to retype (because copypasting [and sometimes even typing normally] in Blogger results in horrible mutant formatting) here, as much as I'd like to, but I don't really want to be responsible for a small series of duplicate articles, either. That's not very interesting. Being seriously sick for 7 straight weeks with nothing to do and virtually nowhere to go was my primary motivation for joining HubPages, but being unemployed came in a close second. There are only so many ways for a person to make money at home legally, creatively and independently. I applied for a part-time from-home corporate retail financing job with GE, and throughout the interview I basically said whatever came to mind first instead of what I knew they wanted to hear because it felt exactly like being interviewed by the two consultants named Bob from Office Space - except they were both named Corey - and I knew from the beginning that I really didn't give a damn, though I'm sure I could do the job well.
I've tried applying for a couple of online content writing and editing jobs that I also didn't get, and that's also not to say that I don't have another, much more interesting from-home job lined up and ready to start this week (which I do, yay) or that I have any illusions about being able to pay my bills producing content for a non-professional blog-like article website, but while convalescing and considering my immediate future plans, it occurred to me that creating a constellation of residual income points behind me seems conducive to eventually achieving total financial independence. I've always been interested in economics and investing, but when your only capital consists of a meager collection of state quarters pried desperately from childhood map, there's not a whole lot you can do in that arena. Especially when you literally need those quarters to help pay your bills next month.
The HubPages monthly payout point is a minimum of $50, and I still have over $47 to go (after like 6 weeks) before reaching that, but getting paid to write about things you find interesting is enjoyable either way, and consistently publishing articles that get a lot of Google search result views to hit that point is completely doable if you give it some time. When you're planning on spending the next few or several years working abroad and scraping by to pay off your debts as fast as possible (as well as save some money) and you're as frugal as I am, even fifty bonus dollars every two months sounds magically merciful. Plus I've already made more from clicks on my Hubs that I have from this blog since August 2010, so there you go.
Anyway, my little sparks of entrepreneurial spirit certainly aren't unique, and I often wish they were bigger and more gainful sparks based on an understanding of computer programming and social media trends, but occasionally selling stuff on eBay and Etsy for the last five or so years paid my credit card bill throughout college and usually afforded me meals, drinks and Goodwill finds when I wanted them. It's hard to think big when you're poor, but that's not going to stop me from achieving my ultimate goal of being successfully self employed. As it turns out, that's what most other people of my generation want, too.
Generation Y has largely been defined by narcissistic, entitled suburban white kids with laughably inflated views of their opinions and abilities, and while I agree with that completely, it obviously doesn't apply to everyone, just like any other sweeping generalisation. I read an awesome NYT article (posted below) that explains my generation better than anything else I've ever seen, almost exclusively in terms of hipsterism, passivity and entrepreneurism. These generational trends seem to stem primarily from cultural stagnancy, an inherent distrust of authority and of course, entitlement. I won't ramble on about it too much because it's really fascinating and well-written, but as much as I reject social norms and try to find ways around them, I guess I have to acknowledge that that in itself has become a large-scale normative social trend among people my age. My biggest idea for the future is one for a niche market small business I think people will be ready for in a few more years, but I don't talk about it because I don't want it to increasingly become part of the collective consciousness. That's pretty much the story of my generation, whether I noticed it before or not. But hey, whatever. "Work smarter, not harder" isn't even a motto so much as a life skill, so we'll see how it turns out. Either way, painfully boring soulless jobs that aren't immediately relevant to my interests can suck it.
The Entrepreneurial Generation
I've tried applying for a couple of online content writing and editing jobs that I also didn't get, and that's also not to say that I don't have another, much more interesting from-home job lined up and ready to start this week (which I do, yay) or that I have any illusions about being able to pay my bills producing content for a non-professional blog-like article website, but while convalescing and considering my immediate future plans, it occurred to me that creating a constellation of residual income points behind me seems conducive to eventually achieving total financial independence. I've always been interested in economics and investing, but when your only capital consists of a meager collection of state quarters pried desperately from childhood map, there's not a whole lot you can do in that arena. Especially when you literally need those quarters to help pay your bills next month.
The HubPages monthly payout point is a minimum of $50, and I still have over $47 to go (after like 6 weeks) before reaching that, but getting paid to write about things you find interesting is enjoyable either way, and consistently publishing articles that get a lot of Google search result views to hit that point is completely doable if you give it some time. When you're planning on spending the next few or several years working abroad and scraping by to pay off your debts as fast as possible (as well as save some money) and you're as frugal as I am, even fifty bonus dollars every two months sounds magically merciful. Plus I've already made more from clicks on my Hubs that I have from this blog since August 2010, so there you go.
Anyway, my little sparks of entrepreneurial spirit certainly aren't unique, and I often wish they were bigger and more gainful sparks based on an understanding of computer programming and social media trends, but occasionally selling stuff on eBay and Etsy for the last five or so years paid my credit card bill throughout college and usually afforded me meals, drinks and Goodwill finds when I wanted them. It's hard to think big when you're poor, but that's not going to stop me from achieving my ultimate goal of being successfully self employed. As it turns out, that's what most other people of my generation want, too.
Generation Y has largely been defined by narcissistic, entitled suburban white kids with laughably inflated views of their opinions and abilities, and while I agree with that completely, it obviously doesn't apply to everyone, just like any other sweeping generalisation. I read an awesome NYT article (posted below) that explains my generation better than anything else I've ever seen, almost exclusively in terms of hipsterism, passivity and entrepreneurism. These generational trends seem to stem primarily from cultural stagnancy, an inherent distrust of authority and of course, entitlement. I won't ramble on about it too much because it's really fascinating and well-written, but as much as I reject social norms and try to find ways around them, I guess I have to acknowledge that that in itself has become a large-scale normative social trend among people my age. My biggest idea for the future is one for a niche market small business I think people will be ready for in a few more years, but I don't talk about it because I don't want it to increasingly become part of the collective consciousness. That's pretty much the story of my generation, whether I noticed it before or not. But hey, whatever. "Work smarter, not harder" isn't even a motto so much as a life skill, so we'll see how it turns out. Either way, painfully boring soulless jobs that aren't immediately relevant to my interests can suck it.
The Entrepreneurial Generation
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Craft(y) Project: Deco Wayfarers
I deco'd some sunglasses and put them on Etsy as part of the first wave of what I'm considering to be more legitimate stuff I've put up for sale. Zipper and toy bug jewelry are soon to follow. I've found that epoxying rhinestones to things is pretty therapeutic and that I'm happy to finally be using the baggies of random deco supplies I've accumulated.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Destino
Amazing, today I learned that Disney unearthed something relevant and completed it to a point beyond mediocre or even satisfactory (I'm facepalming preemptively at the The Black Hole remake) after their Renaissance era.
My new favourite Disney princess is... Æon Flux? Awesome.
My hat is bread, your reality is invalid.
Read about it.
My new favourite Disney princess is... Æon Flux? Awesome.
My hat is bread, your reality is invalid.
Read about it.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
(a)Musings: Latent Creativity
I've been sick for over a month now; I hear a muted ocean/ringing sound 24/7 because one of my eardrums ruptured and I'm quite sure that I got mono from a certain vindictive bitch who intentionally drank from my drank a couple of years ago and that it's now returned. At least I didn't faint when I went for blood work today like I did before so I can actually find out for sure.
It's weird being at home and doing next to nothing. I've barely even read, and most of the time I don't even feel like (or feel well enough to be) painting or making things, though I have been anyway. I'm working on several of the most legit projects I've come up with in years and I realised that they're all united in theme, so I'm going to call them the Electro Pop Series and try to get them put in a gallery here when they're done to make money and scratch that pressing item off my To-Do-Before-Leaving-Phoenix-Forever list, just to say that I did. Many recycled items including shark and dinosaur foil fruit snack packets, a nonfunctional GameBoy, cogs and giant novelty sunglasses are involved.
The Dead Celebrity Series has sadly been on the back burner for - well, since the day Michael Jackson died. Doing all that forced studio art plus art history in high school really fucked me up; I haven't done a full blown painting in about 5 years now, not that I've ever actually finished one anyway. It's like how studying Japanese has made me never want to study Japanese again. Always hated school, killed my inspiration, glad it's over forever. Anyway, I started this one of Warhol-era Liza Minnelli holding dead MJ as Christ; maybe I'll look back nostalgically on this update when it's finally finished.
It's weird being at home and doing next to nothing. I've barely even read, and most of the time I don't even feel like (or feel well enough to be) painting or making things, though I have been anyway. I'm working on several of the most legit projects I've come up with in years and I realised that they're all united in theme, so I'm going to call them the Electro Pop Series and try to get them put in a gallery here when they're done to make money and scratch that pressing item off my To-Do-Before-Leaving-Phoenix-Forever list, just to say that I did. Many recycled items including shark and dinosaur foil fruit snack packets, a nonfunctional GameBoy, cogs and giant novelty sunglasses are involved.
The Dead Celebrity Series has sadly been on the back burner for - well, since the day Michael Jackson died. Doing all that forced studio art plus art history in high school really fucked me up; I haven't done a full blown painting in about 5 years now, not that I've ever actually finished one anyway. It's like how studying Japanese has made me never want to study Japanese again. Always hated school, killed my inspiration, glad it's over forever. Anyway, I started this one of Warhol-era Liza Minnelli holding dead MJ as Christ; maybe I'll look back nostalgically on this update when it's finally finished.
What else have I been doing lately? I have several elaborate necklaces in the works that I've barely started. Making stencils and printing shirts and jackets and whatnot is awesome, but tedious and messy. There have been two perfect opportunities for me to learn how to screenprint over the last several years and I regret missing them both. I could still just do it myself - the bathroom I have now is easily spacious enough to double as a dark room - but it's easier when you learn something in person and there are materials available for you to steal instead of having to invest in them. I also regret never having learned how to stretch/make my own canvases, though I prefer painting on mat board anyway.
When I can actually start making money I'm going to order prints of some of my best photos, which are actually (shh, don't tell) just vacation photos, really. If I can get them matted cheaply I'll try to peddle them to galleries, too. I mostly do architecture, pastries and try to catch as much bright blue open sky as possible. Maybe someone will see these here and feel compelled to visit my Etsy shop :P
(San Clemente)
(Nicula)
(Berea)
(Phoenix)
(Constanţa)
(San Clemente)
(Bran)
The only other things I can think of that are in the works aside from remaking cute textilesy things I've given as gifts to sell - because times like the day of someone's birthday are the only times I'm motivated to sew something neat - are terrariums and miniature tea set windchimes.
Typing this stuff helps me to consolidate and focus my thoughts; hopefully all of the things I've mentioned will become future posts of their own. It'd be nice if I could focus on one thing long enough to get really good at it instead of just being mildly proficient at everything, but I guess flexibility and range can't be undervalued either.
Today I found out that my Japanese degree isn't useless when a random consulting firm contacted me after seeing my resume on Monster and that there's hope beyond being a starving freelance bohemian, in case I get sick of it. It's too bad ASU doesn't teach you how to speak Japanese in their god-forsaken miserable impractical unnecessarily painful program. It'll be a while before I can get a job like that. I have two degrees in languages I don't even speak because I just picked something and went with it, it's insane. I've apparently been committing tax fraud for the last four years, which I only found out about because my online sales last year were substantial enough to set off an IRS tripwire somewhere and require me to file. I want to be an entrepreneur, self-employed and doing things on my own terms, but all of the money-making schemes I've come up with over the years haven't been big or organised enough for me to say that I'm particularly adept or gifted at it. I want to tutor in Spanish and do proofreading to make money for the time being but I don't really want to do anything like that (e.g., editing or teaching ESL) for any length of time. My (no longer) secret dream is to sing in nightclubs in Asia. And of course, I have a plan laid out to start my own legitimate business, but it's a unique niche market idea that I try not to discuss so that it doesn't become part of the collective consciousness before I have a chance to implement several years from now.
So I can't earnestly call myself an artist, a writer, a translator or an entrepreneur. What am I? I'm sure this is what being in your 20's is about, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.
Oh yeah, and I still need to take up archery, learn how to play keyboards and see San Francisco.
UPDATE: Aha, a third piece for my Dead Celebrities series. Actually it's going to be Dead Musicians exclusively, but that sounds trite. I guess I need a new title altogether.
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