Welcome to Deadline Headquarters, Where Deadlines Go to Die...

Ok, I know I have been neglecting my blog, and of course, this is occurring right after I said I was going to pay more attention to my blog - make it better...longer posts, more pictures, more interesting... Ack!

Here's what's going on... I have about a million (well, ten) deadlines that I need to "kill off" before my sinus surgery in two weeks. I have projects to finish, art to submit to shows I was just invited to exhibit in (yay!), and I have to work on pieces for that big solo show, of course. That, and I've been putting things in my Etsy shop each and every day and plan to keep doing so up until I get loopy from pain medication... Ha!

So today's post will be full of Etsy shop eye candy, since I have yet to take photos of the stuff I am submitting to all of those upcoming shows....

Here are some "hot but lame" horse boy shorts. I love these undies! They were so fun to make, and I almost want to keep them for myself... If they don't sell, believe me, these will be mine!

I experimented with glittery fabric markers for the first time to draw some bling onto them by hand, and I'm really excited to keep using these in the future! I love making things that are one-of-a-kind, and the hand drawing makes them super unique!
Whoa! What are these horses DOING?
Oh, they're just "Living the American dream," that's all...
That's it for the eye candy for now... more to come soon, I promise!

I do feel a strange emotion when I slack in my blogging, and I guess it can only be referred to as "Blogger's Guilt." (Sort of like Catholic Guilt, only slightly less abrasive...) Do you get blogging guilt, too? Even though I've been so busy in the studio, I am constantly missing our little blog universe, and I love that it provides a nice reprieve from constant art-making AND the fact that it holds me accountable to keep making and making and making...

I haven't stopped making art since I finished art school several years ago, but initially, after graduating, it was veeerrrrry slow going. And, um, the stuff, the "art"...well, it wasn't so hot. I think one of the main reasons I was faltering with my art making is because I was realizing how tough it was to create art in a vacuum. I was making things alone inside my little studio, by myself in my own little art world, but no one was looking. Since I no longer had the art school community to share my work with, no one would really see what was going on in my studio except for my friends who would stop by from time to time. I was wondering why I was making art at all if no one saw it or reacted to it, and I kept second guessing everything I did - which was something I wasn't familiar with. I had been so confident in art school!

I wanted to tell you about that because thanks to you - all of my wonderful Etsy and blogging friends - I finally feel like I am apart of a creative community again, and I am feeling confident in my work too, more so than ever! I have to say, it's the best creative community I have *ever* been a part of, SO very different from being in art school, which is full of idea-stealing and jealousy. I've finally found a wonderful, supportive, and giving art community, and I am so glad that I have the chance to share my images and ideas with you all on a regular basis!

Not to turn things negative, but for those of you who didn't go to art school, I wanted to share crazy little anecdotes about how cutthroat and awful it could be at times... These are some extreme cases, and some happened to me, others to friends of mine, and there are TONS more stories where these came from, so let me know if you want more... If you went to art school, share some similar stories in the comments section! The names have been changed for obvious reasons.

*You are made to sit in groups and discuss your ideas for a project you have been given. You are to critique each other's ideas and give them feedback. You all have the same assignment, but you must make individual projects. You tell the group about what you've thought up so far, and everyone loves it but Carla. Carla has a million criticisms and thinks you shouldn't even bother. You second guess yourself and change your idea completely. When it comes time to show the finished projects at critique, Carla has just flat out stolen your first idea, passing it off as entirely her own! She gets an A.

*Jessie casually asks you about a new printmaking process you came up with. You spent hours in the lab testing your process, using different chemical combinations, testing 50 types of paper for the best results... She just seems curious, and you are excited about your discoveries, so you tell her all about them. It doesn't cross your mind that she would take your process and make it her own! She ends up stealing your process, making work that looks eerily similar to yours, and trying to sell it in the same venues that you do.

*You haven't spoken to Damon in a year after you guys stopped being friends, but all of a sudden, he runs up to you at an art opening, banging on your arm and saying "hi," like you are best buddies. Apparently, Damon checks your online resume daily, and he knows about a job that you just got yesterday! Well, Damon wants a job like that, too, and he wants you to help him get it. He also noticed the other art-related places you work and wants to be hired there, too. Maybe you can help? He saw you started an online store, can you help him do the same? He also noticed that you illustrated for a fashion magazine - how did you do that, and can you put in a good word for him? Can you help him finish his new painting while you're at it? He doesn't even say hello or ask you how you're doing.

I just wanted to write about some of those instances so you can see the extreme CONTRAST between art school and the blogging community we are in. I feel like this is a safe place to share new ideas and images, and your encouraging words and support about my artwork mean so much to me. I can't tell you how excited I get when I see that one of my fellow bloggers has updated their page - I love seeing what you've been up to and reading your thoughts. I love all the sharing, the assistance, the cheerleading that happens here, and I can honestly say that I don't know what I would do without this little blogging world that has become such an invaluable part of my every day.

Thanks so much just for reading!

I'll leave you with a link I love, which shows more fun collaboration and sharing between creative and like-minded folks. I've been following this artful correspondence for a very long time now, and I think you'll enjoy it too:
A Polite Winter
Please also check out the links from that page - each artist has their own website, with more of their fantastic work!

Comments

  1. You are my new favorite person TRessa.
    I too had the worst anxiety attacks of MY LIFE on critique days.. not to mention MID DEGREE REVIEW! did you have that?! god almighty.. they make you line up everything you've ever made like a pretty little chorus line and decide if you're ready to move forward.. and God forbid if you're not.

    My favorite responce is when they had nothing more to say "Uhm.. your craftsman ship is really beautiul". Well no shit it is! :)

    At my school.. Fibers was not recongized as "art" it was seen as "craft" and good lord almighty there is NOTHING worse than a "Crafter" so i was put through the ringer.. not to mention if you did not get a BFA, you were a nobody. (I know you have a BFA, and I am not knocking you one bit dhaling)
    so, I was a nodoby who had the best portion of the BA/BS show. WHY? because I brought fibers to my university in a way that was never seen before. hoohaa.

    I am glad to know that someone else had the "out of art school.. now what do I do.." slump.

    I too love the little world of etsy.. so many like minded people, it's beautiful. I look forward to meeting so many more to share my love of art with :)

    this is a long comment! I am long winded. Just sharing the love.

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  2. Anonymous12:49 PM

    Art school sounds scary.....I only did two years of "art school-ish" classes at a community college, then when I transfered to university I decided on Liberal Arts. So I missed out on the scary bits! Yikes! I don't like when things become a competition...it takes the meaning out.

    Etsy and blogging about my little artistic endeavors is great....it keeps me painting! : )

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  3. Lovely pieces! And blogger's guilt? haha I think I know what you mean. :)

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  4. Thanks so much for your wonderful comments & for reading! It's so great, not to mention *comforting* to hear similar thoughts from fellow bloggers. I'm so glad you guys are apart of my "blog life," and keep making the awesome work that you do, because I love seeing it and hearing your thoughts!

    Hope you are all having a good weekend! I am still going deadline-crazy, but it will calm down early next week. Expect a big photo-filled post then! I took a bunch of pictures of my living room & fun stuffed toys I've made, and I can't wait to share them with ya! :)

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  5. i have always prefered sharing online as opposed to the way it worked at art college, galleries, ect.
    It wasnt so much the critiques or the occasional shallowness of certain people, but more due to the snobbery i felt persisted there.
    online sharing and blogging has a more relaxed atmosphere to me.

    i dont get bloggers guilt so much, because i simply cant create words and images on demand, and i simply hope that my friends out there would appreciate that.
    I cant keep up with superfast bloggers either!

    im mad about the horses by the way. these designs are truly unique and always surprising, to me.

    i feel for you with the sinus issue,too. mine are giving me hell at the minute:(

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  6. Anonymous9:09 AM

    Those horrid people!!!! I have a minor in photography, and the peope were the same. I never understood how they could have some lame person give us a critque on our work?? Art news, maybe, but some random 18 years old in class, telling me my work sucks??? I am totally not into that. So, I hear you pain!!

    As for your work, I adore it!!! And, I have to admit, I wish I knew how to silk screen. It is one of the things that intrugues me the most. But, I won't be stealing your secrets love! hehehe. I don't even know the secrets. Hahaha. So, I will admire yours completely!!! As what you are doing in incredible!!! xoxoxo

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  7. your new work is hot lady!!!
    I didn't attend art school but live vicariously through my husbands art school horror stories.
    Keep up the great work!

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  8. love it! It is the truth. I love you blogging guys so much! I am glad I have you everyday! I am glad to be back at home though too!

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  9. wonderful post, tessa! i too am so thankful for the etsy/blogging community. a source of constant inspiration and support. and fun.

    and art school blows at critique time. xoxo.

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  10. those shorts are too cute and are those horses f...

    anyway, art school sounds HORRIBLE. is that how it is like in the states? i went to fashion design college in tokyo and i had the best time. when we discuss things it's because we love and want to help each other. if we love a person's idea and want to incorporate it into our own, we'd ask politely and change it a little to make it ours!!! to steal someone's idea and all is disgusting behaviour and i'm totally appalled. i wonder how you managed to live through all that! i might have slapped them all.

    and friends who come up to you asking for favors after zero contact for months, should just be ignored. ugh!!

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