This year has been a really big year of self discovery for me. And as much as I try to work on just one thing until it’s finished before starting on something new, it just doesn’t happen for me, and I think I’m just learning to accept that. HAHA. I always have that saying “jack of all trades, master of none” in my head, but… my brain just doesn’t work that way. HAHA. I get bored too easily and have to change to something else or be working on multiple things literally at the same time. It’s honestly a real pain sometimes, but… now it’s just become my way of doing things.
Aside from working on design freelancing, I have multiple things going on at once, which is very overwhelming much of the time, but… it’s also sort of good for me; it means I don’t get bored and give up on something entirely. And not giving up is a big deal for me!
So anyway, what’s going on?
I’m still working on adoptee portraits. I think this project will be a lifelong thing. Not only have I had a lot of volunteers, it just generally means a lot to me to continue painting people who are “like me”; to help in whatever small way possible, to have our voices and experiences heard. These portraits are of Bethany and Kathy. I’ll post their stories soon. 🙂
A while ago (last year…?) I was drawing little comics based on my life as a parent. I was drawing funny situations that happened in real life with my son (and sometimes husband!). I’m not actually sure what happened with these. LOL. Maybe I should get back to those…? Either way, I was considering drawing/painting portraits like the adoptee portraits of ADHD-ers. But then I realised that so many of my ADHD-related experiences are actually kind of hilarious and/or relatable, so thought that drawing little comics of them would make more sense. And then I was a given a little encouragement to do these and… here we are! Well… I still haven’t finished the first; it’s taking a lot longer than I would have liked, but it’s on its way.
I have a whole listen written down of different scenarios I want to put in little spreads. 🙂
By the way, if anyone wants some SERIOUS self reflection and self-learning/understanding, I can’t recommend entrepreneurship more. Ha. In the past 4 or so months, I have learned more about myself than in 38 years; about myself, my life, people in it, people who are no longer in it and people who I’ve met recently. It’s been hugely eye-opening.
Nate and I have also been making our tutorial videos. So far, we only have a couple out, mainly because I’ve had to give myself a crash course in Adobe Premiere Pro, “research” royalty free music and generally learn what I can about video editing: something I’ve avoided since publishing yourself on social media really became the norm.
I’m also doing this with a 7 year old. LOL. And although it would be nice for him to magically have a regular work ethic, filming and actually making these videos has to be done when he feels like it. Ha… I’d legitimately hate to force him and hence make him dislike drawing with me. Between our Pokemon art we do together and… everything else, I’ve done some random fanarts for him. The last one I did is hanging in his room as a poster, and he said he wants more. Unfortunately, although that last one took me a single day, this thing is taking me… a lot longer.
I haven’t even mentioned that I’m still studying, too. Ha. I think I’m meant to complete this degree FINALLY at the end of this year. For anyone who doesn’t know, I’m 20 years late (literally), but I will FINALLY be getting my design degree; the thing I gave up on (like many other things) straight out of high school. I quit literally a couple of weeks before the end of my first year and that began a spiral of unfulfilling jobs, other degrees and generally feeling like a giant failure.
I have also been working with one of the most awesome people I think I’ve ever met. I wish we’d met earlier, but she’s taught me SO MUCH in just a few months. Plus, she understands me and my brain. Which has been so amazing. (And even our husbands have a lot in common.) I honestly think we all crave understanding in life, and I don’t think I quite realised how much and to what degree I’d been lacking in that. My husband tries; Lord knows he tries, but he and I are VERY different. So… here I am working with Maggie! Ha.
So I think that’s about it in general. 🙂 I’m pretty sure I’ve missed something, but this is basically all my projects in a very quick nutshell. I’d write more, but I am meant to be heading off to a tae kwon do class soonish. And that is another topic that deserves its own blog! It’s been a strange parallel between TKD and the rest of my life!
…and then I randomly draw things like Pennywise. Heh. 😉
