I’ve lived in Boston for a year, and it feels like I’m only just starting to develop my sea legs, despite all the chaos that has been my life these past few months. The past year has been one of chaos and heartache, survival and very little else. I made next to nothing; I didn’t even finish editioning the print I made for a blanket Christmas gift. Sorry, everyone who was on my list outside of the in-laws. Someday you’ll get the winter jackalope print, I promise.
Since getting a new full-time job and dealing with a new slew of diagnosed chronic health issues to adjust to living around and with, this summer has been a lot of renegotiation of my limits, and finally dipping my toes into the surf of the local art scene.
I had a few pieces in a show in the month of August, which introduced me to a new friend/contact who’s brought me into a comics group that meets on Thursdays. Aside from the body of work for that show, though, I haven’t done a whole lot of creation. I keep batting around the idea of constructing my own writing group, too, with people who understand my writing’s content. I tried to participate in a writing group before, and while I got some good suggestions for the main novel I’m working on (Water Buffaloes and Little Sparrow Hearts, working title), there wasn’t the spiritual sort of connection I felt like I needed. My book is very queer and very about depression and PTSD, and I really think I need people who have experienced these things to give me feedback. I haven’t really worked on Water Buffalos since 2014. I left the boys in a very awkward place and I need to write them out of it, but it’s hard.
Making art, I’ve found, is really hard to do without a community to hold you accountable; I was so prolific in college and still felt I wasn’t making enough, because I was just working for class deadlines and had all sorts of ideas for personal projects that had to be put on the backburner because of my courseload. You would think that with nothing but free-time outside of work, I would be making everything under the sun, but that’s so far from what’s happened it’s almost nauseating. I’ve consumed a lot of media. Some good, some mediocre, but there’s at least been an intake that’s kept my inspiration swirling, even if I haven’t put it to page.
Well, I’m starting to find communities, and people who understand my current artistic paralysis and have been supportive while also encouraging me to get my ass in gear (looking at you, LB).
This year is about balance. Finding a rhythm that keeps me moving, creating, without bogging me down with anxiety over deadlines or depleted energy reserves. Making the schedule habit so when I start creating with more purpose, that structure is already there, and it doesn’t feel so much like starting anything new as much as redirecting focus.
Let’s do this.
Update from the Abyss
Holy hiatus, Batman!
It’s been an entire year since I promised the Leporcalia guidebook, and that still hasn’t happened. This past year has been, for lack of a better phrase, The Worst. I lost my day job, my chronic illness worsened and I now use a cane, had to move because my old building had catastrophic pipe issues, and all matter of bureaucratic shenanigans between myself and the IRS, myself and my health insurance, and myself and the SSA.
But good things have been happening, too. I got engaged in December; I edited a fantastic LGBTQ+ comics anthology called Being True with two amazing ladies, which was successfully Kickstarted https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/586200780/being-true-lgbtq-comics-anthology, sold out at its debut at FanExpo Boston, and sold very well at FlameCon this past weekend. Another book I’m in, We’re Still Here, also debuted this summer and it hit me that I’m a professional published comic artist only when I was at an official signing getting my photo taken for a press guy and asked about the other projects I’ve been published in (which there were a number to tell him!) I was also selling prints of the Animal Wisdom drawings, and those were super popular. I still have some of those prints so look for them for sale online soon! Alternatively, you can email me through the contact form and we can do a direct sale with Paypal. $10 for one, $15 for the set.
I’ve shifted gears more toward comics instead of fine arts recently, mostly because of the tiny space I have to work in and with, but I always have new print ideas percolating. A number of ideas with Leporcalia are simmering on the backburner, as well.
I’m hoping to land somewhere a little more stable in terms of finances and therefore inspiration and motivation to work on my own projects by the end of the year. I’m going to do my best to keep my comic Bitchcraft afloat, since it’s primarily a one-page-joke kind of comic that doesn’t require a ton of forethought. https://www.patreon.com/bitchcraftcomic A four-page joke is in Being True, and that will be hitting Patreon shortly as well as some in-progress screencaps.
If you’re one of many people that are still waiting on commissions to be finished from January, I’m so very sorry for making you all wait! It’s continuously on my to-do lists, but lately it seems there have just been more pressing things to do (and projects with impending deadlines). Fingers crossed the jolt of inspiration from FlameCon will help me ride out finishing multiple projects that have been on my list for this entire year!!
Love as always,
Kyri
P.S. Sorry for any weirdness with the formatting of this post. I need to update all the things for this site, but that’s considerably more work than I have time for immediately (and my fiancee has to do most of the work. Love you, my website wizard <3) and I wanted to make sure I put this post up sooner rather than later!
Here There Be Rabbits!
Coming Soon!
After long last, the Rabbits are back, this time in guidebook format. At just under 200 pages, the book will include full-page reproductions of each card artwork paired with an explanation of its symbolism and various interpretations, and some rabbity spreads to get you started reading Tarot.
All current owners of the first edition deck will receive a pdf copy free of charge and the option to purchase the paperback for $10 – retail price will be $18. Take a sneak peek inside the book here.
Coming Summer 2017! Stay tuned for an official release date!
On new beginnings
I’ve lived in Boston for a year, and it feels like I’m only just starting to develop my sea legs, despite all the chaos that has been my life these past few months. The past year has been one of chaos and heartache, survival and very little else. I made next to nothing; I didn’t even finish editioning the print I made for a blanket Christmas gift. Sorry, everyone who was on my list outside of the in-laws. Someday you’ll get the winter jackalope print, I promise.
Since getting a new full-time job and dealing with a new slew of diagnosed chronic health issues to adjust to living around and with, this summer has been a lot of renegotiation of my limits, and finally dipping my toes into the surf of the local art scene.
I had a few pieces in a show in the month of August, which introduced me to a new friend/contact who’s brought me into a comics group that meets on Thursdays. Aside from the body of work for that show, though, I haven’t done a whole lot of creation. I keep batting around the idea of constructing my own writing group, too, with people who understand my writing’s content. I tried to participate in a writing group before, and while I got some good suggestions for the main novel I’m working on (Water Buffaloes and Little Sparrow Hearts, working title), there wasn’t the spiritual sort of connection I felt like I needed. My book is very queer and very about depression and PTSD, and I really think I need people who have experienced these things to give me feedback. I haven’t really worked on Water Buffalos since 2014. I left the boys in a very awkward place and I need to write them out of it, but it’s hard.
Making art, I’ve found, is really hard to do without a community to hold you accountable; I was so prolific in college and still felt I wasn’t making enough, because I was just working for class deadlines and had all sorts of ideas for personal projects that had to be put on the backburner because of my courseload. You would think that with nothing but free-time outside of work, I would be making everything under the sun, but that’s so far from what’s happened it’s almost nauseating. I’ve consumed a lot of media. Some good, some mediocre, but there’s at least been an intake that’s kept my inspiration swirling, even if I haven’t put it to page.
Well, I’m starting to find communities, and people who understand my current artistic paralysis and have been supportive while also encouraging me to get my ass in gear (looking at you, LB).
This year is about balance. Finding a rhythm that keeps me moving, creating, without bogging me down with anxiety over deadlines or depleted energy reserves. Making the schedule habit so when I start creating with more purpose, that structure is already there, and it doesn’t feel so much like starting anything new as much as redirecting focus.
Let’s do this.