Routine and Rut

After two weeks without a post, I have come to appreciate the value of routine that much more. As you know if you follow this blog, two weeks ago was SPACE, the Small Press And Comics Expo, in Columbus, Ohio, and so I missed my regular post for that week… and that, quite frankly, diverted my momentum, and I missed the following week’s post, as well. For all that, I apologize–I tend to be too easily distracted.

It’s very easy for that to happen here in Michigan; there’s so much interesting stuff going on, and I can’t help but think about how important it is to develop at least some routine, some sense of the predictable. When I was a kid going to school in Florida, I dreaded the seemingly meaningless repetitive days. Don’t get me wrong, though–I loved learning. It was the rut of getting up each day, eating the same type of breakfast I had the previous day, getting on the same bus I always used, going to classes of repetitive drills, eating the same sort of lunch I had the previous day, then more classes of repetitive drills, taking the same bus home that afternoon, doing repetitive homework from the boring classes, fighting my sister for control of the TV, eating dinner with my parents and grandparents, having the same conversations over dinner, and then going to sleep again that night, only to repeat the whole process the next day. The only breaks were the weekends, and even those seemed dreadfully the same. I vowed to live a more varied life when I grew up.

Having worked in the job market, and now, having worked on my own, I see the value of a more repetitive, structured day. It makes setting tasks and completing them much easier, developing traction, momentum, and general resolve, and quite frankly, every time I succeed at achieving one goal, it inspires me forward toward another goal. In a very real sense, a “rut” helps you move forward more easily, even if at times it can distract you from turning to either side and trying something new when you want to. However, even then, you can also remember that your “rut” is an illusion, too, and you can actually deviate now and then. Right now, I’m getting back to my routine, and here I am, just for you.

Anyway, I’d like to share with you a little bit of my recent work, a sample from the Funhouse Gallery exhibit, “Mondo Montage.” The piece is called “Daddy Issues.” Enjoy!

“Daddy Issues,” a digital collage from the Funhouse Gallery’s “Mondo Montage” exhibition

We Have Action, Jackson!

So, in the warmth of a Michigan Spring, with snow still flurrying down, we still managed to get the vital shots we needed for Episode One of our series! Here we see “Super 8” Sanders and her boss communicating… or rather failing to, when something happens to the conversation.

Problems at the Gazebo

Unfortunately, the ladies left so quickly that they missed some wonderful calzones from Bartelli’s.

Next week, I’m going to be at SPACE, a really great independent comics convention, in Columbus, Ohio, so I’m not sure if there will be a blog post or not… but I’ll tell you what: If there’s something you’d like me to talk about in a future post, send me a message, and I’ll see if I can meet your request.