Picking around the rubble.

Sometimes, when life hands you lemons, they are actually hand grenades painted yellow to throw you off your guard.

How, as aspiring writers, are we to avoid this so that we can get on with our work?

We don't, because if it was that damned easy there would be no reason to write about it.

After finishing my first novel, I came to the realization that in order to progress in life I was going to have to don the mantle of minor miracle worker. This mantle is one part ditch digger, three parts pyramid brick layer, and six parts draft horse. I still have on my plate (I will get a bit personal here, so as to provide context): a troubling financial future, impending graduation (if I can get my act together), ailing family members, and trouble at home. This situation is hardly unique, but it is difficult, emotionally involved, energy and resource draining, and somewhere in it all time and energy must be mustered to write.

The only solution I have found is time management. That is it. No magic words, no fairies in bottles.
Just plain old fashioned time management. It helps, I am terrible at it, but it helps.

So, if you find yourself swamped, but have a burning desire to create, do not despair. Do not sacrifice what is important to you for something else. Sit down, prioritize, plan out a schedule and most of all STICK TO THE DAMN THING. (as much as possible)

I have more thoughts on this subject, but for a later time. Just got off work and am a bit tired.
Good luck.

A lack of an artist last week.

So, I have already failed at bringing you a new artist every week.

So, to make up for it, I will bring you many.

With the holidays approaching and money tight, there are still ways to get expressive and wonderful gifts for people. Sites dedicated to hand made goods by really talented artists could really help out strained wallets, and show that you have a thoughtful insight into the person you are buying for.

Etsy- a good site with not too many ugly sweaters. The soap, jewelry, and ceramics are some of my favorites to look at. Also comes with handy guides in the form of favorites and treasuries.

The Pear Project- online store, recently started I believe.

Smashing Darling- another recently started online shopping are for hand made goods.

So get crafty this holiday.

Artist of the Week

I thought about it, and I have decided to try and have a new artist featured every week that has some how impressed me. Look forward to more of these (almost) every Friday.

Ptolemy Elrington is an scrap artist that just blew me away when I saw his work.

I have seen some terrible scrap art in my time, but it is gentlemen like Mr. Elrington that remind me that all mediums have their wizards.

You can see more of his work here.

Just look at that damned owl! Brilliant, sharp, and just a little intimidating.

Great job Ptolemy, and I hope to see much more of your work in the future.

The Adventure Continues. (BB Pt.2)

Human ingenuity never ceases to amaze me. I just took a stroll through the technology booths here at the Maker Fair, and discovered just how far computer/shop tool networks have come.

I watched a ShopBot tool cut 3D objects out of a urethane board in seconds! It was amazing! (Or I am easily entertained, either way it was great.)

Instructables has a booth, and are showing video and handing out printed versions of their instructions. It is amazing what the Intartoobs have done for DIY projects.

Best of all though, was looking through all of the robotics entries made by high school students. These kids had been mentored by students at the University of Texas and the BEST Robotics program. The variance and dedication of these students made me almost hope for a future of science in this country.

I felt like a child running through a candy store while I walked through the artisan booths. So much creativity and thought put into most of these works. There are always some that lack, but they are outshone one hundred fold by the diligent and dedicated crafts people who turn art into business. This is another point at which I would like to plug technology, in that the internet has given most of these people an outlet and a customer base that used to be so scattered about that most of these trades would be placed in the hobby bin and left to rot.

More later. Also, pictures.

Bazaar Bizarre (Pt. 1)

Austin, Tx is home to some rather odd events, but none so interesting as the Maker Fair.

Here, crafts people of many walks of life gather to give demonstrations, sell their wares, and battle robots.

Yes, battle robots. This year's fair is home to the first annual Texas Cup battle bot fight. Teams will be competing to see who can trash the most metal in an arena about ten feet from where I am sitting currently. (There will be pictures later, promise.)

Speaking of robots, the arena master bot, hovering from his chair on high began spitting the lines of that infamous A.I. Glados, followed by a 'glitch' that caused it to Rick Roll everyone within earshot.

Before breakfast even.

But enough about robots (for now), and let us turn our attention to the many craftsmen who have turned out today.

So far I have seen everything from hand made soaps, jewlery, shirts, and custom woodwork, many of which can be found on that ever growing craft site, Etsy. I hope to get a chance to take it all in. If I find someone interesting, I'll take their picture and put up a brief synopsis of who they are and what they are doing.

To the trenches!