When it’s said some things happen of their own fruition, let this convention prove as fortuitous an example! I had no intention of attending a convention for 2015; the year inherently started off with a bang, with Issue 3’s completion, Issue 4 underway, even with the onset of the newly minted Euclid book, my creative streak was bar none. This, however, came at a cost. All of this free time was a result of my losing my position at my job for a relatively crap circumstance, but that’s a rant for another day! By the time Issue 3 was done, I took the chance to tally the cost of print, exhibition, and travel, on the off chance I could go, and it breached into the thousands! Money I simply would not be seeing any time soon, nor make back! With a month to go, I received a charming reminder from my credit card of a neat little credit increase, enough to make attending Supercon a possibility.
It was a gamble, an extremely expensive gamble. No, that’s an incorrect assessment. It was an investment, an extremely viable investment! Within 24 hours, I was equipped and ready to start making moves. Florida, I’m coming home!
My finances were limited, and I had a cavalcade of priorities that each needed their own specific attention. I wanted this convention to be monumental not just in stature, but in execution. I hadn’t much room for a full flock of books and swag, with three issues of Periphery, Downs, a slue of new Posters, business cards and what not, the entire cost began exceeding dramatically what was budgeted; Outside of the necessities, I wanted to revamp my online presence 10 fold, which meant a whole new website, new domain, new address, everything! But week after week, with the unparalleled assistance of Kat, each aspect on my list was properly accounted for, and established! By the week prior, my books and other assets were printed, plane ticket and rental accounted for, entry pass, place to sleep; it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas in July!
I had such an amazing experience this year. The convention was superbly crowded, masses of old and new attendees and just a rich plethora of guests, not that I got to see any of them, but I’m sure they were just as awesome!
That being said, I walked away with a rather painful realization. Having done three consecutive years at FLSC, I’ve accomplished more as an independent than at any point during my tenure as a post grad artist. I revitalized my exposure to the best of my ability, and was even fortunate enough to have met some great people along the way! However, the turn around did more damage to me fiscally than I could have ever predicted, it came down to my chasing that first high from 2012, and how remarkably successful that attendance was in comparison. The more work I do, the more expensive it becomes to go at it alone, and it’s truly not a venture I can undertake in the foreseeable future: my time conventioning has come to an end, it’s a cape I spitefully hang on the rack.
This is what I want from life, to be a contributing member to the creative industry no matter what facet I undertake. I returned to New York beaten and woe, it took a few weeks to build my spirits back, but, as always, I was helped in a manner very befitting of the situation; my friend Daniel reminding me that in the course of our experiences we tend to lose sight of why we started this in the first place.
It’s astounding what a few words in the right context at the right time can do for the soul.
In spite of it all, as this year winds down, productivity is as live as ever. A new concept book is in the works and due out January, 2016, and Issue 4 of Periphery following suite just a few months afterward, the work, like life, continues onward.
I can only do so much from where I’m sitting, and success comes in small quantities over the hundreds of hours spent behind the pencil. But it’s what I do, it’s what I love to do, and well, I’m pretty damn good at it. Some day soon I’ll find the resolution I’m looking for, until then, just gotta keep drawing!
Cheers!
