A week without Facebook

Have you heard of the Artist Way?  I'm going to sound weird and cult-y for a minute, but it kind of is weird and cult-y, so go with it.  The Artist Way is this philosopy slash spiritual system to help blocked artists unblock.  Using things like the Morning Pages, and Artist Dates, as well as tasks, it kind of forces you to face the reasons that you're blocked and work (really WORK) to tear down those walls.  And you confront some...stuff.  Childhood stuff, college stuff...  stuff.  It really makes you confront your blocks as an artist.  It's awesome, and terrifying at the same time. 

One of the main processes of AW is the morning pages.  Oh my various gods the morning pages.  Three pages of absolute stream of consiousness every day.  Let me tell you, getting used to them SUUUUUUUCKS!!  But honestly, once you are used to them, you have to do them every day.  I actually get uncomfortable and disoriented if I don't write them every day.  The notebook stays right on my bedside table, so I write first thing in the morning, right after i put on my glasses.  I've taken my morning pages notebooks with me to Viking encampments, stays with friends at renfairs, everywhere.  It's cathartic.  Julia Cameron  (the author of the book) calls them "brain drain", but I call them "brain vomit".  Getting it all out there on the page so it's over and done with.

And let me tell you, I have worked through some major poo-doo on those pages. 

But that's not what Im going to talk about today. 

A week or so ago was the "no reading" week.  Doesn't seem so difficult does it?  Well let me tell you, it is hard.  And I took it a step further.  Now, I don't read the newspaper, and I can't even tell you when I was last able to just pick up a book.  So I gave up social media for 7 days.  And it was a life changer.  You really don't realize how much time is wasted on Facebook.

Day 1 I got off work, got groceries, mealprepped, and cooked 10 days worth of food.

Day 2 I cleaned the entire house. 

Day 3 was my day off, and I spend most of it bumming around with my bestie.  We went to a pretty cool coffee shop and a couple of magickal stores.  At the coffee shop I got to talking to the staff and showed them some of my artwork.  And they loved it!  so on...

Day 4 I dropped off three of my larger pieces to Caffine Dreams to be displayed there.  It's a really awesome venu, and my stuff is right by their amazing corner fireplace.  It looks phenom.

Day 5 thru 7  I seriously don't even remember what I did, I just know it was actually STUFF instead of sitting on the couch scrolling through memes and gifs.  Wait, there was quite a bit of subversive cross stitch in that time frame...

And you know what?  I didnt really miss Facebook.  It sucked away so much of my time.  I took it off my tablet compleetly.  And while I kept it on my phone, I hid the icon so that I'm not just clicking it to click, you know?  I've been keeping up that "media blackout" momentum too.  Housework has been easier, not so rushed.  Even prepping meals is becomming part of my everyweek routine, which of course steamrolls into making my home time easier.  Win/win.

Am I going to give it up forever?  No.  I get about 90% of my art shows from Facebook via Art Pop! and the pop up shows they curate (an awesome group of artists to work with by the way).  But I see myself using FB a lot less in the weeks since the "blackout", and then mostly for pictures of Bam and which Stranger Things kid I was.  (don't ask, I'm not happy with the Barb-rific result).  I'll fully admit, I love the rush of dopamine that I get when I see notifications and likes, but I know I can live without them.  And can live happly without them. 

Pintrest, however, you will take from my cold dead hands. 

10-15-17

this faire season is over for us.  i'm a little sad at that.  this was the most amazing season to date.  i worked a booth at KCRF.  we slept in period viking tents through a massive thunderstorm.  Mark unvailed the super secret costume much to the delight of our pirate family.   

the booth i worked at was Goldtooth's pottery.  He's been a staple at KCRF for longer than we've been going there.  i'm a huge fan of his work, and can honestly say that i use one of his mugs at least once a day.  The collection that Mark and I have amassed is truely...  massive.  my favorites are the jars he makes.  They're perfect for spices, though honestly I keep black salt, hot foot powder, and graveyard dirt in mine.  (yeah, like you're shocked)  This was their last season at the faire, as Capt Ron is moving on to teaching.  I WILL take his classes some day.  Hopefully if he offers them again in January.  I'll trade days away if i need to.  It was an honor to help him and Iris out, making their last year as successful as possible.   Next year the booth will belong to my friend Woody, who is an AMAZING woodworker (he's very well named).  I've already offered to work at his booth every day I'm at the faire next year.  So apparently I have a job lined up. 

The Mr Gibbs costume was a suprise to almost everyone.  Honestly only me, Mark, and three other people knew, and that was to make sure the logistics of getting everyone in the same place at the same time for the unveiling.  There's a video floating around of Mark walking in as Gibbs surrounded by the Whores.  The faces on Greg and Chip are priceless.  I thought Greg was going to die of laughter. 

Worth every penny we spent on the costume, and then me recreating the costume because it wasn't up to my standards.  Seriously, the origional pants were too distressed, the waistcoat was the wrong color and cut alltogehter, the shirt was too flouncy...  there were a meriod of problems with the costume.  But me, being who I am, just remade the whole damn thing.  There will be changes to the costume for next season though.  Even my work can be improved upon.  The pants for example, will need to be remade.  Canvas is an unforgiving mistress. 

The highlight of the Gibbs reveal was when Kevin McNally (the actor that plays Mr Gibbs himself) got to see the costue via Facetime.   I never had a prouder moment as a costumer as when he gave Mark a thumbs up.  Seriously had to remind myself to breathe.  Several other people reminded me to breathe too.  I honestly didn't realize I had been holding my breath. 

In between weeks at KCRF, we spent a weekend with the Olskapan Vikings at Riverssance in Sioux City, Ia.  We helped build the period Viking tents from start to finish, and they were amazing.  I loved every second of it.  Even sleeping through a MASSIVE thunderstorm was amazing.  Lightning strikes a mere hundred yards from where we were sleeping, the wind causing the tents to creek and sway, making sounds like we were on a boat.  Not to mention sleeping in a bed covered in a bear fur.  Amazballs.  I even got to play as Volva for the weekend, doing rune readings and keeping the fire going.  I swear I smelled of wood smoke for a solid week, reguardless of how many showers I took. 

like i said, im sorry it's over.  i wish every day could be as amazing as the faire.  but, alas, real life creeps in.  i am not a fan.