2021: Let’s get digital.

Adapting to new tools.

This past September I turned 40, a milestone year to reach where you re-evaluate your existence with a perspective of what’s going on in your world, and the greater world of everyone else. It was an eye opening year for many reasons. I am fortunate that my loved ones and I are still healthy and safe. But the world is in total chaos and we all know it. I don’t need to elaborate on that here.

On a personal level I’ve been struggling to make time for what makes me me: making art.

I had hoped to make a lot of sculptural and pottery work this year. I had joined a new ceramic studio and was excited about a list of projects in my head that has no end. But things shut down, and then when opening up my new daily life of working my day-job from home and facilitating home learning was no longer practical for 2 hour trips to use a communal space, nor could I bring the family. I had intended to glaze the bisque work I had on hand - and I started to, but my home office took over my home art desk and my time.

Mask sewing was an outlet - I hadn’t used a sewing machine in over a decade, but I had bought a used one in 2015 with good intentions and it finally got unboxed and I turned our clothes donation pile into a pile of masks for my family. Then I started to find some bits of sanity in crochet projects which could be worked on in the little bits of between time from the sofa. I also started making drawings ON MY PHONE. This took up even less physical space. But again, it had its limits as well. By the end of the year I could finally justify having a tablet: to draw on.

I’ve now been drawing a lot - digitally. As I draw I think. I think about how much I work to help others. I think about how much of my time I invest in doing that and how much more time I’d like to invest in doing what I am enjoying doing while thinking these thoughts: art making. But if only I could self sustain myself with my artwork. Why not just do exactly that? Why not put my energy and capabilities into this goal? I have heaps of art to sell. I’m working on new art work now regularly. Everything is remote. I know how to build websites and create social media marketing strategies. Why am I not already doing this? So now I am: for the love of Alia.

My intent is to devote my own time towards creating a central destination which I can direct people to so that they may discover, browse, and purchase my work. I will spend my time archiving and digitizing older works and making new works. This website will act as a my storefront.