October: What a year so far

2020, what a year! The last post I wrote in January, but I had no idea that the rest of the couple months would also be as hectic.  It's been a challenging year so far.  Many people have lost their jobs due to the pandemic & lockdown rules, while others live in uncertainty whether they will receive their salary at the end of the month.  All the uncertainty of the times bred so many conspiracies and more fears.  Like a million spiders breaking through their shells & running across the world.

I began working at a new job in the beginning of the year and felt overwhelmed with the amount of preparation work I had to complete before the start of the academic year.  It was also a challenge to step into the shoes of a position previously held by a person who has worked there since the beginning.  It felt as though I was compared to her.  But I should mention that was a feeling on my part and not necessarily the truth.  I set my own standards, and sometimes I'm too harsh with myself.

And then the lockdown happened.

Initially we were told it would last 21days, which was extended with two more weeks.

And then I realised these restrictions weren't going to disappear soon.  It was our new normal.

It was also stressful, to be paid less, but having to work from home using our own equipment, when equipment breaks; you can't replace it since all online shopping was also frozen.

And as luck would have it, my laptop broke on the day lockdown began.  My amazing boyfriend sat for a week trying to recover lost data on the computer, rebuilding a computer and fixing a laptop.  He sat up until the early hours of night, after night until there was a workable computer for me.  He really rescued the situation.  I am so grateful for him.  He is a blessing in my life.  It is during times of crisis they say a person's true light shines through, and I saw his light is pure.  So for all the bad stuff that happened and the  people who were insensitive or dismissive and all the other things I don't even want to mention of the year, there is one thing I am grateful for and that is, him.  God has been gracious to me.  

There are dreamless times, when your head hits the pillow and you're gone.  When you wake up you're so happy to have returned to your waking life, you want to jump up out of the bed and live.  Then there are dream phases.  Times in your life when nearly every night is an episode from the bizarre mind soapie.  I'm currently in a dream phase.  The dreams have the audacity to enter the waking life and bother me.  Last night I dreamt there was a great eagle, nearly as tall as a human.  People were gawking at the huge bird from their balcony and taking pictures of the bird.  The bird began to enjoy it and posed for them.  After he was satisfied, he began to eat them.  I was this outsider, who realised that the bird allowed his meal to take hunting photos for him.

At first I was upset about all the dreams.  How did this surrealism enter my life?  But I felt better once I read that we undergo a lot of growth and internal change during dream phases.  This is definitely a growing and changing time for me.  I'm excited that I can grow.  I believe it prepares me for beautiful realisations about life.

It's October and that means it is Inktober time.  I participated for the first time last year and really enjoyed it.  Thus I decided to participate again.  I'm not using the official prompt list.  The one thing I loved about the exercise last year was the spontaneity.  At that time I had a lot of other illustration work, as well as other design work that was very concept driven.  It was a nice reprieve to just draw, and draw for fun.  I decided to keep it simple this year as well, by using a theme that was broad enough that it was easy to sit and immediately begin to draw.  My goal is to draw 31 drawings (last year my goal was 20).  The theme I choose is to draw film stills.  So whereas last year I drew various African animals and birds, this year I am drawing people.  Film stills are fun, because it has interesting layouts and facial expressions.

I made one video of the process work for the Youtube channel (it will be posted on Friday).  I couldn't make more videos since all my equipment broke.  I am however posting the drawings I make daily on Instagram.

The other fun part about Inktober is the opportunity to see work by other artists and illustrators and lovers of art.  

May you be blessed, xE.

Inktober is here

Dear friends
It's October! October signals that Spring is really here.  The seasonal birds have migrated to the warmer spots and began making nests.  Daylight lingers longer during the evenings and mornings.  Illustrators, Artists and people who love to draw, have also begun to associate the month with ink... Inktober is a month-long challenge to make drawings using only ink.  You can decide whether you will draw every day or sporadically.  There is also an optional prompt list you can follow.

I have decided to upload a video every Friday during this month of me making an ink drawing.  It is the first time I am filming my drawing process.  It feels different to draw and film versus to draw on your own.  The camera is an intrusive object, an eye watching me draw, although it is an inanimate thing.

I did not follow the prompt list.  I wanted to be free to draw what I want.  I am already drawing within very specific limitations with the graphic novel brief I am working on, so I didn't want to limit myself here too.  Sometimes drawing should be for fun only, and because you enjoy it.

I hope you enjoy the video just as much as I enjoyed drawing.
Here's a link to the video that was released earlier today.

Thank you for supporting the channel :)

Have a lovely weekend,
E

#inktober

Mid-year check-in

Dear friends
It's been a while since I wrote a blogpost.  As you might be aware I began a Youtube channel at the beginning of the year, also titled Art Germinate.' I want to thank every person reading this post who have supported the channel by subscribing or sharing a video.  It means a lot to me.  I post a video every other Friday.  Ít's not easy to grow the number of subscribers organically, since I don't have other social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram as well.  I have been contemplating whether I should open an Instagram account, but at the moment I am so busy with the "Weerkaatsing" project, the thought of beginning a new account that I also need to feed like a baby, isn't very appealing.  So I've placed that on hold for now.  It is more important that I complete this graphic novel. 

I have realised that time is precious and finite.  Thus I only have this window of time now to draw unencumbered, and I am going to use it to full capacity.  It is such a wonderful privilege to be able to draw every day and see the project progressing.  It is a turtle, thus the progress is in slow motion, but art work takes time.  You need to invest in it with your time.  It is so easy for the daily life to absorb that time; for you to set aside your drawing time to help someone out and before you know it, that time is gone.  And your art work project is sitting there like a dying potplant.

I was at a seminar where I had to share my progress of the project (two weeks ago).  The feedback was very helpful and some aspects encouraging.  But I also realised that there is still a mountain of work ahead of me! 

And I haven't gotten into the full swing of drawing daily again since I came back, because of other work that crept in last week and this week.  And once again, I realised how I need to fight for this time to draw in my own headspace.  I need to view it as important before I can expect anyone else to also view it as important.  It seems so obvious, right?  But it seems to be something one easily forgets.  I think it is because I live in an environment where I feel like I am the only one of my kind - a creative who live off their art and design work.  I have never had a friend that is an artist who can support themself.  I have always wished I knew someone like that.  Because it will combat the stereotype and inspire me.

I have made a progress video of "Weerkaatsing" that I still want to share on the Youtube channel, but I have decided to only release it by the end of October or during November when most of the remaining pages are also drawn.  It is very important to nurture a project and only reveal it to an audience once you have thought through your ideas a bit.  Otherwise you lean too much on the imput of others and it then becomes their project and not yours. 

I also have some exciting ideas for future videos for the channel, but I would need some time to produce that and as I mentioned, now is not that time.  I will only be able to begin work on that by the beginning of next year.  The other thing I find quite challenging with the Youtube channel, is that everyone seems to market themselves as a brand.  In the beginning (I posted only two or three videos then) my friends kept asking me, "What is your plan with the channel?", "What is your brand?"

Hmm, yeah.  I don't feel like a brand.  I feel like a person.  And people are more varied and interesting than a brand.  The idea of sticking to a brand feels like it will limit me and limit the type of content I want to post on the channel.  So I've created playlists that organise content type together.

I am posting content I will like to see on the internet; more local art and design.

The tea cup is empty and I need to get back to drawing.  It's time to greet you and wish you all a happy week.  Thanks for checking in.  If you have some time go and check out some beautiful art on the Youtube channel.

Cheers,
E