There have been some happenings since the last post. After five years of owning my domain name I finally have a live website. If you're reading this here, you already know that. It's not 100% complete or perfect yet, but it's slowly getting there. Now you can have access to information on what we're doing, any appearances, how to instructions, a way to contact us and a direct way to purchase our 2D prints. Besides the constant production of 2D and 3D art and along with all the things required to setup and maintain the
website comes the need for self-promotion.
I've never been a people person. Public attention or being Infront of groups was not something I'd seek out. You can say I had an aversion to it. Adult Aspergers (I've been accused of having some kind of syndrome, not by a professional I'll add.), or PTST caused by childhood abuse, trauma, suffering of extreme ridicule and rejection in childhood. Who knows what my issue was. I think I have an idea. A divorce a few years back left me financially restructuring. I left my salary position at my day job for an hourly position. This decision to leave my salary position ultimately led to a significant pay increase so that was a win on my part. But it put me on the floor in the area that I had originally started in. Needless to say, I was shocked to see the some of the work practices that had been adopted during my absence. The quality, safety and work ethic I was witnessing was mind boggling. It was disappointing to say the least. I took pride in our product; I didn't want to feel that what we produced was substandard. It was at this time a local community college partnered with my employer developing a trade training program. I thought perhaps I could pass on my years of experience to the new hires coming into this trade. I had kicked around the idea of teaching while in college. Every once in a while, over the years since then I'd stop and consider a career change to the teaching field but wouldn't follow through. When this opened up, I jumped at the chance. Even with my aversion to being the focus of attention, being uncomfortable and a little awkward with people I thought, maybe I could make a difference. The money would definitely help with my finances, and I could pass on my passion and pride in my work, along with my experience to new generations of employees coming into the field. Building their confidence, establishing expectations and sharing knowledge. I was the fourth instructor hired for this fledgling program. Now working two full time jobs and three days into teaching I was asking what I got myself into. I was committed and powered through. Eventually I settled in and got past my awkwardness and Un comfortability with people and being the focus of a group. I had taken the position out of financial desperation, and better than the money it got me past what I would call avoidant personality. Which brings me here.
One thing my art lacks is any kind of promotion. I've relied on word of mouth and clients to hand out business cards at conventions they attend with any of my 3D pieces that brings them attention and it always fell flat. So, the motivation to get the website up and running got me thinking about marketing and promotion, how to bring in more customers and create interest. My previous attempts weren't really working out. Lightbulb, they call it self-promotion for a reason, you do it yourself. If it wasn't for my personal development from my teaching experience, I wouldn't even be able to consider getting dressed in some elaborate costume and going out in public to deliberately be the focus of attention. It became clear that I have to do that. I in the back of my head knew this time was coming. I had already begun production on several costumes just for me. I will be documenting their construction progress and processes along the way. Oh yeah, I failed to mention that working 80 hours a week for years, eating on the fly, not getting enough sleep combined with a few surgeries and a pretty serious bout of COVID doesn't put you at peak performance so to appropriately self-promote it's the return to the gym.
