Creative Mornings, Cleveland Edition

Last Friday, Chris and I spoke at the Cleveland chapter of Creative Mornings.  Creative mornings is a breakfast and lecture series held in cities worldwide, where creative professionals (or anyone interested in creative or artistic ventures) can go to meet other creative folks, have a locally catered breakfast and coffee, and enjoy a short lecture from someone in the creative community.

Chris and I are wanting to be more involved in our city, as both of us have lived in Cuyahoga county for some time, but aren't incredibly active artistically here.  We want to meet some new people here. Despite what a lot of out-of-towners think Cleveland is like, there is a lot of great stuff here.  I mean, yeah, it's a small city on a huge lake, we have brutal and depressing winters, and our river did catch on fire that one time.  But Cleveland also has an amazing emergent food scene, tons of incredible historic architecture, close proximity to beautiful natural parks, and some really unique neighborhoods. It's a place I've lived for a long time, but now I really want to get to know it better.

And what better way to get to know a place than to get to talk to a bunch of its resident creative professionals in a great space, over amazing coffee and good food?

The theme for this month's lecture was "Collaboration", which, conveniently, is something Chris and I know a lot about. We spent some time talking about Thimblestump Forest, which being our most recent collaborative project, was easy to use as an object lesson.

We had over 100 guests in attendance, and really enjoyed getting to know everybody we talked with.  It was a great experience and I'm really glad we made the time to prepare for it!

A small display of our toys as visual aids.

There will be a video of the talk released soon, and I'll make sure to post it up here so those who couldn't attend can see the talk too - just pour some coffee and make yourself breakfast and it will be just like you were there ;)


Special thanks to Thomas Fox for organizing the event, and Rosetta Agency for hosting us in your beautiful space.  All photos are by Aaron Erb.

Topics of our talk included "Trust", "Communication", and "Making Lemons into Lemonade"

Thomas Fox (organizer at Creative Mornings CLE), with me and Chris.

Comic Con Reflections

Chris and I went to San Diego Comic-Con last weekend to promote and celebrate the debut of our collaborative vinyl blind box toy series, "Thimblestump Hollow", produced by Cardboard Spaceship. We were only there for about 2.5 days, and it was a whirlwind trip.  In fact, it was such a whirlwind trip, I actually don't have much in the way of photo documentation of my experiences, as I was much to busy actually having the experiences to take pictures of anything!

I came away from the con with a lot of thoughts and feelings.  The first of which was a profound sense of gratitude toward all of the people who made, and are making, my first experience in mass-produced vinyl an amazing one.  The team at Cardboard Spaceship, who spearheaded and handled the logistics of this whole thing are amazing guys, and without their interest in our artwork, and their trust in us, as well as their confidence that it would be a success, it would never, ever have come about.  Secondly, the collectors - both experienced and brand new - who purchased anywhere from one figure to five cases of figures, made both of us feel incredibly humbled and very grateful.

On both Friday and Saturday, Chris and I were stationed in our booth and available for signings, chatting, and doodles.  And that is what we did, for upwards of four hours straight at a time. I spend most of my time in my studio working, and I don't get out much. The number of people I interact with on a weekly basis is low enough that i can probably count it on my fingers, so to have so many people waiting in line so patiently to come back and get toys signed and hang out with us was just so, so amazing. To all of you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Your passion and enthusiasm for this weird little art form we love is the only reason we can all do what we do, and it's recognized and appreciated more than you know!

I think Thimblestump Hollow is doing really well - we had a lot of really positive input from a huge array of different people, and it was great to meet folks who had never even seen a blind-box toy before, let alone get excited about buying one.  I think that kind of transcendence of "scene borders" is something Chris and I were striving for in this series. These guys are all weird little creatures - they don't know what's cool or what isn't. They have no clue about pop culture. They just exist in their own plane, and are way stupid cute, and I think they're something that everybody can like. That's not a marketing thing, either; it's kind of how I like to fit into my own world.

Chris and I and Adam Savage at the Tested party, and me drawing
in a sketchbook in the Cardboard Spaceship booth.

Another thing I was thinking about the whole time I was there is just how strange and lucky and fortunate and amazing it is that I am able to do a whole bunch of cool stuff just because I make things. I mean, seriously! In the next year, I will be traveling to 3 different countries to do art-related things. I've had the privilege of visiting major movie studios, and have been able to meet and talk to so many amazingly talented and fascinating people in the arts and entertainment industry (just this last trip I was fortunate enough to meet both Frank Ippolito and Adam Savage at the Tested party), and this is all because I come up with dumb scenarios in my head and find ways to use my hands to get them out into the world. Trust me, I am as surprised as you are that this works!

When I go to conventions and art/entertainment related get togethers, one thing I always notice is that no matter how high their professional station, people who are "makers" of one thing or another always like to meet others like them. Put a bunch of working creatives in a room together and just watch how fast they start to talk shop, even if they've never met each other. Passionate and creative people love to talk about their passions. The more influential people I meet, the more I see this to be true, and that is most likely a key part of what makes them so influential and successful. They have an incredibly infectious sort of passion for what they do that people around them can't help but feel it too. It's a totally passive sort of influence. It's awesome.

How I try to live my life.

More than anything, these kinds of events, because they are so dramatically different from my day to day reality (get up, coffee, work on stuff, wine, go to bed) make me think and plan at a frantic pace. Opportunities can be difficult to come by in the art world, so I'm trying to capitalize on them as much as my body and mind will allow me to. I'm not in my twenties anymore, so my days of coffee-fueled all-nighters are over, but I'm trying to keep my mind clear, my body  healthy, and my production schedule full and exciting. There are so many amazing things on the horizon, and I'll never not be truly thankful for them.

PS: super mega-thanks to Jamey, Nick, and Derek from Cardboard Spaceship for all your hard work to make Thimblestump Hollow what it is, Chris for being my partner and putting up with my crises, Frank Ippolito for bringing us to the Tested party, Ayleen and George Gaspar for inviting us to be a part of the Independent Toy Design panel, and every single person who stopped by to pick up a figure or just say hello while we were at SDCC. It was so nice to meet you all - hope to see you again soon!

The not-so-smooth part of sales...

So, yesterday, I hosted a sale in my webstore. Usually things go pretty smoothly, but this time was plagued with technical hiccups (some of which I need to follow up with Shopify to resolve).  Some people were able to see all the products listed, while other people didn't.  I want to take this opportunity to apologize for those issues, and let everybody know that I take this seriously,  and I very much want to make the buying process as painless and fair as it can possibly be.

The sheer volume of people who visit my shop and try to buy items all at one time can often create some frustrating situations, like carts getting emptied, or trying to buy something only to be told that it's sold out.  I know this can be super aggravating, and I'm often thinking about how to better approach this issue. 

What it comes down to is this - there just isn't a perfect way.  Any commerce service I use will have its own set of problems (I've tried a few), and the fact that I'm very specifically not factory-producing my resin figures means that their numbers will always be limited, and there will most likely be more people wanting one, than there are to go around.

To this point, I will offer this - this month's Belfry edition was only the first one. There will be 11 more colors that will be released throughout the year, and the same goes for the Pipsqueaks (and I am not even done with the Pipsqueak releases from last year, honestly).  So, I've still got plenty to offer!

I'll try my best to make sure that the glitches that happened with this particular sale don't happen again, and I'll keep trying ways to make it a more comfortable experience for everybody. I really, really, really appreciate everybody who spends their hard-earned money on my stuff.  I can't emphasize that enough; you guys are literally the entire reason I can do what I do.  You have many options for what you do with your money, and you choose to support me, and I am forever humbled by that, and grateful.

I want to do more, I want to make more available, and I want to increase the scope of the different products that I offer.  I've gained a lot of traction and experience over the past few years, and that's  bound to have some growing pains as things change. It isn't always a linear process, and as I'm just a human with a messy human life, I appreciate everybody's willingness to stay with me as it happens!

Essential Tools: Sewing

Sewing is something I do at least a few times a week now, but it's far from being something that comes to me naturally. Well, let me take that back - sewing by hand, using a needle and thread, comes very naturally to me. It's when you get machines and pattern-drafting into the mix that my head starts to spin a little bit.

But, since my artwork is 50% fabric, sewing becomes a necessary skill. I've never taken any classes (though I still think I will at some point, as I know I have a lot to learn), so any abilities I have in this arena have been entirely self-taught through trial and much error.  It's honestly not a skill I ever thought I would learn, despite being very interested in costuming and fashion in my younger years...I'm still far from the point where I can make clothes for myself, but I can whip up ruffly petticoats and collars for Dust Bunnies, no problem!

Keep reading below for a quick tour of my sewing tools...this is more of an overview than anything specific - if I were to get into the nitty gritty of all my sewing tools and techniques, it could cover many blog posts!

My Vesta VS III, made in Germany by the L.O. Dietrich company, most likely in the 1920's.

Progression: A Timeline

The first little plush guy I ever made.

I thought it would be interesting to go back through my photo archives and post some photos of older pieces, in chronological order, to see where my work has come from and where it is, and where it may continue to go.

I think it's important to always remember where you started - and even to keep reminding yourself (as an artist, or whatever it is that you do) that even if you are feeling stagnant, or having difficulty with some aspect of your work, remember, you have come a long way! As creative people and makers, we are always going to be learning - I personally think we have to be comfortable with the fact that, in our lifetimes, we're never going to perfect our craft. But we can always keep improving it, and mastering it.

This is going to be an unusually photo-heavy post, so in the interest of organization I'm going to put it behind a jump link - click below to continue on:

Thank you!

Well, the Bumble sale on Wednesday was a great success, thank you so much!  I honestly kind of can't believe it - but all 60 Bumbles were sold in under 7 minutes - that's crazy! I know a lot of people wanted one, but weren't able to get one, or had items disappear from their carts, or issues with Paypal. I looked into it, and I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with the cart system; it's just a matter of overload. My shop had 700 hits right when the store opened, and even if half of those people were attempting to purchase a Bumble, it's still 6x the number of Bumbles available, and in those situations, even the slightest difference in hardware or software efficiency can make all the difference.

I know that more people want my work than I can currently supply, and though it's "a good problem to have" for me, it still frustrates me that I can't get more folks the things that they want. I'm working VERY hard this year to get more Dust Bunnies out to more people. There are 2 vinyl toy projects in the works, as well as minis (which I have not announced yet, but I'm having them produced for me in large amounts, and I'm hoping to sell editions monthly), as well as some other projects.

So, with that said, back to work!

Art is expensive. Plus plans for the future.

One of the most difficult aspects of my work to talk about with people is...*gulp*...pricing.  I'm in a constant self-battle about how to price my work, and when asked how much something costs, I'll inevitably either dodge the question, or sort of sheepishly lower my eyes and mutter the price.  I know I shouldn't be apologetic for the price of my art, because I know what goes into it, and I am very proud of my work. But I also understand that art is expensive (I would have to really save up to buy my own art!) and I am truly grateful for those who do purchase my work.

I wanted to write a little post about WHY the kind of art I do costs what it costs, because while I'm face to face with these realities every day, I think many of you may not know some of these facts. I thought this might help other artists too, if you're just starting to get your art out there, or finding pricing to be a very difficult challenge.

I want to be transparent and open about talking about this, because I want people to understand that it's not just me making up numbers ;)

The Glamorous Artist Lifestyle

I do what I love for a living. I get to travel to places I never thought I would go, meet people I never thought I would get to meet, and do things I only ever thought were some distant chance for me to do. It's awesome - I really do understand the phrase "living the dream", and feel extremely fortunate, because I truly am.

I realized the other day that, for people who do not work for themselves, the basic day to day of what self-employed artists do is probably a mystery. I've talked to enough people to know that it's a widespread belief that my life is spent in a fantastical, booze-fueled creative trance, broken up by long bouts of daydreaming, navel-gazing, and schmoozing with other artists.

So the next time you wonder of your favorite artist, "why don't they make more work?", or "why do they only have occasional sales?", or "why is artwork so expensive?", or "why don't they answer my email/facebook comment/tweet?", this may shed some light.

What's in a name?

So, for the past year or more, I've been wanting to have some kind of umbrella name that encompasses my artistic universe. Mostly because, when asked what my "guys are called", I'd like to have an answer other than "I don't know?"...

I did hours upon hours of freewriting, brainstorming, bouncing ideas off friends. Things got kind of close, but never really felt right. Then, unexpectedly, one did feel right. And it was one of the simplest answers.

Dust Bunnies. True, some are goats, some are bees, and some are unidentified creatures, but in the end...really, they're all "bunnies" to me. That's been what I've always called them, regardless of their specific animal anatomy.

So there you have it. I am creator and caretaker for the kingdom of Dust Bunnies :)

Art as Intellectual Property: Who owns ideas?

Doppelgängers

Well, I suppose I should address this.

Over the past few weeks, I've gotten a really large number of emails and messages about various places on the internet where versions of my artwork are popping up, obviously not made by me.

Some are "inspired by" my work, some are "homage" to my work, and some are blatantly attempts to re-create my work. I thought there might be some confusion about the difference between things that make artists feel flattered, and things that make them annoyed/take legal action, so I decided to create a handy guide, below.

flipping the bird

My Origins of the Forest show at My Plastic heart this past September, was a bit of a personal triumph for me. It wasn't the biggest or most grandiose show I have ever done, but every piece in it was crafted amidst great internal opposition, and each one marked a success. During the time I was working on that show, I was struggling with a series of intense personal and emotional challenges, and just getting up in the morning was a victory, let alone finishing a solo show.  After it was all done, and I packed them all (rather hilariously, I might add) into suitcases, and headed to New York to the gallery, I felt a real sense of accomplishment. But it was after the pieces sold - and so quickly! - that I felt my heart swell. You see, I make things all the time, because I'm an artist and it's in my nature, but my true joy, and that most pristine and pure feeling of success and contentment comes when I know that what I've made has made someone happy. That they valued what I do enough to spend a good chunk of their money to bring one of my little guys home, and have that be something that they cherish, and that they are proud to own. It's a kind of high; humbling and flattering and amazing in how it makes me feel like I'm doing something right.

So imagine how my heart sank when I began to see pieces from that show, just over a month since they shipped out, appear on eBay as "buy it now" auctions, far above their original prices.