Work has been pretty crappy the past two days, continuing the trend of crappiness from last week. Ever so many tedious, frustrating tasks. All day today, all I wanted to do was go home, and I was dreading having to go to a remedial swimming class. But I went anyway, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that I could still float and do the backstroke, and so if i fell off a boat it's at least possible that I wouldn't die. I still have to work on my freestyle, which is horrible, largely because I'm skittish about putting my face in the water; I also get nervous and lose it when I'm trying to tread water. I think the problems I had trying to swim in my youth were mainly a result of jumpy nerves, which no one successfully diagnosed; and I was too young to figure it out myself. i didn't know how to be calm back then.
Anyway. I skipped a day of journalling. Last night I worked a little on my "ghost" painting and pretty well crapped it up, which was depressing. But then I went and tried to get the same effect on the computer in Photoshop, and I feel a lot better about how that's going. Unfortunately I've only got the crap free version of Photoshop that comes with a WACOM tablet -- no Paths, no Channels palette, no Selective Color, for god's sake! So I feel a bit hamstrung.
It's funny that I've been mainly painting this past week. I've got a comix idea I'm trying to bring together, and as i enjoy writing as much as drawing, it makes more sense to work on that. But some concepts just seem to be paintings, or a most series of paintings; I can't imagine trying to hang a story on them. I don't think I'm articulating this very well . . . I'll try again some other time. The specificity of a given idea to a given medium. Hmm.
I notice that there's an awfully provocative new set posted to the site. I think I'll go look at it. . .
Rod
P.S. Stephin Merritt fans, read the last journal entry if you haven't already.
Anyway. I skipped a day of journalling. Last night I worked a little on my "ghost" painting and pretty well crapped it up, which was depressing. But then I went and tried to get the same effect on the computer in Photoshop, and I feel a lot better about how that's going. Unfortunately I've only got the crap free version of Photoshop that comes with a WACOM tablet -- no Paths, no Channels palette, no Selective Color, for god's sake! So I feel a bit hamstrung.
It's funny that I've been mainly painting this past week. I've got a comix idea I'm trying to bring together, and as i enjoy writing as much as drawing, it makes more sense to work on that. But some concepts just seem to be paintings, or a most series of paintings; I can't imagine trying to hang a story on them. I don't think I'm articulating this very well . . . I'll try again some other time. The specificity of a given idea to a given medium. Hmm.
I notice that there's an awfully provocative new set posted to the site. I think I'll go look at it. . .
Rod
P.S. Stephin Merritt fans, read the last journal entry if you haven't already.
i thought i would be good at scuba because i like being in water, but in fact, it's not about swimming at all. it's about being comfortable with the tank and the mouth breathing and being so far under the surface. i'm trying to brace myself for the second class, but just my luck--someone told me a horror story today about how they sneezed during their first dive and almost drowned. sigh...
i actually once lived a boy named steven merrit and it always made me smile. often in passing i mention him as "steve merrit" and naturally whoever i'm talking to exclaims "you know stephen merritt?" and then i have to remember how funny it all is...
but about the man in the high castle: i say reread it. but if you liked valis (which i didn't - i don't really like his other books in general but especially i dislike the ones after he "found god" or whichever) and you liked it maybe we just have differnt tastes... *grin*
why are you learning to swim? going on a boat trip?