A Year in the Life, a 2011 Retropective

Ah Art365

So a full year, art every day (and a late report, due to travel, sorry). How did it go? Well, it would be fair to say that there was not art every day of 2011. It would also be fair to say that more than 365 pieces of art were created, although that sounds like a technicality.

The whole idea was based off of a friend’s tweet. “Sure why not?” I thought, and started out to CREATE ART.

But art was never the point, not really. It was about making art apart of my life, even more so that it already is. It was about me. Every day, yes even the ones no art was created, I thought about art- about paintings and writing, about photography and music. That was the purpose. That was the goal. Despite this busy existence, despite the trials of daily work and life I was going to add art in.

And I did. From month long projects like April’s poems, to just one off things like a Godzilla post or a walk that resulted in pictures, I let myself play the role of the artist. I found it is a role I rather enjoy. But I suspect I knew that.

The Art365 page for 2011 will be updated for all to see. It would be tempting to pick a few favorites to showcase, but instead I’ll offer up the whole thing as one big showcase.

So now what? What happens in 2012? Another year of art everyday?

Sure, why the hell not.

A Month in the Life, December

December, what did you bring? There was a trip to the art gallery, a cocktail before a nap, a trip to the desert and a new favorite program for pictures.

Snapseed was recommended by a geek blog so I checked it out. It was expensive ($5!! for an app!) but I gave it a go anyway. And it rocks. It does normal color correction, sharpness, etc, but then has a few extras like vintage and grunge filters. It is easy to use and makes some great shots.

Here is one I made from the desert.

Desert Road

I posted my first video to Flickr, using the 8mm app and the creepy blinking reindeer in my mother’s yard. All it really needs is some mood music.

There was writing as well, some work on two new ideas (because why finish the old stuff when I can just start something new?). Hope that something will come out of them.

At the the end of the month I got a new camera, a Nikon 3100, and I dig it a lot. It takes great shots and I look forward to actually learning more about this camera stuff. Here is the first shot from it.

Upcoming

A Year without Big Pubs

I had started another rant about eBook prices. And then I saw this, and it only made things worse.

Basic overview: the five major publishers got together and decided that ebook prices were too low, so together they would raise them.

I’m pretty sure you can’t do that. Price fixing, or something. What it means though is that books will continue there upward path from $10 for a new ebook to $12, $15, $20… For a text file.

Add on Brian Keene‘s (and many, many others) recent spat with his previous publisher and I have decided it time for action, not just blog posts.

So rather than post yet another rant about ebook prices, or about how big publishing treats writers and readers, I’ve decided to do something about it. My plan is to go a full year and not buy a single book from the major publishers.

Not. One.

I will read. I will read public domain books. I will read small press. I will read blogs and I will read forums. I will read, and I will buy books. But not theirs. Will I miss things? Great novels? good biographies? Even things written by friends? Yes. Yes I will.

But it is time to put my money where my mouth is. Will Macmillan notice that I’m not buying the latest shovelware best seller? No. But I will notice where my entertainment dollars are going to.

(What I don’t know is what to do about movies and music, so that will be another post.)