Don’t Dream It’s Over

A mail room specific job FINALLY found me – I think that was a record amount of time I’ve been unemployed. If that was any indication of what retirement is like, I clearly need a better plan for what to do with all my ‘free time.’

“Drinkin’ n Gamin’ this whole time…”

 

Okay, so, besides the large swath of famous folks passing away, the US election, the Oil & Gas sector plunge, and this record ‘deep freeze’ for the lower mainland, 2016 wasn’t actually all that terrible.

Terrible 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I mean, being laid off is what lead to the decision for my Business Manager and I to relocate to Vancouver.

Bright, shiny, warm, bustling, snowy, slushy, cold, treacherously icy Vancouver, British Columbia!

Snowpocalypse 2016

 

 

 

Living in a major hub of TV and Film, lead to some realistic thought and investigation into an education to get into the biz, versus a lengthy pursuit of working on a portfolio to get into the biz. Not only is there a lot of studios in Vancouver, there are also a lot of TV/Film schools, all of which cost a lot of money. Well, some more than others…

…I haven’t given up completely on the education path, but working on a skill specific portfolio seems more manageable for now.

So it seems, artistic/creative employment is up on a higher shelf, requiring a lot more time and effort in order to reach. Like I’ve mentioned before, employment opportunities in Vancouver are abundant, but some kinds are more attainable than others, I guess.

Well employment most likely means more money, which means getting out more and doing stuff – in a city that is still fairly new (still has that new city smell!) …which means more situational commentary/comedy for the comic strip, right?

Besides slowly working on a portfolio for TV/Film, preparing for the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival is another one of my major projects for 2017.  VanCAF is a curated exhibition, so I’ll know by early May if my application is approved.

A very different beast from the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo I grew accustomed to over a few years.

 

The dream of working full time as an artist from home is over, but not dead …just broken up into chunks by actual, income generating employment five days a week. I completely expect to continue my struggle with posting comic strips, as well as other content on a regular basis. Which translates to…

…please stay tuned for more content and comics in the very near future!