I misunderstood the point of this ride

This has been an absurdly long month, even for January. I'm ready to move forward with this whole 2022 thing already!

Work is trying to eat me alive with busy--new job continues to be an adventure!--but I have finally convinced my boss to let me have (all of) one day of remote work every week, starting with this Wednesday. I'd have given anything to be able to do it today instead (10 degrees Fahrenheit, unshoveled sidewalks galore, and the buses running 20 minutes late), but she claims the Dean of the College is very against Monday and Friday telework (presumably because of the general atmosphere of suspicion the entire administration of the College has towards staff actually working if we're not under the gimlet managerial eye at all times, because this is such a healthy workplace). Whatever. It's a bit frustrating to feel locked in to this place for another 2-3 years, but I figure it's a reasonable price to pay for the soft career change I was able to make; moving from a purely administrative role to a creative/marketing role with nothing like that on my resume (except education), because I've been with this office for years and they knew I could do it. Now I just have to rack up enough portfolio material and solid career time and I'm out of here. Not sure where to yet, but somewhere else, and quite possibly our of higher ed altogether.

Er, anyway. On the fun and fannish side of things, I'm finally well into my Chocolate Box assignment (which is good, as it's due in a week) and pondering potential treats; I'm also really looking forward to once_upon_fic sign-ups! Writing-based challenges are harder for me than exchanges where I can draw, but I had such a brilliant time adapting Bluebeard last year. It's such a delightfully small, niche exchange. This year I nominated an old favorite obscure story from my favorite class in college: Belle-Belle, ou Le Chevalier Fortuné, by the Countess d'Aulnoy, who is also credited with coining the term "fairy tale" (contes de fées). Also that creepy unattributed tale about the woman who wore a ribbon as a choker that she never, ever took off (you know the one; it's retold as "The Green Ribbon" in In A Dark, Dark Room, among other versions).

Also, today marks the end of my month of X-Men recs over at fanart_recs! ( Click here for eight-ish works of rather (ahem) x-ceptional X-book fanart. )

I'll be doing a month of Sailor Moon fanart recs for February!

I could ramble a bit about the end of The Expanse, the cover reveal for Nona the Ninth, and so forth, but this endless pile of work is calling, so I guess I will leave it there for now. Egad.

Have you ever been excited about something to the point that you're balking at getting started, because you don't want the anticipation to be over quite yet? Yeah, that's me right now. My Yuletide assignment is a delight and I'm about to do my usual deep dive canon review. Whee, I say.

I'm very sleepy this morning because I was up a little late getting cat pee out of clothing. Again. I have a system now, although I really hope I may not have to use it too much more? Sigh. Poor Eugenides. I guess that's one way to convince me to get rid of extra gift bags and odds and ends cluttering up my closet floor that I was probably never going to use.

Also I rode to work on my bike in the rain this morning, which might have something to do with it. It's ... really difficult to convince myself that I should take the crowded, steamy bus (with, no doubt, at least a couple people flouting masking rules) when I can get here so much faster on my own, with a little endorphin boost to boot. Even if it means getting soaked.

Back to fannish things ... remixrevival (and Remix Madness) revealed creators a few days ago! What a fun exchange; I could wish the time of year were a little more convenient, but still, it's definitely something I'll want to do again (and may try and nudge others toward). I love how collaborative it feels, how it both allows me to pay homage to other fans' creative work, and stretch myself in directions I might not have come up with on my own. Similar to my enjoyment of Big Bangs, but with more choice on my part, and a bit more parity too.



( change you like a remix etc )

Now to try and wake myself up to work properly. I don't know how I can feel the effects of a rainy day from my new office, with fluorescent lighting and no windows, but my body knows. More coffee please.

I do believe I will be cutting down on my exchange participation in the future. I decided to try a whole bunch of new ones this year, and I have enjoyed the heck out of them, but goodness. This is a lot, and I'm not able to produce as much as I'd like for a given exchange because of a deadline coming up for another, etc. It's been an adventure!

Real life hasn't had any compassion for my self-inflicted busy schedule, of course. As of mid-August, I've transitioned to a new job within my existing office - essentially a career change, moving from purely administrative work to marketing & publicity - and have been teaching myself all its requirements (since it's been vacant for more than a year) while simultaneously training a temp to do the many and varied pieces of my old job. I've also had a huge deadline crunch within the scope of my new position because of the timing of all this, so I've celebrated becoming a salaried/exempt employee with ALL THE (NOT) OVERTIME. And my poor kitty was diagnosed with diabetes. On the bright side, giving insulin shots is much, much easier for me than anticipated; on the less well-lit, we are still trying to find the right dosage and it's painful to watch him struggle.

All this and, you know, an ongoing pandemic, the Texas abortion ban, the general state of the world, and so forth.

I'm so tired. :(

Thank goodness Yuletide season is starting. All these other exchanges I've been doing are fun, and they've been great stretches for me in various directions. But there really is something special about Yuletide. Maybe it's the size, or the traditions, or the timing (the way it has basically taken on a good deal of the childhood love I had for that particular holiday season, replacing other problematic things while giving me similar warm fuzzies).

I've done my nominations and I have some preliminary request and offer ideas. I can't wait to see the final tag set.

Anyway, hi out there, folks. I still miss having my less exchange-based fandom community to interact with on the regular ... although then again, that's also one of the best things about Yuletide. So many friends and old familiar faces participate. Hope to see you "there." <3

Egad, I am so sleepy.

This ... is an unusually and especially intense holiday season in many ways. My partner had top surgery two weeks ago, so I've been spending a great deal of time a few towns over at their place, caring for them and helping my metamour around the apartment. (I also cooked half our Thanksgiving meal, but that's standard!) This weekend, one of my dearest friends is having a baby shower (my second nibling is coming soon), and the weekend after that, I'll be attending (and briefly cameoing in) an unusual theatrical production which will have emotionally high stakes for my entire family of origin. And I mean, you know. Yuletide, Christmas and Hanukkah presents and a lot of cross-state travel.

Is it 2020 yet?

Really, all of this (hopefully including that performance) is good stuff, it's just ... so much. All crammed together. Gah.

Anyway, I did want to share my femslashex piece! It's post-film Edith/Lucille from Crimson Peak, and I had the most splendidly self-indulgent time with all the crosshatching.


Click here to see the whole thing at the AO3!

I also received a lovely bit of Rachel/Kitty futurefic from Sheliak, A Future, Brick by Brick. My forever OTP. <3

And now it's back to what is totally my dream Yuletide assignment! If only I can stay awake!

I can't believe it's only Wednesday ... this week is seriously running roughshod over me. Putting K on a plane after only a week back was much harder than I anticipated, the winter doldrums are really starting to take a toll, and my dad's much-belated response to last week's email, well. It could have been so much worse. But I'm sad.

Basically, he said he was happy I was happy, and that a loving partnership is something he and mom have wanted for both me and my brother very much. So ... that part's good, that's a start. ( I'm going to cut this ramble here; sad/tricky family relationship things within. )

On a brighter note, I'm having so much fun working on this post about prompting for fanart! It's also kind of turning into a survey of different things fanart can do, a general sort of appreciation post. I'm planning to link to all sorts of examples from different artists/fandoms to illustrate my points.

I'm worried that it might get a bit out of hand, actually. Would anyone like to look it over for me when I have a draft?

I've generally felt that I'm pretty lucky among trans and nonbinary folks, in that I haven't needed or wanted to change my (real) name, or at least not the version of it I already use with everyone I care about, and have for my entire life. It's relatively neutral, and I like it. Maybe people would have an easier time adjusting to new pronouns if they came with a new name, but ah well.

But my fandom names, the ones that have stuck for a good 15 years now, are Lilith and reflectedeve (occasionally Eve), and it's only striking me in the last year or so how confusing that is. Two very specific and powerful cultural symbols of womanhood! Good job, college me. But really, when I think about it, those choices largely came from an attraction to the idea of challenging norms and institutions, specifically around literature/religion (my academic subjects of choice), gender, and sexuality. So honestly, they still feel right, especially Lilith? (And also there's, you know, continuity and that. I've been Lilith since the very first year of Yuletide, jeez.) Ah well.

In other news, I am very upset that just as I've made a decision to back off fannish commitments again for a bit, I find out about this very intriguing xeno exchange for which nominations open tomorrow: close_encounters. It's so ME. :( Just look at that tentacle icon! Maybe I can grab a pinch-hit or make a treat ... anyway, if you're less overcommitted, check it out!

Also, and most excitingly, the chocolateboxcomm archive opened today! I have barely been able to look yet, BUT. I got two fabulous fanart gifts and I am so thoroughly pleased! <3

A Lesson In The Folly Library (Rivers of London, gen; Abigail, Varvara Sidorovna, Toby)
I have been wanting more fanart for these books so badly and this is a gorgeous mid-story sort of image with lovely background details and characterization. Fabulous and inspiring. Makes me want to go out and draw some in this fandom immediately, myself.

Austria, 1912 (X-Men, Mystique/Destiny)
SUPER cute shippy pin-up image of the two of them in the early days of their relationship, complete with lovingly-rendered period-appropriate outfits! Eeee so adorable!

Have I mentioned how happy I am that multi-media fan exchanges are becoming more common, even if they are still overwhelmingly fic-based? (I mean, I love fic, obviously. But I love ALL THE THINGS.) I am totally going to have to work on those guidelines/suggestions for prompting for fanart. At some point. Soon.

Um. Sooo. I seem to have fallen down a Garak/Bashir hole? I guess this is what I get for all the conversations with my roommate about how I don’t seem to have a taste for dark, complex, angsty stories these days. (SPN is the fandom of her heart, so naturally we differ a bit.) At least, not in fic. (Which, to be fair, I haven’t been reading a whole lot of for awhile in any case. I mostly look at a lot of fanart, and I listen to a lot of pro fiction audiobooks.)

I seriously have no idea where this sudden, intense fannish engagement is coming from. I’ve been contentedly making my way through DS9 for the better part of a year, finally, and while I love pretty much the whole cast (well, I have to admit, I still don’t care much for Worf, or O’Brien about two thirds of the time, but everyone else) and have a pile of pairings I enjoy thinking about … I don’t know. Maybe it’s the weather? Or the fact that I’m about halfway through season 6, and maybe the way that Garak and Bashir haven’t really interacted in awhile in canon has slowly been getting to me? Or it’s the stress I’ve been under lately? Although let’s be honest, that hasn’t exactly been anything new. IDEK.

But hey, yeah. Totally taking recs (thanks again, epershand) … for fic, and for active challenges? (Big Bangs and Reverse Bangs, I guess?) I mean, I should finish the show before I try and participate in anything, or read post-show fic (yeah, I’m saving “Letters from the Northern Continent”), but it’s kind of exciting to be feeling this kind of motivation to really get elbow-deep in a fandom again. (And while the dynamic between Garak and Bashir is particularly working for me right now, Kira is probably my favorite character, and there are a plethora of pairings and of course, all the team/found family feelings that I would be interested in exploring …!)

I also very much want all the Jadzia Dax/Lenara Kahn canon divergent AUs, naturally. (Both for the chemistry and the exploration of Trill culture/psychology.)

/asking for resources in a twenty-year-old fandom on a half-deserted fannish social media platform

In other news, I finally emailed some staffing agencies and was immediately landed with a short-term temp assignment and encouraging prospects for more, so financial crisis more or less averted, at least for now. I mean, I’m being underpaid, but I’m being paid.

Also, if you're Boston-adjacent, you should come get your indie comics on in Porter Square this weekend!

I'm not dead or anything. Life just ... intensified for awhile, financial woes got even worse, and as a result I haven't felt like communicating much. Twitter has been a bit of a struggle, even. This may all be changing soon, however, as I'm relocating back east for a relatively fancy new job in the next month or so. Hopefully the blizzards will have stopped by then!

Incidentally, if there's anyone I haven't asked yet: if you happen to know anyone in the Boston area who is looking for a roommate (in a cat-friendly place), drop me a line?

Also, I'm going to Muskrat Jamboree (for real this time), so I'll see some of you there! :)

Oh hey! I have been so terrible at every iteration of the internet, lately, and now here we are and it's almost time for WisCon! I still can't believe I'm finally going but yep, I'm leaving town tomorrow and I'll be in Madison Thursday afternoon. I can't wait to see so many of you fine folks there. <3

Recently I had the bright idea of producing a brand-new minicomic for a convention, only about a month in advance. A month is not a lot of time in comics; bad enough for those mainstream artists who have to put out an issue per month, but I had the concept/scripting to do too! Ahaha, I am so underslept, I literally finished the damn thing at 1 a.m. before the show. Everything seems easy after that, at least for now.

But anyway, yes! Here I am in the tiny breathing space between cons, scrambling around getting everything ready. I will have original art & minicomics in the Art Show this weekend! Pricing original art is hard, you guys.

I haven't had a ton of time for fannish pursuits lately, although I have one more completed female-character-fest doodle that I haven't managed to scan yet, and I'm watching the hell out of Orphan Black and Hannibal and dying to find time to read some Sam Wilson/Steve Rogers fics (preferably featuring lots of Natasha; Bucky can come too). And if you haven't read thingswithwings's adorable Embiggen (America Chavez and Kamala Khan!), get over there and do it already. <3 Where's my America solo book already, Marvel??

Oh man, you guys. I don’t know if any of you are reading Young Avengers (I would recommend it!), but ... ( spoiler for this week’s issue! )

So I have had a whirlwind time lately. I finally have full-time (if temporary) employment, so I’m looking for an apartment. I went to my first play party last weekend (which was AMAZING) ... and made a professional connection in the middle of the playspace. (You know ... hanging out and taking comics while someone was being flogged off to the left, and there was a fisting scene happening somewhere behind me ...) This week I was approached by a major publisher with a work-for-hire project that I’m not particularly interested in, but still, super flattering. And I’ve been submitting to a bunch of professional anthologies! So many things.

So today I’m just vegging at ataratah’s house, hanging with her kitties and watching Sleepy Hollow. Which is pretty great, as it turns out! Super convoluted concept, but great characters.

ALSO:

Yuletart is a low-pressure and fun fest that celebrates the love of art in fandom. Beginner or expert, everyone who loves making fan art is welcome! We accept all types of fine art and crafts, and any fandom is welcome, regardless of size.

The exchange is hosted on Dreamwidth, but artists do not need a Dreamwidth journal to participate!DON'T MISS OUT - SIGN-UPS CLOSE SOON!
FAQ | SCHEDULE | SIGN-UPS