Who is overdue for a blog update post? This grrl right here. Maybe not too overdue, but ok, overdue enough. It’s been one of those Busy Seasons that come around for me, how do they happen? Well, let me tell you about it. I will swear that I need to cut back, not get involved in Another Project, take some time off, and then.. bam. Busy season.
This time, it was the Ingenuity Festival, which is among the finest of Cleveland’s many creative offerings. If you’ve never been, mark your calendars now for next September, then click over to the Scene photo roundup to get a feel for what went on. People are saying this was the best one ever, and while I haven’t attended them all, it certainly was up there on the list (we won’t mention that sad year on the lakefront - oops, too late!).
As you may know, last year I attempted an entire room installation, in which my goal outstripped my ability to get a working crew together; followed by family events that kept me from doing more than popping in each day to make sure the electronics were running properly.
This year, by contrast, I only showed up as helping hands - right up to the event itself. At which point, I transformed into Madame Sascha, Living Automaton.
Let me say, I was nervous *AF* going into this. Would I have enough fortunes? More importantly, would I physically be able to sit in a box and act like a robot for six to seven hour shifts, three days in a row?! Gentle reader, I did and I was. No small thanks to my daughter’s miracle cannabis salve - damn girl, do we have to drive to Michigan to get some more of that, cause it was THE SHIT. And if I may say so, I didn’t realize kicking myself into doing morning crunches and sit-ups was going to pay off so immediately, but boy was I grateful for having done them.
By the way, I estimate I gave out at least 1200 fortune cards over the course of the
weekend, and possibly as many as 1500. When it was busy - and it would often be nonstop - I could repeat my routine (awaken with a mechanical jerk, gaze into the crystal ball, make a few passes then select a card before
going back to ‘sleep’) four times a minute. I had a better system for keeping fresh decks available, so I never ran out of cards as has happened previous times I’ve done this! And since I did actually get out to walk around the event a bit, here are a few snaps I took, as well as the view from inside the booth:
That, however, is over and done with for the year. There will be other events at the HamLabs, and I’m sure I won’t be able to stay completely away. I still haven’t ruled out getting a workshop space there, but as I’m holding out for finding a house that could provide same, I’m in no hurry to move all my stuff only to want to move it back again. If we don’t find a place that gives me a suitable work area, getting a pod there is always an option.
In the mean time - because I can never NOT have something going on! - I’m back to working on Dakini Trading. You know, the website that hosts this blog? I haven’t touched this actual site in well over a month, but I’m under no constraints as to when I actually ‘launch’. This is a much more long term project for me, so I’m just working on it as I can; rather than worrying about OMG I have to be ready for Q4 sales! (I do worry about that a little, shh).
The Wix back end is different enough from WordPress, or for that matter, raw HTML, that it’s taken me some time to figure out how to get it to do what I want it to - little say how I want it to look. I’ve already reworked my colorscheme at least twice, for instance - ! I’m sure the next time I log in (when I post this, no doubt) I’m going to find six impossible things I need to fix or update RIGHT NOW and then that will devour my evenings for a week or more. But it’s come a long way, and is a lot closer to what I envision - without being boilerplate. Yes, I could have done a template site months ago; but that isn’t me and it isn’t what I want my shop to reflect. So there will be wonky parts, things that don’t fit quite as they should and perhaps some contradictory elements. Much like you’ll find with me personally, so that’s as it should be.
The one thing I have kept a bit up with is playing with the Print on Demand aspect. I feel like that’s a good option for me, even as I keep an eye on eventually building a physical shop, “a unique blend of new age, yoga, and funky bohemian influences, designed to elevate your living environment and promote a harmonious lifestyle with a touch of the offbeat” (thanks for the description, ChatGPT!).
I hesitate to say graphic design is my passion, because I know my eye can be - a bit overmuch. I like COLORS! and TRIPPY FONTS! and CURLICUES! And I’m pretty clearly *not* basic; I can’t manage to do it if I try. But sometimes, I can make the design process work. As I keep plugging away, I think I can manage to put something together that will hopefully turn into a side hustle I can keep going with or without an actual storefront - or workshop, for that matter. If you want to see what I’ve got so far on that front, please do visit the Subcultural Expressions section of this site, and let me know what you think in the comments below. Or stop by my KoJi page, check my mostly empty event calendar, or sign up for my mailing list (that hasn’t ever even gone out yet!)
Oh and *that* basic call to action (I guess I can so do basic sometimes) reminds me that I’m also in process of creating a channel trailer - because of COURSE I’m setting up a YouTube channel too. Social media doncha know! Like I can even manage to get more than a single TikTok up once a month, but hey. Hashtag squad goals! (there is no squad. It’s just me). And just me needs to get back to the day job, so I think that’s a wrap for September. Tune in next time to find out what I’ve got planned for the month of Samhain! (Hint: I don’t know, I’m hoping I’ll have it figured out by then). Ta lovies!
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