@KmacNessa I don’t think any mirror in a public restroom comes with a cleanliness guarantee πŸ˜† That selfie? Definitely a flash of style in the middle of chaos.
Ginger gremlin… love it, that’s a solid nickname πŸ˜„

@tombzz Very true, unfortunately, it's virtually impossible.
Having said that, some places are decidedly cleaner than others - this place was one of the most questionable during my travels.  

Thank you! I've always been a sucker for a good motorcycle jacket. 😁
The nickname comes from my normal hair colour. Otherwise, I need a different nickname for when I have purple, blue, or black hair.

@KmacNessa Cheer up... I've been to worse places myself.
I take it you had a motorcycle to go with that jacket? πŸ˜„ A full-on combo, huh? πŸ˜ƒ

@tombzz I wouldn't say it was a despairing level that required a stiff upper lip - It was more of a grungy curiosity that was surprisingly photogenic despite its petri dish state. πŸ˜†

Funnily enough, no motorcycles were part of the misadventures. I simply like that style of jacket.
I was lugging too much malarkey along for a motorcycle to be a sufficient mode of transport - cars, buses, subways, trains, and planes were how I got around the convention circuit at the time. 🫠

@KmacNessa Haha, I get it now β€” definitely more β€œgrimy charm” than existential dread πŸ˜„
The whole petri dish vibe cracked me up πŸ˜†
The motorcycle was just a suggestion, anyway. All clear now!

With that kind of transport lineup, it sounds like urban jungle survival β€” but also a memory map in motion.
Conventions have their own vibe… and their own logistical nightmares.
Trust me, I know the drill β€” though I’m more of a concert guy myself.

@tombzz
Exactly.πŸ˜†
I wish I had better documented that period of my life. It would have been interesting to compare the different modes of travel in retrospect..
There are aspects I miss about travelling, but for the most part, I don't miss the grind.

I prominently went over to work in Artist Alley, so I can't speak to the convention experience for the average con goer not on the clock, so to speak.
A concert with good acoustics is hard to beat, though. 

@KmacNessa Got it now. I’ve been to a few cons myself, but always just as a regular attendee β€” the kind who probably annoyed people with too many questions 😁
I can only imagine how much work it is behind the scenes.
Concerts though? That’s my kind of soul cleanse. I’ve already got two lined up for next year, and I’m sure more will pop up πŸ˜ƒ

@tombzz I can’t speak for the others in Artist Alley, but I personally enjoyed it when attendees had questions.

Questions show curiosity and engagement. πŸ˜„
I consider it a good sign if a booth display/ artwork evokes an inquisitive reaction.

What concerts cha got lined up? 

@KmacNessa Totally get that. It means your art is reaching complete strangersβ€”and they’re actually interested in what you do. That’s definitely motivating. I had that kind of connection with people during the openings of my exhibitions. I think it’s kind of similar.

@tombzz I would say it's in the same vein in terms of sentiment towards engagement with the audience, as well as all the planning and preparation that goes into the event itself.

Tell me more about your exhibitions!
Did you show them as collections with themes? Or more of an all encompassing showcasing of your work?

@KmacNessa The first exhibition had a strong theme focused on cemeteries. I traveled around, looking for intriguing statues on graves. In a way, it was like feeding the stone.
The next one explored architecture, often shown in an abstract way.
Then came three exhibitions of street photography.
The last one was more intimate, a kind of retrospective.
After that, I stepped away from exhibitions… and somehow from life too.

@tombzz Sounds like a nice showcase of your style. ☺️

How was the overall experience of the exhibition circuit for you?
Is it something you would like to return to someday? Or do you feel it's not a good fit for where you're at in your journey?

As a hermit, I can understand the inclination for pulling back from in-person venues.

@KmacNessa I think I somehow missed your message, so I’m only replying now 🀦🏻

@tombzz No worries!
One of my only quibbles with Mastodon is that it's easy to lose track of comment threads.  

How was your Halloween? 

@KmacNessa That’s exactly what happened to me with that comment thread, so yeah, no worries anymore πŸ˜„
Halloween was super chill. No ghosts, no monsters. I was working on some graphics.

@tombzz Sounds like a relaxing way to spend an evening - and quite fitting to work on horror art on Halloween as well.

I was feeling under the weather that day, so I settled for a hot toddy and re-reading Frankenstein in preparation for the upcoming new Frankenstein film. 

@KmacNessa I’m guessing, actually I’m pretty sure that hot toddy did the trick. You know... I had zero complaints about how perfectly the art matched the day πŸ˜„ I’m into that kind of vibe, and like you said... it’s super relaxing. That’s when I’m in my own little world. I’m looking forward to the movie too. Especially with del Toro involved...

@tombzz I'd say so, yes. At the very least, I’d say, I'm about 80% back to normal.
I’ll fix another toddy with some soup; that should do it.  

Cheers to a relaxing flow state. ☺️
How are your graphics coming along?

@KmacNessa 80% is a pretty decent recovery rate πŸ˜‰ Most of my friends are somewhere along the autumn infection spectrum. Right now, I’m a 100% lonely island 😁
Graphic work never really ends. One finished piece always sparks the next β€” gotta keep expanding the world I’m building 😊

@tombzz Same here, funnily enough. It seems like a lot of people over here are either sick or have only recently recovered. It’s definitely not an auspicious start to the cold season. πŸ˜…

True, the sentiment β€œart is never finished, only abandoned,” is quite accurate to the process.
How's the building coming along? 😊

@KmacNessa I’m still holding up without any sick days so far.
That quote about art really hits the mark 😊
The build’s moving at a good pace. Not too fast, not too slow πŸ˜€
I had a phase of tweaking a few things, since new ideas keep popping up. Every character needs to be fully fleshed out

@tombzz That’s a great streak of luck health wise, I hope it holds up! Flu bugs keep cycling through over here like a bad game of pass the potato.. πŸ˜΅β€πŸ’«

Taking the time to refine your characters is a good way to see what narrative fits them best in the long run, like checking where puzzle pieces fit.
Exploring their backgrounds and motivations helps elevate the overall narrative, too.
Plus, new ideas can inspire you to revisit old characters and give them a new spin.

@KmacNessa You’re right about that part. When I start breaking their story into smaller pieces, it suddenly becomes clear which threads actually carry the narrative. Little details that used to hide in the background start standing out, and later they turn out to be crucial. Sometimes one discovery can shift the whole direction of the story and open space for completely new ideas.