A Tangled Web

News flash: my various art and photography web accounts are collecting cobwebs. I know. That’s the wrong kind of web for the inter webs. But in my defense, I had kids. And they take up a lot of time. It was far easier to stay up do date and maintain an online presence when I had time for that, because, ultimately, staying on top of your accounts does indeed take time. Lots and lots. Is it worth it? Yes. Maintaining my presence is how I used to get commissions. It’s how I got photography jobs. It sold cups and calendars with my work on it, and it helped me integrate into various creative communities, which is always a good thing. In any creative field, if you want to excel, my advice to you is always going to be the same: immerse yourself in the community. You will find support, inspiration, feedback, help, motivation, and a sense of belonging you can’t get anywhere else. This is true for fine arts, photography, music, and yes, writing. I grew the most as a creative type by connecting with creative types. It wasn’t gained in the classroom, which… as someone who works in education, it pains me to say that, but it’s true. Creative growth is too broad spanning to fit into a classroom. Granted, schools can help to get you started down that path, but ultimately, it was the internet that served me best. But, as mentioned above, it takes a lot of effort, too. Which is why I am now staring at my old accounts, thinking about linking them to this website, so you can see what I do, and finding myself scratching my head. These messy things are far from presentable. I don’t regret stepping away from them, but of course, now, I have my work cut out for me, if I want to breathe life into them, again. But rest assured, I will do it. So standby, Stardust. The links will come. Eventually. In the meantime, here’s a little sample of my art, in a style similar to what will appear in my novels.