Technology is ruining my life!

This phrase has been going over and over in my head lately, and coming out of my mouth at least once a day. I think I started to notice the impact of technology in my life when I finally got my website up which added about 4 logins to my daily routine if I want to update something. It doesn't help that to start with I get really obsessed with checking email and do so about 20 times a day. I have email, MySpace, Photobucket, a number of website logins, not to mention scanning and preparing all my images for upload. Okay, so I know it could be worse, I could be sitting here reproducing all my work by hand and have the hassle of putting together a physical portfolio that I'd get to drag around with me. As it lies, I know there is always a give and take, and any advantages usually come with their disadvantages.

But! I also have my cell phone, computer, ipod, car, printer, light table, sewing machine and all those crazy cords that attach this to that! Every time one of those things doesn't work just perfectly then there is my freak out moment that goes "OhMyGod I can't afford a new one !" or "I hate my life" or something like that. I'm a very hands on person, so I struggle somewhat to incorporate all this into my life and keep myself in check when things start to get too impersonal. I find that I miss sometimes the memorable act of receiving a handwritten letter. I love to give and get things made by hand rather than something store bought. The convenience of our lives now makes everything so disposable, even people. Emails, phone calls and texts come in 24/7 and end up getting lost in the shuffle, as we juggle every new acquaintance we met that day. I realize of course that my life in some ways is much richer by the access to different cultures, new and talented people that I can meet on the street or through travel. It just takes some focus to remember how you really want to live your life as an individual and not as a manufactured individual.
Holla!

My site of the day Illustration Friday

Mo' winter, mo' problems!

I am beginning to realize that I am not very good at matters of money, in fact I would probably give my last penny away if I had it on me. It's too bad that the people with good ideas rarely have money, and people with money rarely have good ideas. Or good f'n business sense. Guilty! Okay, that's not the end all be all of our existence, certainly our spiritual existence, but for now it matters.

Well that's all gonna change because I am gonna charge the shit out of people for even talking to me! Ha, just kidding, I would be very lonely if that were the case! Instead I have enjoyed being home for the last few days and basically meditating through my sewing machine. I'm enjoying making a bunch of cute and functional zip pouches for spring that are on sale at Scout Dry Goods in Dundee.

My site of the day Accidental Creative

Okay, this is good. Wait, AWESOME!

I was a happy little hamster today when I got in my hands the actual letterpress cards that Jamie Hiner made from my illustrations. I think they are an amazing use of my illustration style and I've always had a design/craft soft spot for letterpress. Awww. Look for more collaborations with letterpress stationary from us!!!
Keep your panties on it's coming soon;)
Love,
Miss Cake

Finally I did something!!

Okay, so I had a little reality check with my money the other day. A whopping $65 in my bank account and rent coming due. It was a good thing for me to get my butt back in gear. Literally I asked myself "Jil, what the fuck are you doing and what do you have to show for it?! I have so much shit backed up in my studio, so many ideas, and very little to show for it. With the help of a great designer who requested my illustrations for his letter press projects I am getting some of these drawings out there to where I can make cash from it, YAHOO! They are selling at Pulp paper goods here in Omaha and on his Etsy site Don't Press Me

Another big thing is I finally ransacked all my altered clothing that I intended to sell and probably never thought it was good enough. I took it to Black Market in Lincoln, Ne the other day and put it on consignment. I literally had some of that stuff in my collection for over a year. They actually seemed pretty excited about my work, which is a nice motivator to keep doing it. Way to go or something.

Ladies Urinal

I saw this in the ladies restroom at a bowling alley. It looks like a standing urinal to me. Do I even want to know??

Time to go?

Shit! I've been feeling quite out of the groove since I got this last show up. There was so much stress, not having access to the gallery and all, some people just don't get it. I don't just go put shit on the walls and leave I actually have to install. The "blah" goes in waves of course and i'm getting the hang of just going with it and like watching a movie or reading a book. and now I'm wanting to get all of this shit in my head done!

I just realized that i don't feel like i'm getting my full experience here in Omaha. By the time my "day" is done I haven't done anything I've wanted to. The funny thing is when I'd like to go sit at Borders and read mags all day, then I just don't because Omaha fucking bores me! I think a lot of it is winter though. I hate winter, and it hates me. I don't function on a normal level and just want to fucking hibernate all the time! When my lease is up in August I wonder if the time will be right to move somewhere, b ut at the same time I know my work here is not done. Hmmmm.... Ah well!

A new year begins

Things that make me happy

I had a couple of new years resolutions. I love resolutions, and I'm pretty good at sticking to them. Mostly because I know how to set a long term goal that is in my grasp. For example needing to focus on the things and people that make me happy and feel good about my life. That should be obvious but I got caught up in what I thought was expected of me. Which leads me into my next one which is to do more of not giving a fuck. I also wanted to take more pictures. I think think that the last two years of my life have gotten blurred and sloppy and so few pictures to show from it. (oddly in almost a direct representation of how I was mentally).

There is a strong drive to focus in on my health and yoga practice. I'm going to get certified to teach yoga this year, now I just need to figure out where to get the money. That is a common question with me, but I'm trying to believe that if I just keep pushing through it, the money will come someday. I don't want to let it hold me back now.