Change is needed.

Well, just placed my online order for the 2010 Sketchbook and the reprint of the Pleasant Life tradebook. The Anna #1 print is going to have to come later, as funds are at the negative zone.

I dunno what happened. Last year, I sold a ton of sketchbooks via the pre-order. More than enough to cover my costs for that, the tradebook reprint and a bit more for convention travels. This year, I barely have enough to cover printing just the sketchbooks. Not enough orders. I do appreciate everyone who has ordered one however. and I will mail them out the day I get them from the printer. For the two people who paid the extra $5.00 for the Anna + Sketchbook combo, I will have to refund the $5.00 since Anna will not be in my hands till around late april or so. Those are the breaks.

Also, commission gigs have sorta dried up. I guess its sign of the economy. All artists I know right now are struggling to make ends meet. So I am not unique in this struggle. It just something thats happening right now, and its no one's fault. I guess everyone is tightening their belts, including me. Its okay, no worries.

I am adding a store signing or two to the 2010 itinerary very soon. And I still have the three con appearances, which are 100% committed to. So no backing out of anything, which is a good thing. I hate it when I had to do that in the past. I just hope my sales at those do very well. I am bringing my small print run of sketchbooks, tradebooks, anna books, new prints to the shows, along with offering the best deal on personal commissions in the house. I just gotta hope people bite. ;)

I sent out submission packets for Anna this week to a few companies to see if it can get picked up to take some of the workload off my hands. I also submitted sketch cards for the 4th time. Hopefully I will hear something. Even a "NO" would tell me at least they are getting my packets. Everyone is busy I guess.

The wife and I have been kicking around the idea of moving. Perhaps to a more fertile area where we have people our age around, a creative environment for me, and a place where I can actually score a job in my field. We're looking hard and trying to make what we *think* will be a great decision based on our needs. So hopefully something will present itself in time.

I hope this doesn't appear to be a downer of a post. It wasn't meant to. Just letting you all know the haps. Don't feel sorry for me. I get to get up in the morning and live a great life, drawing new pages, playing with my son, seeing my wife and watching horrible movies. Whats not to love right now? :) I just gotta stay afloat til convention season and hopefully things will line up. Got big plans and big expectations for the shows. I know it will be a great journey this year. Only a few months to go before it starts.

I appreciate all the emails and thoughts. I read them all from here, twitter, facebook and email. I appreciate the support and constant checking back.


Cheers, T