Change is Constant

It was a good week for photo books, +Me2 was not the only one getting his book ready. I sent all three of the books I am working on out for their first pressings. In addition the Lego book has been through its final edits and the final copies have been ordered. It looks like I will meet my self imposed deadline.

Putting this Lego book together was so much fun. It really helped me look at my work critically, evaluate what worked and what didn't. I have already begun to make plans for the new year and I realize I need to clear my plate to make room for bigger projects.

The biggest change to come is that the current mods of Brickcentral (including myself) are stepping down as of January 1st. It's been a great ride moderating Brickcentral for much of the past two years, but one I feel is coming to its natural end. The landscape of Instagram has changed dramatically since I began posting nearly three years ago. Many of the people who where active Lego photographers have moved on. There are lots of new people to fill those shoes, but their needs are different.

The concept of a photo group to celebrate and support Lego photography appears to have lost it's meaning as our group has grown. Many other Lego groups have grown up to fill those needs; some offering weekly challenges, some offering set reviews and others offering thematic gatherings. When we first started Lego photography was getting very little respect from the larger toy photography groups, that has changed dramatically over the years and I often see Lego photos featured.

I have been running Brickcentral on auto-pilot for the last few months and I am grateful to the other moderators who have helped to keep it going: especially dear Brickandmordor who makes everything better. I also know that to truly serve this Lego toy photography community I would need to step up my game and I don't have the time or energy to do that right now.

One of the original founders of Brickcentral will take the site over. I am not privy to his plans but I will be on the sidelines cheering him on and supporting him as I can.

In the mean time I am making plans for an awesome 2015 that includes meeting up with friends in Las Vegas in January and welcoming Avanaut and +Me2 to my city in March for our first exhibition.
Trust me it is bitter sweet to say good by to an organization that has shaped my photography in so many ways. But as we all know...

Change is inevitable. Change is constant. ~ Benjamin Disraeli

~ xxsjc

If you are a fan of Brickcentral, what is your favorite memory?
In the last few weeks of operation, is there anything you would like to see us do?
Will you participate in our final contest, Ninja Christmas?

"If you love something, set it free." 

Bridging the Gap

So as you've surmised +Me2, Avanaut and I are excited about our upcoming #stuckinplastic exhibition. For a variety of reasons this is a big deal for each of us. Of course it is always risky when you put yourself forward artistically, and this situation is no different. 

On IG the other day I came across a comment that touched a nerve:

"I feel like a jerk posting images of awesome things with the shiddyest (sic) camera. I love those high quality shots just as much as any other Lego fan. But at the end of the day, it's just a bunch of minifigure pictures. I'm not trying to get the most expensive camera award."  

This comment comes from a person who identifies themselves as a "Master Builder" and while I don't agree with their point of view, there is a kernel of truth in his statement. It directly addresses that little voice in the back of my head that holds all my doubts. 

I know I will have to answer this question directly to the patrons of the Bryan Ohno Gallery and to any potential collectors.  What makes this work worthy of purchase? Since the subject is a common household object, can't anyone do this?

I'll be very clear that I never set out to take the art world by storm and make "whimsical, powerful, iconoclastic and often unconventional art which speaks to, challenges, and provokes discussion about cultural, political, and social issues and the role art plays in our evolving global community." (This is actual language taken from a gallery invite I received.) This is not me and it never has been. 

What I do strive to create is art for Lego fans. I want to make art that any fan would be proud to display on their wall and so they can tastefully let their freak flag fly. I want to bridge the gap between the casual fan and those incredibly creative master builders. And if my images touch a deeper emotional truth along the way, then I couldn't be happier. 

I think the Lego universe is big enough for all of us to play in; each in their own way be true. 

~ xxsjc

Does this fellow Instagram user have a point, is it just a mini figure picture?
If you don't think it is just a pretty picture, how would you describe the photos taken by the members of #stuckinplastic?
If you missed out on signing up for the book exchange and would like to still participate, please contact us immediately.  

This little guy was created from Lego Space: Building the Future by Peter Reid. He has proven to be very popular. 

#stuckinplastic: The Exhibition

Our very first picture we posted here on Stuck In Plastic.

 
One of our goals here at Stuck In Plastic (#stuckinplastic) is to create opportunities to show toy photography away from a computer or hand held device and place it squarely on the walls of fellow fans, board rooms, coffee shops and galleries alike.

To that end I am pleased to announce the very first Stuck In Plastic exhibition which we just branded for now #stuckinplastic: The Exhibition.

My friends +Me2, Avanaut and I will be showing our collective works - large, and we mean large- at the Bryan Ohno Gallery in Seattle, USA, Planet Earth for five weeks starting March 5th, 2015.

And yes we want YOU to come and celebrate our very first art exhibition in my hometown with us.

In fact if you are able to make the opening we will all three be in attendance (yes, these two Nordic dudes are coming over to this side of the pond).

Showing my work with these two gentleman is a sincere honor, and the additional opportunity to meet them...well lets just say 2015 is looking very bright indeed.

We will be talking about this exhibition periodically between now and March 5th as our plans take shape and offcourse we are interested in your views, so stay tuned !

I hope you will take time out of your busy schedule and meet up with us for the opening reception on the 5th (or at least help us spread the word). It would be wonderful to turn this into a mini meet up and show the world and beyond (or at least Seattle for now) that we are a force to be reckoned with.

My sincere hope is that this is a grand success so that we can travel #stuckinplastic: The Exhibition to a town near you, add a few more members, and continue to grow this movement.

~ xxsjc

If you would like more information about this, or future exhibitions, please let us know. 
Have you signed up for the Best of 2014 Photographic Challenge? If not, sign up here!

Edward S Curtis

Photography is a wonderful medium that can be used for artistic expression as well as capturing a moment in time; a time that would be lost forever without this photographic record. Someone who understood this powerful truth was Edward S Curtis, a self-taught photographer working at the turn of the 20th century.

When Curtis moved to the Pacific Northwest from the American heartland he fell in love with the natural beauty of the area. He was a naturalist as well as a talented photographer. When he met Princess Angeline, a famous local character as well as Chief Sealth’s daughter, he fell in love with the idea of capturing the image of Native Americans.

More chance meetings by Curtis with the wealthy and well connected led to a life time of pursuing his passion of photographing all Native Americans before their culture vanished forever. He pursued his dream while crisscrossing vast distances of the continental United States while dragging along his 14” x 17” camera and the corresponding glass plates he exposed his images on. (Think of that the next time you complain about your “large” DSLR camera).

I realize his methods are often criticized, and the authenticity of the subjects are brought into question, but without his efforts we wouldn’t even have this much of a record. The images he captured are simply beautiful.

If you want to read one account of his life please check out Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis. If you visit Seattle you can stop by Chihuly: Garden and Glass where there is displayed 25 stunning Curtis’s alongside original Native American rugs and baskets. It seems our own local celebrity Dale Chihuly (read: famous glass artist) was inspired by the work of Curtis and the Native Peoples.

~ xxsjc

Today is Thanksgiving in my country. A day when we traditionally take stock of what we are grateful for, spend time with our families and remember our countries origin story.With that in mind, what are you grateful for?

If you would like to know what I am grateful for you can read this, this and this.
Have you signed up for the Best of 2014 Photographic Challenge? If not, sign up here!

Citizen Brick

I love Lego but sometimes I can't assemble the right mini figure for my next photograph. That's when its great to have the option of turning to a third party supplier like Citizen Brick .

Obviously Citizen Brick isn't for everyone. Their custom mini figs tend to live on the wilder side of the tracks than your typical brick citizen. For example you can purchase the cast of Breaking Bad as well as the complete cast of Game of Thrones if that is you're thing. 

Personally I love this fellow pictured above who is so aptly named the "Ink Enthusiast". He fills a void in my collection that Lego hasn't been able to fill. Not all Citizen Brick's figures are this "adult", they also have a super cute collection of cub scouts. I am pretty sure one of these will find its way into my son's stocking this Christmas. 

So next time you are looking to spice up your mini figure collection, stop by the fine folks at Citizen Brick. While you are their, don't forget to check out their excellent selection of zombie heads and custom tiles.

Have a great weekend and I hope you have time to play with some bricks!

~ xxsjc

Do you have a favorite 3rd party supplier of custom accessories?

Do you think Citizen Brick have taken their customs too far for a child's toy?

Life of a Project

While everyone is getting their books together for the epic 2014 Photo Exchange I thought I would remind you of this post from earlier this year "Two Steps Back..."

No matter what your project is, no matter how big or small it is, you will move along a very familiar path. From your very first eureka moment, to the emergence of those first doubts nibbling away at your confidence, to the very depths of despair when you don't think it will ever get done... we have all been there.

I am currently somewhere between "It will be good to finish because I'll learn something for the next time" and "Its done and it sucks, but not as bad as I thought." Personally I am grateful for even this.

As you work on your "best of" book or your next big artistic project, know that the life of a project is a nasty little roller coaster ride that every artist chooses to take. You are not alone, we have all been there.

And no matter how bad that roller coaster ride is, its better than the alternative...doing nothing.

~ xxsjc

Have you experienced this emotional artistic roller coaster before?
How do you handle those inevitable artistic self doubts?
Have you read Steal Like an Artist? 

Run Away!

Have You Started?

Have you started editing your photos for the Best of 2014 Photo Challenge?

I sat down last night and narrowed my choice down to 20 images, seven of which are solid choices.  Not quite the 12 that Ansel talked about, but I will take it. As I begin to choose the last five images that will round out my top 12, I keep thinking about this quote:

“It can be a trap of the photographer to think that his or her best pictures were the ones that were hardest to get. – Timothy Allen

This is definitely an editing trap I have fallen into before. It is hard to eliminate images from a group that you worked hard to get. It is so easy to get wrapped up in an image emotionally and not see clearly how it can strengthen or weaken the whole. For me, I am often entranced by a certain aspect of an image, a compelling detail, that it is hard to see it within the context of the group.

But then this is why editing is hard.

The other by product of this exercise is that I am seeing relationships I was not aware of. So many of my favorite images are taken near or in water it is almost comical. If you are familiar with my past work this makes a certain amount of sense. I also noticed my favorite images tend to be rather dark, not the usual playful imagery that you expect from Lego photography. I will have to consider lightening the mood with my final choices.

Once I lay out my book with its final 12 images I will be adding text to each image. I want you to know why I chose each image and what makes it special to me. I hope you will consider adding similar explanations in your book.

I look forward to seeing what you choose and why.

~ xxsjc

Have you signed up to partake in the great Best of 2014 Photo Book Swap?
Does your book have a theme beyond "Best of..."?
Please let us know if you have any questions, we are here to help. 

I adore this image which automatically makes it completely suspect. 

Who Inspires You?

The hardest thing about keeping going with any project, be it toy photography or landscape photography is the concept of challenging yourself. Instagram is filled with people who take essentially the same photo over and over again.

I know I can be accused of this as much as the next person. 

So I want to take a moment to talk about someone who seems to be challenging himself on a daily basis: +east mountain.  Even though he is nearing the end of his 365 daily photo challenge he continues reinventing his photography style. Sure you can attribute some of this to his desire to master the basic concepts of photography since he is relatively new to the hobby, but most people do not take it to this level. 

If you look back through his photos he has played with different lenses, natural elements like fire, water and sand, as well as experimenting with a variety of lighting styles. Just thinking about the amount of effort that goes into these shoots is a bit mind blowing, but at the same time I am inspired to push myself in a similar way. 

Ok maybe I'm not going to start melting my mini figures, but I know I am capable of accomplishing more than what I am doing. 

It is easy to look to the likes of Avanaut for inspiration but don't stop there. There is as much to be learned from the new kids like East-Mountain, as from the masters.

~ xxsjc

Who inspires you?
How do you keep your work looking fresh?
Do you have any inspirational tricks you can share with the community? 

To Each His Own Way Be True

It is a real pleasure sharing this blog with two people I have tremendous respect for: Me2 and Avanaut. We each bring different insights and working styles to a subject we all love: photographing toys.

Recently Avanaut talked about is penchant for re-editing his photos, months or years after he took them. Considering how much effort he puts into his set ups I can see the value of looking at older photos to see if any gems fell through the cracks.

Me2 also talked about his need to spend days or weeks on an idea before it comes to fruition. To me this is consistent with the elaborate stories he constructs around his subjects.

I am here to tell you that there is another way.

When I pack my mini figs for an outing I will take 20-40 mini figs with me always keeping in mind my destination and their relationships. I put some thought into variouse scenarios that seem interesting, grab a few accessories and head out into the big wild world. I never know what I am going to come back with. I like to see what my muse will present to me in terms of interesting lighting and macro environments.

This photo is a prime example of a character I have been sitting on for awhile. I love Mrs Puff but her body shape and lack of movement has me stumped. When I was crawling around on some lava rocks recently, this channel presented itself and I put Mrs Puff on one end and my camera on the other. Honestly it is my favorite photo from this latest trip. I feel I can put Mrs Puff aside now, I have done her justice and I will move onto one of the other 300+ characters I have yet to photograph.

Frankly I shoot from the hip, not for instant gratification, but because the unexpected is more interesting to me. I like to think of it as cooking. I have a few different ingredients that I mix together and I never quite know what is going to come out of the oven (read "camera").

So don't worry if your photographs aren't pre-visualized or you don't have elaborate sketches that you are working from. That method works great for some people, but there are many different ways to achieve your goal. You just have to keep shooting until you find the method that works best for you.

~ xxsjc

Hiding from Sponge Bob

The Bone Clocks

This week I have been lucky enough to step away from my everyday responsibilities and sit on a sandy beach. When traveling I always take a few mini figures and a good book.

I am currently reading the new novel by David Mitchell, author of The Cloud Atlas. About half way through the book I come across this:

Nothing attunes you to the beauty of the quotidian like a man who decides not to kill you after all. Scoop up the detritus I knocked to the floor: my pen holder, a plastic spoon, a memory stick, my Lego Man collection. Juno, Anais, and I send one another packets as jokey presents. I'm up to five: spaceman, surgeon, Santa, Minataur--bugger. Who am I missing? I'm on my knees hunting for the fifth among the power cords when my laptop trills.  ~ excerpt from The Bone Clocks: A Novel by David Mitchell

Wow! I kept reading and soon find out that the missing figure from his collection is actually a significant plot point.

Has the Lego collectable mini figure just moved out of interesting sub culture and hit main stream? Or was it just a matter of time before this popular toy would get name checked by a hugely popular contemporary author? Whatever is going on here I feel that something important just happened.

I just so happened to have packed the figure mentioned in the book that went missing from the desk. As my husband is always quick to remind me, there is no such thing as a coincidence.

~ xxsjc

Have you ever come across the Lego mini figure mentioned in literature before?
Do you think this is a significant event or am I just too close to the subject?

Say It Loud...

It's not easy being a toy photographer. 

If you happen to take photos of Lego outside I'm sure you've had a few awkward moments. You know the ones I'm talking about, the ones where people look at you in that weird "What are you doing?" sort of way. Or how about the time you told your friends (or family) that you photograph toys and there only response was a blank look. 

We have all been there. 

Instead of feeling ashamed of this wonderful hobby, each one of these interactions is an opportunity to engage, educate and  hopefully create a connection with a like minded individual. The trick is finding a way to connect in a way that is both accessible and informative.  

I've been rather glib when people ask me what I do, I simply respond that I take pictures of Lego. They immediately give me that blank look indicating a total lack of understanding until I whip out my iPad and show them. Generally their response is enthusiastic and we have a great conversation. 

After reading "Show Your Work!" by Austin Kleon I realize I have to do a better job. I need to be respectful of my audience and myself by providing an answer that better describes what I'm doing, is brief and accessible. I was considering going with "I'm a bookkeep that takes pictures of Lego mini figures in the wild." This is not entirely accurate but it would certainly start a conversation.

I'm proud of the toy photography community I am a part of. I want the world to know what an amazing art movement this is. So I am going to stop being glib and take more time to help people understand what is going on. 

In the mean time, the next time you're lying on the ground and getting "that look" from some passerby, know you are in good company. 

~ xxsjc

Have you ever been stopped on the street and asked what you are doing?

Do you feel foolish lying on the ground to get that perfect shot?

How do you describe your photographic hobby to you family?

A behind the scenes photo of me in action today. 

2014 Photo Challenge (details)

I am very pleased with the response to my photo challenge. Your enthusiasm is infectious!

Here are a few more details.

If you have never made a photo book before you are in for a treat. It is a very satisfying way to display your photos and of course they make great gifts. There has been some concern that this activity would be cost prohibitive, so I did some research and found some options of publishers that offer modest pricing.

Artifact Uprising offers a 6 x 8 soft cover book for $22.99.
Shutterfly offers a 7 x 9 softcover book for $15.99.
Mosaic offers a 7 x 7 hard cover book for $20.00
Apple offers a 8 x 6 soft cover book for $11.00
Lulu offers a 9 x 7 soft cover book for $12.99

These sites all have pre packed designs that you can drop your images into. This is not a design challenge. Simply pick a simple layout and upload your photos to it. It couldn't be any simpler. If you plan to print multiple copies of any book I recommend printing one copy to proof color and density. Just because your photo looks great on the screen, doesn't mean it will look good on paper.

If you want to get super fancy I would suggest checking out Blurb Photo Books. You can go crazy and get a beautiful hard cover book for around $36.00. (All the pricing is approximate and quoted for a book of 20 pages or less. All pricing is in US currency.)

Each of these options have there pluses and minuses. You will have to decide if you want to add text or let the photos speak for themselves. Mosaic is a photo only layout. I have found that text is really helpful down the road to remember the time and place; those details that become fuzzy with time.

If you are ready to commit to exchanging a photo book with me please click here. Please send me an e-mail and let me know your intentions by December 1st. Ideally we would all have our books printed and mailed by December 31st.

In other news I wanted to share with you my first large scale print that I received from the printer. I am no stranger to printing my photographs large, but this is the first Lego mini figure photo and I couldn't be more pleased with the results.

Have a great weekend friends and I hope to hear from you!

~ xxsjc

If you want to research a full range of custom book publishers check out this article. 
If I haven't answered your specific question, please leave a comment and I will get back to you.
This challenge is open to all photographers who are friends of this blog, not just toy photographers. 
What is the biggest art photo you have ever printed? 

Have a great weekend and we should be hearing from +Me2 and Avanaut before long.

Best of 2014 Photo Challenge

It is that time of year when I turn my thoughts to assembling a photo album of pictures I have taken of my children during the past 12 months. This is a tradition I started nine years ago with the birth of my second child. Each book is an epic adventure in its own right, but all the books together is mind blowing. For my 17 year old daughter, it is her most cherished Christmas gift.

After a Twitter conversation with Arby of @Worldofminifigs regarding her annual calendar, I was wondering if this might not be a good exercise for my Lego photography as well. Why not start with 2014 and create a small book of my favorite 12 images that I can then share with my family and friends? You know, the special ones that have been supportive throughout the year.

But I want to add a twist to this project; I want you to do it too.

...and then I want us to swap them.

I want to share my photos with you and I want you to share yours with me. Why?

• We can feed the Marketing Beast together.
• It is good practice to edit your images. 
• These images could be the seeds of a future photography show.
• It is a great way to look back and appreciate your year in photography. 
• We can move one step closer to making our internet friends into real life friends. 
• Create an inexpensive holiday gift for friends and family alike.
• A tangible way to show people what your passion is. 

Not to mention that if we keep doing this every year, making a book of our12 favorite / best images, we will have a great archive and a tangible view of our progress. There is no substitute to seeing your images printed in a book or framed on a wall to give a real sense of accomplishment.

If you accept my challenge, please leave your intentions in the comments below. I will keep you up to date on my progress. Ideally, I will have all books printed and mailed before December 15th.

I hope you will accept my challenge and share your photography with me because I want to share my photography with you.

~ xxsjc

I wonder if I can persuade +Me2 and Avanaut to join in?
This challenge is open to anyone who has been a friend of this blog, not just toy photographers. 

Will this image make the cut? 

The Marketing Beast

I have been reading Show Your Work, the follow-up to Steal Like an Artist. I can't say I am as enamored with it as I was with his first book. I was really hoping it would be full of interesting tidbits that would spark interesting conversations and future blog posts.

But all it has done is make me feel depressed about how much work it will take to get my work known; especially outside the rather insular (but fun) toy photography community. 

Here are some samples of what he recommends:

• Show your process, reveal what is going on behind the scenes.
• Share something on social media everyday.
• Build a website to showcase your work.
• Share what inspires you.
• Tell good stories about your work.
• Network every chance you get.
• Teach what you know.
• Listen as much as you speak.
• Make connections and turn those connections into real life friends. 

Ok, I confess, I really like this last one. But the rest of the list makes m feel exhausted before I have even begun. If you want to pursue the details you can buy the book and see if I missed anything relevant. 

Marketing is a lot of work and honestly this is where most artists fail. You have to spend about 10 hours of marketing your work for every hour you spend making it. Personally I would rather be out photographing, editing (re-editing) and printing my work than writing blog posts and working the social media channels. But the world we live in now requires this of me. 

I tell my photographer friends (who are much better than I am) that they are nobody because they don't have an internet presence. Is this true? Of course not! 

Or maybe it is.

~ xxsjc

How much time do you spend marketing your artistic creations?

Do you agree or disagree with me?

I Need a Plan

I'm running as fast as I can and it's not fast enough. I am trying to be a full time artist on a part time basis. This is a fools errand and I think I may end up making myself crazy.

My husband and I talk about the tradeoff between keeping the photography fun and taking it to the next level. Certainly keeping it at the level it is now, where it is a fun and relaxing hobby, is appealing. But the artist in me wants to kick it up a notch. Unfortunately, those projects take a lot of time and energy.

It would be wonderful to have a patron system alive and well in the arts world. But like all the other arts, (i.e. music and literature) the internet has changed the way we sell our work. There is no mythical "other" to support the arts, be it big business or a rich patron. Each artist is tasked with creating work then marketing and selling it. We are asked to tweet, blog, make connections, maintain a web site, amass a mailing list, etc... all while creating ground breaking works of art or literature.

"To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."  Leonard Bernstein

Well, I definitely don't have quite enough time, now I just need a plan.

~ xxsjc

Do you find that you don't have enough time to realize all your creative ambitions?
How do you prioritize?

Few and Far Between

“ Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop." –Ansel Adams

The godfather of the zone system, Ansel Adams, knew what he was talking about. Great photos, significant photos, are few and far between.

This is still true in this day and age when every one has a digital camera and the feedback loop is so short anyone can take a good photo. A good photo is not a significant photo. In fact, during any given year you might only take a handful of truly memorable images. Sure your odds will go up if you take thousands of photos in a year. But for most of us who aren't full time photographers, that probably isn't going to happen.

If I was going to be truly honest with myself about my underwater photographs...their might be 20 significant images in 20 years of work. It was never easy shooting nearly blind underwater with a slow shutter speed, on film no less. Capturing a useable image, much less a significant image, was its own victory. 

I have taken over 5500 Lego mini figure photos this year and I would be hard pressed to come up with eight images I would include in my portfolio. That ratio is slightly better than my underwater ratio of usable images to images shot, but still not that impressive. Luckily, when I look at those eight images they make me feel all "warm and fuzzy inside" (my sons phrase) and I know that it is all worth it.

So try not to get discouraged by the sheer number of images that need to be taken to get a significant image. Remember you are in good company: you, me and Ansel. 

What is your favorite image of the year? 

How many images do you have in your portfolio? 

"Now where?"

This is my new favorite photo of 2014 

Another Kind of Diary

Painting is just another way of keeping a diary. ~ Pablo Picasso

This also applies to me and my photography.

I love to look back at my photos and think about where I took them and who was with me at the time. Each photo is an instant flash back to (mostly) wonderful memories. This past week on G+ I have been sharing the few Lego photos I took while in Iceland last year. Looking at them today takes me immediately back there and I experience the exhilaration over again.

For me photography has always been a form of documentation; be it my emotions, my family or an unusually viewpoint of a particular place. It may not seem like one, but my photography is a visual journal of my day to day life.

I have always travelled with my Lego mini figures and my photographs represent the places I have been. Since this is on a micro scale a specific place may be difficult to identify. As the colors and textures of places differ, it is interesting to see those differences in the final shots. This can be especially obvious when viewed as a group.

I am curious how you view your photography.

What role does it play in your life?
Is it a book in the making?
Is it a documentation of your everyday life?
Is it reaction to world events around you?
I wonder if +Me2 takes his Lego with him when he travels for business?

~ xxsjc

Iceland October 2013

Arches NP, Utah, September 2014

What a difference a year can make. 

The Foolish Lego

As the weekend comes to a close I feel good about what I accomplished.  My project has moved forward and I have a doable to-do list ready for the start of the week. My list does includes three additional photos that I am waiting on the weather to finish, but that is tomorrows problem.

All of this does not mean that I didn't do a fair amount of diversionary activities in spite of my productivity. I finally read the entire Foolish Lego web comic. This comic was created by Dwaas, a Dutch AFOL who is almost through his second 365 challenge photo and started his web comic back in August of 2013. Just thinking about what he has accomplished makes me feel a little foolish for procrastinating on my own deadlines.

Once I had back read the Foolish Lego I followed a link on his blog and discovered a treasure trove of Lego Comics on the Brick Comic Network. It's literally a one stop shop for all my procrastination needs. I feel I can almost look forward to the next big deadline that I will undoubtedly try to avoid.

The next time you are cruising the internet looking for a diversion, check out Foolish Lego and the other Lego comics. I hope you will find them as entertaining and inspiring as I did.

~ xxsjc

Do you have a favorite Lego comic strip?
Did you have a productive weekend?

Beauty in the little things by Dwaas

Procrastination

pro·cras·ti·na·tion

prəˌkrastəˈnāSH(ə)n/

noun

noun: procrastination; plural noun: procrastinations

1. the action of delaying or postponing something.

   
   

   
   

   We all do it; ok maybe not all of us. I know that Avanaut will be busy this weekend on his beloved fighter project and +Me2 will be flying off to foreign shores courtesy of Big Inc. My husband is out of town, my kids are busy and I am left with no more excuses, it is time to face my fears.
   
   The task I have set for myself isn't difficult, I simply need to edit 18 photos so they look vaguely similar. Piece of cake...right?
   
   It is not the work I am afraid of, because I like the work. It is the potential failure I don't want to face. I guess I need to relearn the following lesson:
   
   

   An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail. ~ Edwin Land

   
   So this weekend I will endeavor to be boring. I will cut my self off from the world, face my fears and try to get this project done. If I fall short of my artistic goals, I can remind myself that this is all part of the process.
   
   ~ xxsjc

   
   

   

   
   

Doors

When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.

Alexander Graham Bell

Approximately one year ago I was headed to Iceland with the fine folks at KEXP radio to cover the Iceland Airwaves music festival. I was excited, I had packed my lego and I knew it was going to be a good trip. In fact, it was an incredible trip, all my expectations where met!

This year I am not going to Airwaves and I am sad. I had three good years as a volunteer but my services were not needed this time. It is hard to watch my friends prepare for another amazing year and no I won't be there to experience it. But when I am honest with myself, I know it would have been hard to pull off another Airwaves this year. Right now, nine days out of my life would be crippling. 

So even though I am sad about not joining in the fun, I have faith that I am on the right track...for me. Music is still a big part of my life (it always will be) and I still find time to volunteer, it's just that now there are other areas in my life that are a bigger priority. 

In the mean time I will have to stop looking backwards as that door closes so I can see the door that has opened up before me. I have to have faith in the future. 

~ xxsjc