It is always the last leg of a project that is the hardest to complete. The finishing details. The connective tissue of all the various parts. All of that is slow time. Slow time where the brain begins to work on the next project. The next obsession.
I'm close though. Close enough that I can taste it. A couple paintings away. One last push of writing. One last round of edits. After that, the final, big effort that doesn't feel like an effort at all.
There is this graph that depicts economic bubbles that has been floating around a lot lately. It struck me that it very much mirrors the reality I go through with every creative project. So much so I decided to recreate it.
It was a little disconcerting making this. Sort of like Dorian Gray looking at his painting. Right now I am in the upward swing of the Next Idea Phase as I close out the Mystery Box project. At least I got that going for me right now.
In the spirit of pushing towards the end, here is a piece of edited micro fiction from that project. A taste of what I am pushing to finish by the end of the year.
The Lie
You know, it wasn’t that I might die. I’ve been living with death since the day they took me. I saw it every day. No, it isn’t death that got me to leave.
It wasn’t the violence either. The masters. The other students. Endure anything long enough and you go numb.
I couldn’t even tell you where half these scars on my body came from. Burns. Cuts. They all blend together after a while.
No. I left because I just couldn’t live with the lie anymore. That first lie. The one they tell your family when they come for you.
You know my people are fishers, right? I grew up in a floating village. Riding the currents up and down the coast. It’s a miracle the Seekers found us if you think about it.
I used to think that is why everyone hated me. They were all from the cities. Stupid. I was just another fool in their way.
Seekers? They search for children to test. They look for signs. Not anyone can be asuc. Only us poor touched bastards.
So the Towers send out first years to find new students. When they do, that is when the real work begins. That’s when the first lie is told.
“You child will have a better life. They will be loved. Respected. You need not worry. They will not change. They will always be yours.”
Imagine if they said your child will be beaten and brutalized. They will live in fear. We will break them and transform them. You will not recognize what they have become.
If they told the truth, few parents would take the gold. They would pull knives and gather neighbors. The trees would be festooned with Seekers on ropes.
It wouldn’t turn me into a liar. After everything, I have to hold onto the little bit of me that is left of what I once was. I won’t let them take that from me.
Weekly Roundup
Shop update, an alternate Dune, capital sequestration, and Rick Rubin always sucked.
My Work
I recently updated my shop to make it easier to find original pieces and prints of those pieces. One big change is that a lot of my original art will now be coming in frames. A few of my prints are also available framed. I found at fairs it is easier to display it that way so was worth the investment. Link
Gaming
When I hit the various pits of despair with my art, I often lose myself in video games for a bit. Lately that has been in Dune Awakening. I've really enjoyed it. In particular, I like that they didn't try to shoehorn you into the Herbert story arc, but instead set the entire game in an alternate history. Instead of having Paul, Jessica has a daughter, becomes a truthsayer, thwarts Dr. Yueh, and now Arrakis is torn apart by a War of Assassins between Duke Leto and Baron Harkonnen. There is also the mystery of the genocide of the Fremen, which you are sent to learn about as the antagonist. It's been a lot of fun. Link
Technology
Once again, 404 Media has another article illustrating that the drive behind AI adoption isn't about innovation or quality of life improvements, but the sequestration of capital within the hands of the few at the expense of the many. Link
Creativity
I learned yesterday that Rick Rubin wanted Danzig to fire his band after signing Samhain. One more reason to want to shave that clown's face every time I see him.
