2011 in the Rear View Mirror
You all know how I hate mirrors. And how much MORE I hate the rear view! But I am delighted that 2011 is behind us. Every bit of good that happened has been nearly run over by the bad that followed. I have lived long enough to know that after a couple of those kinds of years, there will be good years to follow. It’s just keeping yourself together so you can be ready to enjoy the good when it comes. *staples self together*
The upshot for the comic is that the real world will still take priority and updates will continue to be very sporadic. However, my resolution is to make more time for the comic. I find I am more energized when I am being creative, and I lost my zest in 2011, the whole time I wasn’t doing the comic or at least drawing *something* every day.
It is so rewarding to make comics for you. I enjoy writing and drawing, but my enjoyment grows when I can share the comics with you. Talking with you in the comments and on facebook and twitter adds to the whole experience. That’s why when I’m counting my blessings this year, I include those of you who read and enjoy Life’s a Witch.
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Comments
Ditto what Nancy said…and remember some of your FlyLady lessons: 15 minutes here, 15 minutes there. It adds up. Carry a little sketchbook everywhere (if you don’t already) and you’ll be surprised where and when you find one of those 15 minute slots of time. <3
While I miss Zelda and the rest of the group from the comic, it has been awesome keeping up with the ‘real world’ you on Twitter and Facebook. For purely selfish reasons, I hope you move soon!
Hope 2012 is good to/for you… looking forward to getting together at STRIPCon!
Hope y’all are feeling healthier soon.
HAHA! I’m connected with all 3 of you outside of the comic, so you KNOW what a year it’s been! (I’m a complainer.)
Hubby pointed out to me this weekend that I’m more invigorated in all areas of my life when I’m doing the comic and mixing with you all is a big part of that.
Hey, Nancy! I love that you called hubby “Dragonslayer”! How perfect. No only did I call him my knight-in-shining armor on facebook today, but we spent the entire Christmas on the couch being sick and playing a video game called “Skyrim.” In this game, dragon slaying is the main action. Whenever we had to slay a dragon, I’d toss the controller to hubby. HAHAHA
Cat2: I will do that! I’ll call it my “cornflake spell recharge” time.
Sorry to hear that you and your family had such a tumultuous year. Hoping that you and your family will see many great things in 2012. Miss you.
You know you still will be stalk….. eh observed i mean. ^^ But do take your time, real life always comes first.
Just remember – every day above ground is a good one. If nothing else, those really “trying” days serve to help us appreciate the better days even more.
And, yeah, I know exactly what you mean about the vitalizing effect that sharing your art has for you. There is a kind of synergy between artist and audience that creates a total greater than the simple sum of the two parts. The artist’s enjoyment of the art feeds the audience’s enjoyment, which in turn feeds the artist’s enjoyment, and so on. It would be cool to have a novel that sells well, but the coolest thing of all would still be hearing from people that they enjoy my stories. That, to me, is the real “payoff” of art.
We do get the busy thing and will wait as patiently as possible. Heck, my “busy season”is coming up now as the “RenFaire” season has started in full swing here in FL and I probably will not see a free weekend till June or maybe July [depends on if I get another show after KY Medieval Faire]. Take the time needed to recuperate from the Holidays and such,…..we will still be here,…..
Hey we will wait but could you please at least toss us a bone,…. we are starving in here,…. least drop in and tell us you are alive,……lol
FSilvermane: <3 Thank you so much for leaving this note. Forgive me, I am still in the mindset that folks who know me personally are the only ones reading, and I figured everyone already knows the reason for the delays.
While the delay was originally us trying to move to Dallas for hubby's job, it is now hubby finding ANOTHER job! He was laid off two weeks ago so we're kind of scrambling. Have one kidlet in college and another will be there shortly! EEP!
Fortunately, I have the script for the current comic all written out, it's just a matter of trying to get my brain to calm down for a long enough period of time to draw.
I am starting to grow a long grey beard over here,… a lurker can only eat so many Crickets before he starts to go crazy. Crazy? I was crazy once,..I was in a lonely dark room all by myself except the crickets. Crickets! Crickets drive me crazy. Crazy? I was crazy once,…..
Seriously though, have things kind of hit an even [or at least slightly more even] keel? Or are you still doing the Dance of the Long-tailed Cat in the Rocking Chair Testing Facility?
FSilvermane, you are hilarious! So are you, Hoomi! I actually thought of you two and picked up the pencil to draw out the next page. It’s halfway done! It’s a simple page and I should have been done with it quickly. But with all that’s going on down here, I feel guilty for working on my comic.
BTW to FSilvermane: LOVE that you do Ren Fair! Are you a craftsman, performer, attendee or all three?
All three actually. It depends on what I can get as work,…. sometimes I manage Scented Sea Salt Potpourri booth [which I help make],…other times I help out at a Leather working booth [which I also help make],… currently I am working The Sword in the Stone booth at Bay Area RenFaire,.. I have a whole spiel I do about finding balance and being brave [or if the kid wants to be a "bad guy" its being E-vile,..lol] etc, the kid pulls the sword, then I do a big coronation proclaiming them ruler of somewhere [all depends on my mood and what the kid looks like] such as the common King/Queen,…. if the kid has elf ears its usually Lord/Lady of Avalon or Lord/Lady of the Fey Wild,…. if the kid is dressed as a Pirate [which is usually what I portray] its King/Queen of the Deep Blue, Master/Mistress of the 7 Seas or Dread Pirate _____,…. I try to mix it up for the kids and parents,….
Ok theoretically this should now show an avatar,….. which is actually me from a show a few years back,….
Wait you were thinking of Hoomi and I as you wrote the next comic? I do not know whether to be excited or scared,….lol
We need to schedule our trip to the Arizona Ren Fest sometime soon. It’s running until the first weekend in April. We’re a long way from the Bay Area, though, so I don’t think I’ll get a chance to see you there, Silvermane.
I will make AZ one day,…. been trying to get Booth into that one,….seems there are few booths on circuit that sell what we sell. And yes I know I do not have a long beard,… I have the roguish goatee and long hair,….lol.
Y’know Hoomi its kinda ironic you say that at this time. I know none of us know one another and we all coem here to see whats going on in Witchy’s life and not rant about our own lives but I kinda have to lay out a story. Spent the weekend at Faire again, actually had to only do a little work since the people who I work with at the booth all came this weekend [usually we have like 20 people who help out the booth but very few of us show up every day but this weekend 12 of us were at the booth], and got to walk around and talk to people all weekend. Well, not to get all spiritual but I had written up a post before I left [that apparently never posted here] all about how if you surround yourself with good people with good energy then good thing will slowly rub off on you [and yes the opposite is true as well]. Between the good vibes we all have in here,…. and the fact I cleared out my overly negative friends,… the good has rubbed off on me,…. while walking around Faire I had a Pirate Woman tell me that I had a very roguish look with the goatee. Next thing I know I have spent 3 hrs sitting in the shade talking to her. We chatted about all kinds of things,….we have alot in common,… we both love the Faire and both just have to be Pirates,… we are both gamers,…. we both like the odd British comedies,..etc. After Faire closed [she works there too] and we closed our booths and went our separate ways [I had to get home and she had to drop off friends] we spent another 3 hrs talking on the phone till my phone died. Ladies and Gentlemen,…Boys and Girls,… Cross-eyed Mosquito and Bow-legged Ants,… I am walking proof that thing can get better if you surround yourself with the positive,…..lol
Well its been almost a week since Witchy has peeked in,…. she should be checking in on us any day now. Remember she said she had a comic partially drawn so,….. I am still waiting to see what came out of her head while thinking of Hoomi and I,…lol
HAHAH.. You guys converse all you want to! I love it!
Hi, Christi!! Welcome!
Son is home from college and job situation is still ebbing and flowing. I love coming in and reading you.
Naaah we are probably slightly nutty door to door salesmen or something,…. or maybe the Fed Ex guys,….lol. Remember she has no clue what we look like except you have a Gandalf beard and I have a goatee,……
I’ve been following your comic for some years now, sometimes I lose track then I get it back, I’m a sporadic reader, so, the sporadic schedule is ok for me! 
But I love it, and I’m happy when I read it. Hope to see something new soon!
I just realized two things about what I said before….
1) We are assuming we are IN the comic and not just she was drawing the next one thinking how silly we are,…
2) She actually does know what I look like,… my Gravatar is a picture of me,…
So yeah,….lol
Witchy, your 2011 somehow managed to get out from under the corn flake spell you cast….your hubs changed jobs, your son flew the nest and off to the adult world….and you were left trying to stage and sell a house for which there are too few buyers. 2012 will turn around, you’ll sell the house, find a new house, live under the same roof as the Dragonslayer and live happily ever after. So there.
We will enjoy the comic when it returns and until then, we will leave the light for you.
:):)