Events and the fatigue afterwards
Ummm…let’s just pretend I sent this in March…
The Dallas Art Book Fair was a success.
I met a lot of interesting people and had some good conversations.
I even had a person from the Amon Carter Museum buy a couple of zines to add to their Texas Photography Collection, which was unexpected and exciting! I’ll need to plan a trip to the Amon Carter soon to see the rest of the collection.
It also reminds me to keep attending these events; you never know who you’ll meet or where your work might end up.
I’d also like to say thank you to the new subscribers who signed up at the DABF! Thank you again!
All copies of some nights i can’t sleep that I printed sold.
This is my second time doing that with a brand-new publication at a fest/fair.
And now? What next?
I jumped back into my photographic safe space and went out exploring the night the book fair ended.
I drove around for a few hours, which resulted in zero photographs.
I’m not even sure I want to continue night photography. At least right now, I’m kind of bored with it.
Or maybe it’s because I was forcing myself not to rest. After all, a little rest can quickly turn into severe procrastination. I’ll sit around for months, thinking about things I should be doing that I could be doing but never start doing.
I’ve gotten to know my patterns. I work towards a big event, such as a portfolio review or a zine fest. After the event happens, I return home with loads of positive energy.
Lots of big plans!
And then nothing. A whole lot of nothing until the next event rolls around, and then I’m frantically trying to finish projects.
Somehow, I make it work, but it’s no way to live!
New Zines on the horizon
In the months leading up to the Dallas Art Book Fair, I had some ideas of zines that I wanted to make that didn’t get made in time for the fair. We’re early in the year, and there are lots of festivals coming that I want to apply to (and hope I get in), so I need to get to work on those.
Where to begin?
One of the things that I think helped some nights turn out so well was that I followed a three-step routine that I hadn’t employed much in the past:
Start by searching through my archive for a theme or subject matter.
Look through more recent photographs for ones that match the vibe or tone.
Go make new photographs to flesh out / fill in the holes.
A simple plan, right? Where do I start?
I’ve been coming back to this photo I took on my phone this past September:
This photo is a solid starting point I can explore in several ways. That’s all I need to occupy my time. More to come.
Adventures in Bookmaking
Sorry, no handmade book this time, which means I have to make two separate ones for the month of April!
Spreads from some nights i can’t sleep, for sale here!
Until next time,
Laidric
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