Ok so I have been captain suckey pants about blogging lately. It seems that every time I think I have time to blog I have been having to instead redirect my energy to doing scheduling nonsense or putting out one fire or another or sleeping. Yes, I said sleeping. I know it doesn't happen very often but it is important and there is the rare occasion that I admit this.
So being called an elitist isn't why I started to do the whole submissions thing. I was actually called and elitist because of the whole submissions thing. And it may not have been that specific word "elitist" but it was something close. And where as the smart ass part of me wanted to say "Yeah, duh" I know that I shouldn't.
So I figured I would take a second and explain why we started this new way of doing things.
Most of you know that I am a work-a-holic. ^-7 days a week 8-13 hours a day then going home and painting or answering emails. Well, I am not necessarily a doing that because I want to. Trust me if I could I would love to lay around on the couch watching movies and sleeping all day. But I do have a shop to run and people to tattoo.
Recently I have decided to make a concentrated effort to take my life back and maybe give myself a day or 2 off a week. And when I say off I really mean off. Not off and come into work to do paperwork. Not off and sit around the house and answer emails and do scheduling. I mean off and go to the grocery store, fold laundry, eat a cheeseburger and sleep on the couch.
I had wanted to do this last year but I ended up screwing myself when in January I took on 75 new clients. It proved to be overwhelming. The scheduling was off the hook and some of those folks I haven't even been able to start working on yet. Not to mention I wasn't smart about the scheduling. I managed to often time set things up so that I had 2-3 drawings to come up within a week for some of these appointments. Stoopid monkey.
I figured there had to be a better way so Cy and I discussed it and we decided that the submissions email was the best way to go. That way as I completed some of these 75 new people, I could go through the new emails one at a time and pick someone to fill the spot. Which means one piece of art due at a time. Which means yeah, you may sit in that email for months but when I contact you, you will probably get to start your tattoo in less than 2. It means that I don't have to tattoo the same imagery over and over and over and over and so on.
I can shake things up a bit and keep things fresh for myself. Or I can take pieces that I would like to have in my portfolio. I get a little frustrated when I hear people say "Well she is good but all she does is flowers"
Already I have some new octopuses in the concept phase, a dragon a tree and some water that I consulted on, some rad deep space imagery that will blend into ocean and deep sea stuff. All stuff that is going to keep me excited to work these 12 hour days all stuff that I will be able to introduce slowly and smartly into my schedule.
Folks I am not trying to be an elitist. I am just trying not to screw myself and take a little control over my life again. So to the person who said it...I stick my tongue out at you. To her friend who stuck up for me I say "Thanks!"
Oh and if you are going to submit stuff to me please make sure you send it to the submissions email not the general email. They can get lost!
Vermin Ink and Paint, Fine Art and Custom Tattoo Art By Char Hall
