Self expression is key

The first thing I feel is “man, this sucks.” And then it’s “I’m thankful that, so far, me and my family aren’t sick with this.” And then it’s “but there are so many who are!” And then it’s “buckle down and do your part so that even more people don’t get sick.” And then it’s “will red robins even be open when this is all over?” Oh man.

I love making comics, it’s a part of my daily routine. I like being able to read them years later- it’s like keeping a diary, but it’s in code, because only I know the fifteen versions of each comic I didn’t make that express different aspects of what I was feeling when I made it. Anyways, it is cathartic, solace inducing.

Neapolitan?

But for real, it’s the worst. None of the flavours individually actually taste like any of them would taste on their own. Plus, strawberry and vanilla make sense together. Vanilla and chocolate? Totally. That’s a frosty. But something unnatural happens when you put all three flavours together. It’s like, they make each other worse. It’s actually quite a feat, to wreck ice cream. Luckily the kids have horrible taste so it won’t go to waste.

What a reality

When appropriate civic duty means living like the kind of person I was generally discouraged against becoming, it’s cause to pause and reflect. Maybe the people who told me I shouldn’t play so many video games were wrong about other things- like, what If money can’t actually provide for all your needs? What if hard work doesn’t always pay off? What if Sasquatch are real, the Ogopogo exists, and bacon is good for my cholesterol? None of it feels real.

we’re now two weeks into social distancing in my household. In one day, I’ve gotten further through final fantasy vii then I used to get in a week. I even discovered a funny joke in one of the flash-back scenes that I’ve never seen in any of the other 20+ play-throughs I’ve done in the past. 12 year old me would be stoked that I’m supposed to stay at home playing video games and not going outside… but I could never of imagined the world events that would need to happen for this to be the best course of action for everyone.

Book making

Plenty of time to share interests with the kids!

Right now my daughter is big into comics and graphic novels geared towards kids. She also reads pretty much anything you put in front of her, so it’s pretty fun! But, tying to explain to her that making a perfect bound 200 page full colour graphic novel isn’t something you can do in an hour has proven to be interesting.

yes, yes, there are ways you can be crafty and make a perfect-bound book at home, but not with the supplies we have during this time of physical isolation. We’re stuck in our house. We’re burning through our supply of printer paper. I wonder if staples is considered an essential service?

Slow down, change!

Nobody was ready for this.

If I’ve learned anything in the last month, it’s that change can happen very fast and sometimes it leaves you flat on your face.

Stay at home

2000Ad released 400 pages of judge DREDD comics for free, and they are great! I love the art style, the episodic stories, the parody hard-baked in, it’s great.
with all this time confined at home, so far I’ve filled it with work. It’s amazing how much I can get done- but this presents a new challenge I’ve never really faced in my job before- I’m tired from tasks. As an introvert, typically the tasks of my job give me energy, but now there are so many of them (and every day adds to the list) that now, by the end of the day, I’m quite fatigued. I need to learn some new strategies to turn my head off when there is no physical distinction between work and home.
lucky for me, this seems to be pretty well documented, so i should probably spend some time reading up.

Easter, that is.

I love Soda water. Club soda. Sparkling water. Whatever it’s called! And I always feel smug when I’m drinking it, knowing that I get all the bite of an ice cold coke with none of the “needing to walk for half an hour to net zero calories”. …but eating half a bag of mini-eggs ain’t doing me any favours, especially being in social isolation, being mostly stuck at home!