For those of you who haven't seen it, 60 Minutes recently did a segment (you can watch it at the end of this post) on the effects of antidepressants, specifically the difference in results between antidepressants and placebos. Now, everyone knows I have depression. No secret there. Most people also know that I've been on antidepressants of one variety or another since I was thirteen years old. So naturally, I was curious when people on Facebook started paying attention to this segment and decided to watch it all the way through. Now, as someone who has repeatedly had to try to convince people that depression actually exists, that it's a serious disorder, that medication and therapy can help, and that I'm not just weak and/or crazy, I'm of course a little defensive when it comes to these kinds of stories. So, take this post with a grain of salt if you'd like, but also keep in mind that I do recognize my own bias and try to push it back so I can be more objective.
The point of this 60 Minutes segment was to examine the opinions and research of one Irving Kirsch, a psychologist and assistant director of the Placebo Studies Program at Harvard. Kirsch claims that, according to his research, antidepressant drugs usually only provide relief from depression because of a placebo effect. In his own research studies and trials (and many others, according to the segment), antidepressants had little or no more effect on patients than placebo pills. In other words, patients on antidepressants do get better, but only because they think they're supposed to since they're on medication.
Now, the segment goes on and on about studies that back this up and about various experts who at least partially agree with these findings. I'm not saying that these experts are wrong. I'm not a scientist or expert in any way, shape, or form. However, there were several things about this segment that I disliked.
First of all, I thought this segment did a lot of damage to those of us who have spent our lives trying to get people to take the disorder seriously. This felt like a major boost to the "there's nothing actually wrong with you" and "it's all in your head" crowds, simply because the segment didn't take time to address the disorder itself, only the medication... and if you're claiming the effectiveness of the medication is all due to mentality and not chemistry, you REALLY need to address the fact that the same rule does not apply to the disorder itself. 60 Minutes lightly patted that issue on the head for five seconds when Kirsch spoke about the placebo effect surrounding knee surgery as well (apparently just having your knee cut open and sewn back up without any repairs taking place is enough to restore you to health and help you climb mountains again?), but that didn't do much to ease the overall "you can fix your own depression with the power of thought" feeling surrounding the segment.
Now, if you listen carefully to the experts featured in the segment, there are some phrases and points that keep getting mentioned, though the segment doesn't go into much depth or explanation with them. The most obvious of these repetitions is how these experts keep saying that this lack of effectiveness from antidepressants was found only in patients with mild to moderate depression, not those patients with severe depression. In fact, I found it very frustrating that Kirsch never explained WHO the patients were in his research. What disorders did these people have? Antidepressants are used to treat a variety of conditions including major depressive disorder, dysthymia, fibromyalgia, eating disorders, ADHD, and various anxiety disorders. If these patients all had major depressive disorder (as the segment would lead you to believe, even though it's never actually stated), what severity of the illness did this research participants have? Was there a fair representation of the entire spectrum or was he strictly trying to look at the placebo effect on patients with mild to moderate depression, since those are the only findings he keeps giving us? This segment goes on and on about how antidepressants have a clinically insignificant effect on the disorder in patients with mild to moderate depression, but it doesn't give any findings at all in connection with patients with severe depression. It also doesn't bother to give any information at all on the differences between these varying degrees of depression. How is anybody watching this segment supposed to get the full picture or decide how meaningful Kirsch's research really is?
Another thing the segment never mentions is what antidepressants were researched. "Antidepressant" is a very general term to cover a variety of drugs. Most people on antidepressants at least know that there are many significant differences between MAOIs, SSRIs, and SNRIs. Just looking at my own history, I've been on four or five different antidepressants, each with its own unique formula. Not once does this segment tell us which drugs are tested or whether or not there's any difference in the effectiveness of these drugs when they're compared with one another.
Finally, at the end of the segment, 60 Minutes sloppily tacked on two very important pieces of the puzzle. Previously in the segment, it was stated that all this data on whether or not antidepressants are any more effective than placebos was based on the patients' short-term results. However, Eli Lilly, the company that produces the drug I take, stated at the end of the segment that their own research showed that antidepressants were more effective than placebos in the long-term. As someone who has suffered from depression for a decade, that's kind of an important piece for me. But did the segment shed any light on that? Not at all. Eli Lilly also stated that patients on placebos were more prone to relapses than patients on the actual antidepressants. That's also an extremely significant point to examine. The cycle of remission and relapse is something so important to patients suffering from depression, so if the studies show that antidepressants prove more effective in preventing relapse than placebos, that's really something that needs to be made clear.
In other words, I thought that the segment was thought-provoking and raised an important issue, but it left much to be desired. In the end, I found it too inflammatory and one-sided to do any real good for those suffering from depression. So basically, I just want people who watch it to be very careful about falling for what Kirsch is saying without asking some really important questions not covered by the segment. But you don't have to listen to me. Watch the segment and form your own opinions on it.
Treating Depression: Is there a placebo effect? - 60 Minutes
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
We Are Beautiful
"Of which beauty will you speak? There are many: there are a thousand: there is one for every look, for every spirit, adapted to each taste, to each particular constitution." ~ Eugene Delacroix
"Beauty is life when life unveils her holy face. But you are life and you are the veil. Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. But you are eternity and you are the mirror." ~ Kahlil Gibran
I promised I would write this post, and here it is. As many of you know from my activities elsewhere on the internets, I've spent a great deal of time lately thinking about equality, justice, love, and all of those other concepts that seem so difficult for us silly humans to comprehend or agree on. I've read article after article about hatred towards homosexuals, gender stereotyping, and society's concepts of female beauty. The last of these has led to this post. I don't think I'm articulate enough to give any of those topics the champion they deserve, but at least this particular subject can be expressed visually. Still, let me insert a brief (haha) little rant for those of you who know me well enough to expect one.
I know far too many women who are constantly changing their lifestyles and threatening their health for the sake of "beauty." We live in a society that has decisively labeled people as underweight, average, overweight, and obese, thanks in small part to a little thing called the Body Mass Index. Unfortunately, these labels come with all sorts of connotations, most of them inaccurate. People who are overweight or obese are seen as lazy, ugly, and dangerously unhealthy. And even though, logically, most people know that underweight isn't meant to be a good label either, it is still something people often aim for, because underweight is seen as beautiful. Take a look at runway models, magazine covers, and even some of the world's most famous actresses, and you get the message that underweight is good. Underweight is pretty. So people change their diets, do cleanses, take pills, exercise until their whole body hurts, skip meals, get plastic surgery, do anything they can to achieve this body. Then you have people like me. People who are above the "average" classification. Ugly people. Fat people. Chubby, chunky, unattractive. Me and 63% of the American population.
Well recently, I dropped down into that "average" group for a few weeks by losing twenty pounds. You'd never know it. My body type didn't change. I looked slightly thinner, but not enough to be considered a "pretty" weight. I still wore a size 12 dress, though I did manage to fit into some jeans that I haven't been able to wear for a few years. And how did I drop enough weight to fit into that "average" category? I got so depressed that I couldn't eat. I stayed in bed so much that my legs felt weak anytime I had to get up and go somewhere. Yeah, losing weight totally made me healthier and more attractive, right? Now that I'm getting back to doing things and eating two or three meals a day, I'm back in that overweight category. And you know what? I'm happy here. I like my body just the way it is. I had this body even when I was doing ballroom dancing and walking all over a giant college campus. I had this body even when I didn't have access to as much of that junk food that I so adore. I've had this body when I was healthy and unhealthy. I've had this body when I was single and when I was dating. This is my body. Why shouldn't I like it? Because everyone knows that beautiful people are thin?
"Beauty is life when life unveils her holy face. But you are life and you are the veil. Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. But you are eternity and you are the mirror." ~ Kahlil Gibran
I promised I would write this post, and here it is. As many of you know from my activities elsewhere on the internets, I've spent a great deal of time lately thinking about equality, justice, love, and all of those other concepts that seem so difficult for us silly humans to comprehend or agree on. I've read article after article about hatred towards homosexuals, gender stereotyping, and society's concepts of female beauty. The last of these has led to this post. I don't think I'm articulate enough to give any of those topics the champion they deserve, but at least this particular subject can be expressed visually. Still, let me insert a brief (haha) little rant for those of you who know me well enough to expect one.
I know far too many women who are constantly changing their lifestyles and threatening their health for the sake of "beauty." We live in a society that has decisively labeled people as underweight, average, overweight, and obese, thanks in small part to a little thing called the Body Mass Index. Unfortunately, these labels come with all sorts of connotations, most of them inaccurate. People who are overweight or obese are seen as lazy, ugly, and dangerously unhealthy. And even though, logically, most people know that underweight isn't meant to be a good label either, it is still something people often aim for, because underweight is seen as beautiful. Take a look at runway models, magazine covers, and even some of the world's most famous actresses, and you get the message that underweight is good. Underweight is pretty. So people change their diets, do cleanses, take pills, exercise until their whole body hurts, skip meals, get plastic surgery, do anything they can to achieve this body. Then you have people like me. People who are above the "average" classification. Ugly people. Fat people. Chubby, chunky, unattractive. Me and 63% of the American population.
Well recently, I dropped down into that "average" group for a few weeks by losing twenty pounds. You'd never know it. My body type didn't change. I looked slightly thinner, but not enough to be considered a "pretty" weight. I still wore a size 12 dress, though I did manage to fit into some jeans that I haven't been able to wear for a few years. And how did I drop enough weight to fit into that "average" category? I got so depressed that I couldn't eat. I stayed in bed so much that my legs felt weak anytime I had to get up and go somewhere. Yeah, losing weight totally made me healthier and more attractive, right? Now that I'm getting back to doing things and eating two or three meals a day, I'm back in that overweight category. And you know what? I'm happy here. I like my body just the way it is. I had this body even when I was doing ballroom dancing and walking all over a giant college campus. I had this body even when I didn't have access to as much of that junk food that I so adore. I've had this body when I was healthy and unhealthy. I've had this body when I was single and when I was dating. This is my body. Why shouldn't I like it? Because everyone knows that beautiful people are thin?
When did we decide that this is what a beautiful woman looks like? When did this become good enough to be named "Sexiest Woman in the World?" I love Keira Knightley as much as the next person, but this isn't what your average woman looks like. According to one website about Keira Knightley's diet and exercise plan, her height and weight are listed as 5'7" and 112 pounds. If that information is accurate (and there's really no telling on the internet), that means she's underweight according to the Body Mass Index. But barely. Underweight is a BMI of less than 18.5. Knightley's BMI is 17.5. If she gained just six pounds, she'd be considered "average."
So when did we decide that the average, beautiful woman had to be super skinny? It hasn't always been that way. So here's the main point of this article. Here's where we take a look at what a beautiful woman has been in the past, depicted by some of the world's most famous artists.
The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli
c. 1486
Psst. That "chubby" lady there in the middle is the goddess of love and beauty.
The Three Graces by Raphael
c. 1504
Adam and Eve by Albrecht Durer
1507
The Judgment of Paris by Peter Paul Rubens
1639
See those three women on the right there? Yeah, they're all goddesses.
Bathsheba at Her Bath by Rembrandt van Rijn
1654
In the Bible, King David found Bathsheba so beautiful that he had her husband killed so he could have her.
Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix
1830
The avatar of liberty is one curvy lady.
Salome by Alphonse Mucha
1897
Salome's beauty and skill led King Herod to offer her whatever she wished, even half his kingdom, if she asked it of him.
Ionian Dancing Girl by John William Godward
1902
So there you have it. Eight portrayals of beauty across the span of four hundred years, and all of them have plenty of curves. Whoever first decided that women need to be skinny to be beautiful and healthy, I'd really like to clobber them with a canvas. No one is denying that obesity is a problem that can lead to serious health issues, but having a little extra fat on you certainly isn't anything to be ashamed of, and it doesn't automatically make you unhealthy or unattractive. There's a huge difference between having a full figure and being morbidly obese or ugly. So ladies, when you stand in front of a mirror and see all those curves that you've hated in the past, think about these paintings and how beautiful they are. Think about your lifestyle and about whether or not you're going out of your way to attain some ideal image someone has put in your head. Think about why those curves are there and whether they're because you're unhealthy or because that's the way your body is naturally built when you stop fighting against it.
We are beautiful. Plain and simple. It doesn't matter if you're labeled as underweight, average, or overweight. It doesn't matter if your body looks like Keira Knightley's or like Queen Latifah's. I guarantee you that, no matter who you are, there is someone out there who has found you beautiful, whether you know it or not. And even if you disagree with everything I've said, even if you think those women in the paintings are ugly and that every woman should be thin, let me ask you something. We don't place a man's entire value on whether or not he is attractive, so why should we place a woman's entire value on her outward beauty? Even if you think there's absolutely nothing physically beautiful about you, why does that have to matter so much to you? The world still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to gender equality, ladies. As it is now, men can be successful regardless of what physical characteristics they've been given, but if a woman wants to be successful, she'd better be as beautiful as she can possibly make herself according to society's ideals. But change has to start somewhere, so it might as well be with us. Once we start valuing ourselves the way we are and based on ALL of our wonderful features, not just our physical ones, maybe others will start to value us too. Whether you're smart, funny, artistic, athletic, motivational, nurturing, ambitious, or whatever else, find something to love about yourself on the inside as well as the outside, and make other people love it too. In addition, help your fellow human beings to love something about themselves as well. Tell them they're beautiful and praise their unique talents and traits. Change starts with us.
Curvy and Proud,
Kaitlin
P.S.: For those of you who read my last post and now find this one extremely hypocritical, let me just add that I'm nowhere near perfect when it comes to loving myself the way I am. I have days where I feel like the ugliest, most pathetic thing on the planet. But if loving yourself the way you are and feeling beautiful were easy, I wouldn't have to write this post. Everything here applies as much to me as it does to any other person reading this. Hopefully this post will help all of us to have less of those ugly days.
P.P.S.: Oh yeah. Here are some links that you also might want to look at. Very interesting stuff.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
An Explanation
Well... this is a long overdue post. Unfortunately, it's not a happy one, or even a very interesting one. I'm writing it more for myself than for anyone else, because if I don't explain myself, I feel guilty. So, if you want the short, simple answer for why I've been absent for months, it's because I've been going through a "major depressive episode." If you don't care to know any more than that, just skip this post and tune in next time for happier, art-related stuff.
I've spent the past few months hating myself. Not just occasionally, but constantly. I've felt worthless, useless, lazy, incompetent, stupid, unsuccessful, pathetic, pitiful, so on and so forth... It's hard to find anything worthwhile about myself anymore. I accomplish nothing. I have no purpose or motivation. Most days, it's a struggle to even get out of bed, especially knowing that if I do, I'm going to have to face people. Being around other people is so hard because I'm pretty sure they see what I see whenever I look in the mirror. I'm pretty sure they see a pathetic failure, and if there's one thing I can't stand, it's being seen as incompetent and weak. It's worst with my family, because I know they want so much more for me and have expected so much more out of me, but it's uncomfortable with my friends as well since I compare my life to theirs and see them achieve and overcome so much. My friends are truly some incredible people and they make me so proud. It's just hard to face everyone when I know that I don't make them the least bit proud of me anymore.
I think I have to pause my depressing rambling for a moment to say that I'm not writing this to get your pity or have you all shower me in compliments to make me feel better about myself. That would make me even more pathetic than I already am, and it probably wouldn't be very helpful anyway. So yeah. No pity-induced fawning, ok? Ok.
Carrying on... As far as art goes, it's been an interesting battle. I went through a period where I couldn't do anything at all, whether it was making jewelry or working on the portraits that I've promised to people. It's hard to create something beautiful when you feel so ugly, so every time I attempted to work on something, I basically wound up sitting there staring at it as if willing it to somehow make itself. As you can imagine, this also means I haven't gone to any festivals or put anything new on the website, so my little art business has kind of been on pause. I'm just recently starting to emerge from this a little, so I have a few new pieces lying around. Hopefully it's only uphill from here, so maybe I'll have something to show you guys soon.
Anyway, I guess the point of all of this was to explain my lack of posts (and maybe my lack of any communication at all with some of you), as well as to let you know that I'm trying to pull myself out of my little hidey-hole and get some artsy things done. There will be things here eventually. I swear.
I've spent the past few months hating myself. Not just occasionally, but constantly. I've felt worthless, useless, lazy, incompetent, stupid, unsuccessful, pathetic, pitiful, so on and so forth... It's hard to find anything worthwhile about myself anymore. I accomplish nothing. I have no purpose or motivation. Most days, it's a struggle to even get out of bed, especially knowing that if I do, I'm going to have to face people. Being around other people is so hard because I'm pretty sure they see what I see whenever I look in the mirror. I'm pretty sure they see a pathetic failure, and if there's one thing I can't stand, it's being seen as incompetent and weak. It's worst with my family, because I know they want so much more for me and have expected so much more out of me, but it's uncomfortable with my friends as well since I compare my life to theirs and see them achieve and overcome so much. My friends are truly some incredible people and they make me so proud. It's just hard to face everyone when I know that I don't make them the least bit proud of me anymore.
I think I have to pause my depressing rambling for a moment to say that I'm not writing this to get your pity or have you all shower me in compliments to make me feel better about myself. That would make me even more pathetic than I already am, and it probably wouldn't be very helpful anyway. So yeah. No pity-induced fawning, ok? Ok.
Carrying on... As far as art goes, it's been an interesting battle. I went through a period where I couldn't do anything at all, whether it was making jewelry or working on the portraits that I've promised to people. It's hard to create something beautiful when you feel so ugly, so every time I attempted to work on something, I basically wound up sitting there staring at it as if willing it to somehow make itself. As you can imagine, this also means I haven't gone to any festivals or put anything new on the website, so my little art business has kind of been on pause. I'm just recently starting to emerge from this a little, so I have a few new pieces lying around. Hopefully it's only uphill from here, so maybe I'll have something to show you guys soon.
Anyway, I guess the point of all of this was to explain my lack of posts (and maybe my lack of any communication at all with some of you), as well as to let you know that I'm trying to pull myself out of my little hidey-hole and get some artsy things done. There will be things here eventually. I swear.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Meanwhile, in Kaitlin's world...
Hello, faithful blog followers. I apologize for abandoning you and forcing you to languish in the agony that your lives must be without me, but I've been too busy spitting out random pieces of jewelry like some deranged jewelry dragon. Raaawr.
I feel the sudden need to draw a deranged jewelry-spitting dragon. Sounds complicated. Amanda, take care of that for me, will you? Give it my hair, because everything looks better with long, black hair.
There's really nothing new to report here. Still no events lined up, no new additions to the site (those are coming soon though, I swear!), and I'm still looking for a "real" job. If you know some event taking place later this year where I can sell my semi-fabulous jewelry, do let me know. If you don't find a place for me to sell stuff, my room is going to overflow with necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc. and my family and I will drown in a sea of beads. You don't want that to happen, do you?
I feel the sudden need to draw a deranged jewelry-spitting dragon. Sounds complicated. Amanda, take care of that for me, will you? Give it my hair, because everything looks better with long, black hair.
There's really nothing new to report here. Still no events lined up, no new additions to the site (those are coming soon though, I swear!), and I'm still looking for a "real" job. If you know some event taking place later this year where I can sell my semi-fabulous jewelry, do let me know. If you don't find a place for me to sell stuff, my room is going to overflow with necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc. and my family and I will drown in a sea of beads. You don't want that to happen, do you?
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Swimming in Ideas
"I equate inspiration with desire -- the desire that moves us to be artists in the first place. To attempt to make a painting without this motivation is a waste of time." ~ Nita Engle
Ok, so I don't paint, but I like the quote all the same. Been a while since I prefaced my post with a quote. I guess I got lazy for a while. Anyway, this post is about various assorted things, some art-related, some not.
My head is swimming with inspiration lately. I feel like I'm drowning in it. I have so many ideas and very little willpower to actually make them realities. Nevertheless, I get up every day and try. Maybe it's just hard for me to choose a direction since my heart is pulling me so many different ways. Maybe you guys can help me narrow it down some. I just purchased Méav's "Silver Sea" album at the Midsummer Night's Eve Festival, and it has me wanting to make a lot of really elegant sea-themed jewelry. I mean come on... her songs are just full of inspirational imagery. Then I went and saw the Lord of the Rings extended editions on the big screen the past two weeks, so I've got elvish jewelry on the brain. If I could, I'd live in Rivendell and wear gowns and circlets every day. Not really sure how I would go about making elvish jewelry though, since it's mostly metalwork, not beaded. Also, I've had this Harry Potter quidditch necklace in mind for a few months and so far I've only managed to start on the quaffle charm. Way to go, right? I want to make Luna's radish earrings too. Then I have a TON of steampunk components lying around because I really wanted to expand my Pistols and Pearls collection after being inspired by all the people at TimeGate. I have keys, locks, gears, found objects galore... Then I've also had the urge to work with some of my high-quality materials like gemstones and freshwater pearls... but that drives up the price of the pieces and means that I won't sell them until I find an appropriate venue where people are actually willing to pay for the good stuff. I was also inspired by Kerry over at Fantastic Visions to take some of my undrilled stones and make them into pendants by wrapping polyclay figures around them. I'm not sure I have the sculpting skills to pull it off, but it'd be nice to finally be able to use all the polished stones I have lying around.
So all of that is floating around in my head. Anyone have preferences or other ideas?
Anyway, in addition to working on my jewelry, I've been trying to make plans for DragonCon. My friend Heather is dragging me to it, so I'm working on costumes. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do the Arwen Dream Gown from The Two Towers. I love Arwen's costumes, and the Dream Gown is the only one that I'd be able to pull off comfortably in the Georgia heat. I already have elf ears, so now I'm just working on putting the gown together and getting the Evenstar pendant just to make it a little more Arwenish. And if I decide to go for multiple days (it's looking like I might), then I'm going to try a Harry Potter themed costume (quidditch robes or Beauxbatons uniform) and a Star Wars themed costume (Senator Amidala or... God only knows what... Lots of ideas that probably won't work). Or maybe I'll just try something steampunk. I don't know. It's hard to costume in a place as hot as Georgia. So anyway. That's happening.
Also still looking for conventions and festivals where I can sell. Thinking about Geek Media Expo, HallowCon, and Hurricane Who. Don't really know much about any of them, but they look like they might work well.
Now I'm going to go sing some Celtic music and practice my ballroom dancing in the living room before my parents get home. Woohoodle!
Ok, so I don't paint, but I like the quote all the same. Been a while since I prefaced my post with a quote. I guess I got lazy for a while. Anyway, this post is about various assorted things, some art-related, some not.
My head is swimming with inspiration lately. I feel like I'm drowning in it. I have so many ideas and very little willpower to actually make them realities. Nevertheless, I get up every day and try. Maybe it's just hard for me to choose a direction since my heart is pulling me so many different ways. Maybe you guys can help me narrow it down some. I just purchased Méav's "Silver Sea" album at the Midsummer Night's Eve Festival, and it has me wanting to make a lot of really elegant sea-themed jewelry. I mean come on... her songs are just full of inspirational imagery. Then I went and saw the Lord of the Rings extended editions on the big screen the past two weeks, so I've got elvish jewelry on the brain. If I could, I'd live in Rivendell and wear gowns and circlets every day. Not really sure how I would go about making elvish jewelry though, since it's mostly metalwork, not beaded. Also, I've had this Harry Potter quidditch necklace in mind for a few months and so far I've only managed to start on the quaffle charm. Way to go, right? I want to make Luna's radish earrings too. Then I have a TON of steampunk components lying around because I really wanted to expand my Pistols and Pearls collection after being inspired by all the people at TimeGate. I have keys, locks, gears, found objects galore... Then I've also had the urge to work with some of my high-quality materials like gemstones and freshwater pearls... but that drives up the price of the pieces and means that I won't sell them until I find an appropriate venue where people are actually willing to pay for the good stuff. I was also inspired by Kerry over at Fantastic Visions to take some of my undrilled stones and make them into pendants by wrapping polyclay figures around them. I'm not sure I have the sculpting skills to pull it off, but it'd be nice to finally be able to use all the polished stones I have lying around.
So all of that is floating around in my head. Anyone have preferences or other ideas?
Anyway, in addition to working on my jewelry, I've been trying to make plans for DragonCon. My friend Heather is dragging me to it, so I'm working on costumes. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do the Arwen Dream Gown from The Two Towers. I love Arwen's costumes, and the Dream Gown is the only one that I'd be able to pull off comfortably in the Georgia heat. I already have elf ears, so now I'm just working on putting the gown together and getting the Evenstar pendant just to make it a little more Arwenish. And if I decide to go for multiple days (it's looking like I might), then I'm going to try a Harry Potter themed costume (quidditch robes or Beauxbatons uniform) and a Star Wars themed costume (Senator Amidala or... God only knows what... Lots of ideas that probably won't work). Or maybe I'll just try something steampunk. I don't know. It's hard to costume in a place as hot as Georgia. So anyway. That's happening.
Also still looking for conventions and festivals where I can sell. Thinking about Geek Media Expo, HallowCon, and Hurricane Who. Don't really know much about any of them, but they look like they might work well.
Now I'm going to go sing some Celtic music and practice my ballroom dancing in the living room before my parents get home. Woohoodle!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
A Fan's Dilemma
I've discovered that there's a problem with my idea of working at conventions and other geek events... I want to go to these things and have fun. Take this month's Midsummer Night's Eve festival in Flovilla. I was planning to go with Heather in the evening, have a few drinks at the bar, and wander around having fun while dressed like a fairy. Solid plan. Now I find out they still have space for vendors. Not only do they have space, but it's affordable space! And it's fantasy geeks, so my stuff might sell really well. But then I'd have to be there all day, outside, in the heat, stuck in one place, not participating in any events, etc. How lame is that? So now I have to choose between money and fun. I need more minions to help me run my booth at these things. Blah. Also have to decide if I want to journey down to Florida for Time Lord Fest... can't decide if it's worth the drive.
So yeah, no idea what I'm going to do yet. Everything is kind of falling apart on me at the moment, and my head is an absolute mess. But the good news is that I've started sculpting a quaffle for my quidditch necklace. That counts for something, right?
So yeah, no idea what I'm going to do yet. Everything is kind of falling apart on me at the moment, and my head is an absolute mess. But the good news is that I've started sculpting a quaffle for my quidditch necklace. That counts for something, right?
Monday, May 30, 2011
Better TimeGate Post
All right. Now that I'm not dead on my feet, I can actually post something significant about my weekend. It really was a lot of fun, even if I was working most of the time. First let me say that hanging out with Heather, Crystal, LynCee (did I spell that right?), Jude, and Liz was awesome. They're a great group of girls and they kept me from making a fool of myself... most of the time. Special thanks to Heather for being such an amazing friend and helping me out with my booth. I really couldn't have pulled this off without her.
My booth was a decent success and a huge self-esteem boost for me. People actually kept coming back over and over again to look at my work instead of just glancing at it and moving on. It felt so much better than the other festivals I've participated in. Also, while in other places they whine about the price of my pieces, this time a lovely woman actually looked at my two most expensive pieces and said, "Wow. Those prices are very reasonable." You have no idea how much I appreciated that. In addition, I sold the most expensive piece I had. My pride and joy, Yule Blossom, was my greatest masterpiece to date and featured freshwater pearls, garnet, and peridot stones along with a beautiful pendant that functions as a clasp. The best part is, I sold it to Crystal, so I'll get to see it again someday. It's always hard to part with a piece that you've spent so many hours on, so it's great that it went to someone I like who I know will take good care of it. Thanks, mate!
Anyway, my time spent in the dealers room was a little boring at times since I was there for around 19 hours during the course of the weekend, but I had great company in there. My fellow dealers were fantastic people, and I plan to stay in touch with them (you know how good I am at staying in touch, though...). Special shoutout to Kerry, Connie, Illya, and GuineaPigLady! Thanks for keeping me entertained and giving me great tips on improving my business! Love you guys! Please check the links on the side of the page to look at their work. They have fabulous pieces. I also had a ton of great customers who gave me good advice and encouragement. It was wonderful. So thanks to everyone who bought my work, and I hope you'll visit me again in the future!
I think one of the best parts about the weekend was the room party on Saturday night. If you have a full bar, open door, and blaring music, the geeks will come. What started out as a small gathering of friends turned into a room full of strangers, and it was great. I spent the early portion of the night chatting with Billy Dee Williams aka Doug as he drank his Colt 45 and shared his amazing drawings with me. Not only is Doug an accomplished professor in Norfolk, but he also has his own webcomic and some crazy awesome ninja dance moves. Later in the night I spent several hours talking to the amazing Ken Spivey of the Ken Spivey Band. I think he might be one of the most interesting men I've ever met, and his music is wonderful. He's part of an upcoming event in Florida called Time Lord Fest, so if you're a Doctor Who fan, you should definitely check that out. I might wind up going myself. Anyway, keep an eye out for links to both Doug and Ken on the left side of the page.
So there are the highlights from my first convention adventure. I definitely plan to attend more conventions in the future. Anyway, my schedule is currently empty, so I need to go off and find more events to fill it, as well as restock my inventory. I have plans for a crazy awesome quidditch necklace, so look for that sometime soon. Yay for geeky inspiration!
My booth was a decent success and a huge self-esteem boost for me. People actually kept coming back over and over again to look at my work instead of just glancing at it and moving on. It felt so much better than the other festivals I've participated in. Also, while in other places they whine about the price of my pieces, this time a lovely woman actually looked at my two most expensive pieces and said, "Wow. Those prices are very reasonable." You have no idea how much I appreciated that. In addition, I sold the most expensive piece I had. My pride and joy, Yule Blossom, was my greatest masterpiece to date and featured freshwater pearls, garnet, and peridot stones along with a beautiful pendant that functions as a clasp. The best part is, I sold it to Crystal, so I'll get to see it again someday. It's always hard to part with a piece that you've spent so many hours on, so it's great that it went to someone I like who I know will take good care of it. Thanks, mate!
Anyway, my time spent in the dealers room was a little boring at times since I was there for around 19 hours during the course of the weekend, but I had great company in there. My fellow dealers were fantastic people, and I plan to stay in touch with them (you know how good I am at staying in touch, though...). Special shoutout to Kerry, Connie, Illya, and GuineaPigLady! Thanks for keeping me entertained and giving me great tips on improving my business! Love you guys! Please check the links on the side of the page to look at their work. They have fabulous pieces. I also had a ton of great customers who gave me good advice and encouragement. It was wonderful. So thanks to everyone who bought my work, and I hope you'll visit me again in the future!
I think one of the best parts about the weekend was the room party on Saturday night. If you have a full bar, open door, and blaring music, the geeks will come. What started out as a small gathering of friends turned into a room full of strangers, and it was great. I spent the early portion of the night chatting with Billy Dee Williams aka Doug as he drank his Colt 45 and shared his amazing drawings with me. Not only is Doug an accomplished professor in Norfolk, but he also has his own webcomic and some crazy awesome ninja dance moves. Later in the night I spent several hours talking to the amazing Ken Spivey of the Ken Spivey Band. I think he might be one of the most interesting men I've ever met, and his music is wonderful. He's part of an upcoming event in Florida called Time Lord Fest, so if you're a Doctor Who fan, you should definitely check that out. I might wind up going myself. Anyway, keep an eye out for links to both Doug and Ken on the left side of the page.
So there are the highlights from my first convention adventure. I definitely plan to attend more conventions in the future. Anyway, my schedule is currently empty, so I need to go off and find more events to fill it, as well as restock my inventory. I have plans for a crazy awesome quidditch necklace, so look for that sometime soon. Yay for geeky inspiration!
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