Deviation Actions
Where to even start reviewing 2014... there was a lot going on this past year. Definitely. It was not necessarily an easy year by any mark, but the year brought an abundance of learning and new understandings.
I discovered so many new things:
Welcome To Night Vale – If you haven't heard of it yet, it's this brilliant and creepy podcast about this little town of Night Vale in the desert. It's... kinda hard to explain, really. But it fast became an addiction in my house and it's sparked a lot of new creative ideas about writing, artwork, plushies..
Cards Against Humanity – Which is such a wrong, messed up, hilarious game. We have taken the original cards and added tons of fandom-inspired cards we've found online, plus added in a bunch of personal jokes. We die laughing every time.. and lose way too many games to the Faceless Old Woman..
Pirate Sentai Gokaiger – The original Japanese version of Power Rangers. (I know, right? lol) We were introduced to is ridiculousness by some friends we made at Nijicon in October and we're totally hooked. The Gokaiger season is actually the 35th anniversary season and we're probably going to end up searching out a bunch of the other seasons because the team has the power to transform into all the older teams and we keep wondering “Oh what team is that? They look so cool” or their leader will show up to teach the team something and then we want to know more about his team.. Also the 35th anniversary coincides with the 10th anniversary of “One Piece” and the team members were inspired by the OP crew members, so we were predisposed to love it.
I also celebrated this year the return of one of my favorite bands after a 3-year break up, Fall Out Boy, who came back with the best album they've made yet and a whole new energy. They've got another new album dropping this month and I can't wait! So inspiring to see a band you love come back so much more alive and seeing what happens when they really come together as a band and give respect to what they all love to do.
Speaking of music, I love all these crowd-funding sites where I can help some of my favourite under-appreciated bands and musicians make the album that they want to make and enjoying hearing that love and freedom in their finished albums.
It's been amazing watching all the victories in the Marriage Equality fight add up, for me and especially for my best friends. Seeing so many stories of couples who have waited years, lifetimes even, to have their life together respected and recognized. I just pray that we can keep the momentum moving in the right direction.
I finally worked my first convention this year (two actually) which I was so excited for. While I did enjoy part of the experience, I'm still left with mixed emotions about whether it's something I want to do on a regular basis.. It seems like the convention environment is changing and maybe it's not as good for independent, small business artists as it used to be.. which is really a shame.. But there are other ways to be seen and I'll keep working at it
I helped my besties at Hermit & Star Books rebrand their “Parliament of Twilight” series into something even bigger and better than it was before, kind of like crossing “Game of Thrones”, “Supernatural”, and “Queer as Folk” into this amazing, scary, brilliant epic story playing out across all these characters' lives with intertwining plot lines.. Book Two is in the editing stages right now and they're writing Book Three. As their editor and number one fangirl I can tell you they are just getting better.. or worse (depending on how much abuse you like your characters to have).
Creatively speaking, I learned to embroider eyes for my Deluxe Cuddle Buddies this year and they just look incredible. I'm so proud of the work I've been doing. I love comparing my creative progress to where I started, old plushies to new. Hard to believe I've only been making them for four years.. like this – the first Dr. Stein plushie I made to the one I made just a couple months ago.
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Wow.. the difference is just crazy to me. And I tried something really new for me – my Usagi and Misaki plushies are made totally out of felt, clothes and all. They turned out SO CUTE! I think I'm gonna keep that style with the button eyes because it really suits them. Unless, of course, someone requests the embroidered ones. Gotta make some more baby ponies so I can see what they look like with the embroidered eyes.. so, so many things I want to work on!
Like I said.. it's been a very busy year! I'm sure that I've left something out but there was just too much going on.. and I'm hoping that 2015 will be just as busy, amazing and enlightening!
So how was your 2014?
~Seth