It seems as if everything just unlocked all of a sudden, or as if the sun rose behind the hills, allowing me to see and enjoy the landscape.
I have had my zazzle store up and running for quite some time now, but I never gave it significant importance nor hopes.
I have been drawing Puffies since 2005, but they were most likely ignored and not taken ... well, seriously is a word far too out of reach to be even considered...
But let me start this off as it should. I have a tendency to wander off when I attempt to create introduction contexts.
Today I walked down to the nearest Staples store located inside the Marché Central to pick up printed posters which were ready for me, which I dropped off yesterday morning, got the call yesterday afternoon past 5pm, and went to pick them today.
I go there and nicely wait in line, while a gentleman was being served - printing CVs and reference letters in multiple amounts. My posters were given to me and opened before so that I can test proof them or see if i am satisfied. I nearly fell on the floor with contentment! The quality of the paper - a stronger glossy thick cardboard-ish sort of paper! in that poster format (18x24)! The ... feeling of seeing your work printed like that, looking all perfect and professional! I was squealing, I will admit it!
The posters had white boarders because in the process of resizing them - i had originally designed them 27x40inches which is a real movie poster standard format - and since the printing team was nice enough to not cut off my copyright and other texts - they printed as they could and left the white edges which the printing department asked me if I wanted off. While they did, I tried to print a set of cards I designed for deviantart.com community project, which didn't quite worked out, so I will drop them off tomorrow or Monday to be printed and sent off as soon as they are ready. So, I go back to the desk, pick up my stuff, and head out.
Staples and the Dollar Store are one next to each other and there is a bench in front of the dollar store where people sit down or sort their purchases. I saw a man there but I thought, I'll take the far out side and put away my posters. What was not my surprise when I noticed that the man was the client before me, at Staples! I do now know if he in fact waited me out or if this was random, but, he addressed me nonetheless and asked if the posters were real movie posters, to which I giggled and confessed that no, they were fake movie posters that I designed and illustrated.
I take off the elastics and show him my works, explaining that, since I don't draw humans, this is my way of doing art.
The first one top was Project Wendy, and I felt the need to generally give him a context.
"You know the movies Thor and The Avengers?"
"Yes."
"The guy who plays Loki did a sort of a sketch or something in which he was a fake delivery man, he improvised this mustache, which he called Wendy and it became a social thing on the internet. This is a silly little thing done inspired by that. And the rest is for his birthday present."
Then came Midnight in Paris (also landscape oriented) to which I precised that I hadn't seen the movie, but the title inspired me. Then the Christmas ones with my own characters which he totally loved! I shared the joke behind Ding!Dong! The Christmas bells are ringing which started off as my friend spotting 3-4 snowflakes one afternoon and my character Sybille feeling the need to knit them scarves and tuques. Then I introduced him to Suzy Snowflake, a classic old winter holiday song and Tommy's Angels, to which he instantly recognized the Charlie's Angels reference! I was so happy! And lastly Walpurgis Night (with German title).
He congratulated me again and shared his appreciation of my work. He asked me if I was working and I said no, not at this moment, but now, with some time, I wonder if he didn't mean if I worked as a professional illustrator or publicity creator.
He shared his appreciation of my work once more and I finished wrapping my stuff, as he also left and went on his way.
When I was done, I also went in the same direction to walk back home and haha - there he was on the same street, and we met again at the corner before we crossed. I then sort of walked ahead of him and he probably went on his merry way home and me, to mine.
But the fact that a total random stranger liked my work so much! with repeated praises comforted me and reassured me in my ... desire to send these off to my Muse. I doubted a couple of times, to even finish them, then to print, then to send them, but each time, I either got a dream, or a sign - like today - that I was doing the right thing.
After I got home, and made myself a tea, and created the official Puffies page on facebook, I went to Zazzle to check my stuff and add the Christmas cards designs and what is not my surprise, as i go through the profile update procedure, to notice that I actually sold items! I know that I had sold Sybille doing sky or winter sports last year or so, and I was not expecting anything after that! But i'm thrilled to see that I also sold a men's t-shirt of Mjolnir (Thor's Hammer), Kitty Khat (the blue and purple illustrated fantasy ca), and Christmas hollies sticker :D
Today was grand! And just to know that there is someone out there wearing MY design! it's grand!
Tony Stark / Iron Man
[ ] You like booze - nothing like Jack Daniels meets Dr. Pepper
[X] You are the life of the party - I can thrown in a few good lines and crack some jokes
[X] You love gadgets - d'uuuh!
[ ] You can be rather cocky
[] Your favorite color is red or gold - PINK and grey
[X] You're good with computers - noob geek, working on being a real geek
[X] You use sarcasm a lot - you can't possibly imagine.
[] You love getting attention - nah. I try to stay clear out of it
[ ] You're good at mechanics - I suck so bad it's not funny!
[X] You have issues with your parents - Yup. Massive ones.