It happened. It happened as it always happens. I got busy. I got busy, and I suck at schedules. And routines. Unless money is involved, in which case I’m 50% better, which would bring my average up to a grand total of 25% out of 100%.

“Busy doing what?” I hear you cry. “What is more important than this. Huh?” I hear you wail from between clenched teeth. “Whaaaat?!” Firstly, calm down. Secondly, put down the knife. Third, I landed like ten billion jobs all at once. The two most important ones being I’m an Arts Officer for The City of Greater Geelong in my hometown of the same name (that’s right, I even have a badge) and, I magically became a teacher, also in my hometown, at The Gordon Institute of TAFE, where I’m teaching a mix of 2D and 3D screen media classes, with some web and games design mixed in for good chaotic measure. And, it’s fun. I’m enjoying the work, I’m getting paid well, and more importantly, it’s getting me out of the house. Which, let’s be honest, is a good idea for everyone.

In between all of this, I’m also doing a TAE at the same TAFE I’m working at, while raising two kids, drawing things for fun, occasionally nodding congenially to my wife whenever I pass her in the hall, and attempting to continue doing the thing I actually love, animation. But that last one is hard. And I’ve found it VERY slow going. I’m pretty good at doing my own work, but as the start of this blog can attest, that motivation eventually winds down, and I start to ask why I’m doing this, and then I stop. Being indy is fun, yes, but sometimes that’s not enough. And I have tried to find some paid work in this area, but that has also been slow going. I suspect that in my seven years of running a small animation studio in Geelong, before it blew up after my old business partner was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison, I somehow became estranged from the very industry in which that business was supposedly in. The mind boggles. Or is that Unos?

Regardless, it makes sense. I was no longer in steady contact with a tightly knit network, and like all networks, if you don’t put them in partial sun and occasionally water them, they stop emailing. Or something. I don’t know. I’m not a writer. I just have an internet connection and a computer. Which probably does make me a writer, if you include that the computer is connected to a keyboard.

I am trying to keep myself in animation, however. And although I’m yet again complaining in blog-form, I am collaborating on three independent projects, all at various stages of me having no time to do them, for which I can never apologise enough to the people who want to work with me and who I am, very slowly, letting down. Just know that I love you and I think of you often. I will reply to your text messages eventually. If that’s you, I hope this helps. Outside of actual, you know, help.

So that’s that. Another blog down for another six months. And, like all of my posts, I’ll add some images for you to look at. I hope, as always, that you enjoy them.