Repetition

A huge part of this whole process is repetition. I am teaching myself to do the same things over and over again, and to do them correctly.

There really is no fast way to do any of this. It's going to take a long time for each piece to come together, and be exactly what I want it to be. For the desired outcome to be realistic, my work has to be quick but not rushed, simple and nuanced.

I'm painfully aware of how far away that goal is right now but I'm trying. All that I can do is draw. You probably have no idea how many times I've scrawled these shapes and lines onto paper tonight.

What does 'Magnetoplasmhuhwhatnow' mean?

Don't worry about it.

I used to make things. In fact, I used to make things all of the time. Not that my artistic ability is anything to marvel at, but I devoted everything in me to being creative, and it was very fulfilling.

That was a decade ago. I have done nothing in the interim except grow up, get a few diplomas, start a family, play games, listen to books, play music and watch movies and television. Whereas I once created, I now consume.

That fact bothers me and wears me down on a daily basis.

My wife suggested I start a blog as a jumping-off-point. I have resisted that until now. I am quite versed in internet culture; I know what is out there. I know that I'm not going to find validation or inspiration.

What I want to build, in various forms, is a continuity of an alternate future history for the purposes of telling hard science fiction stories. I have been brewing these ideas, characters and concepts for almost seven years now. Over that length of time my personal views have evolved, my politics have shifted and my entire life has irrevocably been altered more than once.

Honestly, my one true hope here is to gain an audience. I know that's a long shot. I submit the words that I type to the void. So be it. Here are some of the things involved.