Hello, Brian here. That struck me as a good question to answer (in fact, I probably should have answered it earlier). So, I thought I’d lay it out here, so you can decide if it is worth your time to stick around… or come back.
Me
First off, let me tell you a little about myself. Poke around the site or one of my social media locales, and you’ll see that I’m an aspiring author and artist. I say aspiring as I am not yet published, because I don’t yet have anything ready to be published. But I’m working on it, and hope to have something out by the end of the year. I plan to go the self-published route unless and until I get a favorable contract from a publisher.
I’m also a DIY’er. I generally make my own home improvements, do my own auto maintenance, and build my own computers. I try to know well enough when I’m in over my head and need to bring in help, but I like to do as much as I reasonably can myself and learn to do that which I currently cannot. That figures in to this site and my work a lot.
I’ve worked full-time in IT since 1999. So, I bring quite a bit of technical knowledge and knowhow to the table. I’m learning to apply that skill set and my DIY attitude to the requirements of producing blogs, eBooks, print books, etc.
I’m a former college adjunct instructor, tutor, and Scout leader. I believe I have the heart of a teacher.
I like to watch and learn about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing works of art, whether that’s film, literature, or illustration.
What I’m not is a classically-trained artist. I also don’t have a degree in literature, English, or a related field. So, I am not an authority on art or writing. However, I have a passion for art and drawing, literature and writing. I’m working to improve my craft.
This site
I want to invite you to come along with me on my journey as I learn the in’s and out’s of self-publishing and digital art. I want to give back to the community which has helped me. I want to teach and help those who follow behind me. For those interested in the creative process, I want to lay bare what I’ve done to accomplish what I have accomplished and will accomplish. For future fans, I want to be accessible. So, I’ll try to address all those with this site.
I’m going to blog about the creative process. I’ll show you how I produce my artwork. I’ll talk about how I write, edit, and produce books. I’ll stumble and make mistakes, but I’ll learn from them and share them with you to save you from making those same mistakes. I will welcome your comments on my posts and will do my best to respond to email, tweets, posts. I even put a forum on the site so that I’m not always the one to direct the conversation. I want to hear your questions, thoughts, and feedback. I want this site to be useful to you, informative and entertaining. I hope to learn from you, too.
I’m not going to bombard you with advertising. Sure, when I have something for sale, I’ll mention it and provide you with a link to purchase it. But I also plan to give stuff away, and I’ll mention when that’s the case, too. I won’t harp on either. Beyond that, you should not see any ads on here. I’ll let you know about products I use and like, but the only monetization I have going on this site is affiliate links to Amazon. If you follow those and make a purchase, your cost will be the same but I’ll get a small referral fee. If you want to support me, buy something or follow the Amazon links. Or don’t. You’re welcome here either way.
I try to blog at least once a month. I may blog more frequently in the future, but right now I’m trying to focus on the books and illustration work I have in progress. I also have some things planned for the future for the site, like a FAQ, an art gallery, library, and store.
Should you stay or should you go?
You should have a good idea of what I offer and plan to offer, now. I hope you stick around or come back to see what’s changed, or at least sign up for one of the feeds so you know when I have new content up. I think we’ll have fun. I’ll bring you the best content that I can. I can’t promise you that I’ll always be right or that I’ll always do things the right way. You may even find information here that contradicts what you’ve read elsewhere. That’s okay. The proof is in the final product. If the other guy’s (or gal’s) stuff is better than mine, probably best to follow their advice. If you like mine better, maybe my way’s the way to go.
If this sounds good, please drop me a comment (or email or tweet or etc.). I’d like to meet you and hear your thoughts.
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