starting a new chapter in my life today. Headed back to a day job PT here for the first time in 6 years. It will be nice to get a steady paycheck every 2 weeks for a change I think. I’m looking forward to the opportunity of just putting in my hours and then leaving at the end of the day too. I’ll still be freelancing on the side of course, doing digital painting, sketch card and coloring commissions, and I WILL take on the occasional coloring project, whether it’s a graphic novel, comic book, mini-series or something along those lines. But I won’t be killing myself for companies anymore just to have books on the stands, and then to end up waiting months to be paid for them. If DC or Marvel come calling, maybe IDW or Darkhorse, I’ll consider taking on a project from them as I know they’re on more secure footing financially. Other than that, I’ll be taking on projects that I want to work on, and negotiating my own payment terms (which won’t be 30 days after invoicing, or publication or anything like that) I’m going to be in a position myself here now to require some form of upfront payment (33%, 50% or something) and then the rest on completion. If you can’t pay me any money upfront, I won’t be lending my talents to your project. And what I’ve learned really in the last 6 years running my own company, is that regardless of whether it’s illustration, web or graphic design, marketing, advertising…if someone is not willing to put any money upfront on a project, they’re likely not too fussed about paying you in a timely manner, if at all, when you get done with the work.

So moving on, I’m going to enjoy doing advertising design again I think, likely be doing some static web design, and other things as they crop up. I’m going to enjoy working on my OWN projects when I don’t have paying freelance work, and generally just enjoying my family and the great life that I have. There are 2 things that I am working on now, the Flobots webcomic, and my own creator owned project Sprocket: A Rift in Time. Working with long time pal and collaborator DJ Coffman, we’re going to really be focusing on long form story telling online, and then in GN format. We quite literally have all the tools we need, not to mention a plethora of idea between us in just about every genre imaginable, to keep cranking out awesome content for years and years on end. It’s going to be quite a change of pace that’s for sure.

So, maybe more blogging will be happening on a regular basis. Or maybe I’ll be outside on the patio by the water garden enjoying a tall glass of gin and juice and just forgetting about the problems of the real world.