Slightly Tuned Out

My YC116 Expedition has been somewhat on hold in the last few weeks.

First of all, work life is busy. When you're a self-employed artist, it tends to be feast or famine. I went from having almost no work to having a couple of months' worth of commissions and a few teaching obligations in the space of a couple of weeks. While I have some control of how much time I actually work, I like money. Which means that when there is work in my queue I prefer to get it done before flying around in Internet spaceships.

Secondly, it's summer and that means more time needs to be spent on house/farm projects. And it means there is more stuff I'd rather be doing outside...like trail riding or gardening or dragging my plein air gear out to the woods to paint there.

And third, we're having summer frigate smackdown matches in Stay Frosty and I've been hanging around Ishomilken to get my matches done. This kind of slow-motion obligation kinda grates on me...but I hate to forfeit just for the sake getting on with my expedition. Considering who my Round 2 opponent is, I'm pretty sure I'll be out after we have our match. We'll see! We were joking the other day that our mutually shitty internet connections might be the real deciding factor in who wins.

On a side note, an old Eve friend resurfaced recently. He tells me he is having a grand time with a new character in RvB and suggested I join up. It sounds like a fun thing to do with my cyno/hauler alt Sera. She's got about 4M SPs and can fly Stealth Bombers and T1 frigs okay. The question is, does it offer more fun than I'm already having in low sec? Maybe, if people aren't as risk averse. And it will offer regular PvP fixes once Mynxee resumes her wandering. Something to ponder...

See you in space...more #podjournal posts ARE coming...eventually.

IC: A Distant Voice Goes Quiet

Transcript: Even wandering in w-space, the big events filter through. It seems my old friend Ripard Teg is stepping out of the public eye. The most noticeable effect of this is that he is discontinuing his prolific journaling on matters in New Eden. A great loss of shared info, wisdom, and discussion in the capsuleer community. I do hope all is well and perhaps we will catch up in another venue when I return to k-space.

Capsuleers Have an Evil Streak...

...I mean, just LOOK at this photo published on Twitter by Alice Vorpalis at lunch time today right when I was starving. And not a drop of Nutella to be found in-station. Dammit! Time for a quick trip to Jita...

IC: Steve's Remains

Journal Spread

Left Page

Right Page

Transcript (because Mynxee has scrawly handwriting):

I arrived in C9N-CC after a few uneventful jumps from HT4K-M where I got into null from a wormhole.

 The baleful and sullen red glow of this system's star casts an appropriately gloomy pall over everything. A suitable grave for a Titan.

Although broken and scorched, automated systems with their eternal power sources still issue garbled information over audio channels and keep red lights on deep in the guts of the wreck. It is eerie; considering the thousands who died here, one can easily imagine legions of ghosts presiding over what was once surely their pride and joy. 
The resources to build such a monstrously huge ship must have been staggering--and yet despite the efforts of salvagers over the years, so much still remains. 

Someone on Sugar Kyle's blog suggested she post source images that inspired or informed her #podjournal posts. It's a good idea so I'll start doing it here, too.

IC: Biding Time, Coincidences, Paradox

Note: For the creatively interested, I am using a small watercolor sketch kit made from a repurposed watchmaker's case (Lee Valley Tools). The small tins are filled with artist quality pigments from tubes and allowed to dry. The pigment rewets easily with water. Other items in the kit include a cheap Pilot varsity fountain pen refilled with Noodler's Lexington Gray ink (waterproof), a couple of Kolinsky travel brushes, a lead holder, eraser (not shown), and Sharpie. Add a small container of water and a napkin or paper towel and I have all the tools necessary to sketch to my heart's content. I often take this small kit and sketchbook with me in case the opportunity to sketch presents itself when out running errands or taking a coffee break somewhere pleasant. 

I imagine that even in far future New Eden, traditional methods of making art will persist. As a capsuleer, Mynxee is both dependent on and integrated with extremely advanced technology. This offers an interesting contrast with her human need to express herself creatively using non-technical tools. In her years planet-side while on hiatus, she spent time close to nature in a low-tech wilderness cabin where she had time and inclination to develop her artistic skills. No skill books needed, just practice, practice, practice!

IC: Titanomachy

Note: Mynxee's expedition journal is being created in a Moleskine small watercolor journal using a pencil, ultra-fine Sharpie, and watercolors. As I explore, I am either sketching directly from what I see on the screen or from screenshots referenced later. There is a long tradition of explorers preserving their observations and thoughts in journals. Even now in our heavily digitized age, illustrated journaling and urban sketching are becoming ever more widespread as creative observers of the world seek to record their experiences in a highly personal way. Through drawing and writing about a place or event in the moment, one can capture memories, emotion, and essence far more accurately than any camera--even when the nitty-gritty details may be less than accurate. Journal pages can usually stand alone without any further commentary. So it will generally be with Mynxee's journal. Feel free to ask questions in the comments if you wonder about the process, subject or anything else to do with this project.

IC: The YC116 Expedition Begins

Note: My old blog Life in Low Sec contained posts written both from a player and character point of view. I'll be doing the same thing on this blog. To make it a little easier to recognize when I'm speaking in-character, those posts will have the prefix "IC" in the title, be tagged IC, and written in third person. Enjoy!

"Sure you're ready for this, Mynx?" Rixx asked.

She smiled and nodded, idly watching crew members prepping Lasher. "Oh yes. After three years wandering planet-side, I guess I'm just not ready to settle into one place yet."

Rixx nodded. "Any idea how long you'll be away"? 

"Not really," she said, and held up a small black journal. "As long as it takes to fill these pages with sketches and musings about the trip, maybe?"

"Charmingly low tech," he said dryly. "Keep in touch, we want to know how things are going. Need anything, you know who to call."

"Of course...and thank you. I'll chat and share my journal when I can. And hey, depending on how the wormhole connections work out -- or for that matter, my luck in keeping my ship and crew in one piece -- you'll probably see me making pit stops in Isho from time to time." 

Rixx  smiled and said, "I'm a little jealous, you know. Running off on a long-term expedition without any agenda or plan has a certain appeal." 

They both laughed. They both knew Rixx was far too responsible to do any such thing. 

"I do have a plan, though," Mynxee said. "The plan is to explore...and profit if the opportunity presents itself. You just never know what or who you might find out there."

Rixx indicated the crew. "Looks like they're done. Be seeing you around, Mynx."

With a warm handshake, he turned and walked away. "Take good care of my cat!" Mynxee called after him. He raised a hand and gave a good natured wave without looking back. Taking a last look around herself, she headed for her ship, journal in hand.