Some old stuff I did in After Effects mixed with some new, jittery Photoshop animation.
Blog
bookmark_borderOptical Illusion Snake
Just uploading stuff I’ve collected over the years from my external hard drive.
bookmark_borderNot so random thoughts on selling crystals
I’ve been thinking about this more and more lately, and the thought really hasn’t gone away so I’m going to just type it out here.
I’m thinking that once I sell everything, I will not restock on more crystals for the shop. As much as I love crystals and stones, part of me feels like I’m contributing to the exploitation of the earth. So I’m going to stop or cut back.
I’m also aware that none of this is really going to stop, that people are going to keep mining, selling minerals and there will be buyers. As the world turns. On the other hand, one of the people I learn from recently said that crystals have their own karmic route so…yeah. I guess we’ll see.
It’s been an interesting 2 years of experimentation with building up this crystal shop and I’ve learned a lot about myself. I learned that I don’t like to be pushy and manipulative so obviously it takes longer to sell minerals but I’m fine with that. I also don’t like the competitiveness of it all so I think I will find ways to exploit my damn self with all the skills that I have.
I also think people just aren’t spending as much.
I’m still thinking about Patreon but I need to build up a bigger audience before I jump on it.
bookmark_borderFlickr is dead.☠️
I spent the last couple of days deleting all my photos, since the free version only allows 1000 photos.
Most of the photos were photos from my graffiti painting days, photos of other people’s graffiti/tattoo/art and friends that have come and gone.
bookmark_borderWhy TF Am I Like This?
Why can’t I just be patient and watch something I’ve been growing and putting energy into become a thing? Is it my astro makeup that makes me this way…
Like for example, I am and have been getting bored with sellling crystals. I think it probably shows. I am also getting bored with trying to get clients for crystal healing and/or reiki. I’m not giving up, it just gets tiring I guess.
I know there’s nothing wrong with me, but I still can’t help but feel that I can get so disinterested with something so quickly and it bugs me. Is it Cancer season, making me feel inconsistent and wishy washy…seriously, what the fuck. Is it all these cosmic energies making me feel out of whack?
I guess I will never know.?
On the upside, since I’ve not been spending money as much and since my rent went up by $100, I’ve been revisiting old books that I have at home and re-reading them, like “You Are Psychic” by Debra Lynne Katz. At the time I bought the book, it was a hard book to read. 7 years later I feel like as if it ties in nicely with the work I’m doing now.
Anyway, here’s a large, satisfying animated gif of bubbles I created in After Effects a few years ago.
bookmark_borderBROOD MOOD?
Summer, my least favorite season especially this year since the A/C has not been working for 3 weeks now…but at least the traffic is light and there are less people around.
I really wish I had this sweater because I’d probably wear it 24/7.
I switched gears yet again, typical Sagittarius. I’m starting to accept that this is who I am, that I can’t stick to one thing. Been playing around and trying to learn Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, but now I feel like I might need a newer computer to handle the more graphic intensive stuff. Anyways, I’m just experimenting and having fun. Check out my YouTube channel for my crystal shop here to see what I’ve been up to.
I’m still thinking about starting up a Patreon but have no idea what to offer – animated gifs, digital art, Photoshop tutorials, meditation videos?
bookmark_borderMeditation Video Experiments #1
I am really happy with how this video turned out, (even though YouTube butchered the quality after I uploaded it). So now it’s living on Vimeo and I tweaked the colors in Premiere. Getting older is pretty much equal to giving less fucks and not caring about others opinions and I love it. I am loving myself and what’s been wanting to express itself through video. I am thankful that I did those random talking videos to practice talking on Instagram, as it really did help me to be able to express myself.
Of course if you know me, I have to find ways to stand out from everyone else. Maybe it’s all been done before, but hey – it’s new to me and that’s all that matters.
Calling your energy back to yourself (at least to me) means you’re not liking, following and scrolling on Instagram as much. I was guilty of this for such a long time and it really kept me from creating anything for myself. Well not anymore; even if I don’t have a consistent amount of clients, I’ve made a promise to myself to stay creative and push myself to keep on learning.
Sales at my crystal shop have slowed down a lot, but at the same time I really don’t mind; it seems that the less sales I make, the less taxes I have to pay. Paying taxes in California sucks in my experience if you have a business – it’s no wonder so many people avoid paying it. Their system needs a major upgrade too as I got into a little messy situation with them for not paying on time, even though I did pay the full amount eventually. I exercised patience and persistence and it served me well.
bookmark_borderPsychedelic Butterfly Witch
I really love how this one turned out. Yes, I put an Instagram filter on it to make it even darker and more moodier, but wow go me. I really need to play with After Effects more and still would love to learn Cinema 4D. I learned both in 2004 but never got around to using it. So why don’t I pick it up again? Oh yeah, it’s because I spend too much time on the gram and social media in general instead of creating/learning more. Sigh, so lame…
What have I been up to? I’ve been more quiet, playing/experimenting with both my Instagrams. Sales/acquiring clients is still challenging especially for this introvert but at the same time I’m getting better at talking about my stuff. I am advertising but with very small budgets. But I also honestly believe that all markets are flooded with digital content; it’s getting harder to grab people’s attention online but that’s okay, I’m not super concerned about it. Everything will work itself out.
Thankful that I have a fulltime job so I can learn, play and experiment with my business ideas. I’ve resisted, struggled and questioned as to why I’m still here 5 years later, but now I understand. I entertained the idea of entrepreneurship for some time, but now I know it’s really not for me – I’m just not a hustler. Even though it has been challenging getting clients, I still believe that everything comes easily and effortlessly if I just allow it and to give it time.
Majority of my money has been going to bills (which I’m also thankful for) but I’ve also incurred some debt while experimenting with my business ideas. So I’ve been trying to cut back on purchasing witchy, magickal things and just keeping it basic. In the meantime, I’m back to the self-help thing while I save money. Not really driving too far to make my car last longer, which also saves on gas.
bookmark_borderSome more notes on the business of healing
+ Don’t give people suggestions/advice on how to manage their chronic pain; unless you have it you can’t ever know what they’re going through so it’s best not to say anything. Only those who actually have to live with it know, so be mindful of what you say.
+ As much as I want clients for my crystal healing practice, I’ll keep putting myself out there but will not force myself on anyone.
+ I’ve asked myself a bunch of times already why am I doing this – why do I keep pushing for it, why do I keep pursuing these things. Is it my ego? It sure doesn’t feel like it this time around, it feels like something else…something bigger than myself yet still infused with my artistic abilities. It’s going to take time to build, but stick with it.
+ Reiki is a lot more popular than crystal healing. You might get clients quicker if you offered Reiki instead. Should you follow the crowd? My higher self says: no, don’t follow the masses. You know deep down that the Reiki system has been corrupted.
+ Some people are straight up cheesy. I refuse to be cheesy, even if it means not being what people expect a healing arts practitioner to be.
Obviously I’ve had serious questions about the things I’ve been doing and why I’m doing them. It can be a total mindfuck sometimes. We must continuously examine our own motives for doing things we do.
bookmark_borderNot So Random Thoughts
Today is my 2 year anniversary for Metaphysical Vibes, on Earth Day. I didn’t feel the need to make a big deal out of it; I learned that in these last 2 years, people really only pay attention to you when you’re doing a giveaway or giving something away for free which essentially is the same thing. And that’s totally fine, I have no feelings about it – just an observation.
I guess I am tired and want to sleep for all eternity. Not depressed or suicidal, just tired of living by this world’s standards. It’s not like life has been hard or anything, it’s been quite easy actually. I’ve let go of a lot of stuff and I am clear now, I know because I’m around myself 24/7. I want eternal rest and relaxation, I want to float on a cloud, I want to be on a secluded beach with all my crystals, I want to be a star, a giant ultra bright and colorful gassy star. I don’t know. Just daydreaming, just rambling. I crave to be formless. I suppose those who are formless dream of being in a form, while those of us who are in a bio-container dream of the opposite.
Being consistent is tiring for me. I’ve been trying not to have expectations anymore. But when you put a lot of effort into something, inevitably you will have expectations.
I made this GIF at work today and repurposed it to reflect my mood.