So my opening reception for the gallery is tomorrow night! A ton of my friends from High school are going to be here, as well as Kori, Peter, & Micah! I'm sooooo excited to see EVERYONE! Then Saturday is the big opening day, and then I will officially be a small business owner. Scaaaary and exciting!

I'm also going to be on the local access tv on "Spotlight Georgetown" to talk about the space! That came out of the blue, but awesome free advertisement. I'm filming with them on Wednesday.

Which, unfortunately, means I have to give up almost all my shifts at Joe's. I'm so broke right now ;_______; I'm gonna have to borrow $$$ from my rents to

a) pay the rent
b) go to the topsfield fair

Both are very important. But who knows, maybe I'll sell a bunch of art and not have to worry about all that! Anyway, this weekend is going to be amazing. I can't wait!

The opening is approaching quite quickly! I knew this was going to happen, but still- STRESSFUL! My business checks came in the mail the other day and I danced around my kitchen like a total nerd, lol. And the hanging system was delivered this week as well. THAT looks confusing as all hell. Setting it up is going to be a headache and a half :*(

Buuuut, The Georgetown Record ran the article on the shop- front page news bitches! I'll post a link once they put it up on the website. They did a really good job! And as you can see I finished designing the postcard, which doubles as an invite for our exclusive invitation only opening. I mailed a bunch out yesterday- more to be sent later today. And the gallery section of the website is pretty much done, aside from a few tweaks. www.jayshay.com/gallery

Things left to do:

Set up Credit Card Processing System
Install Hanging System
Collect final work from artists
Hang!

A fairly short list but VERY time consuming. But that's what owning your own business is aaaaall about, right?

I'm giving an interview to the Georgetown Record today about the studio/gallery opening up. It will be running in next Thursday's issue.

The thing I really want to get across in the article is how much support there is among the art community- and that this establishment isn't just about me (although, that is how it started out). From meeting all the artists that have put work in, and getting to know the artistic area, I'm amazed at how much support every artist gives to each other. A photographer I talked to brought a friend who does amazing watercolors with her to introduce to me, and I ended up getting four painting from her. And I keep getting emails from other artists who got my name from friends of theirs.

People are always telling me what an unstable time this is to be opening up a new business, but I think it's quite the opposite. Especially for this type of business. Everyone is struggling to get their work and their voice out there: and Georgetown has been SO culturally deprived for so long- I think this is an amazing opportunity not only for artists to be able to come together and show, but for the town to see what's out there, what people are doing, that even in this time of uncertainty people still make beautiful things and pursue their dreams.

And maybe they'll even buy something. haha.

I'm just really glad that this community exists here. It was something that I lost in Maine. I realized this morning that I can tell people I had a "falling out". I've never been able to use that phrase, lol. Ever since I moved back I felt like *almost* everyone I worked with up in Portland just kind of cut me off. I felt very alone, artistically, down here.

But now I'm finding that I'm not. There are other artists all around me in my little country town. Granted, they are completely different artists than the people I used to work with. And totally out of my age group, but whatever.

So that's that. All in all, this endeavor of mine is going a lot smoother than I ever could have hoped. For a while I was afraid I wouldn't have any art at all to put up on the walls. Now I have too much, I'm afraid I won't be able to fit it all! And I already have people interested in showing when I start to switch stuff out in a few months.

I am still a little bummed that the Portlanders let me down and show no interest in what I'm trying to do here. But that's something that's going to take me a while to get over. In the meantime I have a wonderfully busy and rewarding life going on right here right now.

Finances this month are going to be pretty tight. I'm not going to have a lot of wiggle room money wise. The summer season at the restaurant is coming to an end... so $200 Saturday doubles are going to be hard to come by...

It's been a while since I made one, but I think it's time to put together another budget. I've gotta make it through this month to get the store open. Then hopefully I'll have another source of income coming in. So it's time to tighten the belt. No more weekly trips to the bar. No more movie tickets. No more new books/games/clothes. Time to prioritize my spending (& saving).

Things that need payment:

- Rent
- Electric Bill
- Student Loan
- Target Bill
- Verizon Bill
- Prints for Gallery
- Frames for Prints

It's kind of scary how I push bills out who aren't due right away. That's how you get in trouble! Those dates sneak up on you!!

I am so excited about my new redesigned website!!! It's coming out so good! It's gonna have to wait to relaunch til September. I pretty much finished the Studio section, but the Gallery section is going to take a little more work (which I'm not really looking forward to, but oh well)

Keep your eyes open for a new and improved KICKASS jayshay.com!

I bought a hammerhead shark necklace yesterday.

Yesterday I had the worst two women ever.
First of all, they sit outside in the rain.
Second, they complain about the mustard crusted chicken not "tasting mustardy enough".
To which I bring extra mustard.
After which they complain about the mosquitos.

...you're sitting outside!!!

So I drop the bill, and my manager goes over to talk to them.
They tell him they're never coming back.... BECAUSE OF THE MOSQUITOS! WTF?!!?

So he comps their bill.
And they leave me no tip.
And they take my super nice pen.


bitches.

I have so many ideas in my head right now. So much I want to work on. I can't wait to start seeing everything come together.

In addition to my webcomic 2:15, I'm thinking about also making my weekly strip, Apt. C3 a webcomic as well. It'll probably update on Sundays, and 2:15 will keep it's Tuesday/Friday sched. I really miss making Apt. C3 strips. It is SO much fun. I just got distracted by so much and kind of pushed it to the back burner.

Micah also sent me a wonderful postcard the other day that re-lit a flame for postcard comics that I've wanted to try out. I'll have to figure out exactly how that'll work, but I love the idea. Mail art has always been a (not so) secret passion of mine.

On top of that, I'm also working on scripting a graphic novel. This story has been rolling around and evolving in my head since high school, and this is the first attempt where it actually looks like it'll make sense and work. For those of you who follow me on dA, I've posted some character sheets and sketches. It's an action/adventure/romance/fantasy. With pirates. Sky pirates. and Flying Deer. it's epic! lol.

I also want to get back into painting. Not just watercolors, but my acrylic painting. I bought all new paints and a few boards and I just want to dive back into it. Because, although at times I'm very lazy, I do miss it.

On the studio/gallery end of things, I'm getting really nervous because NOONE has gotten back to me about putting any art in. I know Kori's got some stuff she's willing to give me, but other than that, out of the 30 or more people I've contacted, I haven't heard a thing. Which is the main reason I keep pushing back my opening date. Now it's looking more like September. Which is fine by me. I just really wish someone would email me with some stuff they'd like to put in here.

And then that makes me kind of paranoid about the people I knew up in Portland. After I left, a lot of shit happened, and now I feel like, even though I didn't really have anything to do with anything that happened, I'm being ignored and given the cold shoulder... virtually. I actually broke down in front of my parents about it the other week. I just feel like I lost some friends, and I don't know why. It bothers me. Because... not to toot my own horn, but I'm an amazing person and an awesome friend. I don't feel like I did anything to offend anyone or created a situation in which I should for some reason now find myself blacklisted from a certain group of people. I don't know. Maybe I'm overthinking it. Maybe they're just lazy and don't want to respond to anything I send them.

Maybe I'll ask.
or maybe I won't.

anyway, I've got a great group of friends at home, and really wonderful BFFLs scattered about the country. I know they'll always be there for me, even when some people drift away.

my art sucks lately. i really need to get into the studio so I can get down to business. I feel like I haven't made anything decent in forever, and it's making me depressed. Like I'm slipping. I don't like this feeling at all.

So I'm leaving to go camping for the weekend in less than three hours. I haven't packed a thing. And it's a thunderstorm outside. It's gonna be one hell of a time. I'm bringing so many sweatshirts.

Never-the-less, alcohol will only make this trip better. Off to buy lots of beer!