System Andromeda

Update 2011:: September-October

2011-12-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

Wow. Did those two months get away from me. To be honest, I'm having trouble recalling any events in a singular timeframe. Everything just blurred together the past two months.

September started while still at Burning Man, which I cannot begin to comment on here. I will post eventually on the beauty of this event, so stay close to my other blog (linked on the right), but for now let it suffice to say that the universe was totally working for me and the Playa magic was insane this year.

As I returned, I had a couple of hectic days of work, and then jumped on a plane for the second phase of my travels. That was much more relaxing, and I had an excellent time.

After my return, it became all about work...playing catch-up and preparing for new people & projects....and the big news: I went permanent. That's right. I have a job now. And I really like it. The work is challenging and I like the people and what we do. I will probably refrain from talking about it here; it's just how I roll. But money woes are mostly over and I can get on track with savings and other things...yay!

The other big recent thing in my life has pretty much been exclusively about this:

I won't go farther into it except to say that he is exactly as cute as he looks there and, like all good cats, far crazier than he looks here:

Crazy eyes

If you're truly interested, check out this post on him from my other blog.

Other than that, I've spent a lot of time resting and reflecting, basking in the glory of not having to wonder if I'll make rent the following month, etc. In short, RELIEF has prevailed.

Thank you.

Super Meca-Update:: Pt 3: July & August '11 - Feeling the Burn

2011-12-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

Excerpt August 2011
July
As surely as we felt the shadow of the last six months, I felt the clear illumination brought by the solstice when July dawned with...that's right - yet another eclipse (partial Solar again), signaling the end of the shadow.

Not only had we left the struggle of the first part of this year behind, but the contest from last month had me all revved up with ideas and, after what has felt like a desert spell of inspiration, I wanted to write again. I began to write a film short, though I put that on hold when one assignment terminated and another begun, which has taken up a good portion of my time - either in execution or in rest - ever since.

I call this stage the integration of my so-called "other" life. I like to do temp admin work, and it's amazing how integral that part of my life is to the others....not simply as a means to pay the bills, but because without it, I would probably have failed at most things a long time ago. Being able to organize and work efficiently is vital when you are tackling more than one major project on your own. More than that, though, is that I enjoy the work. I like my staffing agency, the clients, and the work satisfies some part that creating alone simply cannot. And the flip side of this is that my creativity allows me to be better at this job. It is actually uncanny the difference you can tell between those who have artistic backgrounds and those who don't. The ones who don't seem to have the most difficulty adapting to new circumstances...that's not a dig, simply an observation, and it goes right along with other research I've seen on the subject.

I could go on about how a decline in the arts has preceded the breakdown of pretty much every major civilization throughout history...but I'm digressing, and that's not what I'm here to do today (...the "talking about declines in civilization", not the digressing. I'm always here to do that.)

I feel it vital at this point to note how hot it is in Texas. Seriously. The summer has been absolutely miserable. There's been no rain, we have broken our record for consecutive 100+ degree days, and you can tell. We're on wildfire watch, lawn-watering rations, and I think we've all given up on personal hygiene. This kind of weather tends to make one, shall we say, cranky? Yeah, that's a mild term for it. But we push on. I ride my bike to work, which is thankfully about a five minute ride now.

Excerpt September 2011

August
I think there is a reason that Lughnasadh (pronounced "loo-nah-sah" and linked directly to words like lunacy and lunatic) happens August 1st, and I'm convinced it has everything to do with the heat. You get downright delirious at this point in the year. Dog days of summer, indeed.

But beyond the weather, this month worked out pretty well.

The big ticket items? Work. And Burning Man preparation. I've honestly not had any time for much else. I get great exercise riding my bike regularly (and by now, I am a practically a ninja for doing it on purpose in this heat). I like the new job and I expect to go permanent soon. It's pretty busy, and it's a lot to process, so I've had little going on beyond the things I scheduled before this assignment started. I have managed to have a bit of fun, going to the concert of a band I've been trying to see for ages, and going to a few farewell parties of friends that are leaving town, but that's pretty much it.

I did manage a couple of Project related things:

F(M31): I started a crafting & jewelry-making group for other people who create stuff like mine, either to sell or for personal interest. We had our first meet of the craft group this month, and I really think it will work out well. Not too many could meet, but we came up with great ideas, and when things slow down a bit in the fall, we're on.
Writing: I managed to finish the film short I started after my film contest in June

So what is in store for September?

Mostly travel and work. Once I get back from my trips in the first half, I will be playing catch-up and sleeping...seriously. That's pretty much it. I have a couple of obligations that had to be put off until after Burning Man, but that's it.

And what have I learned from all of this, Dear Reader?

I suppose in my case (and for many others), I chose this. Honestly, I'm not always happy about it. I dislike the moments when cash is low or in flux, but I chose this life, and I am not going to apologize for it.

One thing to reflect on is that I'm still here. With a project as enormous as this one, I should have given up a long time ago, picked one thing and only worked on that, picked an entirely different path, maybe just gone back to waiting tables or something. Don't think I haven't considered these possibilities; I would be insane not to. But I push on, I haven't given up on anything yet, and I haven't been completely knocked down at any point. Heh, which is not to say that the universe hasn't tried...but there's still this sense that I'm doing my best, taking action, and the universe will provide me with the right opportunities at the right time.

On the other hand, it doesn't mean I haven't pared a few things out of my life. At some point, you have to choose which things on each path are most important. So I've spent time over these months narrowing down my specific fields so that they have better focus. I've re-organized my home & work space and threw out a whole bunch of stuff. On a personal level, I've done the same, removing a few associations that were showing signs of unhealthiness (never an easy thing). I've also dropped a few events, due to time conflicts, that were making it difficult for me to work on my other projects.

Once we enter October (my favorite month), I look forward to continuing my projects and implementing a few chnges for the new year. So I thought it was time to share another significant project from earlier in the year.

The "Curves" Shoot
One of my favorite collaborators, Stonecutter Pictures, came to me with a fabulous idea that I simply cannot talk about...top secret, don't you know. I won't give away details, but here is a sneak peek:

Okay, I gotta say WOW. I mean, come on. Look at the amazing work here. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I look fabulous. That, of course, is due in very large part to the mad skills of Brandon Wallace, Sr. (photographer & lighting expert) and his fabulous make-up artist Damariz Candelario. I love our chemistry working together and this is some of our best work to date. In particular, I'd been wanting to do shots with back-lighting that gives an opportunity to use archetypal images.

So, July & August were busy. And that, dear friends, is a good thing. Cheers.

Super Meca-Update:: Pt 2: June'11 - Total Eclipse of the Year

2011-12-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, that's a terrible title, but I couldn't resist. Besides, it isn't too far off. As the sixth month dawned we had a partial solar eclipse on June 1st, and then a total lunar eclipse occurred June 15 on our approach towards Summer Solstice. The first half of the year was almost over, with its crazy socio-political and natural phenomena throwing their weight around. There was a heavy feel to this time that was remarked upon by everyone. So it was absolutely no surprise to me when we felt the second half of this year creeping up on us as though we'd been eclipsed this whole first half and were about to step out of the darkness. The weight literally lifted & all became a little bit lighter.

Yeah, I have to say that first half was rough. "What the h---?" seemed to be the catchphrase. In addition to the aforementioned, the economy was so scared of its own shadow as to make work scarce on all fronts. Projects that did try to get off the ground encountered delay after delay. To top that off, I know of no fewer than five of my acquaintances who were in serious car accidents during the first half, including myself. Yikes. [No, I did not start the trend, although I did lose my car in the process.]

What's up, universe? Did we have feel wike having a wittle tantrum? ....oh, well, I guess we're all entitled from time to time, right?

During that time, however, I noticed how much I don't miss my car. Oh sure, there are definitely moments, like when I need to find a way to a shoot way out in the stix, or sometimes grocery shopping, or simply the freedom of going anywhere you want at any time (miss those road trips). In those times I have actually thanked the stars that I have amazing people around me offering up rides. Thanks to all. But as I hear people lament & groan every time the gas prices change (never down, it would seem), the cost of repairs & insurance, etc., I really don't miss the hassle of owning a car. And little did I know what was headed my way [more on that later].

As it turns out, riding the bus & my bike changed very little of my actual schedule, and gave me quite a few perks, not the least of which is getting in better shape. I got a lot done by riding the bus. Those extra minutes spent not having to pay attention to the road allow for taking notes, practicing languages, reading, crossing things off my gargantuan list, or simply staring out the window in reflection and more. It actually made time management a bit easier, knowing you have to work with someone else's schedule. I won't say that it's the be-all end-all, nor do I think this would work forever, but it worked fairly well so far.

And despite lack of transport, I still managed to eke out some good work...at least I assume I did lots of good work because I sure was busy, heh. I did a lot of research, got inspired again, and the end of June saw my participation for the first time in a 48-hr film contest.

Big Chicken

If you've never done a 48-hr film contest, it is a study in farce. You never get the genre you want; the prop, costume, character, etc., requirements are as far from anything workable as you can get; there's never enough time; and absolutely NOTHING. GOES. RIGHT.

This, of course, is the point. You're given nothing to see if you can come up with something...stretch the ole' imagination, learn to work with deadlines, and if you're really special or really lucky, you get to come up with something truly brilliant.

We came up with something silly and fun. And I'm okay with that. It was good to get in front of the camera, I met a whole host of excellent people and we had a blast in the process. We have finished up processing, and though we did not get to submit it for the contest (technical difficulties beyond our control), we are doing so for some other festivals. It will probably be used for my reel and it also gave me a great idea...more on that later.

`~`~`~`

So you can see there was much insight to be gained in this first half, opportunities for problem solving, a smorgasbord of lessons to be learned for many of us...and we paid dearly for them...like, two-years-of-college-tuition "dearly". As usual, everything evens out, sometimes better than we'd hoped. So do not think me bitter when I look at that six months, say "thank you for the lessons & opportunities", and bid the rest, not adieu, but good riddance. *wink*

Super Meca-Update:: Pt 1: May '11 - Poking the Bear

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-06:00

Three-fourths of the year is over, and I gotta say, it really was a bear. And by bear I mean an enraged bear, barreling down the hill at you full tilt, giving you this vague sense that maybe, juuust maybe, you shouldn't have played with that bear cub last year while it was hibernating.

But something interesting happens when you're up a tree, reflecting on the inordinately long memory of the maternally ursine while one of its members brays up at you: you have a moment to look around, take stock of your surroundings, maybe reach that cool center of calm before Tyler Durden comes along and pours lye all over your carefully laid plans, reminding you that good, bad, or indifferent, it's all about to change anyway.

I live for these moments.

So....May. Yes, May. Like I said: big, angry bear.

At the end of this spring/summer crossover month, several people of my acquaintance - from close, personal friends to total strangers - said that May could suck it. That's right. A small, finite period of time...could suck it. Was May 2011 really that bad? Well, the general consensus is that it wasn't that good. Many people were having more trouble than usual with school & work, personal lives, etc. Maybe it was global, what with earthquakes and tsunamis, protests & other political nightmares...maybe it was the impending weather, which has just begun to cease its tantrums this year. But for some reason, there was nothing but trouble. For myself, I have to say that everything felt like pulling teeth...my own. [And that has not really ceased for the entirety of the year.]

But enough about the difficulties. It wasn't all bad, and the month started off well enough, with celebrations galore. Then it was down to business. Some highlights:

Writing & Editing Projects

I started proofreading a script for a close, personal acquaintance a while back and that is all I will say on who that may be since they are keeping this close to the vest. It took some time in between other projects and general life stuff, but I finally finished the preliminary proof in May. It was a big accomplishment, because this person is extremely dear to me. I've been reading a couple of other scripts over the last couple of months, and I really like this kind of work. It suits both the creative and detail-oriented aspects of my nature.

Steampunk shoot

Let me first say that if I were to go away from individual style and simply pick an extreme style to emulate, Steampunk would be it. For the unfamiliar: Steampunk is a style that takes the Victorian Era (as well as some other historical periods), and asks the question of what would happen if the Victorian intellectual & philosophical sensibilities had taken steam to the farthest levels of innovation, and puts a punk spin on it. It is very similar to other types of "-punk", such as cyberpunk (The Matrix), cowboy laserpunk (think Star Wars & Firefly), and goth-punk (The Crow). There are movies (Howl's Moving Castle), music (Beats Antique), comics (Girl Genius), RPGs (see Ubergoober games below), and a whole host of other things dedicated to this style. The moment I saw it, I fell in love and knew I wanted to do a theme shoot based on it.

The execution of the shoot, I must say, was a little more difficult. There was so much planning involved and - like the rest of the year thus far - things kept falling through. First locations then dates, then costumes and props became more and more difficult to nail down. All the people involved had begun to think it wouldn't pan out. Finally, in mid-May, we fairly limped to our shoot where we all came alive, and the planning proved to be absolutely worth it. Some really great work was done on all sides. Check out a few of our better shots:

From Uche Photography:

This shot made it into one of Ubergoober Games' RPG rule books :)

From Mercedes Morgan Photography:

Photography by:
Uche Photography
uchephotography.com
Mercedes Morgan Photography
http://www.mercedesmorgan.com
http://www.facebook.com/MercedesMorganPhotography
Make-up & most excellent Steampunk Faerie Wings by:
Javier Rivera
javier@castfx.com
www.castfx.com
Hair by:
Christi Gregurich
facebook.com/christi gregurich
christigregurich@yahoo.com
Costumes & Props by:
Andromeda Ross
SystemAndromeda
Steve Metze
http://www.ubergoobergames.com/
Christenia & Co.
www.christenia.etsy.com
Modeling (of course) by:

Andromeda Ross
SystemAndromeda

We all had such a good time from this shoot, that there are talks about another one...possibly with more faeries :)

Quote:: The Dream of the Real?

2011-10-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

"Sometimes the only realists are the dreamers"

~Paul Wellstone

Quote: Why We Work at It

2011-09-16T10:00:00.003-05:00

"Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect."~ Margaret Mitchell

Back to the grind. More posts coming soon! ;)

Quote: The Mother of Invention

2011-09-09T10:00:00.002-05:00

"I need, therefore I imagine."

~ Carlos Fuentes

Quote: Paulo Coelho on Dreams

2011-09-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

Sharing the love while I'm away:

"Dreams & love are just words - until you decide to experience them."

"Dreams are the language of God. Trust them."

Quote: A perfect quote for Burning Man

2011-08-26T10:00:00.006-05:00

This is perfect for Burners.

"If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive."
~ Audre Lorde

I will be in the desert for the next week and a half, then out of town, and will be catching up until October 1st. See you then!

Never fear, intrepid readers!

2011-07-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

I've been very busy with a new job, and lots of projects before that. I will be back in action on here soon, though, so stay tuned.

"Freedom lies in being bold"
~ Robert Frost

Quote of the Week: Bill's Groundhog Goodness

2011-06-14T10:48:00.001-05:00

"What if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today."

~ Bill Murray in Groundhog Day

Life & Goal Lessons from Rock Climbing

2011-06-11T14:15:00.002-05:00

I'm trying out the mobile version of blogger. It's okay, but could use some better functionality.

Great life lessons, and a nice blueprint for Goals:
Matthew Childs' 9 life lessons from rock climbing

Quote of the Week: One Day at a Time??

2011-06-07T16:53:00.001-05:00

"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once."

~ Jennifer Unlimited

Feature: Steampunk Preview!

2011-05-18T20:39:00.000-05:00

Quote of the Week: The Essence of Perseverance

2011-05-16T11:16:00.005-05:00

"Follow your heart, hang on and don't give up just because the persistent few are those who stretch boundaries, set brave new standards and secure the hope for a better tomorrow."

~M. H. McKee

Update: Evocative Color shots!

2011-05-10T10:54:00.002-05:00

Check out some more of the shots I recently did with Stonecutter Productions!

Quote of the Week: Epictetus on the Foolishness of Improvement

2011-05-08T16:20:00.000-05:00

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.”
~ Epictetus, AD 55-c.135

(Greek philosopher associated with the Stoics)

Update: Health

2011-05-03T10:58:00.058-05:00

I've been focusing a lot on my health lately, both physical and mental/emotional. Ironically, the loss of my car has made this focus much easier. Now that I ride the bus and a bicycle, I am getting more exercise than usual. Lately, I've even been riding my bike to and from work (a 3.5 mi ride) one or twice a week, and I don't even find it difficult. That is a huge thing for me, as I have always had trouble when it comes to cardio work outs: running/jogging, swimming, biking.

Furthermore, now that I don't have to deal with the inherent stresses of a car, I find I am much happier and more focused. Sure, it is limiting in terms of where and when I go somewhere, but that in itself is also somewhat freeing. It allows me to focus in the areas I currently am able, and it's giving me greater drive. I get more done.

When you have a project that is either massive in scope, or numerous in facet (or, in my case, both), the danger of overextending one's self is very high. A lot of times the euphoria of accomplishment overrides the strain we are putting on our bodies, emotions & mental capacities. We feel good just to be "getting things done". This addictive high can keep us going for quite some time, overshadowing any early warning signs that we may be about to implode. If this denial is unchecked, the impending collapse can manifest in a number of inconvenient ways (sickness, nervous breakdown, depression, a general inability to cope when confronted with a disaster), and almost always at the wrong time.

So I do my best to rest, fortify my immune system, and enjoy life & the fruits of my labors. It is a necessary point in keeping balance in one's life. Part of keeping that balance is periodically taking a few days every now & again to step away from projects, social engagements, research, and other more rigorous aspects of daily life to just....breathe. We assess our work, celebrate our accomplishment and enjoy the reaping of our rewards. Sometimes we just stop and let the universe reveal itself to us.

One always comes back to the work. The work, after all, is vital, necessary. But every now and again, there's only one thing we need to do: breathe, and marvel at the absolute beauty of it all.

Feature: Film Noir

2011-05-03T10:00:00.004-05:00

I'm really excited! I am this week's Sunday feature on BurnasOne.org! Please check it out my Film Noir piece here.

Some of my more recent work has been getting some recognition. First there is the above piece I did back in December with Rodney Barry. In a month or so, another shot I did with Rodney Barry is slated to appear in a new Steampunk rpg rulebook. I'll keep you posted on that and more features in the months to come.

Quote of the Week: Proust on the Power & Awareness of Art

2011-05-01T10:06:00.013-05:00

"Only through art can we emerge from ourselves and know what another person sees."

~ Marcel Proust

Special Feature!!: Zombie Haiku by Miss Tuesday Cain at SA:P&CI

2011-04-29T16:57:00.008-05:00

Hey all! Check out this tribute I just posted over on SA: Praxis & the Catharsis Impulse. A 12-yr old girl gets in trouble at school for this:

Please help Tuesday get some vindication for her excellent work.

Update: Beauty & Busyness

2011-04-29T08:00:00.004-05:00

I have noticed that it is always when I say things are about to slow down, or that I will take it easy, that I become my busiest.  As usual, I fully believe the universe is out to get me for my own good, but this kind of busyness usually means there isn't even enough time to post about what I'm getting done.

Shared experience or not, I press on.  And things are going well. A big part of my work lately is all about research. [This also makes it difficult to post about tangible results.] There's been quite a bit of communication back and forth with a number of people. I've been a little more socially/politically active lately, and am in the process of helping some artists get their work out into the world to be seen. It's quite gratifying.

Modeling Shoots:
The biggest news in terms of events is my most recent modeling shoot.

I really enjoyed working with Brandon and Damaris. They are both professionals: talented, timely, and I felt really comfortable during the shoot.  Furthermore, they love the collaborative process as much as I do. This is perhaps some of my best work yet, and we are already in talks for more. Here are a couple of pics to whet your appetite until I post more:

If I may toot my own horn: Hello!!

Next there is the Steampunk shoot that I am coordinating for mid-May. It will be my first and I am really getting into it. I think Steampunk will be my theme for costumes at Burning Man this year, woot! I can't wait!

For a clue to upcoming updates: braaaaaiiinzzzz....

Until next time...

© Content property of Andromeda Ross, all rights reserved.

Update: Praxis & the Catharsis Impulse is Live

2011-04-28T14:26:00.000-05:00

I posted my first post on the new journaling blog. You can check it out here.

I added a feed for the most recent Praxis post in the right side bar. You can check out the journal by clicking on the link for the site. There are RSS options, too, so add me to your reader, feeds, or receive my posts right through email if you'd like to see more in-depth news & insights from System Andromeda!

© Content property of Andromeda Ross, all rights reserved.

Update: New Ways to Follow!

2011-04-22T17:06:00.000-05:00

Stephen Fry on Language

2011-04-22T15:20:00.005-05:00

Stephen Fry Kinetic Typography - Language