The Life Pursuit: San Smith

Goals for 2010 and a big announcement...

2010-02-02T23:17:20-05:00

First off, I want to apologize that I only posted once last week even though I was hopeful to post more! I had a good bit of posts I wanted to share, but I ended up feeling stressed and decided to put it on hold. The reason for the stress:

Last Friday I put in my two weeks notice at my job... because I'm quitting to work for myself full-time starting February 12th! This was my last goal to complete for 2009, and probably one of the biggest goals I've ever set for myself.

It's such a weird mixture of emotions to finally be sharing this: I'm excited, relieved, nervous... I've been working towards this for a long time and it's amazing that its finally happening! I can't stop smiling - I'm really looking forward to starting my career as a freelance illustrator and making more time for my Etsy. Also - I'll be accepting commissions again, so if you were ever interested in having me draw you something - now is the time to email me! ;) I'll touch more on that later...

So what does this mean for my blog? I plan on posting a lot more :) I'm basically coming to work for you guys! Ha! No really, I will be making blogging one of my top priorities so I can share art and give back. I'm currently planning what kind of things I want to cover this year... I'm hoping to finally get a P.O. box for a contest idea I have - holding a few give-aways - and trying to make more videos and tutorials! If you have any suggestions as for things you'd like me to blog about this year, please let me know. :)

Anyhow, enough text! I think its time I shared my goals for 2010:

My goals this year are pretty lengthy - matter of fact they are currently 2 and half pages! I didn't really want to paste all of that into my journal, so I tried to summarize them to a few key points. For 2010, my goals are to take better care of myself through exercise, work hard on my new career, be smart and creative about money, and travel more to visit my friends out of state. I'm excited about the plans I've made so far and looking forward to creating a memorable year! :) As far as exploring the person I want to be, I found that I was kinda already going in the direction I had hoped. I decided write it down anyways for documentation's sake and so I can look back at it when I want to feel inspired.

On top of sharing my goals, I thought it might be nice to share some of the awesome visual goals a few readers came up with:

1. Julie from Rotten Cupcakes, 2. Krissi from Krissi's Art Studio,
3. The Bunny Geek, 4. Sam from Wrongdecade

Aren't those too cute?! I'm really excited people tried this out for themselves - I hope everyone accomplishes great things this year and that the visual list method helps!

So yeah - longest post ever... but! Much <3 and big thanks to everyone who has visited my blog in the past two years. All the comments, support and kind words over the years have really helped encourage me on taking this big step in my career. SO THANK YOU thank you thank youuu :) You guys mean so much to me!

Stay tuned for awesomeness starting February 12th!

What I wore today illustration #6

2010-01-26T22:02:00-05:00

Here is a quick little "What I Wore Today" illustration that I started last week. I think I wore this to work on Thursday? I doodled it on paper because I really liked my outfit, but I wasn't able to sit down and actually draw it until today. The shirt I have on is one of my favorites - its hand made and from my favorite gallery here in Atlanta, Young Blood Gallery. It's made of super soft jersey and has little criss cross feathers printed all over:

Pardon the super old weird face photo, that was the only one I could find of me wearing it.

And here is the actual sketch for kicks. I'll be putting this up in my etsy in a few days I think. Man... I'm super sleepy today! I'm probably going to go to bed early. I spent most of my evening drawing and watching "My life as Liz", has anyone seen that yet? My friend Victor linked it to me because he thought our hair styles looked the same - and while I thought the show looked kinda dumb... I gave it a chance and found I actually really like it. Liz reminds me a lot of myself when I was in high school and the issues I had to deal with... does anyone else find it relatable? Anyhow - I think it might be my new guilty pleasure :B You can watch the episodes online - so go check it out! Tell me what you think!

Photos and doodles update!

2010-01-26T13:04:08-05:00

Oh my gosh - I can't believe how fast last week zipped by! Sorry for only sharing one post. I feel like I've been so busy that life is zipping past me, eek! I have been drawing a lot though, working on a ton of freelance, visiting with friends, and writing blog posts that I plan to share with you guys... but sometimes there just isn't enough time in the day to finalize it all :)

see the bigger version at my flickr!

I thought I'd do a little photo and sketch post of stuff I'm working on and what I've been up to. I visited with my pals last weekend and we watched the last Conan episode over some drinks... so sad! I hope he gets back on the air soon. The above photos are from that night... How do you like the pizza I made to bring? I'm such a good guest. :P

I also met up with my internet pal, Sarina (sparkly sushi), this weekend but we forgot to get photos! Blargh! I guess I'll have to try again the next time she is in town. We ate burgers with her friend at the Vortex in Little 5 points - I had a lot of fun and I'm so glad I finally met her! Also, she gave me a lovely blue flower hair pin that she made, I'll take pictures of it later... it is very pretty. The rest of the weekend was spent working on small projects, visiting with family and then relaxing.

A lot of the illustrations I'm working right now are either for projects that aren't complete yet, or personal doodles that I've sketched on paper but haven't had time to digitize. Not the most exciting stuff for blogging :\ I just finished up a portrait from work, I'm working on sketches for a character design project and little witch doodles (both below) that I can't wait to finish... and I think I'm pretty close to wrapping up a house illustration for a wedding invitation.

Anyhow - this post is kinda all over the place! But know that I'm thinking of you guys. Love love you all and I enjoy your comments so much... I've had such nice emails and comments from you guys lately and it really makes my day. I want to give back - so I'll try to fit in more posts this week! Hope you are all doing well <3

What I wore today illustration and sketches

2010-01-19T21:31:08-05:00

Lets see... things that have been going on: I got a little hair cut - first one in a year and half! I was excited my stylist still remembered me :) I also went thrifting with my cousin and found a nice little blue espresso cup and saucer, and my art show was Saturday evening... that went pretty good. Saw lots of friends which was very nice :D Also, Chris came home from his San Francisco work trip which makes me super happy... <3 On top of all that I've had a good bit of work lately - so very busy weekend! But I thought I'd take a break from working on freelance and do a WIWT illustration - It's been a while since I last did one!

This is actually what I wore on Saturday to thrifting. Its been interesting trying to figure out clothing color options with my new hair - so far I seem to like everything better with the red vs the pink and black! :) For fun I thought I'd also show you guys the sketch I did to plan my WIWT doodle... Typically I plan these out over eating lunch or a snack so they don't take so long on the computer. Plus its nice to draw on paper every now and again instead of always using the computer.

I haven't been doing much personal art lately because I've been really tired in between my full time job and my freelance work... But I really have been wanting to draw little heart locks, bats, red pandas, girly things... I have so many ideas but not enough time! Ah well. I tried to scribble some of them out on the computer - for some reason I keep thinking I want a tattoo of a heart lock and key so I've been trying to sketch out my ideas... I don't think I'll end up getting it - but I imagine it could look very pretty if done well!

see bigger at my flickr

Hope you guys had a nice weekend. How is 2010 going for you so far? Did any of you try my visual goals idea out? I'm going to be sharing my goals soon... if you guys did try the visual goals and have them online, please send me a link! I'd like to share them with my next goals post.

Ask San: formspring.me questions answered!

2010-01-15T10:51:39-05:00

Alright! here are my replies to my formspring.me questions. If your question wasn't answered, it is probably because I answered it a while back on my FAQ section. I picked 18 questions from my formspring.me account, and some of them are pretty long - so I put half of my post behind a read more link! Hope you guys enjoy, and if you have any other questions - just ask! ;)

Ask San: Formspring.me questions!

1 - What does it feel like to know someone as awesome as Stephan Turano? I'm so jealous of anyone that knows him!
Hahaha. It enriches my life everyday. Especially when he comments on my blog... ;) If he used his blog more often, my life would be complete! Get to it, Stephan!!

2 - Watching any cartoons or reading any comic books lately?
I was reading Scott Pilgrim for a bit, but I had to stop due to lack of time...I really need to finish!! I also recently read the graphic novel "Spiral-Bound" by Aaron Renier, which was really cute - and I like the Nedroid webcomics. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a lot of time to read or watch things, but I really want to make more time for that later this year.

3 - Whats your beauty routine? You have lovely skin.
I have really sensitive skin that breaks out easily, so I have to be pretty careful with it. I use: Hot water and a clean cloth to remove make up, The Clinque 3 step system for oily skin twice a day (soap, toner and lotion) and Proactiv repairing lotion in the evenings. I also take Vitafusion Omega-3 gummy vitamins which helps my skin tons.

4 - Did you do the pink streak/black hair by yourself?
I did! I go into that more in-depth here: http://www.san-smith.com/2009/08/ask-san-hair.html

5 - You inspire me very much. If I made a blog with Things I love Thursdays and posts like yours, would that be considered flattery to you or would you be annoyed or hurt?
Oh gosh - I don't know. I didn't come up with Things I love Thursday so I couldn't really be upset over that. (Gala Darling did originally) It might be kinda weird if someone duplicated the other kind of posts I was making - like I might feel uncomfortable about it... but I didn't come up with the concept of sharing artwork and personal information online, so I don't think I should be annoyed or hurt by someone else doing that. The only thing I could think that might upset me is if someone was blatantly duplicating my website design or my work - you know, the things I do to make a living. I've had that happen a few times and its always disappointing. I think its natural to take inspiration from others, but I also think its important to be true to yourself and blog what you want to talk about rather than trying to mimic things that others are doing! :)

6 - What "clique" did you fit in in highschool?
I don't think I really had a "clique". I hung out with the nerds, artsy people, some rednecky people (hehehe), and a bit of the grunge/punky crowd during senior year. I never felt like I fit in anywhere in high school so I just tried to be friends with all kinds of people that I thought were nice.

7 - 3 places you MUST visit someday!
Japan, Ireland and ??? I've seen very little of the States, so I'd like to check out a lot of smaller cities here too... but not sure what cities!

8 - Are you self employed?
Not yet - but I plan on eventually being self employed. You can read more about what I currently do for a living here.

9 - What do you do to cheer yourself up when you're feeling sad!
I try a lot of different things. Sometimes I just hug my boyfriend and talk about things - he is my best friend and really brightens my day! Other times I might go for a walk or go somewhere like a book/music store to browse and take my mind off of things. Or call a friend to hang out, write in my journal or take a nap to refresh my mind.

10 - Your enthusiasm for art inspires me to be more creative. What inspires you?
A little bit of everything... I feel like I'm constantly inspired and getting ideas through out the day from the most random stuff! Sometimes its from blog feeds or flickr, other times its from people watching, or listening to new music... Maybe just a discussion with some friends. I think my brain never really turns off when it comes to coming up with ideas and brainstorming on things I want to do!

11 - What online stores do you shop at? Any favourites?
I order a lot of stuff from Amazon for convenience... but if I'm shopping for clothes, shoes or accessories I like these places: Delias, Zappos, Nordstrom BP, and Sephora. I'm about to make an order from Sour Puss Clothing, so hopefully they will be joining my favorites list :)

12 - how hard is it to be a vegetarian/vegan? do you worry about b12 deficiency? how do you keep your energy up. i would love to try.
I'm vegetarian (not vegan) - It was a little tricky at first since I'm not used to cooking, but after experimenting with it I've learned how to make a lot of really good dishes! I think the only hard part is eating out in areas that aren't vegetarian friendly. I don't really worry about b12 deficiency... I take multi-vitamins that have b12 in them. Plus, I recently went to the doctor and found out I'm in really great health! As for energy, I actually feel like I have more now. If I'm feeling tired its usually because I haven't been exercising lately or I'm stressed out. Overall, I feel like being a vegetarian has forced me to eat a healthier, more balanced diet because I'm more aware of what things I'm eating. I love feeling good and knowing I'm doing something positive for animals and the environment.

13 - San - You are adorable! I love your work and aesthetic so I really just wanted to give you some props. Since I'm supposed to ask a question...here's mine. Which actress/famous person do people say you look like?
When I was a teenager I would get Christina Ricci and Drew Barrymore. I've also been told I look like Gidget and the girl from Bat for Lashes. The other day someone said Anna Paquin... though to be honest I don't think I look like any one famous. I think people say those things because of certain face shapes or something minor I have in common with someone famous.

14 - Hey San! Are you ever afraid of doing something different with your life/style/art? I'm in a huge state of change in my life right now, and I think this fear is holding me back from doing some pretty awesome things.
Not really! I love change... Which is probably why I like to experiment with my hair a lot. It actually drives me crazy that I can't up and move whenever I please! :P However, I can relate to being afraid of change... The unknown can be pretty daunting. 2 years ago when I decided to start doing visual goals, I was pretty scared to attempt to take control and change my life - but after a while I realized I was only scared because I didn't want to fail. Which is a silly thing to be afraid of! Life is short, if you want to do something and its not harmful to yourself or others - then go for it! And if it seems out of reach, make a plan to make it more realistic. <3

15 - 1) Has anyone else ever made a portrait/painting of you? 2) You remind me of a pinup girl in some ways; have you ever wanted to model as a pin up girl? Thoughts on pin up girls?
1. Yes! My friend Daniel Reneau actually has a couple of times. He is a very talented artist :) 2. I thought I wanted to do some fun retro-esque modeling when I was younger, but I don't have the interest anymore. After costuming at conventions I realized I wasn't comfortable with people taking pictures of me, and I really would rather be making art than worrying about how I look to others. Over all though, I think the pin up look is a very confident and cute style. It takes a certain kind of girl to pull that off, and you have to admire that!

16 - I read your what you had on, all the layers of dresses, tights, socks, etc. Is this the new fashion? I met a girl the other day who had on 3 dress, tights, kneesox, and crew socks. Looked very nice but unusual.
I don't think its a new fashion - I think girls do that to stay warm. At least, thats why I do it! Its easier/cheaper to wear layers than to purchase warmer clothing sometimes.

17 - Who are your favorite cartoon or comic characters and why? (please pick 3 or more)
Harley Quinn from Batman, Roxy "Freefall" Spaulding from Gen13, Miwako Sakurada from Paradise Kiss. I think I like all of them because I related to them at a certain point in my life, and I also like their character designs.

18 - Is your awesome red hair hard to upkeep? I've heard that the vibrant colours will rub off onto linen/pillow cases, is this true?
So far - YES ! Ughhh! I've already dyed it a second time, and purchased some special red hair shampoo - so hopefully that will help. It doesnt rub off on my pillow case, but if I run my hands through my hair they can start to pick up a light pink tint. The first day I dyed it, everything I touched turned pink :( My keyboard is stained now! heh... I'll definitely share if I figure out some magical tips to keep red hair nice :)