Chipping away at Mount Art

Alright, I will be the first person to admit that I'm a lazy man when it comes to being creative. I fear I burned out too early when I was a kid and had an entire comic book universe on the go, along with a few writing projects.

These days, I have about a dozen writing projects out there that I have yet to complete to my liking. Some of these are 15 years in the making, I kid you not.

So, I'd like to ask all my friends out there to take some time to think about projects they're working on and comment about how they are able to find inspiration. AND COMMENT, PLEASE!!!! I need some help over here!

Right, and now the project list (have some respect and please don't steal my ideas, although the minimal level of detail on each project that I'm providing will probably make that impossible):

September 29 2010

First and foremost are my multiple writing projects:

- Bliss City - A pseudo-apocalyptic noir detective piece based on the idea that if it was announced that the world was going to end in a few months, how many people would get hooked on drugs they might have normally tried? And, what would the aftermath be if the world DIDN'T end?

- Tribal Warfare - This is my take on the Zombie Apocalypse, but much more metaphysical and a lot more magic oriented


- Prayers without Wings - A Miyazaki-style fantasy (at least that's how it always appears in my head) about a city-state where the citizens are granted the ability to fly from enigmatic, monolithic statues that float in the sky.


- Normal Family - A real-life tale that shows just how deeply our upbringing and families can screw us up. The story centers on a young woman's repressed memories of abuse. I hope to show in this just how frail people can be, because of forces within and without. Not a happy tale, but I think it might be publishable.


- High Stakes Poker - The only story I'm satisfied is completed, but needs some major editing and possible re-working to make it more than a short story. Essentially tells the story of a gambler in the afterlife, if Limbo was a casino...

I also just got inspired last week to write a WWII story about Quebecer conscripts (which apparently my Grandfather led a troupe of), but my preliminary research is contradictory.


Plays


I've never written a play, but my girl Kari and I got the idea of writing a one- or two-act play involving monsters/aliens/undead engaging in philosophical discussion.


First Act: Zombies vs. Aliens
Second Act: To be determined (maybe a D&D theme? Like a dragon debating the morality of a knight slaying him? I dunno yet)


Drawing/Painting

I used to draw all the time as a kid/teenager and created lots of fantasy beasties, alien races and superheroes. OK, I'm a geek, I admit it. But I think I should try my hand at it again. I used to be pretty good!

I also want to learn to sketch real people. Starting with Kari? Draw a landscape? Paint one?

I do have one painting of sorts under my belt, which was part of an art project from Burning Man 2007. Here's one of the only pics in existence of it. But I wouldn't mind trying my hand at it again.


Music


I have so far written two songs: The Sleepneed Alaska Song and Hail Satan. Um, they need work.


So, what's percolating in your artistic treasure trove? SHARE!

Cheers!