So I’ve invested a bit of money to get this started.  There’s the cost of the website, stuff to burn, paintbrushes, material to line the boxes, domain registration, burner tips, stain (stain is expensive!) etc., etc.  It’s worked out to about…ummm…let’s call it $600.  It’s been spread out since January, so I didn’t really know it, and I’m paying for it out of my personal money that I have saved up, and I didn’t tally it ’til today.  That’s kind of scary.  I do this kind of transfer thing where paycheck money moves a certain amount into my savings, and once a month or so I transfer money back to cover what I spent.  So I did my totals and I was like, “WHOA!  Where did THAT come from?!?”

I trust my Deities, though.  This is where I’m meant to be.  If everyone pays me what they said they’re going to pay me, I’ll have made back $425.  That’s before Etsy.  That’s also pending people actually GIVING me the money.  I’ve started a new policy where I won’t give the work away until it’s paid for.  I don’t think people do it on purpose, I think they just forget and it’s a little awkward to ask for it.  I’m going to have to, though.  It’s good for me.  Teaches me new skills.  And that’s okay.

This is the cost of a startup.  This is how it goes.  I’m okay.  I’m doing what I love.  This will be alright.

So I’ve been pencilling out the new treasure chest idea.  I wanted to do a Mimic.

So i figured, if a Mimic really existed, it would have to hide the fact that it was fake.  Most illustrators make their eyes like slits that stay open until the last second before it eats you.  I thought, similar to some insects and some birds, maybe it would have multiple fake eyes, so you couldn’t tell which ones were real, and which were just painted or jewelled on.  So that’s the approach i tried.  Eyes all over.