Cardiff Castle

Well aren’t I having a fantastic month!
Nonono, that wasn’t sarcasm!

Monday 19^th April was my birthday! I didn’t like being 23 due to it being a ‘weak number’ but 24 is a strong number so I’m happy even though I’m getting older. I had a really lovely day. I spent a lot of time relaxing in the sunshine. I also got to spend a lot of time with loved ones and then ate my birthday dinner (not forgetting an amazing chocolate cake).

Also this week I managed to get a lot of work done at the foundry! I finished one of my sculptures and can now get on with casting it!

Things with my benefits have FINALLY worked out. The hold up was thanks to Brighton not transferring my claim LIKE THEY SAID THEY WOULD but after filling in ANOTHER form and making even more phonecalls the £840 they owed me have come through. Now I am very close to being clear of all my debts! And clear of all debts with interest. Hurrah!

Next step: Self-employment.

This month, after an invite over to Wales, I had the pleasure of meeting one of the most amazing bipeds ever. We seemed to hit it off immediately and we’ve fit in visits as much as possible over the past few weeks (in Wales and here in Kent). I’ve been having an absolutely wonderful time at Cardiff Castle, eating sushi, lazing around in parks, making pigeon friends in London, having times of joint nerdiness and meeting up with friends. He makes me incredibly happy (and, yeah, I make myself vomit due to the cheesiness too)!

What started off as a bad year has now completely turned around and my life is back on track into something more fantastic than I could have ever dreamt of. I’m a very happy (and smug) mermaid.

One thing that will really help is that (with almost constant nagging from close family) I’m finally starting to get my sleep pattern back in line. I enjoy being nocturnal but it wont help with productivity. Productivity is paramount right now.

My eBay selling is going well. I made over £80 this week and I still have a couple of hundred items to list (at least) so that side of things are going really well. I still have debts but my credit card is almost paid off. I still have £1500 to raise but… I’m getting there! Slowly but surely. My immediate goal is to raise the first £500 by the end of April. If the government FINALLY decide to send my uneployment money through I can easily smash that target, I’m not holding my breath.

I also have 3 sculptures, 5 digital pieces, a t-shirt, a bag and several other misc items to complete by the end of May.

Wish me luck!

]]> http://kirstyjeffery.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/today-was-brought-to-you-by-coffee-last-nights-sleeping-tablets-and-the-number-4/feed/ 0 Kirsty http://kirstyjeffery.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/im-back-sort-of-ish/ http://kirstyjeffery.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/im-back-sort-of-ish/#comments Sun, 11 Apr 2010 22:52:13 +0000 Kirsty Jeffery http://kirstyjeffery.wordpress.com/?p=302 ]]> So, by my standards, I’ve been neglecting the internet. I’ve been busy. Possibly the busiest I’ve been for a few years but it is all terribly exciting! I can expect to be just as busy as I am now for, at least, the next 8 weeks.

Something very exciting happened. When I was in art college a few years ago I had a part time sculpting apprenticeship. After a chance meeting a couple of weeks ago I’ve been invited back to the sculpting studio/ foundry. I’ll get to learn sculpting and casting techniques whilst also being given the opportunity to create my own pieces using their equipment. The potential opportunities available to me are huge and very, very exciting.

I need to raise a few hundred pounds so I have been going eBay mad. I’m addicted to it and am sending out parcells containing my possessions quite frequently. I’ve been selling my Gucci, Dior and prized electrical items. Me? Kirsty? That heartless consumer? Yes, really. Coming from me it’s pretty shocking. I consume, that’s what I do but making money is more beneficial to me right now/ That money has a purpose. A purpose greater than a wardrobe full of expensive items in their original packaging. I will be done when all non-essential items are sold. The benefits of this are two fold: I get to raise the money I so desperately need and it will mean less ‘stuff’ to move when the day comes.

You can pick ourself up off of the floor now.

Also in my (limited) spare time I’ve been practising for my future as a spinster. I have crochet, telling off customer service reps and talkig to my tv. All I need now are a dozen feline friends (or lagomorph friends in my case) but that will have to wait until I emigrate.

This year I have quite a lot to do that requires me to use the internet and my laptop so a total ban of both would be rather counter-productive but I still want to place a ban of some kind.

I am allowed to:

• Use the internet for eBay selling
• Use my laptop to continue working on digital art
• Use my iPhone for MSN and e-mail.

I am NOT allowed to:

• Check Facebook, Twitter, BodyMod.Org, IAM etc
• Use the internet on my laptop (with the obvious eBay exception).

This ban will start at 00:00 tonight and last until 18:00 on Tuesday 6th April. You can still contact me through SMS, e-mail and MSN. So if you wish to keep in contact and need my details you have just over 3 hours to do so.

See you on the other side!

Meagan Portrait

My most recent piece drawn in Photoshop using the Brush tool. I would like to thank the lovely Meagan for letting me use her as a subject for my work.

I’m a huge fan of her art, check out her website at www.bugbuffet.net!

I’m now working on my next piece of digital art and will post it once it’s finished. Find more of my art at Psyren Design.

I’ve been having a bit of trouble with rumours, lies and accusations recently. It’s not going to get me down and would rather have people talking about me than not talking about me. It has meant I’ve had to leave a lot of people behind in Brighton. It’s sad and unfortunate but this is how life goes. They can believe what’s being said about me or they can get my side of the story. That’s up to them.

“I don’t at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.”
- Oscar Wilde

With it has come a new attitude from me. No, not a new attitude… an old attitude revived. I’ve got my will to fight back. And I will win. My thick skin never went away but I’m going to use it to my advantage again. It helped me last time I wanted to succeed and I’m going to do the same again. I’m not the meek little thing some people like to take me for and no longer can they take advantage of my good nature.

So, say what you will, I’m going to do exactly what I want and face the consequences head on. For those that have stuck by me, I have nothing but love and gratitude.

Watch out world, I’m going to win; expect changes.

I have also been offered free studio space for sculpting etc which is just super! I can see it being a great help for my productivity because then I HAVE to get up early and travel there to get on with some of my projects. Anything to get me out of the house would also be greatly appreciated.

I’m also using my greatly reduced outgoings to set myself up as self employed or, even better, freelance. I just need to get a portfolio together. I have a list of people who are willing to be digitally face raped so that’s a good start for a portfolio.

It’s weird… so much seems to have ‘gone wrong’ for the first two months of this year but everything negative that has happened (difficulty finding a job, inability to pay my rent in Brighton, severely delayed payment from the Jobcentre and Thlayli dying) has led me to have freedom and to not tie me down to one place or thing. Everything that has happened means I can pack up and leave for anywhere whenever an opportunity arises. That is the freedom I have been striving for and my recent misfortune is making it happen. The fact is that I thrive on change. I’m not supposed to live the conventional life, it’s not in my personal make up. I’m supposed to follow one of creativity and the recent events in my life are what’s making this happen.

Every time I’ve steered my life away from art my life has steered me back towards it.

Time to stop talking about it and actually get on with it…

Expect to see, what I hope to be, positive changes.

I’ve not really been up to much this week. I’m actually pretty ashamed of myself and next week will be better. I’m going to jump right in to the portraits for my portfolio (thanks to everyone who’s letting me use their images) and, more importantly, I am going to work my arse off at getting a new job. My current working situation is just not good enough.

What I have been doing this week is a bit of crochet. I seem to be a fast learner and I’m well on my way of making myself a purple, slouchy beanie. It’s not great, it’s no where near perfect but I’m new to this. I think I’m doing quite well for a beginner. I’ve also been feeling sorry for myself thanks to a painful wisdom tooth. Next week I’m determined to be back on track.

Also… I’ve got my silly back! I became very uptight about 6 years ago but now it’s almost as if I’ve regressed. For the better though! I feel much lighter and buoyant. It’s taken me 18 months of hard work to get the feeling back I’d lost for so long but now I’ve done it and I can’t stop smiling.

I am INCREDIBLY excited about this coming week. I’ll give you all a full low-down sometime the following week.

Green Unicorn

Friday was my first signing on date which was relatively painless really. It’s also comforting to know that I can get that little bit of help to keep me in Brighton. Hopefully it isn’t long before my first payment comes through.

Saturday I went in to town with my good friend, James. We went for food, got rained on, snooped around Snooper’s Paradise, visited the flea market and drank hot chocolate. I also decided to treat myself to a little present (my first one in months): I bought myself a pair of black and red knitted slipper boots. First item in the last 2 or 3 years that I bought purely for comfort reasons, that is a very weird concept for me.

Also, for the last few days, I have been working on a drawing for Anthony. 4am one morning and I decided to draw him a green unicorn as it made perfect sense at the time! I’m pleased with how it turned out and it’s actually pushed me to get drawing again. I needed that.

I also really want the opportunity to draw human portraits, in Photoshop, working from photographs to add to my portfolio. If anyone would like to be my victim please let me know as it would help me so much. I can work from any picture you wish and you’ll get free copies of the image to keep (.jpg/ .psd or any file type you request with the exception of the .psd file). Requests for animal portraits are also welcomed. Please e-mail me at crystoth(at)gmail.com.

First thing I had to go to the Job Centre to sign on for Job Seekers Allowance. It was all pretty painless really. Ideally I want a full time job (or a part time job to work alongside my current part time job) but my Job Seekers Allowance and my current part time job will just about cover my rent and food. It’s amazing how easy it has become to not buy unnecessary things but I do miss being able to modify my body. Hopefully money will pick up soon and I can continue with my mermaid project. In the mean time I can just work on getting everything designed.

I explained to my landlord that the crematorium weren’t able to collect Thlayli so he offered to drive me there. I seriously cannot express how grateful I am for his help! When I got there the guy who was there to greet up was really friendly and helpful. He went through everything with me, took down a few details and then asked me if I wanted an urn as well but decided not to. I’m going to find something I really like to put him in, I found an urn on line that I think I’d like to use. Either that or I’ll see if I can find something in a local shop that I like. Then it was time to leave Thlayli there, he asked if I wanted a bit of time with him but I’d already said my goodbyes so I declined. They don’t know when they’ll be able to cremate him as the snow is causing some hold-ups but they’ll call me as soon as I can collect him. I can’t wait to have him back but at least I know he’s somewhere that they know what they’re doing.