Hello!
It's been awhile, so here is a picture of my face. Although it was taken in July, I can assure you I still look the same. (My hair is a bit shorter now, since I was brave and re-entered the world for a haircut.)
Now that we have established that I still exist, I would like to tell you about some things that have happened this year (not a lot) and things that I have coming up (also not a lot, but there is potential for excitement)!
Comics: Due to COVID-19, I have not been able to go to nearly as many concerts this year, which has cut my content way down. So I have been mostly posting comics on Saturdays, Mondays and Thursdays. From January 2020 to now, I have posted 93 comics, with a total of 114 "Overheard Things Comics" since the series began last year. You can buy a book here.
That being said, Overheard Things is turning one next month! I published my first comic on October 9, 2019 but I didn't share it until October 12, 2019, so it kind of has two birthdays. Normally, I participate in Inktober (a drawing a day challenge) but last year I felt burnt out and didn't want to do it anymore. That's not to say I won't do it again, but I'm not doing it this year. Instead, I'm doing this:
I have already created 31 comics specifically for Thingtober so that we can celebrate Overheard Things' birthday all month long! (And I don't have to create something every day! Woo!) A lot of them are darker comics that deal with topics like death and murder (and more swearing). However, I will still have regular more lighthearted comics. There will be no Saturday theme.
In November, I will go back to posting comics on Mondays and Thursdays as needed and the Saturday theme will be body parts. In December, I will be taking a break and only be posting "The Top 10 Blogs of 2020" and comics on Saturdays. They will have a holiday theme.
Interviews: This year, I have posted 10 interviews that I am very proud of. Last year, I looked at it as, I "only" posted 10 interviews. Then when COVID hit, I thought it would be easier to get interviews because all of the entertainers would be at home twiddling their thumbs. This was not the case. Most artists didn't have free time because they were doing live stream concerts or interviews with other outlets. So, to remain consistent and get 10 interviews during the chaos was very rewarding. I also put less focus on trying to obtain interviews. Last year, I sent 54 requests and fulfilled 10. This year, I sent just over 30 (which is still a lot) and fulfilled 10. So I found it's not worth stressing over. I did less work and got the same number I did last year. This might sound negative, but it has been much better for my mental health. I told myself that my main goal was to at least get to 10 and then stretch for 12. (One per month.) If I don't get to 12, that's okay, but I currently have two interviews that are still pending. I am very excited about them. If they don't work out for 2020, then they might be my first interviews for 2021. (In November/December I will be looking for new interviews, so let me know if you have suggestions.)
Concerts/Art Shows: I am not attending any more events this year. I was supposed to attend The CMA Ontario Awards in October but they changed the format to drive-in only. I don't have a vehicle so I requested a refund. It has not gone through yet, which I am ticked about, but that's another story. In case anyone was wondering, I am not going to see Brett Kissel this weekend. :( Before the tickets went on sale, I inquired about the standing room only tickets, and I would be allowed to go, but I felt unsafe about being in a crowd of 99 other people. As I am writing this, the number of people allowed at an outside gathering in Ontario just dropped from 100 to 25, so I am curious if this will impact the VIP standing room tickets. I hope that the people who are going stay safe. Next year, I have two concerts that were rescheduled but I don't see them happening. (Yay, more comics during the week for you!)
I didn't do any art shows this year but I have been invited to Tingfest for next year. We'll see what happens. You can check this page for potential updates. I'm not entering any shows at this time and the art that was meant for Fringe is under my bed.
That's all I can think of for now. I am still thinking of a way to put together a video for when the blog turns 4! It won't be jam-packed like this video (which makes me sad) but the blog turning 4 is definitely something to look forward to and worth celebrating in 2021. I'm sure I will check in with you again before then.
Be well.
Annette
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