Update 07/25: Everything seems fixed! For now. Subscribe!
Update: Things still aren't working right, but I have a backup in place so at least I won't lose your address if you subscribe. Still making cranky faces at the internet. Baby steps.
To be very clear: my subscription forms/buttons on my site aren't working right now. If you subscribe right now, it won't actually work and worse, I won't even know. Don't make me cry like that.
So, I've been arm-wrestling the internet again. Not trolls, thankfully, just code. See, when I was a kid, I taught myself to make web pages writing HTML from scratch. Nothing complicated *cough*boybandfanpages*cough* but that was my introduction to web design and computer graphics. So now, like a million years later, I get insulted at the thought that I might need a little help with my website. I still think of it as this thing I "did as a kid," not the multi-language, multi-platform, smart-code jungle it is today. I see now that largely the skills I were learning were front-end (making stuff that looks cool), but now that I'm in need of some specific back-end functionality (actual code that does useful things) I'm beyond lost. All the troubleshooting tips in the world can't help me.
This isn't a webpage I built, but it could have been. Except I would never have chosen that image as a wallpaper. More painfully retro websites available here, if you're into that sort of thing.
But luckily, since I'm officially actually a business owner, I can justify bringing in an expert to solve a problem when I can't. I'm not gonna lie. I picked possibly the worst time, in hindsight, to go fully freelance. If I had known everything the last 7 months would bring, I wouldn't have done it -- but maybe that's exactly the point. Shifting to a life situation where my own work is my "real job" has rearranged my priorities in interesting ways.
If my art were still "just my side hustle," I doubt I would go searching out a web expert to pay to really fix things, even though it would have been easier to pay for it. Funny how that works. (Or maybe I'm just rationalizing my defeat.) But now, I'm anxiously awaiting the trade of cold hard cash for a functioning, consistent, bug-free subscription form.
You see, I've been wanting to up my newsletter game, but if my subscription form or mailing list are broken, that defeats the purpose. I write to myself plenty, thanks. So, while we wait for things to be officially up and running...
What would YOU like to hear from me? Let me know in the comments below.
Things I've been thinking of including are plenty of pictures (works in progress, experiments, assorted studio disarray) and a little on what I've been up to, like a digital studio visit. Plus obviously details about where my work is popping up in shows, online or in print. And also new products as they develop (I'm working on some new shirt ideas) and new shop listings (I have a bunch of small original I've been meaning to post)
What am I missing? What do you want to see? What would you want to ask me?
I'm looking forward to reading your answers!!