I need more technological simplicity in my life.
To that end, I’m facing the unpleasant reality that it is time to migrate my website and blog from WordPress to a simpler platform. It’s not a project or process I’m looking forward to but, the fact is, it’s a switch I can’t hold off any longer.
I’m probably the last to arrive at the party, but I’ve been swept up in the romance of a Blackwing pencil lately. Buttery smooth as it glides across the page, it brings a new delight to drawing. The downside is that it smudges, transferring to other pages — as you can see on the spread above. Plus, it has that graphite shine. But I do love the texture of its marks and how good it feels to draw with – so I plan to pick up a few more.
What I’ve learned so far is that transferring the website content shouldn’t be anywhere near the challenge of moving my blog. Considering that I have been posting consistently since November of 2014 — weekly for the first five years and biweekly ever since — that adds up to a crazy 426 posts, including today’s.
I do love an asymmetrical composition. Started here with the Blackwing, followed by spots of color and a richer black.
Logistically, it would be way too overwhelming to carry all of them over from one platform to the other, so I am going to have to do some serious weeding. My plan is to set up an archive on my new site which will include a selection of previous posts and then just carry on from there. The full blog digest, as it is today, will be unavailable once the migration is complete.
How lovely it is to have the garden coming back to life – the perfect setting for quick captures.
The biggest challenge is deciding which posts to transfer. I will be going through my backlog to choose the ones that seem most relevant to readers in the future, but any input you may have would be a huge help and very much appreciated.
With that in mind, I’d like to take an informal poll:
- In general, are pasts posts of any value to you?
- Are there any which you particularly remember and would like to be able to refer to again in the future?
In the past and moving forward, what is most beneficial and of interest to you?
- Descriptions of process?
- Book recommendations?
- Sharing random content? (Articles, Artists, YouTube videos, Art Supplies)
- Exhibition reviews?
- Travel recaps?
- General musings?
- Other?
I’ll look forward to your thoughts in the comments, or please feel free to email me directly. Thanks!!
I’ll be plugging away in the background for the foreseeable future and will keep you updated.
✶
Meanwhile…
As I move along in my “season of practice“, this Substack post by James Gurney (about the value of working small and in sketchbooks) really resonated with me. How about you?
Betsy
I think you should post whatever moves you. Your posts are rich and diverse. Just make sure to keep posting your work in process, always delightful.
Love these sketchbook images!
Will do. Thanks for getting back with your support and encouragement. I’m looking forward to a cup of tea and enjoying your latest interview with Celia Paul on the Brooklyn Rail. Congratulations!!
Your processes are inspiring. I am an artist who has used sketchbooks for a long while and you have shared so much of how your ideas develop your growth. Your choices are a part of how this works. This has inspired me to get back to work. I do not understand your switch and I hope to get it clearer. But books, processes, art supplies and every new share are food for me. Don’t over burden your life by going over your
history at length. Trust what you value.
Hi Betsy, great advice re: avoiding over-burdening myself – and I’m so glad the random bits I share have meaning for you and have spurred you to get back to your art. The switch I’m referring to is leaving my old website and platform (which requires a good deal of back-end work and technological know-how) in favor of one that is less technologically cumbersome and time-consuming. I’m tired of being a webmaster.
Thanks for your comments!
Yikes! I don’t envy what you have ahead but fully understand. I hope you can find the kind of support you need to make the task not only doable but one that produces the exact results you want. As to what I think you should carry over: sorry but damn near everything!!! Onward…
Thanks for the moral support AND for the compliment! Onward indeed!
I love your blogs. I love seeing your work in progress and finished.I probably wouldn’t go back and look at older things, but I love reading them.
Judy
Thanks for weighing in Judy – and for the vote of confidence. Very helpful! BTW, loved seeing the pics of your recent trip. It looked fantastic!
What a huge move…hard to believe the complexity in simplifying. Once you get there though, it is truly worthwhile. I love hearing your process (tech/logic) alongside the beautiful experiments in color and form. It is a juxtaposition I relish.
FEEDBACK: I love it all, but in truth archives and their access are so personal, it is hard to distill. A smattering of everything would be a delight and I trust your process as I know you will blend the logical with the whimsy balancing and moving fluidly between right and left brain. I can hardly wait to see what emerges!
In gratitude for you dear friend and incredible human. You are indeed inspiring!
Thanks, Adrianna. You’ve hit every nail on the head: suffering the complex to simplify, and no doubt carrying over a varied smattering to retain the general flavor. We’ll see!