Enjoy the vacation.Capstan Blue in a MM cob for today.
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Tomorrow we will go on a holiday to a farmstead in the countryside, so my travel setup has been packed and is ready for action: Peterson Deluxe System 20s and a Pascucci billiard, some Winsløw No. 1 and Orlik Golden Sliced should get me through the week. I was hoping to take my new Tom Eltang Basic with me, but unfortunately it hasn’t arrived yet from Denmark.
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Wonderful insight into the life of a freelancer in a creative field. If it's any consolation to you artists, this feast or famine, keep-the-pipeline-full-but-not-too-full way of making a living is not dissimilar from any job that depends on getting new clients, from taxi drivers to lawyers.This reminds of something I will never forget. In the late '80s or early '90s, I attended a vintage paperback show in New York. Sitting at one table, were the legendary cover artists, Robert Maguire, Mitch Hooks, and Robert McGinnis. I felt so lucky to meet them, especially, all three at once. My freelance illustration career was only in its fourth or fifth year (I'd been out of art school/college about the same time). I had at least one book from my Ross Macdonald collection for Hooks to sign. These guys were in their mid to late 60s at this point. I asked them, "Does that feeling of dread, the fear of the phone not ringing, ever go away?" They quietly glanced at each other and said:
"No."
I saw the life ahead of me. Always taking on jobs, even if it meant staying up for days to them done. I was horrified and comforted by their answer. The idea that these luminaries still worried about getting work at a time when they should be able to think about retiring blew my mind. But, it made me feel less alone.
Bless Robert McGinnis. He's the only one of the three still alive (the youngest of the group). At 96, he's still painting covers for my friend, Charles Ardai, at Hard Case Crime.
The idea of not working or taking on new work is foreign to freelancers. It's about survival. My life is currently different because I've taken on a 9 to 5 gig. But, I know it's important to take those nights off and relax sometimes. I hope I see you post more pipe themed nights, Jim.
Thanks. All you said is true. Freelancing is not for the faint of heart.This reminds of something I will never forget. In the late '80s or early '90s, I attended a vintage paperback show in New York. Sitting at one table, were the legendary cover artists, Robert Maguire, Mitch Hooks, and Robert McGinnis. I felt so lucky to meet them, especially, all three at once. My freelance illustration career was only in its fourth or fifth year (I'd been out of art school/college about the same time). I had at least one book from my Ross Macdonald collection for Hooks to sign. These guys were in their mid to late 60s at this point. I asked them, "Does that feeling of dread, the fear of the phone not ringing, ever go away?" They quietly glanced at each other and said:
"No."
I saw the life ahead of me. Always taking on jobs, even if it meant staying up for days to them done. I was horrified and comforted by their answer. The idea that these luminaries still worried about getting work at a time when they should be able to think about retiring blew my mind. But, it made me feel less alone.
Bless Robert McGinnis. He's the only one of the three still alive (the youngest of the group). At 96, he's still painting covers for my friend, Charles Ardai, at Hard Case Crime.
The idea of not working or taking on new work is foreign to freelancers. It's about survival. My life is currently different because I've taken on a 9 to 5 gig. But, I know it's important to take those nights off and relax sometimes. I hope I see you post more pipe themed nights, Jim.
Egads. I see I left several words out in my original post.Thanks. All you said is true. Freelancing is not for the faint of heart.