Oh, have I had the most frustrating last few days! I'll spare you the details, but I'm going to back off from the computer for a bit, get back into my creating groove, and take my cousin's advice: let it out on a canvas.
I'm going to be honest, though, with what little I feel to share. I have tons of blog posts piled up (rather, drawn on a nice, big mind-map), artwork to share, stories to tell. I've been having an amazing time just floating along, but it's time for me to start kicking my feet and taking stops on the bank instead of waiting for someone to call my name. And that requires a lot of thought and notes and good music.
One thing I really want to start doing again is record my process. I love sharing it, and have finally gotten a layout in the Closet Studio that works. However, when you watch the video, you may notice its quality is...lacking. As someone who prides herself on her work, I am so frustrated, I almost didn't share it. I want to present videos that are of stellar quality, yet don't have the ability to do it. My camcorder, which I've used to film workshops and videos for the last two years, is on its last legs. It makes this clicking and popping sound when recording, which means my audio for the video workshop, thus far, can't be used. Yay for voice-overs, right? Except the Mac doesn't have a mic, and I can't get one to work.
Here's what I've had to do in order to present this video to you:
1. Record with the webcam via my netbook.
2. Import the video into Windows Movie Maker, then re-encode the video (takes about 35 min. per section, and I had 7).
3. Copy video files onto flash drive (another 15 min. per section).
4. Copy video files into iMovie on the Mac (a. 10 min per section, and b. the virus that killed my laptop killed Final Cut *sobs*)
5. Edit. And render everything.
Now, at this point, I'd simply upload to YouTube, right?
Except I can't. It times out or something after 15%. I've switched browsers, restarted the computer, tried the Java uploader. I can't seem to get this thing up on YouTube. So last night, I let it upload to my server while I slept.
So, 4 days later, here it is. And I'm not happy with it. I hate that the quality's so low. Wish I could have cut more stuff down. I hate presenting anything but my best, and part of me thinks all my problems were signs. Or lessons. Who knows?
I have put together some collage packs of all my favorite supplies from my stash, and am using them to raise funds for a new camera -- I've found an amazing, cross-platform, HD camera I'd pet and cherish and love -- so I can finish filming the video workshop and get back to being more consistent with my video creation. So if you like pretty things, please help a girl out?
Right now is a frustrating time for me. I'm between projects which means my income is next to nothing. This is part of the struggle trying to make a living off your art, and I hear the advice friends have given me echoing in my head. I just need to think and plan and create and stop getting distracted.
Now, if I could only get this menu program to work right, I could get these DVDs out today. I've gone through 3 trying to figure it out. My DVD program was also a casualty of the virus; I'm going to stay here and keep working until I get it done. No matter how long it takes, or how much my back aches.
(It doesn't help that my FMS is being extra-sensitive lately, and I'm getting next to no sleep. After a few days, you really start to feel it!)