I spent this weekend at C2E2, spending the majority of my time walking Artist’s alley and looking for cool merch or new comics to buy. I got some signatures, commissioned a few pieces of art. Friday was a good day! I got through my entire signature list, and got what art commissioned I could. Saturday, however…Saturday was a rollercoaster. I got the last artist on my sketch list pretty much right as the doors to the event space opened, and then I felt both empty and at loose ends. So much of my average convention experience is hunting down creators for autographs, that to not have that…well, it felt off. Add on top of that I’m over a year behind in a LOT of the titles I pick up every month, and it just made me feel out of place. As if I didn’t even know what I should’ve brought to have signed, who to seek out, which panels to go to–for someone who structures their convention experience as much as I do, it was very unpleasant.
Or, at least I initially thought that was the problem. But as I wandered around alone, in this funk, I kept stumbling mentally into wishing I had my laptop with me, because I kept revisiting elements of both San Keros and another cycle of stories I’m writing. It took imbibing some brutally strong brew on the convention before i realized that some part of my brain was angry that I had all of this sudden downtime and wasn’t writing. That part of this dreaded funk I was dealing with was due to me wanting to do–in a way–what these creatives around me were doing–making characters, telling stories, filling worlds with their truths.
Once I realized that, I felt much better. I wish I could say I ran to the hotel and just wrote the rest of the afternoon, but cons are crazy expensive, yo, and I decided I’d enjoy myself for the rest of this one. And I have.
Sunday I have 1 panel to attend, and some art to pick up. Otherwise it’s just wandering the sales floor and seeing wassup. Then we’ll do dinner at our favorite Thai place with Andy’s niece and boyfriend before we head back to Kalamazoo.
I have Monday off, and I promised myself I’d start hitting the gym after this weekend. But after that no doubt ugly attempt in the morning, I’m pretty sure I’ve got some worlds of my own to visit.
But don’t worry…you’ll be visiting them soon.
latenightstirfry 