Tuesday, July 22, 2008

sell stock with me

i’ve come up with a plan for making extra money: selling stock photography. i applied on istock and they accepted me, which i honestly didn’t think they would. my confidence in the quality of my sample photos diminished significantly over the course of my application. the next hurdle is getting my photos approved. it seems they have some pretty intense standards, so we’ll see.

on saturday nikki and i rode bikes all around downtown, and i started building my stock portfolio. she assumed the role of creative consultant, giving me ideas on what to shoot. we went to the farmer’s market, lurked around taking pictures and pretending to be tourists, then rode around the north end looking for yard sales and checking alleys for trash picking.


she showed me this amazing house that i’d never seen before, it’s covered in art and just oozes awesome…looks like it might be a commune.


we went to the hollywood market (my first time there) then to the co-op, where nikki tried sushi for the first time and we both bought fantastic “wheat meat” veggie roasts, along with lots of other treats.




it was a tough bastard of a slog back home, in the hot afternoon sun with full tummyboxes. she rode the streaming strumpet, whom i recently covered in green glitter:

one of the nice things about hanging out with nikki is that she accepts the responsibility of explaining my odd behavior to people. here i am wandering around a gas station, taking pictures of a pay phone, gas pumps, a yard sale sign, and some interesting textures i found on the ground…and i wouldn’t even think to explain myself. “she’s not actually crazy, she’s just taking stock photography.” only one of those statements was true, but both were appreciated.

saturday night was my very last shift at joann fabrics and crafts. it was hard leaving, after 2.5 years, i felt pretty nostalgic…eric gave me a going away card that most of my coworkers wrote sweet little notes on. i’m going to miss working with just about all of them. on the plus side, i no longer have to deal with corporate bullshit or nasty customers.

today the editor where i work offered me a story to write, about the altered toy project. i’m quite excited about it. i’m going to make a few toys to donate, too—although, the fact that they’re all being donated to the children’s home makes things difficult. my instinct is to construct some very disturbing toys, but for political reasons that may not be a good plan.

6 comments:

Drew B. said...

Ahahahahah.. based on the "toy-building" course you wrote about those might be very disturbing indeed. I bet severe hilarity would be had by all though (with the exception of maybe the children they went to and anyone without the slightest sense of humor).
How have you been? School going well? I hope you're having an incredible fall. (Sounds like I'm signing your fuggin yearbook). :) Take care,
Drew

Emily said...

god, how did you know i was going to build a vibrating unicorn with a butt plug horn? psychic...

i’m taking an afternoon class from devan, and a night lit class from prof. sanderson (which dawn is also in)...and it is bizarre without you! i keep waiting for you to walk in the door, and then you don’t, and then i cry. practically.

how does it feel to have a degree? done with everything...i’m so jealous. come back and finish the rest of the semester in my place, i’ll totally pay you.

Drew B. said...

Only because I remember your penchant for unicorns. The butt plug horn was simply an extremely lucky guess. :)

Aww man, you almost made me cry too, except that I'm a man and therefore neither show or even really have emotion. It actually is kind of strange. Everything new I write or think about writing I try to connive ways to get to you so that I can get your opinion. After however many semesters things just don't feel complete without you looking at them.

Having a degree is awesome. Using the degree to get a job that I enjoy and pays me enough to live, slightly less so. I think your jealousy may be severely misplaced and I'm contemplating your offer. You wouldn't have to pay me anything, just help me with my Emily costume so that I'm a passable representation of you. :)

How are Devan and Sanderson's classes going? And which classes are they?

Emily said...

i’m so excited that you’re still writing! and flattered that you want my opinion...i will edit, comment on, and/or just read the hell out of any piece you send my way. your writing is so fabulous, it would be a pleasure.

it’s senior seminar with devan, and women writers with sanderson. both of them are great and the classes are great but i am not doing so great this semester. there hardly seems to be anything motivating me to come to class, or to get organized. i’m kind of burnt out from a summer of working 6 days a week and no vacation. plus the weather is way too lovely to concentrate on schoolwork right now.

i’m sorry about your job difficulties...give it time though, someone will eventually recognize your genius and snap you up.

email me?
Queenoflawngnomes@yahoo.com

Bonefish Sam said...

Where is this crazy arty commune house?

Emily said...

it's in the alley behind thatcher, between 4th and 5th.