chibahikari

No, I am not gone. Like I said in my last post, I have been through a ton of sudden life changes recently. I became a single mom struggling to support myself and my daughter. Her father (and the man I was planning to marry in October) decided to walk away from our 6 year relationship. I realize now that I am happier, as though a dark, cloudy weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I feel the sun on my face again, and have the wonderful support of my friends and family. I hadn't realized how far beneath the waves I had slipped, how adrift in my life I was. I had put my dreams and plans on hold to support him and help him achieve his goals. But he never did and all I got were excuses. It has been a hard lesson, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I got the best little girl in the whole wide world out of it. Around the same time, I was put onto unpaid medical leave indefinitely due to aggravating an old injury. And while my injury is not getting worse, it definitely will not be improving any time in the near future. Which means I have less than 16 weeks to find a new job. It's been a challenge. I won't lie, being a single mom whose family is some distance away makes my availability rather limited. So I've decided to take a chance and open myself up for some commissions. Even if you can't commission me, please help me spread the word! Thanks everyone!

Single figure (no bkg or very simple bkg)
Example: fav.me/d4zhg26
$10 USD

Single Figure(full bkg) or Two figures (no bkg)
Example: fav.me/d3ao94w fav.me/d2oep62
$20 USD

If you're interested, just msg me and we can set-up details. Thanks!

Hey everyone.  I thought I'd pop in. I am doing artsy stuff but most of it is getting posted to my costume/design account Faerysilkthreads I'm taking my colored pencil design sketches and slowly re-vamping them in my digital style. I am try to present a polished portfolio and my digital work has always been stronger than my traditional artwork, hands down.

My life has been going through a lot of changes and upheavals as of late. Some bad; others really good. I'm not going to dwell on the bad things here, because they are personal and private, and well, they are still very painful since they are ongoing. But onto the good news! I recently applied to college (again) to finish my fashion design degree. I am really excited and the school I applied to has a completely online degree. That's helpful since I work full-time and have a beautiful daughter to care for. And I qualify for financial aid which has been one of the biggest things holding me back. But I need to do something creative and nothing makes me happier than illustrating a new design concept or manipulating flat fabric into a beautiful garment. This is where my passion is, and I want to wake up every day excited to go to work.  I do not feel that and can honestly say I've only had one job where I felt like that. So I am working toward positive life changes, because I need to balance the negative ones. And by focusing on my goals for career, love, life and my health are a way to move beyond the negativity.

I'll admit I'm scared. It's been so long, and my life situation is so different than when I was last attending classes six years ago. I've also had to realize that the "30+ years in a 9-5 job for a corporation that doesn't give a rat's ass about you" is not something for me. I don't want to be 40-something looking back and saying, "I wish I had gone for that job, gone for that school, gone for that goal." I've had to start re-defining myself. Certain things I believed were definites have now been thrown to the wind. And since I had been defining myself by those supposed "definites" for several years, it has been a long, slow and painful process. But little by little I'm pulling myself up so I can be where I want to be in the near future.

So as of right now while I am making art it is all fashion/costume illustration or photographs of garments have made/completed. Feel free to take a look. I would love some feedback (no one ever visits my FST account...) And maybe in a little while when my storms have ended and the stars shine through the clouds, I'll get back to the story illustrations, the writing...the dreams I once gave up that are returning to me again.

Hey everyone,

I know, I know. It's been awhile. Life changes came fast and sudden. A new job and a new house threw my life into chaos as I learned how to be mom, housekeeper and employee all at the same time, all at once again. But I will be lurking about and hopefully soon will be able to submit artwork again. I look forward to catching up on all I've missed.

Hey everyone!
I'm going on hiatus for a little while. Don't know how long. I just moved and don't know when I'll have internet back. I'll be popping in and out but only briefly as I can access the internet from other places.
Take care and see you soon.
Hikari

Hey everyone,
I'm still in the midst of moving, so no new art. Our kitchen sink is barely draining, and a lot of little "things that need fixing" have also cropped up. I'm trying to unpack but it's been a chore with working full time. But it is nice to have my own place and my own things again. Most of my things have been in storage for three years, so it's been fun discovering all the things I forgot I owned.

Yesterday, I went to see the Within Temptation concert in NYC. This is my second time seeing them in concert; I last saw them on their Heart of Everything Tour in Boston in 2007. It was amazing and it was great to hear how much they have grown since I first listened to Mother Earth in 2000.  We were really close...third/fourth row center.

It was also touching when Sharon dedicated the song Stand My Ground to the victims of Sept. 11. Ten Years later and I can still tell you what I was doing when it happened. It was a horrible, tragic day but from the ashes and grief emerged many heroes. And ten years later, I think humanity still feels that loss. But we must stand together, "if I don't make it, someone else will, stand my ground" What powerful words, and something to remember on this solemn day.