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Finish It
When Greg and I collaborate, we typically do so remote. Fortune would have it, however, that he has family in Los Angeles and is sometimes in town for other work. In that way prior to a project we typically get a few hours in the same geographical location to brainstorm and sketch. Or maybe it”s that we come up with new, more ambitious projects whenever we are together. In truth it is probably a combination of those forces, and more. What”s important here is that we always finish and deliver what we set out to do, from JSDC redesign and logo to concept art to, well, whatever visions may come.
Until a week or so ago I hadn”t seen Greg since last year. At that time I told him my initial ideas for what needed to happen with ARTEMIS ETERNAL, and how I had an idea for a tree-type thing (now a map) that would illuminate the process. I was broken down at the time, ground down to dregs and shadow, and spent half the night explaining how hard it would be to approach the project that way and laying down the fact that I doubted I had the strength to take on something so spirit-driven. In fact I was certain that I did not.
Here are the entries from those days.
- Holiday Guest
- The Road
- From the Rooftops
Greg sparked to my initial idea. In fact he never does anything that doesn”t interest him. He drove me to the grocery store, we shopped, made dinner and talked about the idea more and more and then decided to go forward. Then we bypassed a roof and on the spur of the moment arranged a photo.
Launching the ARTEMIS site last winter was an incredible challenge and a strain. We did it over a month”s time, over the winter holiday. Wireframes, repeated late-night phone calls as we both traveled, carving light out of darkness... that process was stressful enough that it very nearly broke our creative fellowship.
- Unties Worldy Dust
You could sense it, and were worried,
- The Highest Good is Like Water
And yet, we summoned our final energies and together pushed into the public consciousness.
- Unites Wordly Dust
Then I ended up with a black eye. No, not from G, but I”m sure if at that time I were positioned in one of those dunking booths or the like, he would have gladly taken a go.
Even though there are huge amounts of geographical space between us and in reality Greg and I have spent less than a few full days in one another”s physical presence, we”ve been through a lot together. What I”ve essentially done ” and rightly so ” is trusted him with the keys to all the portals of my life.
I simply don”t think I would exist anymore if I hadn”t had the opportunity to work and grow with Greg.
Greg was just here in Los Angeles and we spent a whole day together drinking coffee, doodling, catching up and thinking of things you will love and weighing whether or not we have the resources to create those works and evolutions. Some are necessary; all are beautiful. Greg is of course (among all the other things he”s party to) working on his personal projects. Currently his focus is his interactive space opus, Experience the Planets. I will be sure to link that here again once it is published online. I mean, it says “planets” in the title so all nerds everywhere will rejoice. I know this about us.
In the meantime, as I mentioned, Greg was here. He took a few a photos of me. From the rooftops last winter and being crushed by the city, to pulling the fragments back together and reflecting on the past year” yes, we have been through it; some parts thick and some thin. Our journey started years before that, too; with TSL development.
It is possible to pull away from something dark,
Even if that dance is slow at the start.
Although the plot has been a long time in the execution, the ARTEMIS ETERNAL project site has not even been live one full year. Already much has come to pass that I could not have foreseen. The road remains difficult, but also lovely, and the potential is endless. I'll do everything in my power and fall short of a goal, then turn around to find myself suddenly presenting at Comic-Con. I'll lay a great, fool-proof leg of the plan only to be thwarted by something like (exactly like) the unprofessionalism and foolishness of a rather notable publicity firm. (Let us FACE! them hardcore by achieving unheard levels of awareness for our The WINGMEN short.) Things remain fluid. We revel and commiserate, we celebrate, we roll up our sleeves and we evolve. Yesterday I shot off arrows and talked ARTEMIS with Leah and Mahalo Daily, who we met at Comic-Con thanks to some WINGMEN. Tomorrow, our plan is solid, but the nuances change within that framework. In this universe you control the tides and equip us to do things that others cannot, or will not. Before Barack Obama was running for President we were singing songs here about possibility and change and backing it with fresh attempts and vision, and unprecedented blueprints. It has been hugely affirming to watch those ideals play out high profile on the American political stage.
What we”ve accomplished together is already extraordinary. I was telling Greg on the phone this weekend that The WINGMEN community has just crossed the threshold where we have high enough numbers and enough diversity that we can actually get things done, together.
At this point I”m able to announce that from start to finish everyone, including all of the talented film professionals, working on the The WINGMEN HD short have been and will be (as we finish) 100% volunteer. These are “the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things." They are to be celebrated.
Everyone involved should be proud of that, but particularly Greg: Beyond myself, he is the person who has the greatest hand in every facet of ARTEMIS ETERNAL.
Universe be wary of the day we have the funding to have the time and resources to put into motion something so gorgeous it will wreck your soul. Until then, we”ll settle for melting your face with The Awesome whenever possible and with ARTEMIS ETERNAL in particular.
If you”d like to review progress via the last year in Scrolls, then visit the Recent Entries and start bottom to top.
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