But hoo boy, I could have used a bit more space between Christmas holidays and New Years this year. So many things to do, so many things done. In fact, I would like to take this moment to dub 2009 The Year Which Went Too Quickly but also The Year in Which Shit Got Done.
What shit got done? Well I...
- Finally took a writing retreat, something I've wanted to do since I was in England and reading about the Cotswolds. While there I...
- Made a serious stab at finishing a new feature length script. Unless a miracle happens, it won't be done before year's end but with a finished treatment and 37 pages written (as well as piles of notes) I know it's reached a crucial point that makes it a lot easier for me to return to the work and polish her off.
- Organized funding for shooting a small pilot I wrote, which my pal Mark then filmed. That was part of a lot of other writing and groundwork which was laid in preparation for pitching what I can only refer to right now as "A Science Fiction Series" early in the New Year (ideally late February).
- Busted my balls on Handful, of course, raising the quality of the show significantly and building a suitably large archive of episodes so as to achieve escape velocity from planet "Something I did for a little while and then got distracted". That...that is a terrible planet whose gravity is often much stronger then you might expect!
- This included another interview, which I actually managed to keep to a reasonable length! I'd like to do more, but it's tricky since my topics keep changing and I rarely know somebody relevant to, say, Seasteading.
- Got my first fan video!
- Broke both the one year and fifty episode marks.
- Through the show I attended my first TIFF event and learned more about Roller Derby, something I'd been curious about for a good while.
- Became a fan of The Pillow Fight League via the episode I did. When I went to another match in July I was actually approached by Olivia Neutron Bomb, who told me she enjoyed it!
- Pulled together the big special and thus introduced the world to SHAWN MACLEAN.
- Made some buttons, even if I am now deciding to give this batch away and do a fresh one with a new design to replace the "Lake Karachy Rowing Club" button. These and the business cards helped make it all feel less like a hobby and more like A Thing.
- Did some other fun little videos, mainly as a way to force myself to continue on with my bit of self-education & writing practive via Stephen Fry.
- This included another Urban Exploration adventure to Toronto's not-so-secret ballroom.
- Got my own dang longboard!
- Which made the 2009 board meet that much more awesome.
- Worked with my roommate Christina to decorate and otherwise set up what is easily my favorite place that I've lived in since leaving my parents after graduating High School.
- Did some more painting, though not quite as much as I would have liked.
- Went to my first North American webcomic convention and got to briefly meet & chat with Paul Pope!
- Got piles of proper use and enjoyment out of my membership at the AGO, which meant a lot to me as I didn't get as much use out of my membership at London's ICA as I would have liked.
I may have done some other shit, but those are the big things. True, Handful isn't making me money yet...but I think I was being a little naive. From what I've learned of other folk with webshows or webcomics, 18 months seems to be about half the amount of time it's taken most folk to be able to make any kind of living from their online efforts. I guess I should just quit! OH NO WAIT...
My other big goal for the year, to try and finally host a Handsome Boy Modelling School party may just have to go on the pile of broken dreams...but I think I can live with that regret!
So what of 2010? Well, I feel very excited to build upon what I've done this year and (especially after reviewing some of my pictures from London) I know I'd really like to get in a trip to somewhere other than Ottawa. It's been far too long since I've seen a concert in Montreal, but I'm also curious about New York since fully half the people I know visited there in the time since I moved to Toronto!
And then, there's this. Anybody want to sponsor a webshow hosts trip to L.A.?
Dang, I gotta get on with the day! So I think I'll close here for now and get into more depth about next year sometime in it's first few days.
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