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So the semester is over! Time off from school has been totally relaxing.

… Or not…

Since the fall semester ended, I have turned thirty, my daughter has turned four, I’ve lived through a very stressful holiday season, and I’ve boxed up all of my earthly possessions. While all this has been going on, I have been working tirelessly on planning my next book project.

I won’t go into detail on the family/holiday stress here, but I will say that Columbia College Chicago has a great counseling program. All graduate students get 10 free counseling sessions a year. Take advantage of them! You will not regret it!

Moving has been a trip. We’re finally moving on from Dekalb. We are moving on up to Oak Park, something that has been incredibly stressful and exciting at the same time. It’s a huge transition for my family. My daughter, Claire, has just opened up to us about the stress she was experiencing while we have been toiling away. She let me know a couple of nites ago while tucking her in that she thought we were going to leave her stuff behind. She was especially worried about her new birthday and Christmas presents. Apparently, my wife and I had not taken enough time to explain to her the concept of bringing all of our stuff with us to a new home. #parentfail. All is good now, and she has turned her worry into being the most excited person in our family.

As for art projects I am working on…

I am in the process of transcribing notes I have been writing down for years about the mythology of my larger body of work. I have been essentially writing a sci-fi creation story epic, tying judeo-christian concepts and the coming (fingers crossed) technological Singularity. Along with the written parts, I will be compiling drawings that I have completed throughout the last few years and add new sketches and illustrations where they are needed. Essentially, I want a pseudo religious manuscript-sketchbook-graphic novel as the end product. Once the move is done, I’ll be hunkering down in my studio (now accessible by one El route!!). This has been something that I’ve been wanting to work on for a long time now, and I’m super excited to finally get to it. I’ll keep you all updated on the progress as it unfolds.

Now I’m off to go finish boxing up the last few things in my apartment that we’ve been living in for the last four years…and trying not to get emotional. We brought both of our kids home for the first time to this apartment, and there is a huge part of me that is sad to leave. But onwards and upwards. In the long run, I think we will be much happier in our new home.

Did I mention that my daughter’s birthday party is tomorrow? There are going to be ponies there. I’ll leave you with that.