Doffing the Recluse

As I sit here behind the screen, I realize that I have stayed away for too long in my own house of mind. This departure from my website to my blog has mostly been interrupted by the rat race of life that has found its claws into me and dragged me into the 9-5 of everyday life. Being caught up and distracted and exhausted by chasing my own tail, be it at making ends meet, it has come to my attention that there has been unfinished business to do.

I must take the step.

Now, without myself initiating to get up and open the door, I might not ever be allowed to go out there and show the world a bit of my thoughts, processes nor ideas on life.

So, to catch everyone up on where I stand. After two years ago, surviving a car accident and falling into a deep depression, to where I wanted either to run away from my life or even take it, I have serendipitously turned things around and found my way into returning to the craft of expressing myself. In doing so, I am revisiting a part in my life that I have been running away from since 7th grade and now facing the music. To challenge myself, develop myself and prove to myself that I am capable, I have enrolled myself in an MA program in English Lit, with a concentration in Creative Writing. I am hoping to get my skills up, so that I may begin crafting some stories to develop, write and share.

I am going to use the blog as a place that I will frequently (hopefully) visit and share all the different ideas, thoughts, and interests along the way. I haven't yet figured out my format, or goals even to what my exact intents are, but for now I am hoping to just throw out stuff regularly and figure the rest out along the way.

As this is going to be a place for me to share whatever it is that will come to mind, that my door is open, for not just me to go out into the world, but to invite those who would like to come in as well. I am looking forward to any comments, critiques, reviews, ideas, or whatever from you as well. Please feel free to always shares with me your thoughts, whether they be praise, or challenges, or even something negative. This is a place for me to learn and see how/if I may be influencing other people, artists, or whathaveyou's and I am eager and waiting for all the voices out there who might be nudged by me in any of what way.

So, hopefully, this will be the first in many of this years posts. Let us see where things will continue....

Website Launched!

Welcome to all, and to all you are now welcomed!

I am officially launching my website so that you may all glimpse and take a gander of my work.

davidbarlev.com

Your guide will be a little friend of mine who followed me back from a trip that I was on in Spain a few years back.  A real special cachundo, which is a type of rodent, named Basta.  He will be popping up where he can to lead you and entertain you throughout the site.

So, what's there to be seen you might ask? I will be displaying some finished pieces through my gallery of line work and illustrations, will get personal with a quick bio, periodically show a comic strip of our friend Basta, keep you posted and updated with my blog, and of course have a way for you to contact me.

As more pictures are worked on, the gallery will be modified, edited and updated.  The idea of the comic strip is to be done at least every month, but where I find the extra time, I'll be posting more than one.  Inside my blog, I will as well keep you up with the work that I'm doing, ideas and thoughts, and any other things that might find their way to be thrown in.

As time lingers by in its quick way, there will be additional links added.  Ideas for creating a store with merchandise along with creating a links page are a few things to look out for!  For this reason and as well as the blog and comic strip, make sure to remember and stop by every now and then to check out any of the exciting new stuff.

For those of you who take a real interest and want to be a part of the ingenuity of assisting in the ideas and creation, I am always looking for your insight.  Whether you have favorite characters that you would like to be found on a mug or shirt, or if you have ideas about Basta and his comic strip, or even comments or critiques of my work, I invite you all to feel free and send me a message letting me know .  Please make yourself at home here and feel part of this special community being made.

As well, as for any fellow artists with their own website that would like to link to my site, please let me know so I may complie a listand design it for the links page that will be launched sometime in the near future.  I am a big advocate in supporting other artists and especially ones that I am really close with.

So, with all that said and done, have yourself a sweet and a hot drink, sit down, and enjoy the fun and creativity!

So it begins...

Welcome to my blog site!  This will be a place that I will share my ideas, sketches, work, progress, and such and such from time to time.  As I am a constantly busy person creating, working on and developing so many things I know that I will not be able to post on a day to day basis. 

With that said, I will try my hardest to do so as much as possible but please do not be swayed astray and find in yourself to check back from time to time.  Part of my process is enjoying not only to create and entertain but I truly enjoy feedback, comments and my favorite criticism.  Now the last one means to me more about sharing your feelings about whatever it is that you might refer to, but in order to be more helpful and direct, I look forward to the types of critiques that point out something to me or are explained.  These constructive remarks allow me to mull over and consider options and ideas to contemplate and rework where I see fit. 

All in all, please come in and enjoy your self and feel free to partake in this journey with me. 

As always, thank you for your time!