Blog

I write too much.

Another website update

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020 · Site Updates

After another five years, I’ve updated the main site theme again.

10 Years of Artist Alley

January 22, 2020July 10, 2020 · Business, Personal

This past December was my 10th consecutive year doing Artist Alley at IKKiCON in Austin.

2019 Convention Artist Survey results & conclusion

January 16, 2020April 8, 2020 · Artist Resources

The official end time for the 2019 Survey has passed, and the raw spreadsheet of results is available here. With that, this project is mostly concluded, though there are still a few loose ends…

Daiso Hauser fountain pen initial writing sample

Review: Daiso x Hauser fountain pen

January 6, 2020April 8, 2020 · Supplies

Yes, there’s another new Daiso fountain pen. A plastic barrel, cartridge-fill pen at Daiso’s typical price of $1.50, I was especially eager to try it out after the Rosso Bianco turned out to be a rebranded original Daiso fountain pen.

Daiso Rosso Bianco fountain pens in store

Review: Daiso’s $5 “Rosso Bianco” fountain pen

December 10, 2019April 8, 2020 · Supplies

The “regular” Daiso fountain pen has been in my rotation for a few years now. It’s honestly one of my favourite pens. So when Daiso added a whole tray of new fountain pens, marked at a premium of $5, I was honestly not too inclined. The other fountain pen is still available for $1.50; how much better could a $5 one be?

Freedom From Algorithms: How To Use a Feed Reader

December 7, 2019April 8, 2020 · Miscellaneous

Freedom from algorithmic news feed requires just two steps: 1, Content creators need to put their content on a site they can fully control. 2, Audiences, fans, and followers need to embrace neutral, third-party aggregators (e.g. feed readers) that can pull from sources.

A super basic visualisation of a decentralised network

The Only Way to Beat Algorithms is to Retrain Your Audience

November 27, 2019April 8, 2020 · Artist Resources, Miscellaneous

Social media is convenient. Not only do you not need any technical expertise, you don’t have to build anything at all. It’s much easier for people to find you, and they don’t have to manually check your feed every day. Everyone they follow is combined into one feed. So handy!

But: algorithms.

Review: Daiso Fluently marker

September 26, 2019September 23, 2020 · Supplies

The Daiso Fluently illustration marker showed up at my local Daiso a few months ago. They’re alcohol-ink markers packaged in ten sets of two, for nineteen colors total and a blender marker.

Review: Marvy Le Plume marker

September 4, 2019April 8, 2020 · Supplies

The Marvy Le Plume is a disposable, alcohol-based ink marker with a single flexible felt brush tip. Marvy now also has a newer line of Le Plume II markers, but these are not those!

Fountain pen inks with the Pentel pocket brush

August 18, 2019April 8, 2020 · Supplies

Now that Pentel’s figured me out and put out colorful collectible editions, I have to match ink colors with pen bodies, so here’s how to fill your pocket brush with your fountain pen ink of choice!