Moving right along...

As usual, inspiration has been hitting and missing me the last few days. I’ve been working recently on a project with Building the Kingdom that has offered me a lot of creative license. After seeing my LittleLDS website and artistic style, they have invited me to work with them on creating a Farside-like comic, based on LDS humor and culture, which will be positioned on their website’s home page starting next month. The project has a lot to offer us both. There’s a bit of a vacuum in the LDS comic market, so it’s hoped that the comedic images will generate talk and traffic for their site, which will automatically produce the same for mine. My comics will be ever-present on their home page, which will mean free and constant advertising for LittleLDS products. Because they want a new comic once per month, I’ll have little pressure to produce them quickly…that’s good. It really is a win/win idea. At the end of one year, they’re proposing to produce and sell a 2008 calendar using the comics that will be titled, “The Latter-Day Side.” The title was my idea. I’m very excited about the project and have already started working on the first image.

I’ve also been working a lot on my LittleLDS Product Party idea. No, I haven’t forgotten about it. Not by a long shot. It’s actually coming along nicely. I’ve finished most of the written concept, and am now starting to revise, refine and tweak the overall model. There are still a few gaps to fill in there and there yet. When it’s available, the Party Kit will include an introduction to the product and party model, hosting instructions, activity ideas, dessert recipe suggestions, party invitation templates, and other useful party tips. I’ve already got a few volunteer hostesses lined up to launch the first parties when I’m ready.

LittleLDS CD#4 is relatively slow-going, though certainly not standing still. I’m moving at a crawl, but each new day brings progress. “Be the torus, not the hare”, I keep reminding myself. My programmer is nearing this semester’s end, and is looking forward to working with me at an accelerated rate to get it done. We’ve also planned to begin production of a new program that will enable me to generate my own LittleLDS titles independently of any programming individual. This will not only allow me to move at a quicker pace, but it will also provide me with some autonomy as a designer, as well as an ability to expand my scope to a more generalized children’s’ market. LittleLDS is a great launching pad for this new digital coloring book medium, but I’m finding that it’s a bit too limited as an overall market. Although I will continue to develop it, LittleLDS will eventually be a smaller parallel vector in the same direction as my next big project. After I have this new program fully functional, I’ll be able to begin working on my “Never-ending Coloring Books” brand. The same illustration style and great teaching focus, but no more exclusively LDS-specific titles. Never-ending Coloring Books (whose name is still subject to change) will be generalized for all kids. A much broader market will hopefully translate into a much faster-growing company and product.

I've learned:
That we almost always get out what we put in

I'm glad:
That I usually feel empowered by my challenges

I wish:
I my programmer was finished with school already

I will:
Never feel comfortable sitting around while there are things to be done…I am my father’s son.