Fresh Idea For Sale Sign Holder

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

 

Really? I’ve got to be the one to think these things up?

I’ve designed a sign holder that is less likely to attract bugs and is less likely to expose the paper inside to rain. My design is very similar to the existing design but it truncates the trough at the bottom, thereby providing less room for any bugs and less of a gutter for rain water to collect.

The For Sale Sign in front of my house (my house is for sale – Home For Sale Alas) is equipped with a box that holds flyers, sheets of paper with the pertinent details of the house sale. The box is slightly wider and taller than the sheets of paper. There is a lid on top that can be lifted to refill the flyer supply. There is a clear plastic front that is used to display one copy of the flyer. The clear plastic front is removable. It slides up and out of a pair of troughs in the side of the box. The front is inserted into the troughs and is restricted from falling through by another trough at the bottom of the box.

The problem is that the bottom trough therefore protrudes in front of the plastic front. As rain hits the front it runs down and collects in the trough thereby soaking into the bottoms of the flyers and wicking up the paper ultimately warping all of the pages. This trough also collects bugs that may linger because of the shelter and ready supply of water.

There are many solutions.

  • One simple solution is to make the trough much smaller by having two small troughs, more like tabs, on either end. There is less of a gutter and therefore less rain can collect.
  • One solution is to remove the trough and hold the front in place by other tabs, detents, or stops further up the front.
  • One solution is to make the bottom of the flyer tray higher than the trough.

I’ve seen many other box designs that solved the problem that usually a variant of totally enclosed boxes. But I am witness to a design that can be improved and therefore decided to take this opportunity to suggest improvements. Why? Because I can.

What am I going to do about it? I’ll probably just drop a little bar of plastic in there to lift the paper out of the water.

Why should I even post this? Because every day every one of us sees things that aren’t well designed. One way to improve the world is to improve those little annoyances in our lives. Some things will require a scrap bit of plastic. Some things will require hundreds of millions of dollars in testing and research. (The world needs better rockets.) Some things need nothing more than our voices and actions. So, while I hadn’t intended in writing myself into the political realm, I guess I’ll take this opportunity to encourage people to vote.

But first I’m going to fix that box.

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Renew New Road Map

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

 

My life is in transition, and therefore something must transit from my life. On Monday I formally resigned as Board Secretary of the New Road Map Foundation, a task I expected to last two years that I continued to do for three and a half. My various backup plans to retirement haven’t succeeded well enough – yet; so, I feel the need to step away from some non-profit, community work, and concentrate on for-profit personal work, whatever that may be. I’m aware of the irony that I’m stepping down from an organization that works to empower people to handle their own finances because my finances, which had been doing well enough two years ago, suddenly encountered an extraordinary string of (hmm, I won’t say bad luck) inauspicious events. Hopefully this brings good news, despite the appearance of bad, while also providing some opportunities.

New Road Map Foundation is the right organization with the right mission at the right time. Our civilization is passing through economic turmoil. Confidence in financial institutions and conventional wisdom has been eroded, possibly permanently. This is the time for an independent voice to clear a way through the confusion, reveal the core skills and principles that everyone can use, and provide each person a way for them to find their own path based on their values instead of someone else’s. New Road Map is one reservoir of resources that anyone can access for free, and even embraces a community of like-minded individuals who can share insight, advice, and support.

Enormous portions of the populace has recognized that the pre-packaged solutions were aimed at a mythical mainstream and frequently didn’t work with real individuals. The nuclear family in suburbia with one or two corporate paychecks and benefits and no surprising expenses rarely exists. The most common answer seems to be clinging onto any paycheck job regardless of the consequences. I know millionaires who continue to work simply because they want the company to pay for their health care. The equally common, though almost always less successful, strategy is to amass so many millions of dollars that every bill can be paid without a thought. Unfortunately, only about one half of one percent of Americans are worth more than two million dollars. A more revealing, but unavailable statistic, would answer the question, “How many Americans are living comfortably and securely?” Plenty of studies have shown that after basic needs are met, there’s very little correlation between happiness or contentment and net worth. To me, New Road Map champions that reality, and provides community for those courageous enough to redefine their lives.

Personally though, my situation has rapidly changed from “cautious about money, but optimistic” to “Uh oh, where’d it all go and how am I going to pay the mortgage?”. I can attest to the severe emotional impact experienced by suddenly having to worry about funding basic needs in a society based on currency. (Details available throughout this blog. I suggest that the truly curious start with Backup Plans, and work backwards.)

The good news is that the markets are recovering (though not for me – Semi Annual Exercise Mid 2012), unemployment is down (and I continue to apply for jobs around the world), and various housing markets are improving (Buy mine! Home For Sale Alas). So, just as I must scramble, inevitably someone must be feeling free from stress because their portfolio has recovered, or they got a job, or they sold their house, or because some personal mix of work, wisdom, and luck have freed up enough of their time to take my place and carry on the cause.

The New Road Map community is a fascinating group. There are no blanket solutions. New Road Map advocates personal empowerment based on personal values, without imposing values or even requiring that the values be articulated.

One core step is to align your values with your finances by asking yourself the emotional question, “Am I glad or content that I spent that money for that item, service, or experience?” “Am I glad or content that I made money by providing that item, service, or experience for someone else?” Answer those questions for every way you can spend or make money, then compare the results. Invariably some category sounds good enough, until compared to the other categories. If you can change, change. Ask and repeat, and keep doing that for a few months, years, or decades and a new life is customized even without having to pin labels on the underlying values.

The human result? A lot of people living contentedly and unconventionally. The organizational result? The largest and most diverse group of people I’ve met and enjoyed being around. Just don’t expect them all to be Democrats or Republicans or Libertarians or Independents or any demarkation within the populace – though they do all tend to be reasonably good at addition and subtraction and drawing one particular graph. (See the Nine Step Program for details.) Diversity reveals itself through individuality.

Oh yeah, and for folks familiar with running charities, enjoy the concept of an organization that lives by its values; which in this case means an organization that has a steady stream of income from investments and only spends what it receives. The concept of a self-sustaining charity is so radical that it confuses the governmental agencies that track such things.

So, if you couldn’t tell, this is a call for people. New Road Map Foundation needs board members. I’m not the only one who far extended the expected stint. It also needs advocates, champions, and participants. Join the board and help the world change its relationship with money. Volunteer and help spread the word. Join the community and change the world one person at a time, yourself. Oh yeah, and if you donate, New Road Map can extend its reach beyond its self-constrained budget.

Personally, my transition means I change too. This blog is based on the book, Dream. Invest. Live., so I’ve always been careful to not create conflicts of interest between my non-profit financial work and my for-profit financial work. That wasn’t an issue when the for-profit work was only a backup plan, but backups exist for a reason and it’s time for me to act on my plans. By resigning I can offer myself as a consultant with fewer restrictions. I’ve followed all nine steps of the program, am a case study in Your Money Or Your Life, wrote a book about personal finance, learned a lot about the diversity of solutions others have found, and have applied that knowledge and experience for various people. And I enjoy helping. I learned that I am passionate about people and ideas, and evidently am reasonably good at helping. (See my Consulting page for testimonials.) Helping people aim their lives at their dreams is a joy, and something valuable I can provide and be compensated for. What a life!

So stay tuned as I step more fully into my new life, and feel free to contact me if you want to talk about your situation.

And please step up into the New Road Map community. It needs you. You can benefit from the community. And maybe together we can bring more happiness and contentment into this world.

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Backup Plans

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

 

A friend’s blog inspired a paragraph in Tuesday’s post which inspired today’s post. Normally I post on Wednesdays and Saturdays but it is good to break patterns occasionally. She wrote about her Plan B. Now I recognize that I’ve had to add my own Plans C and D, and I’m wondering about E. So today I decided to write them all down for my own benefit. Who knows? Maybe someone else will benefit too.

Angela’s Plan B is to move into the home she built. It’s an 8 foot by 16 foot house on wheels. It’s small, which meant she was able to spend more time making sure the details were done right. Her Plan A was to sell it. Prior to Plan A was another life which she left behind when she moved to the island. That’s a common theme on Whidbey.

I moved to Whidbey over seven years ago to live the life of a frugal-minded semi-retired middle-aged guy. I retired early (for details read my book Dream. Invest. Live.) and looked forward to actively relaxing, living an unstructured, productive life healing from decades of stress while helping build community, or at least dancing a lot. That looked like a reasonable plan until the summer of 2011, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Allow me to introduce my plans, which I document here so I can see them, have them available for reference, and because it intuitively seems like the thing to do.

Pre-Plan A – A “Normal” Life
For those who haven’t been following my life story, and why would you, my original plan was to help the human race colonize space. I got a masters in Aerospace and Ocean Engineering so I could be in the right place at the right time to help design and build the space shuttles that would give our species more than one place to live. Leaving everyone on one planet is incredibly risky. Yes, I am a space cadet. I guessed that any such venture would only work if it made money and was handled by a big company, so I was happy to get hired by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Eventually, there’d be a Boeing Commercial Space Company, right? Well, yes, eventually there was and I got a job there.

After I got the job I got the impression that nothing significant was going to happen for a long time. About the same time frugal living and a diversified portfolio let me claim the title of millionaire. I was stressed out. I could retire. I did. It’s more complicated than that, including the bit about the end of the marriage, but describing more would be a major digression.

Plan A – Investing
I’ve been investing since 1977. The first few years were mixed successes, but after a while I developed a style that was based on Long Term Buy and Hold (LTBH), of small local companies that were possibly going to disrupt their industries. (Again, for more details read, and maybe even buy, my book Dream. Invest. Live.) I had data to bolster my confidence, and even with only half a portfolio and no longer millionaire status, I had good reason to believe it would work. If one of the stocks succeeded I’d be able to live frugally though extra revenue would be appreciated. If two of them succeeded I’d be able to live frugally with a comfortable cushion. If three or more succeeded I’d be able to relax and enjoy and dive into philanthropy and entrepreneurship.

It almost worked. But in the summer of 2011, MicroVision’s (MVIS) products were delayed, American Superconductor’s (AMSC) main customer apparently stole their critical intellectual property and cancelled their orders, and Dendreon (DNDN) didn’t grow as fast as predicted. Geron’s (GERN) clinical trials weren’t doing well. Real Goods Solar (RSOL) seemed to be besmirched by being in the same industry as Solyndra. Successes were discounted and failures were amplified. Even spunky little GigOptix (GIG), which was making good money, had an overlooked stock. The portfolio dropped by over 80%. (Triple Whammy)

Subsequently, the stock sales that had been paying my bills involved greater numbers of shares for the same frugal lifestyle. My portfolio is now down over 95% from attrition. Tuesday I sold the last of my DNDN. I’d hoped by now that one of the others would’ve stepped up to bolster it, but it doesn’t look that way.

The plan continues though. Until I sell those shares, they have time to pleasantly surprise me. MicroVision alone could return me to a comfortable, though frugal, lifestyle; but, MVIS would have to rise like a rocket to the valuations we shareholders estimated years ago. Hey, it could happen.

Plan B – Trimbath Creative Enterprises
It’s a good thing I had a Plan B in operation.

Even before I retired from Boeing I started a business on the side. First I taught karate. (I’m now a fourth degree black belt in Shobayashi Shonrinryu Karate.) I’ll still teach, but prefer private lessons to running a dojo. I also started writing. (That story’s on my amazon author page.) The writing led to photography. (Visit my smugmug gallery.) And the experiences I’ve had along the way became valuable enough to teach. (Modern Self-Publishing, Saturday October 20!) Couple my corporate and investing background with my life as an entrepreneur and artist and it turns out that I have a knack for consulting. Hello fellow artists and entrepreneurs, call me, I enjoy helping. Strategic planning, life choices, social media, web site development, publishing, I enjoy doing it all particularly because my passion is for people and ideas.

When I started I didn’t need the money and decided to let the company grow organically. I didn’t continue to throw money at it because it is too easy for a business to become a money sink. I wasn’t looking for much from my efforts. Each of the aspects of my business could provide more than enough income, but if they only each made about $10,000 a year, well, that’d be very nice. Unfortunately, trusting to organic growth also meant that each aspect was undercapitalized. Now, when I could definitely benefit from them, I have no extra capital to invest in my own business. What is encouraging is the wealth of compliments. Humility restrains me from listing the comparisons to award winning authors and photographers. Maybe that’s one of my hurdles, shameless self-promotion. I will, however, point out the testimonials on my consulting page. Those are their words.

The plan continues though. The books and photos can become passive income, and could even go viral, because they are available online. Sales can happen without my interaction. Go take a look. Buy something you like. Maybe you’ll start the trend, Maybe you can take credit for getting me on The Daily Show. The teaching and consulting require trading my time, but they are an enjoyable way to spend a bit of my life. The potential of my business is impressive and gives me hope, but it now must grow quickly. (Next book due out by Christmas: Scotland – and internal and external journey across a country, or some title like that.)

Plan C – Get A Job
I’ve always been receptive to the right job. In the fourteen years since I left Boeing I always kept my ears and eyes open, and even applied a few times, but that was the Dismal Decade and nothing presented itself.

Then The Triple Whammy hit in August 2011. In one day my portfolio dropped by years’ worth of living expenses. After I spent a few days recovering emotionally, I fired up the resumes and started checking job sites. I had a few years of living expenses left, but I didn’t want that to drain away. I knew that finding a job could take months. Unemployment was high, and I’d been out of the workplace for years. Months went by. (My Jobs Report Month 13) In those months, DNDN and my portfolio dropped another 50%. I was down to about a year’s living expenses. It has been a painful experience, yet a continual task. Every day I look for jobs. In over a year I’ve only had one interview that was for a full time job. It is hard being optimistic when I launch into my searches, yet it is something I must do.

And yes, I am optimistic, usually. As I type this I am a bit down, because this review has been a reliving of my months of denied anticipation. My optimism persists because I know my skills are in demand and I know that the going rate for those skills would quickly negate my debt, and produce a rapid financial recovery. Any phone call or email or hello on the street could be the turning point.

Plan D – Sell My Home
After nine months of job hunting and a dwindling portfolio (even as the companies grew) I knew that I had to put my house, my home, on the market. The market assessments were high enough that I could get a year’s living expenses out of a sale and even be debt-free. I love my home, but it was fiscally responsible to sell my home instead of more stock. There was a spurt in sales in the spring and I had mixed emotions as I watched the For Sale sign go up.

The house has been on the market for five months without an offer. Yesterday I dropped the price by $15,000. A sale at that price would leave me debt-free and with many months of living expenses, which is a much better situation than I have now. Any phone call or email could be the full price, cash offer.

Oh yes, and many have suggested that I get a roommate. That could work, but the living arrangements would only work best with the sort of arrangements made through eHarmony.

Plan E – ?
Plan E? Why a Plan E? Is there enough to keep track of? (Too Many IFs) Because as I sit here, Plans A, B, C, & D have not succeeded. Why the question mark? Because the world is an amazing place and unexpectedly wonderfully good things happen. Maybe I receive a windfall. I won an iPad. I was given a free fridge. Maybe I win the lottery. Maybe someone decides that something I did for them is worth so much that they mail me a check or make a deposit for something I can’t recall doing. One friend even pitched my life story to a VP in Hollywood. I don’t know if they expected it to be a reality show or a movie. Incredible things happen, and I make sure that door is unlocked and easily opened. That’s one reason I blog. It’s the electronic equivalent of poking my head outside and saying, “Hello world, the door’s open. Opportunity doesn’t even have to knock.” I know incredible things happen. Look back at all of these plans. What were the odds that none of them would succeed? Those odds seem on a par with the odds of winning the lottery jackpot. It could happen. (And wouldn’t that be an interesting new series of blog posts.)

I’ve heard assurances from business types (variations on “wow…how could you not find a job based on your resume?!”), artists (“You should be exhibiting and selling your art in Seattle, Miami, San Diego, New York.” “Why aren’t you writing and photographing for National Geographic?”), consultants (“With your skills, style, and experience you should be charging a lot more and should be a lot busier.”), and intuitives (“Your karmic bank account is overflowing.”). One known internationally for more spiritual perceptions said, “You have a wonderful light about you, but something is blocking it.”  Maybe that’s it. I’ve taken her advice at how to unblock the light. Stay tuned.

I’ve also been told that I’ve already done what needs to be done; I just have to wait for the delivery. Many people have told me that it will all work out and that I shouldn’t worry.

One person told me that I will succeed in ways I can’t imagine, and because of something I can’t predict. I’m a very imaginative fellow. If they are right and because I’ve already imagined and actually implemented Plans A, B, C, D, and part of E (I buy lottery tickets), then maybe I should be aware of but do nothing about Plan F.

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No More Dendreon

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

Well, it was a biotech and investing education while it lasted. Since 2003 I was invested in Dendreon. I bought my first shares of DNDN back when their cancer treatment, Provenge, was still in clinical trials. I hung on as long as I could, through the medical trials, the FDA approval process, the retrials, the second pass through the FDA, the approval, the trials of commerce, and finally the trials of finance. My investment served me well, but not as well as I’d hoped. The treatment is serving patients well, but not as many as it could and that has much more dire consequences.

Here’s a primer for those unfamiliar with Dendreon’s technology.
Dendreon has a process that teaches the patient’s immune system to fight a cancer it was ignoring. The technique pulls a molecule from a sample of the patient’s blood, attaches it to another molecule that the immune system recognizes, and then the combined molecules are injected back into the patient. A few days or weeks later the immune system may begin fighting the cancer. The treatment, Provenge, has been approved for prostate cancer. In use it is more effective than the standard treatments, has few side effects, and costs less. The cost is high, but the cumulative cost is lower. The side effects exist, but they are like getting the flu for three days in contrast to the effects of chemo and radiation. The effectiveness was only a few months based on the clinical trial data, but the more it is used the better the survival data looks. (A longer description is in a previous post, “Wrong About Dendreon“.)

Hard work and good results are supposed to be enough. I hear a lot of that in the political debates. Dendreon’s experience and my own experience make me scoff when I hear that. I’d probably cuss and curse, but I don’t use language like that so I just scoff, vigorously. You may think my scoffing is comical, but the consequence is that one more person loses faith in our political, financial, and health care systems.

Dendreon is not doing as well as I had hoped, but simply by achieving FDA approval they greatly distanced the company from my worst fears. For the patients that respond to the treatment, the company is greatly improving their lives. In a reasonable world, the company’s treatment would have been judged effective enough the first time they went to the FDA. (From some points of view that was the case, and conspiracy theorists have a lot of evidence to play with through that episode.) In that better version of history, the company would be making hundreds of millions of dollars (which they are) and become profitable enough to extend the treatment to other cancers. (Which they are, but only bladder cancer after a great delay, while the other candidates are shelved for lack of funds: lung, renal, colo-rectal, ovarian, breast, etc.) This would have revolutionized the multi-billion dollar cancer industry and become the D-Day invasion of the decades-long War On Cancer.

Oh well. So much for a reasonable world.

I’ve followed Dendreon because my investment strategy is based on Long Term Buy and Hold (LTBH) of small cap companies (< $2B market cap) that are on the cusp of profitability with disruptive goods and services. I’ve been investing since 1976, have tried many investing styles, and found that is the one that worked for me. It even allowed me to retire at 38. (Details in my book: Dream. Invest. Live.) I’m also a fan of diversification and rarely relied on only one stock. Even now I have a diversified portfolio, but it has the worst string of luck and bad timing I’ve ever experienced. (Details through this blog since August 2011, “Triple Whammy“, and summarized and updated in “Semi Annual Exercise Mid 2012“.)

Hard work and good results are supposed to be enough. That should be true for Dendreon, and it should be true for me. It should be true for any of us. If it was true for Dendreon they would’ve only had to go through the approval process once. Tens of thousands of lives would have been improved. If it was true for DNDN, the company would’ve been able to fill the pipeline and I would’ve continued my retirement. Unfortunately, DNDN’s price/sales ratio is less than two. That’s appropriate for a stodgy, mature industry with no future for growth, not an innovator that is a major breakthrough in a massive industry with a large unmet and vital need.

Unfortunately, life isn’t fair; or if it is fair, the fairness is currently hidden. What goes around comes around, but can someone give the schedule for that route? If the work and success are eventually rewarded, that is good, but in the meantime there are casualties and consequences that are irreversible. I’ve benefited as a stockholder, but today I sold my last shares because I must pay bills. Maybe my finances will recover some other way. Others who won’t get the opportunity to benefit from Dendreon’s technology may, well, may suffer the ultimate consequence.

I’ve paid my bills by selling shares of DNDN for the last three years. Yes, I had a lot of shares; but, living a frugal life also helps a lot. (Disclosure: I am Board Secretary for New Road Map Foundation.) But as most business consultants know, cutting costs is not enough; revenue must be made and growth is desirable. I sympathize with Dendreon’s long term employees. Hard work and good results haven’t been enough for them. Layoffs happen. Hard work and good results haven’t been good enough for me. Behind Plan A, which was my diversified portfolio, is Plan B, which is my consulting and art business, which isn’t doing well enough yet, so I am also working on Plan C, which is looking for a job (My Jobs Report Month 13), which has been unsuccessful, which is backed by Plan D, which is selling my house (Home For Sale Alas), which hasn’t had an offer despite being on the market since May.

The stock markets are up. Unemployment is down. Yet, witnessing Dendreon’s trials and experiencing my own turmoils have taught me that generalizations, abstractions, and theories don’t describe reality. Pundits and politicians debate, but imperfections, oversights, and injustices have real consequences that can be irreversible. A resurgent DNDN can not make my portfolio recover unless someone gives me shares. Allow me to repeat a passage from an earlier post (Wrong About Dendreon);
“In response to a question about the stock price, the CEO noted that no one else in the room wanted the price to go higher than he did. I almost said something out loud, but then remembered the rules for expulsion. In large part because of DNDN’s collapse I have been looking for a job (see My Jobs Report Month 9), am having to sell my house (see Home For Sale Alas), and have never had more uncertainty in my life (see Too Many IFs). I contend that he is not having to sell his house to find money for living expenses, is not looking for a job, and has not had to sell off 66% of his shares and most of an IRA in the interim. I strongly suspect that returning DNDN to $60 would have a much greater affect on my life than it would on his.“
That 66% sell off is now 100%. The worse consequence is that lives Dendreon that could have been extended were lost. Small businesses are a great opportunity for investors and a great resource for our country, but if their hard work and good results are no longer enough, then we are poorer and weaker. I have no more DNDN and wonder how I’ll get by because the other small companies aren’t doing better either. If we discourage such innovative small companies I wonder how the country will get by. What would we do if there was no more Dendreon?

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Whidbey Island Open Studio Tour 2012 Sunday

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

Welcome back to the Whidbey Island Open Studio Tour. Check yesterday’s post if you missed Day One. The chronicling continues.

7am
Wake and motivate. Tougher than I expected.
It feels a bit like a gluten-induced mood crash, but only getting one-third the traffic of last year might play a role too.
Was planning on going for a run, but decided to eat a good breakfast and then go for a good walk.
Straighten up a few things that got shifted while actually living in my house last evening.
Use Roku to play NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.” for something completely different.

8am
While eating breakfast I noticed how much Whidbey art I have around the house: thanks to Susan Jensen, Holly Thomas, Ed Bennett, Windwalker Taibi, Barbara Stout, Bruce Launer, whoever made my tea mug that is full which means I’m not turning it over to check, whoever made that glass bowl, Katrina Hude, Ed Severinghaus, and undoubtedly more. While looking at the art I noticed the other art. I have books from at least eight local writers. Yep. I think Whidbey’s an artsy place. So is Washington. There are that many more pieces from off-island. I’d probably have more, but my own art adorns my walls. Inventory sometimes overflows and has to go somewhere. Fortunately, I like my work.

But first a shower and then a walk. The opposite order makes more sense but if something was to interrupt me, the shower is more important on such a public day. Scrub, scrub.

I’m glad I didn’t go for the run. I may have just enough time for a short walk though. The weather is gorgeous with a fall chill that will burn off quickly. Okay art enthusiasts, time for a day driving around and taking the Tour. Hmm, maybe I should post that on facebook, or maybe Google+, or twitter.

9am
The day is even nicer than I thought. It’s warming up, with little wind, and wonderful light.

Evidently my labels and signs worked well yesterday. Good. I can work on other things today.

Bathroom break. Don’t forget the bathroom break.

Took another look at my displays. Just realized that yesterday people who were impressed with the satins were looking at the backside of them. They look even better turned around. Did I miss any sales? I’ll manage that today.

Launch into the Culmination Project. No, it is not a video game. The Culmination Project is the work of art that will encompass all five years of my five year Whidbey Island Nature Photo Essay (WINPE?) into one book. Originally it was going to be Whidbey photos, printed on Whidbey, and with the book hand-built on Whidbey and produced as a limited edition collaboration of three arts; but unless demand picks up dramatically, it will be self-published on blurb. That’s not as grand, but it takes far fewer, grand that is.

Oh yeah, do the neck exercises now. Wow, tighter than I knew.

10am
The slideshow and the music are playing. I’ve tweeted, as I’ve done almost every hour.

4 Two neighbors, one bought four cards and they brought two of their friends from Gig Harbor.
2 strangers from Clinton. It’s a small town but it isn’t so small that we all know each other. Okay, say a bit but don’t distract them. Let them have their own experience. He insists that I check out Andy Goldsworthy. Another variation on photography by including sculpture. I point out a man more local, Chris Jordan, the creator of Running The Numbers and Midway Journey. Hey, we’re all nature photographers at some level. Hmm, aspirations come to mind.

Restock cards, if I can. I think she just bought the last of some of those. I put up two little signs saying, “Sold Out. Want More?” as a reminder to me and a suggestion to them. Like a print? I’ll make it into a card, or you can go online and do it yourself.

The For Sale sign almost always comes up, “So, where are you moving?”, which produces the answer, “Wherever I can get a job.”; which is the short version because the longer version is, “Well, I want to stay here, and with enough assets or income I can, but my Triple Whammy at least temporarily put that at risk. (For more details check out My Jobs Report Month 13) Of course, if I win the lottery, or sell lots of art, or establish a great list of paying clients for my consultancy, or, or, . . .”

11am
1 A good friend, Jennifer Hooper drops by and buys what she can afford. Help A Find A Friend A Job – Jennifer Hooper, so she can but more art; and make her own.
2 A couple of new folks come in and go out. So they go, but first they hint about wanting more details about the Tour. “A bit of a scandal about the maps, eh?”
1 A stranger from San Diego becomes a newly met friend. She spends a lot of time and is very engaged in various pieces.
2 Two friends drop on and may be back. They know where and when else to find me. Friends are supportive in many ways, and they’ve contributed in greater variety than most. Thanks.
2 Two more friends, a dancer and her non-dancing partner, stayed and chatted for quite a pleasant while.
2 Two bikers ride up. One finds the helmet such a nuisance that it stays on. And I wonder if it just a concern for “helmet-hair”. I point out that the satins travel well. They say they may be back.
The traveller buys:
Three fine art prints + two small prints: I forgot to take notes and had to sift to find the ones she bought. Oh, I like her taste. The two small prints are from my original series up in the Cascades. She got a bit of history there.
She wants an agent in San Diego to represent me. Okay. OK!

I was busy enough that I missed the noon report.

1am
Well, that was a nice surge of traffic.

Another artist skill, balancing commentary as different people walk in. Some already know the story behind the art, or me, or the island. Some are new to all of it. Some are serious and others are just wandering through. Some want a lot of info and others want quiet. There is no one answer because each collection is different and what they want and need changes with each image they see. When in doubt, run down the middle and leave plenty of quiet time so they can talk to each other or let the last tidbit sink in.

It’s quiet now, which is good because I forgot to make a lunch or set something out like I did yesterday. Quesadilla equals quick when I make it out of one corn tortilla, some already cooked and spiced ground meat, and some shredded cheese. Maybe I can sneak in another.

Close my eyes to semi-meditate for ten breaths, or not because someone just drove up. Okay. That’s what I am here for.

1 One Clintonian, in and out.
2 Two friends arrive a gift of a flourless chocolate cake! Sweet, and gluten-free.

2pm
My friends show me a new way to appreciate my own art. They sit, one seated by one, prop up a photo, look at it for almost a minute, then twist it about any axis and repeat. They entertained themselves for an hour. TV doesn’t compare. Not only did they drop off food, but they bought another of the Cascade images. As they left they assured me that I should stay on the island and they’ll try to make it happen. Okay.
Oops. While they were intently looking at the front of print I noticed a typo on the back.
1 One enthusiast from up-island stays with lots of nice, meaningful questions.
1 One stranger comes and goes with barely a word as I talk to the enthusiast.
1 Jody Bone, masterful artist, drops by because she isn’t on the Tour this year. I hear her laugh before I see her. She surprises us by having me bring up an amazon page where her laugh is for sale. Really. It’s a ringtone. Now, that brings a smile, even when one is hard to find I imagine. Maybe she’ll make more from laughter than from art.

4pm
Again, so busy that there as no 3pm update.

2 Two neighbors. Nice chit chat, and commiseration about organizing anything on the island. So much that needs to be done, so many willing to help, so little time, and too much trouble reaching consensus within such a diverse community. At least, that may be why some of the efforts eventually fade.

2 Two folks from the other side of the ridge are interested in too many pieces so they may contact me later for some custom work. They are encouraging a family member to pursue art. I point out that I consult with artists and entrepreneurs. They took a business card.

2 Two locals drop in because they are out for a walk in a golf cart. Nice conversation, and they take a business card when I point out that I can be a source for last-minute gifts.

2 Two artists who’ve sold with me at other events dropped by to check out the exhibit and display, and to eat some excellent flourless chocolate cake.
“Fair thee well Mr. Artist.”

5pm
How many folks said they might be back? How many folks said they might show  up? It’s a Sunday. Weekend commitments are weak, and that’s not surprising. Folks have enough workday obligations.  But that’s also why I don’t close at 5pm, even if the sign says 10am-5pm. Last year I got sales on Monday and Tuesday. Who knows? Something may yet happen.

The total so far, assuming everyone drops their checks in the mail, is about twice the registration fee. Custom orders, urban representation, return business, can vastly increase the profits; which is necessary for me to continue pursuing the business side of photography.
Total visitors: Saturday 17 + Sunday 30 = 47
That’s about half as many people and half as much revenue as last year, which had a registration fee that was twice as much. Correlation?

Well, it doesn’t look like anyone is coming in just past the cut-off. I’ll finish this blog, get a walk in by picking up the neighborhood signs, then make dinner and a have a drink. Conclusions should come later.

Things to consider:
I enjoy people and ideas. That’s my stated passion and I’ve proved it to myself this weekend.
I enjoy hosting an event like this, and it is draining.
This event was profitable, and made two day’s living expenses, but involved days of preparation and disassembly too.
The exposure is wonderful. People expect to talk to the artist on a Tour. That can be true in the gallery, but it works more readily here. Maybe that’s because this is my space and I know they came to see me and my art.

To any artist willing to go to this effort, congratulations. Go check out the comment on yesterday’s blog. Appreciative patrons exist. And to any of the enthusiasts that dropped by or wanted to, thanks. Without you there’d be no reason to do this.

Stay tuned.

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Whidbey Island Open Studio Tour 2012 Saturday

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

Let the Open Studio Tour commence! Just like last year, I’m an artist on the Whidbey Island Open Studio Tour – a Tour where art enthusiasts can visit artists in their studios and ask more questions about how and why their art is made. (I wrote about it earlier. I Am Number 1) For the artists it is a way to deal directly with patrons and compatriots and sell without another fee except for the application. I use the Tour as a way to show all of my art, its progression, and how it all interrelates – and to tell my work. I am a nature photographer. My tools are my camera, my laptop, and a ski pole I use as a mono-pod. My studio is the world. Being on the Tour means turning my living room into a gallery / demo space so a hundred or so people can walk through. Being on the Tour also means a change in my regular Saturday blogging. Welcome to two days in the life of an artist, because I’ll blog about it tomorrow too.

Blogging chronicle style

7am
Start with breakfast and Car Talk because I don’t want to be thinking solely of the Tour today, and as I woke it was trying to be that way. I woke at 7:00am without an alarm. Before I sat up, my mind was already running through the details of the day. I’ve done this before. Make sure there is nibble food for me because lunch may not happen. Say oops because I didn’t buy nibble food for the visitors. I was in the grocery and couldn’t decide what to get that wouldn’t smudge, require plates or cups, or wouldn’t kick off allergies. I’m glad I put the signs up last night. There are a few more things but get up and get breakfast and listen to something completely different.

While making breakfast and a thermos of tea, make sure to take some Oriental meds that bolster the immune system. Make sure to have sanitizer out for folks that want it. There’s a nasty flu going around and I don’t want it and don’t want to encourage it either.

8am
Check email. Yay! I already had a sale – well, at the gallery last night. Cool. Thanks Raven Rocks.

Go out, grab the newspaper, and talk to an early morning walker who asked about the Tour. Doh! I forgot to tell her that it’s free.
Wonder if I’ll have to give any house tours. The house is for sale too. (Home For Sale Alas) Buy the art. Buy the house. Buy it all. One stop shopping.

The photos and books are all displayed. Spend some time arranging the cards and specialty prints.

Crunch some lavender to make the place smell a little bit less like a bachelor’s place.

9am
Slow car drove by. The Tour doesn’t start until 10am, but I’d let them in. They are inspiration to go to the bathroom now.
Collect wrapping materials.
Cue the music, and turn the tv into a slideshow instead of a dead black box. Glad Roku streams my online slideshows.
What else do I have to do that I can’t or won’t do during open hours? Oh yeah, breath and stretching exercises.
Decide to simmer some herbs from the garden for aroma and for an eventual soup.

10am
It’s 10:01 and no one’s dropped by yet. Oh woe. Patience. Chill out watching some YouTube. Thank you Hannah Hart of My Drunk Kitchen.
One last look around – and ah ha! I found a better way to display the prices.

Being on the tour is part of that artist’s exercise in humility where we put ourselves out there with no assurance that anyone will show up. It is always good to have something constructive to do in the meantime. As a writer I’ve been on book signings when no one dropped by and I spent my time helping customers navigate the store. So today I am going to settle into some photo work. I don’t enhance my nature photos because I prefer nature be seen naturally, but I’ve decided to create what I call facebook posters. (Check my earlier post “Trends In Images” for the why of it.) I’m incorporating my photos with my words to create downloads, posters, coffee mugs, t-shirts, whatever people want because they want art in their world, but sometimes they want it somewhere besides the living room wall.
Prepare for every eventuality, including the null set.

Take a good idea from someone else on the Tour. He took a picture of the studio and posted it on facebook as an invitation. I shall do the same. Thanks Denis.
Moments later a car actually pulls up. Glad to see it work that well.
Traffic begins. I like the woman from the north end who came to the south end to prove it could be done.
1 from Coupeville She’s a compatriot who wanted to compare notes. She particularly liked the translucent satins that work as window hangings.

11am
A friend called to check in. That’s appreciated.
My first visitor had to shift some of the photos to see them. I think I’ll temporarily cull the inventory.

2 friends dropped by. They help organize the Mr. South Whidbey, and think I should be on it. I’m honored. Maybe next year, if I’m living on South Whidbey. But the house is for sale, I don’t know if or where or when I’ll get a job, and there are Too Many Ifs.
1 neighbor friend even brings food, and agrees that I should run for Mr. South Whidbey. Okay, that takes some explaining. Mr. South Whidbey is a fundraising event for Friends of Friends, a medical support fund. The man who wins Mr. South Whidbey is the man who raises the most money for the charity. Maybe I’ll dance for my donations. Stay tuned. The cause is definitely worthwhile, and appropriate for a place with a mix of the wealthy and the necessarily struggling. Have you heard the term, “Starving Artist”?

Sale! One matted and sleeved print. He can mail me the money later. Thanks, John.
A Double Bluff print sold. It reminded him of everyday beauty.

Noon
Quick, a bathroom break.
Glad I ate a bit of chicken earlier. Those almonds were appreciated too.

2 nice women dropped by and chatted for over thirty minutes. They loved the satins. One is probably going to take my class in Modern Self-Publishing too. (I’ve got my books out and the subject came up.) The other one may start following my blog as I write about small houses. She’s a fan and an advocate and developing a neighborhood based on the idea.

1 supportive neighbor came in as he always does.
1 friend, Joe Menth, who prints my prints subsequently stayed for an hour answering questions for the next guests.
2 folks that own a hand-built country estate filled with the best of everything they need to have fun; including excellent camera equipment. They had lots of interesting questions. He’s led an Interesting Life, but the book is not for sale even though he finished it last year.

2pm
I was so busy that there’s wasn’t a 1pm report.
Eat bits of chicken and slices of cheese.
Meditate during a gap. Relax my facial muscles and my jaw.

This is the first year I’ve been the only person in the neighborhood on the show. The next nearest stop on the Tour is miles away. This is a lot less traffic than previous years. Maybe that’s why.
Besides the artist lesson in humility, being on the Tour is also a business decision. Are the benefits greater than the cost? As in most businesses, the costs may be obvious and upfront. The benefits come later. I paid to be on the Tour, devoted a lot of time and energy to it. Now I wait to see if I’ve done enough. Will people drive this far? The total numbers may not be as important because while I may get fewer visitors, the ones that are coming this far have demonstrated some level of commitment. A greater percentage of them may be willing to buy. In previous years, the majority of the sales came from very few individuals. There’s no way to except to try. Ah, but “No. Try not. Do… or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back So, I guess the brand name response is:  “Just Do It” – Nike, Inc.

3pm
Time for a cookie (homemade, gluten-free, oatmeal coconut) as someone comes up.
2 women, one from the opposite peninsula, one from Federal Way each buy a book. (Twelve Months at Double Bluff and Twelve Months at Cultus Bay) They were color-coordinated and didn’t know it, but they’ve known each other since grade school. They were determined. They couldn’t find a brochure so they printed out all of the thumbnails, and accidentally left them at home.
3 more from Seattle. They’ve been here since 10am and I was their last stop. Thanks for stopping.

1 client dropped by. She wanted to see the art, but her main purpose was to drop off a copy of her first book that I helped her publish. Sweet. Sorry folks, it is for private distribution only, but I got a copy.

4pm
The sun is finally reaching past the eaves to make the satins look there best. Now’s the time for visitors to become buyers.
In the meantime I’ve been working on the poster. I uploaded but there’s a glitch that I can’t correct. Hmm. There’s also a regatta passing by with spinnakers flying. Maybe I’ll concentrate on them instead.

The sound of gravel crunching and a car door closing, footsteps.
2 people, one agent and her client were looking at houses and saw the signs. Sure, look at art. Look at the house. Buy either or both. I think they decided on neither, but they were very polite about it.

The poster worked! It only looks like the glitch is real. Life isn’t WYSISWG.

A neighbor called to hear how things were going. She’d seem some traffic but hadn’t kept track. Well, it might be a bit odd if she did.

4:58pm Two more minutes and I suspect a neighbor is about to come in. I’ll stay open.

4:59pm But I might start mixing a drink soon.

5pm The whistle has blown so I’m going to wet or whet my whistle.
But first I shall summarize and conclude.
In attaching the tags for this post I realized that I’ve covered almost all of my usual tags because of the various conversations I’d just had. It is a diverse day. Every topic came up, including frugality and stock investing because they wanted to know why the house is for sale. This isn’t boring. My life is public. I think I’m going to go sit quietly for a while. But there’s a bathroom break that needs to be taken. Doing this alone has its issues.

Total for the day: 17 people, 3 sales that almost covered the registration fee.
Hopes for tomorrow: I always hope for tomorrow.

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Geographically Desirable Or Not

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

I live near the southern tip of an island. Sounds romantic, doesn’t it? Actually, it can be. It is a sweet place and a magnificent place, and the only place that has felt like home. Traveling has taught me that every place is just right for some people and just wrong for others. There are people who would run away from Shangri-La. Real estate is about location, location, location. Life is about dreams, emotions, and reality. Nomads can blend those two by moving from this location to that location to the location over there. The rest of us tend to settle for longer and the choice of where we live influences how we live. I live on an island. It affects most of my life. Some of that is desirable, and some is not.

Deciding to live on an island can be dramatic. There are islands in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea (the new eco-region that includes the Sound and extends into British Columbia) that are only accessible by boat. A little over seven years ago I considered them and decided they were a bit too remote. Within the Sound are compromises. Some of the islands are reached by boat, which sounds remote, but the boats are enormous and run on “regular” schedules (depending on winds, tides, and breakdowns). A few islands are even connected to the mainland by bridges. Whidbey is one of those, and it is the largest. I didn’t want you to think I was stranded on a nubbin of rock. Whidbey is called “The Rock” but The Rock is mostly gravel and takes over an hour to drive from tip to tip. Deciding to live on Whidbey was also deciding to be readily connected to the land and within a reasonable commute to downtown Seattle. (Watch the Rural Character’s take on “a reasonable commute.”)

My choice has been brought up in several conversations lately.

One friend pointed out that my job hunt has probably been stymied by my address. They had a similar issue and didn’t get an offer until they used a mainland address. Sure enough, their employer said it was an issue, but let them keep the job despite the revelation. Some addresses are geographically undesirable. From my side, my job hunt is done in rings where each ring is marked by the commute. Island jobs are the most desirable because they are closest and therefore have the cheapest commute. Mainland jobs along bus lines that meet the ferry are next. Any job that involves taking the car onto the ferry every day adds thousands of dollars to the cost of keeping the job. That’s one reason why I’ve tried to build a business from home. Jobs much farther away necessitate selling my home or making so much that I can afford two places. The more I have to make, the fewer options I have.

Social life has its pluses and minuses. I love the community here, partly because there is community here. Life in suburbia diluted the expectation that people living near each other could care about each other, though maybe that was from a poor choice of neighborhoods. In suburbia I had friends who were next door neighbors, but I might not know the person two doors down. On Whidbey I live in overlapping communities of varied interests peopled by interesting people who are also interested in me. (Second Saturday Dance!) The degrees of separation are at most two. Good news travels fast. Gossip travels faster. Support in crises arrives in unexpected and heartfelt ways. People care about each other because we are all our mutual support network. I am generalizing, but the reality is that the majority of the time the support is impressive. But the community is limited so many single folks decide to only date mainlanders to avoid the gossip, and in some cases have actually moved off the island to find a new social scene. I met one woman who made the opposite trip to my place from mainland. We stood on the deck looking at the view. She loved it, paid me a few compliments, and eventually told me that I lived too far away.

The Open Studio Tour has brought geography to mind every time I blog, tweet, post, or email about it. I’m Number 1! I’m number 1 because no artist lives farther south than me. Go the map, check out #1, and notice that I’m so far south that I’m closer to Edmonds than I am to Langley. I’m closer to an artsy town on the mainland than I am an artsy town on the island. Being number 1 is good news, for the folks who start tours at #1; but, this is an art tour and art people aren’t necessarily that methodical. Nice to get the exposure. Hope I get the visitors. Come on by and visit me and my art.

I made this house my home because of its location. The house is small. The view is impressive. I bought the view. Location was important. I paid under $300,000 and have a view of almost the entire Olympic Mountain range, with a few houses cropping into the frame. A better location would have an unobstructed view, and a much higher price tag. I bought an impressive view and walk to magnificent views. Such is a simple, frugal choice. I consider this geographically desirable, and am confident that the house will sell because others that value views will think so too.

When I rode across America on a bicycle (Just Keep Pedaling) and when I walked across Scotland (which I hope to publish by Christmas) I learned that every place is desirable and not. I live in America, though the mainstream is held back by a moat called the Sound. There are things I love about this country; especially, our system of government and our acceptance of immigrants and innovators. There are things that make me wonder about other possibilities; especially health care and social responsibility. My life is in such flux from stock portfolios, my business, job applications, and possibly moving that I keep in mind that I could end up anywhere on the planet. Fortunately, I like this planet; though there are places I wouldn’t buy a house. A South Pacific island sounds sweet, but waterfront there may soon be underwater in a very wet sense as the oceans rise. Maybe I’ll become a nomad and explore.

As I wrote this a fellow island photographer called. John Pendleton knows that I need shipping tubes for the translucent satins I sell. Everything on the island tends to cost more than usual because it has to be shipped here. Someone shipped too many shipping tubes and he found a stash that’s 80% off. Unfortunately, the tubes and I are geographically undesirable. We are separated by forty miles and an hour’s drive. The gas would cost $18 and I’d spend two hours of my time to save, well, just about $18 considering how many tubes I need. The more valuable thing was the call. By the end, he’d agreed to help spread the word about the Tour, and I’d spread the word about the tubes. Whether these are big or small things, they are definitely desirable.

Sure, there are things about living on an island that are undesirable, but you know how I’m going to end this post. Of course, I think it is desirable. The ready reminders of nature and passionate people without a lot of distractions provides a perspective that is healthy and reassuring. I couldn’t find that in the light, noise, and density that is suburbia. Maybe now that I recognize it I could, but if I can I’ll stay here where it is open, available, and free. Now, if only I could find a way to pay the bills too. That would be highly desirable. Let me check my lottery ticket.

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My Jobs Report Month 13

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

Really? Month 13? Welcome back to my job search. For those late to the series step back to last month’s report. This is getting ridiculous. No. It isn’t getting ridiculous. It is ridiculous. For more than a year I’ve been looking for work. No, someone said. I should say I am looking for a job. No, someone said. I should say I am looking for money. I’ve got more than enough work, and I have more than enough jobs; what I don’t have is enough money. But the work and jobs I have are self-created. They may eventually create enough money, but until they or some other source does, I’ll apply for jobs so paychecks can take pay my bills and debts, and maybe restore a financial cushion. Something good is going to happen, but I don’t know what it is.

Something good almost happened. Last month’s interview for a sweet job went well. I heard lots of encouraging words before, during, and after. And then I heard that I didn’t get the job. In the job market, second place is the same as last. That was my most encouraging lead and it was for a half time job. So far I’ve only had one interview for a full time job, and that was partly because he wanted to meet the guy with the incredible resume. But, I lacked two skills they required, so he thanked me for my time.

A few other good things are in various stages of progress. Most of them are not full time either, but maybe enough of them will add up to enough. A suite of jobs is a occupational version of the diversity I champion in investing.

I’ve finally found at least a couple of sources for contract engineering work. One speculation has been that, despite my resume, no company wants to hire someone in their mid-fifties because they probably won’t be there for more than a decade. Company plans assume such stability even if they rarely experience it. But contract engineers fill the gaps, take the jobs no one else wants, and live with the expectation of a temporary situation. That’s one reason they also get paid better. That works for me. The problem has been finding the right firm. Feel free to add to my list. There are some jobs that make full time engineers moan. Wind tunnel tests are remote sites can mean working long shifts for weeks or months far away from home. Travel? Wind tunnel testing? Watching the reality of data contradict the expectations of theory? Sign me up!

A few of my earlier contacts have also re-affirmed that they are keeping me in mind for other part-time or non-engineering contract work. Diversity, even career diversity, produces many paths. Diversity is valuable because it means more doors can open. Here I stand, waiting for those that have the keys.

Yet, I don’t stand and only wait on others. I make my own keys, doors, and paths. If I can act and move, I do. My art has kept me busy, and even made some money. Twelve Months at Double Bluff is finishing its premiere exhibition at Raven Rocks Gallery in Greenbank. Next week is the Whidbey Island Open Studio Tour (#WOST2012), so whatever doesn’t sell at the gallery comes home to join the previous years’ work. The Tour will be the first, and possibly only, time all five years of photographs will be on exhibit in the same place at the same time. Yesterday the first copy of the book for Twelve Months at Double Bluff was delivered. (The quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to get a copy is to buy online.)  That makes 11 books produced since I self-published my first, Just Keep Pedaling, in 2002. Last month I held my first Social Media class. Next month I may teach my last Modern Self-Publishing class, at least for a while. Amidst all of that I had my best and most enjoyable month for consulting. People and ideas are my passion – and it’s because they are fun! And because it is so much fun to help. (Are you a person? Do you have ideas? I’ll be happy to help. Check my rates.)

There’s other good news too. I know very few people who are unemployed with no source of income. I continue to encourage people to interview for my Find A Friend A Job (#FAFAJ) part of this blog, and am not finding many takers. People are getting jobs. Well, not everyone.

I spend a lot less time watching the stock market. I continue to prefer the strategy I described in the book behind this blog, Dream. Invest. Live. Long Term Buy and Hold (LTBH), worked for many years, and continues to work for others. I feel that my situation is partly produced by extraordinary bad luck. My lack of interest in the market is based on my lack of funds in the market. Each day that goes by without a source of income means dozens of shares have to be sold. I partly attribute my portfolio’s poor performance on the psychology of fear within the market. In such an environment, small companies suffer. Big companies are sitting on over $1,000,000,000,000 in cash and liquid assets. That’s enough to boost GDP, hire millions, upgrade, innovate, and expand. They eventually will, but unless I find a source of money soon, it will all be moot to me.

Let’s not forget about my collaborations. Maybe it is because of the uncertain economy, or because people no longer trust regular corporate employment, but my list of collaborations continues and progresses. People are becoming more entrepreneurial. Unmet needs are creating opportunities and people are pursuing them as second jobs or backup plans. I’ve been building my backup plans for years, and I’m glad I did even if they haven’t gained sufficient traction yet. Imagine the situation I’d be in if I hadn’t produced a book a year, started a five year photo essay when I didn’t need to, or started teaching classes because it was fun and I wanted to help other creatives. All of that work has led to greater exposure, an impressive network (which may find me a job independently), larger workshops, and an expanding consulting business. If two or three of those collaborations succeed I’ll have found jobs by creating them. Considering the list, some of them could succeed so well that they’d create hundreds of jobs. As usual, funding is the key. (As I gaze longingly at the $1,000,000,000,000 described above . . . )

I don’t know where this is all heading. Does anyone know exactly how their life will play out? Each day a path is before me. I follow along as best I can.

If you have a map, feel free to pass it along. If you’re up around the next corner, holler back so I know you’re there. If you think you’re the only walking through the wild places, come join me. We’ll get there, where ever there is.

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I Am Number 1

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

I am number 1! Yes! That hasn’t been the case lately. Lately I’ve been #2 at best, and in job searches coming in second is the same as coming in last. But this year, just like last year, I am number 1 on the map for the Whidbey Island Open Studio Tour. Geography helps. I live near the southern tip of Whidbey and the Tour organizers had to start somewhere. They started with me. Excellent. The Tour exists so art enthusiasts can visit artists in their studios, and so artists can interact with the enthusiasts where the art can be described, exhibited, explained, and demonstrated. Oh yeah, and sold. The Tour is also an opportunity to see the wide range of lifestyles, types of success, and challenges that keep artists from being easily stereotyped. The Tour is populated by fascinating people and can’t be dull. But it is free! (October 6th & 7th See link for details – in case you didn’t plan to read the rest of this post.)

The world is becoming more artistic. People are expressing themselves more. Part of the reason for the wealth of expression is the ease with which people can create things now. The growth is easiest to see in publishing words, pictures and music as the digital revolution sweeps through books, movies, and music. Fill a computer with lots of bits, spend a lot of time (though maybe not much money) rearranging them, and then reformat them for paperbacks, e-books, YouTube, or iTunes. I’m glad to watch it happen as I teach classes in self-publishing, or consult with creatives who are producing stories in a variety of formats. I think the Tour has become more engaging because the art enthusiasts are more engaged, and more appreciative of other artists now they’ve created something of their own. Oil painters, sculptors, weavers, ceramicists, et al have not been replaced with reordered electrons. Their creations, efforts, and perspectives are necessarily unique and interesting, and why I enjoyed taking the Tour when I could.

My story, and my stop on the Tour, are unique too. My studio is really just my living room reconfigured to accommodate 100 to 200 visitors over the weekend. My real studio is the waterline along Whidbey Island. For five years I’ve photographed the overlooked nature, as one person put it, “the everyday beauty that the locals see through the rest of the year.” I’ve produced twelve month photo essays at five places that encompass the island: Cultus Bay at the southern tip, Deception Pass at the northern tip, and three places inbetween: Double Bluff, Admiralty Head, and Penn Cove.  That is a lot of work and no gallery has the space to show all of it, but for two days people can see all of it. The Tour is one of the best chances to see my work as a complete story. Maybe someday I’ll rent a space like the Whidbey Institute and produce a very large exhibit with shows and music, but I’ll have to sell a lot of photos before I can afford a venue that nice.

Money wasn’t the main motivation when I started the series. I suspect that is true of most artists. Money was enough of a motivation that I wouldn’t have proceeded without it, but at that time I thought my stocks would suffice and that I could produce something no one else had produced: a large, organized body of work devoted to Whidbey Island. I had just completed something similar for the Washington Cascades (Twelve Months at Barclay Lake, Lake Valhalla, and Merritt Lake) though that was primarily narrative – and the inspiration to pursue my photography.  In both cases I saw that I could chronicle more than a sunny Saturday in August and show from one perspective one of Nature’s cycles across a variety of environments. No one else had done that in the Cascades or on Whidbey. I thought Nature deserved a broader voice. I could use mine, so I did. Then the economic turmoil hit, my net worth crashed, and the money motivation rose.

Despite my need for money (yep, it’s getting tight here folks) I didn’t abandon the effort. I continued taking the pictures, paying to have them processed and printed, and publishing the gift books – oh yeah, and paying for my space on the Open Studio Tour. Any scrimping happened after the story was collected in camera. I’m not printing as much or as large. Like I said above, I’m not renting a space for a grand gala (though the premiere of Twelve Months at Double Bluff was nicely hosted by the folks at Raven Rocks Gallery, where the exhibit is up until October 3rd.) I’ve even had to hold back on the main goal, which was to produce a book of Whidbey photos, printed on Whidbey, and handbuilt on Whidbey by Whidbey book artists (a few are on the tour).

The other artists’ stories are as unique and varied. Some have international acclaim. Some seek only to express themself or a message and are on the Tour to show others how to unleash expression too. I’ve seen studios that are larger than my house, and small spaces shared by trios that must work in shifts. Each has different motivations, histories, and goals.

One reason I write is because much of the public discourse uses stereotypes and generalizations. That’s true about Nature and it’s true about people. Debates – Oops that’s the wrong word. True debates don’t happen anymore. Commentaries and conclusions are based on abstractions. Are all artists starving? Of course, not; though I know some whose life savings are the dollars in their wallets. Are all artists eccentric? No more than the rest of the population, though many in more corporate environments cover eccentricity with facade. Artist is a word and therefore has a definition, or at least suggests a distinction. It seems to me that artists are just like anyone except they are more willing to compromise the conventional aspects of an expected life to express something they think needs to be expressed. The expression and the need usually aren’t monetary, and frequently aren’t narcissistic. Many artists feel they are expressing something undefinable that wants to be expressed, and the artist feels humbled and honored to be part of the process.

Ah, such noble goals, but we all live in a reality as well, and in this society within this reality money is important. So is food and so are bills, and even the fanciest studio may not have had many sales these last few troubled years. Don’t forget to bring your checkbook. Most of us can’t afford credit card machines, or at least don’t have them in our living rooms or spare rooms.

I enjoy the Tour. Check out my posts from last year when I chronicled both days (Saturday, Sunday), a much easier task than producing Twelve Month essays. (Can you believe it? I’ve done these for eight years in a row!) Of course I enjoy sales. My mortgage company appreciates them more. But my passion is neither photography nor writing. My passions are for people and ideas. For two days I play host to dozens or hundreds of people who drop by to share ideas. As they ask me about me and my art, I ask them about them and their lives. I may be number 1 on the map, but that’s true for each of us, and I enjoy finding that map within each person. While you enjoy meeting my art, I enjoy meeting you. Come on by.

Oh yes, and returning visitors know to look for other large piece of art. I painted my deck again.

And don’t forget, there’s a piece of art with a large price tag out front. My home is for sale. Buy that piece of art and I can make a lot more art, or at least pay a lot of bills.

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Query Can Anyone Be President

Posted on September 22, 2012 by Tom Trimbath

Hello folks, and welcome to new category within my blog: Queries – the place where I ask questions and ask for answers. I wanted a forum that was more open than facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, or Twitter; so, at a friend’s suggestion I will post them here.

Today’s earlier blog (The poor are Undercapitalized) inspired a train of thought that is headed along some rails that have an unknown destination. Civic and social matters interest me more than politics and they all meet at core principles. So, join me as I ask for answers.

Request for answers (data preferred): What can one person do? Not one person representing an organization, but what can one person do? Can anyone become President?

What is the minimum amount of money and time required for an individual to meet the minimum requirements to run for President of the United States? Is it possible for one person to get on enough ballots to win the Electoral College considering time constraints and logistical hurdles like flying to each state to acquire signatures? Are there fees involved, and if so what do they total? We say that any citizen born in the US can become President. But I suspect that is only true if they are part of a organization and have access to significant resources. Did we therefore sometime deviate from the core principle that “anyone can become President” and replace it with “anyone can become President if they are rich and well-connected” or have we maintained our principles? Pointing back to my earlier post, “Can a poor person become President?”

Data would be appreciated.

My blog inspired my thoughts. Life can be circular, but I hope this leads somewhere.

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