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Returned From Adepticon, Everything Will Change
🕑 Added 2023-03-29 20:56:00 +0000 UTCA bold title but I am more invigorated than I have been in years. I'm going to spill my guts here but TLDR: I want to change how this Patreon feels and what I create. Chapter one is complete and it is now time to write an unchained sequel.
How did it happen? The events of this event were many and their combination has my mind feeling very young again in regards to painting. I'm 38, I started when I was a wee lad.
I drove down on Wednesday, rushing out the door and so excited. Finally, it was here. Could a year of hype really live up to it? 100% Yes.
Its means so much and was such hype that I forgot all of my paint and brushes..I was very excited! After swallowing the creeping dread of driving back home upon arrival (I live 3 hours away), I noticed my tote of supplies was intact. The 52 wolves I prepped were there along with spare brushes, whew. Good thing I'm at the largest store you can ask for if you don't have supplies.
Okay, here's a picture, let's continue. 
This was the only model in the case I photographed. If you know the artists name, I would like to edit here (Edit: Their name is Fiver, Sugar.candy.Miniatures on Instagram). I mean no offense to the jaw dropping work I saw there. I prefer other people's pictures and am greatly enjoying it as everyone presents how they would want to be seen. The cabinet memory is enough for me and fails some models.
But anyway, square one, I get through the doors and immediately see a friend, then another, then another, and we have to shift away from doors. Glad to be back :) there was a meet up later for some streamers and it turned into a massive hang with a lot of body heat. Excuse me for not taking a voyeuristic shot of strangers and friends.
Back to the room and mother fucking Fancy Venturella (Yes, Fancy, it's an inside joke for him alone) and I are sharing a room. So good to see you since last weekend when we met to polish up out golden demon entries (see the preceding post).
All set for round one, Class starts at 8:30. And I'm free after my second wraps up at 3:30. I was nervous due to the self inflicted supply chain issues. I don't forget things! This has happened once and it's all I'll be able to remember, lol.
All went well, there are two people in me. Nervous guy before class, and then nervous guy who is impressed by this other guy who does well. Every damn time..But now I'm free to explore until Saturday at 4:40. I hit the vendor hall and did a first pass. I like to walk through once and make some notes, then come through and buy what I've thought about on top of the impulse purchases of things I missed on the first run. Strategery B)
Pictured above is the same man in my title image. My oldest brother, who got me into the hobby at an early age. We've been going every year since our first time around 2010. Seen here taking part in a game with a group project titan.
Real brief, three guys bought built and painted this titan. If they failed they would have to buy Brazilian barbecue for Jay, who put it togther. If they succeeded, dinner was on Jay. Countless man hours and over a thousand dollars went into winning a $200 bet. Warhammer financial equations at their finest. Bravo, Kings! Can't wait to see the next Titan, next year!
9pm. Trapped Under Plastic was recorded live in front of an audience. Near complete chaos in all its manic glory manifested that night. I somewhat fear this recording but must face my altered self and hope to love what I see..
Sitting up front I felt like the only person in the room as these caked up Rockstars bit the mics in half. Then the impossible happened, I was asked on to that tiny stage, or rather behind it. Current song: Dancing in the Dark.
The crowd was released and we rolled to the Demon cases and I shuffled between the titan battle and the folks by the case. I was awake until 4 am hanging with new buddies. Shouts out to Erik's Hobby Workshop, Berzerkerworks, and Miscast 🍻
That's Mamikon, I'm assuming you know the other two, but you should know Mamikon as well. Looks serious, I wonder who can remember?
Hey, it's Friday! I'm off all day! *Tears off shirt and takes the stairs*
I got around, it's all out of order but I always try to look through the tournament areas. There are so many armies and it feels like you miss as many as you see. 
And so, so much more.
I stayed up late, didn't eat enough, laughed my face off. What a great day. I also managed to get one game in that was cut short as I had to head up stairs for a show.
Zambies won, I warcryed myself and it was hilarious.
Hmm...I tried.
My free time was in short supply. I met so many people, it was tiring but in the best way. I wish I could be there for everyone, somehow clone myself and then recombine all the brains into one supermemory. I'm very thankful the moments I had with everyone, cheers!
Class went well on Saturday. It's really cool to see how the general level of knowledge in this community has raised. There were many good questions that added to the learning and generally everyone caught on quick. I was like damn, this is easy. Well done everyone, it gave me time to share more knowledge that wasn't on the class description and inspired a lot of new topics I'd like to write classes on.
Saturday night I had a date. Heading to the steakhouse with the Monument Hobbies crew. Jason has been a bug help to me, working with me to create a set of brushes. He's the only one who has ever put any confidence in me and collaborated on a product I personally count on. It was a great crew, I spent my time on the end of the table with Brent and Casey, Uncle Atom, Vince, and the lovely AC Miniatures duo. We had some great laughs and discussed Ancient Eggypt, roundabouts in England, hiding games in the oven, and models a little bit, heh.
Now I'm back, it's 10:30 and I have to teach at 8:30 but wanted to have my look at the Golden Demon cabinets. The clock was ticking, I pretended to be on my phone and power walked to the cases.
What does it mean? What are the colored stickers indicating? Why is it on this shelf? Where did your Ogroid go?? I don't know 😅 I have 9 Golden Demons and less than zero clue how they determine winners on a consistent basis. Most of them are bronze, I barely make the cut if I'm lucky. I'm just a fan of chaos like everyone else, Orks, too.
My expectations matched my efforts in the Golden Demon. I polished up some pieces that had been done without any contest in mind. I just wanted to be a part fo the show and enjoy the entries without my personal feelings invloved. Tried to make my own picks and talk to people about their entries.
Where my focus went was to the Resin Beast to finish a project I started before Covid. It's a piece I am very proud of and took a lot of time. Mission accomplished, 1st place. I'll have pictures up soon, they were shot last night. 
Usually thats a wrap. Golden Demon or Crystal Brush ends and I'm heading home, thinking about the competition and what came before is blurry. But this time I stayed an extra night. I spent some time with some buddies, it feels weird to keep naming names. But shouts out the people already mentioned plus Cody and Witty. It was encouraging to talk with content creators and I'll be getting back on Youtube, this time I have a different plan for my channel. It will take time.
Here's an idea though. I want to make a collaboration with Marco Frisoni in which I paint something with an open window and he completes the distant view inside the window with a picture from a far off land. There is an ocean between us and that would be fun. Nice to meet you, Marco! He doesn't know about this idea.
I'm home now but there is so much energy inside me. I see miniature painting very differently again and realize the place I have in this community.
I was until 4am last night. Realizing I can highlight smaller companies in larger lights and in that way do anything with any model. I'm entering every contest at the Next Adepticon. 
I have the sense that I've been teaching long enough and now it's time to turn towards the back of the auditorium and break the wall. I need to touch grass and I want to take everyone with me. This tool needs to change before I run out of sidewalk anyway. Can I really make 52 videos a year until I die? 100% but at what cost? The recording schedule has actually slowed my output because most projects go through this bottleneck of weekly segments. If I take longer to make a video but still produce the same amount of footage and present it in a grander scale, wouldn't that be better? I feel this is true, it's what I'm going to try.
Already this new feeling has me moving. I feel hungry for it. It's feel like that first jump when I went from Tattoos to miniature painting in 2012, but I have so much more under my feet to reach an even greater level.
What is the next project? This:
I'm going deep on everything. If tou enjoy posts like what you're reading, they will be done about models. I want to force myself render my work on a much deeper level and sometimes it's faster to share through pictures and eill allow me to work faster. I'm also investing in equipment to get a little cinematic and produce something that has a more atmosphere to it.
As another way to stay close with my supporters here, I'm going to start doing a monthy video review of your works in progress. Ideas evolve but that is my first thought. I will create a specific channel on our Discord when it is time. I'll have a seperate post to detail this.
I will also be creating new categories for the coming tutorials to mark this new chapter.
The story I want to tell with the time ahead is that of painting larger and more imaginative pieces that I will bring to Monte San Savino in 2024. There I want to share my art and represent the newest version of my creative self.
Thank you so much for your support. I have to change my perspective on seeing this as a video rental service with constant new releases and see it as people supporting my work.
Now, it wouldn't be a proper adepticn send off without sharing all that LOOT.
The time ahead is about balance and planning though. As this new wave comes, I have to remove the past. Former instructive projects and half cocked ideas must be put away. This is part bucket and part journal entry right here. 
Okay, I've emptied my mind out on the last 7 days. I'm very excited for this next step and I hope you will join me.
Let's have fun!
Comments
Thanks, Dylan! Onwards and upwards!
Haha, one person's bucket is another's display they always say. Thanks, Darrel! It was good for so many reasons. Just got things configured for 4k footage today:)
Dylan Thunderbuckus
Hell yeah, great write up! Hype
Adepticon was a well-needed revitalizer for me as well. I am sorry that I did not run into you there. Can't wait to see what is next for you! BTW, your bucket of painted stuff looks better than my display case of painted stuff!
