Friday May 23 2008 As if in a Dream
Picture: a Bone Ooze by Reaper. It’s some of BTP’s earlier work.
Blue Table Painting now has a solid core of artists. Two of them, both veterans, are a bit camera-shy, and I respect that, so you won’t see much (OK anything) of them. Then there’s Renn, Heather, Angela and Mike. Each one is extremely talented just beyond belief. Both personally and professionally I have tremendous respect for them.
There are also three new artists, each on part time. I am very careful and picky when it comes to new staff. I don’t let just anyone touch client projects. They have to really show their stuff first. I am quick to give new talent a shot, but slow to bring them into the fold. I always tell the veterans “be friendly, be helpful, but don’t get emotionally attached for the first few months.”
I have a saying: “you can’t hold crazy in for thirty days.” And boy that is the truth. Pressure really brings out the real person. We call it “implosion”. Like a submarine that has cracks in the hull. The first six months are the hardest.
That’s not to say that I’m not optimistic. I’m terrible at HR and hiring because I can only see the positive in other humans. I have high hopes and I believe that with hard work and sticking to it anyone can succeed.
My goal is to form an elite cadre of professionals who will grow with the company. I’m eager to see what will happen when eight people each have five plus years at this full time are all pulling in the same direction. I mean, we do well as it is with a relatively green staff.
I’m really looking forward to Paint Fest this month. It’s going to be like a Superbowl party, but for painting. That’s the last Saturday in May. Not sure yet what I’m going to paint because I just finished my Tau. Oh, wait, there’s the Daemonhunters studio army. Time to get those going. I got the models in today. I’m thinking golden armor.
Picture: check out this photographer.
And now the personal stuff. Today was like a dream. Like I didn’t really wake up. It’s raining softly and the world is deep green, lime, moss… the trees look like a cloudscape of malachite and jade.
I got an inexplicable headache and left the studio early for home. I pushed Griffin on the swing for the longest time. I did some reading in bed where I fell unconscious for almost two hours, awakening refreshed.
I am reading a book called “Leave Us Alone” by Grover Norquist. One of the best political type books I’ve ever read. Summary and review forthcoming. I am 97% done with it. It really covered the bases.
There were like ten kids over today, just the neighborhood gang playing with nerf and watching TV.