Sketch Fest Update

[ellenmillion]

I am poking at scheduling July's Sketch Fest with a lack of enthusiasm. I was deeply discouraged by the continued tagging/claiming lag, and by continued resistance to the new password system and by continuing to wait for an automated password reset. Sales were down. I want to rip the thing apart by its seams and put it together stronger and better... and I don't have TIME to do that. Or energy! If I did, I should do that to Portrait Adoption, which needs it worse. On the upside, we didn't have lingering-canceled claims problems this month, and although I FELT like I was too busy solving problems to actually do any art, I did get seven pieces done! One I have not uploaded (and may not - it's pretty crappy!), but the rest I did get up, and some of them I actually like: http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/sketchfest/sketchfestartist.php?id=9

These are my favorites:





Off to do payments now, while Guppy sleeps!

Comments

[sempaied.livejournal.com]

Ellen.....you are awesome....everything worked fine for me.

[jenny heidewald (from livejournal.com)]

Love the teacup! Snails always creep me out, but I like the lighting, the way you used the blue around to make the light. :)

Glad the lingering claims went away! I didn't do that many this month , due to a commission, and I am a wee bit burnt out from last time! I haven't looked at the ones I have to finish from last time yet either, perpetually behind. It is the end of trying to do a zillion sketches and the beginning of trying to focus more on taking my time,and maybe doing a gazillion details. :) ( I still have to go through all the lovely comments I've gotten and reply)

The password thing is a pain (because I always forget what my passwords are several times), BUT I had to change mine a few months ago anyways(though it didn't let me change it the first few times I tried), AND the numbers and letters combo is the best.

Speaking of Portrait Adoption... *pokes Ellen* ;)

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I love the rainbow tea, and I sympathize.

[pers1stence.livejournal.com]

Nice job on both these pieces...

[kelkyag]

I love sketchfest! The last three conflicted with two Madrigal events and Somerville Open Studios, but I am hoping to be able to play again soon. And to thumb through the sketches from the ones I missed.

Tagging decisions are hard even for people who like tagging, and not everyone finds it an intuitive way to organize information. :(

Enthusiasm and moral support? I don't want sketchfest to frustrate you, but would be sad if it went away.

[metasilk.livejournal.com]

What is the continued tag/claim lag? Tag early; uploads later? It's easy to find time to sketch, hard to wrest the computer away from the family -- perhaps I'm not alone in that? Is that the sort of thing you mean?

Maybe I am missing something? I LOVE Sketchfest and so does my son (though he doesn't always manage a sketch).

[catwithpen.livejournal.com]

I am sorry it's been frustrating you and making you feel discouraged. I'll echo the above posters: I love sketch fest and would be sad if it went away.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I am so glad!!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Snails are awesome! And delicious in butter! :P

Burnt out?! Whatever for? No, really, I can IMAGINE. You must have amazing drawing calluses.

ARGH! BRAINS! I totally forgot! Let me go do so now...

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Thank you, and *hugs!*

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I have bounced back from my frustration with plots and plans... as I tend to. :P I shall prevail!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

The site is sometimes REALLY slow on the prompts page - particularly when someone it tagging or claiming a prompt, and it is sometimes so bad the page times out entirely. I am really baffled about why its happening - the script is really very simple and straight-forward, so it shouldn't be so laggy. It's also tricky to troubleshoot when Sketch Fest isn't open and there isn't a lot of traffic! But I have some ideas, and I'm feeling more optimistic today!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I am unstoppable! I shall win over the evil code and make things MORE awesome!

Ahem. Feeling much less discouraged today, Sketch Fest shall continue!

[catwithpen.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[kelkyag]

You do, and will! I look forward to the reveal of the plots and plans. :)

[metasilk.livejournal.com]

Oh! I noticed that but assumed it was server / long-distance network traffic. Is it the due to data needing to be sorted-on-the-fly? Not a huge amount of it to sort--but the flow in-and-out of the database of what needs to be sorted...? Dang, wish I knew more about this sort of thing! hm...

[pixiewildflower.livejournal.com]

Those are awesome!

[afke.livejournal.com]

I am a total SF addict and I had a lot of fun again this time. I was sad that I felt sick on Sunday, otherwise I might have made twice as much pictures.
Saturday I participated together with my dad, so we mostly had the prompt page at anonymous which was very fast. We only logged in to claim or upload because there were two of us (which indeed was a lot slower), I should do that at home more often as well.
I'm really looking forward to the next! :D

[afke.livejournal.com]

I don't know what you can do about the sales. I haven't sold much yet, so I am very green.
Is there a way that I can see all my products on one page? That way I could easily promote it? If not, I'm, thinking about making a page myself with linkies to my my products at SF, see if that helps.