Inktober 2016 Chaos and Planning Mistakes

So it's been a while since I've done art and changed my name to Arlie Opal.

I became Arlie Opal last September and didn't do Inktober last year since I was in the process of figuring things out and moving. I had also just gotten a puppy (Gilbert the Pug) and was super busy.

But boy was I in a heap of mess and mistakes this year! 

The first mistake was doing a 30 day September Art challenge that continued through October. It was a drawing and typography challenge and day 26 was making up my own alphabet. I immediately came up with the brilliant (stupid) plan that since I was so close to Halloween I would do a Halloween inspired alphabet! 

Painting each letter on a 4" X 6" paper using watercolors. 

Pro: they look absolutely awesome.

Con: they take up a huge amount of time and I'm trying to edit and put them up before the end of the month. (probably won't make that commitment) 

K and L are currently being edited and I didn't have a good pic sorry! :C

So I was doing the letters and Inktober at the same time everyday, or at least attempting.

So I got all the way to Day 7 when I realized I totally forgot one crucial thing that happens to all artists during this time of the year.

COMMISSIONS

All the Christmas commissions start coming in! I totally forgot! It had been a couple of years since I opened them up!

Commission after commission kept pouring in!

And in between the Alphabet, Inktober, Commissions, Scanning, Editing, Posting, 300 follower Instagram Contest, and visiting Family. I was completely swamped!

And then another curveball!

My husband and I rescued a kitten. He needed a home, Gilbert needed a playmate and my husband needed a kitten. So we have Harold. 

Adding him makes it a lot harder, I've all but almost completely given up on Inktober. I may be able to squeeze one out but I have 5 commissions that have priority. 

I am still very determined to finish the Alphabet as well, but it may go into November. 

Inktober 2017 will definitely be better I think. I won't have so much going on and I can open spots for commissions instead of accepting all of them... 

Comment below on any crazy mistakes or planning mishaps you may have had! I am also running an Art Giveaway on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook! Just google Arlie Opal. Contest ends tomorrow October 27, 2016 at Midnight CT.

I will try to post a new blog every Wednesday!