A little light please

 

At first I created this design for National Random Acts of Light Day. Then I realized that National Random Acts of Light Day is trying to cheer up people with cancer and I quickly deleted the post on BlueSky and Instagram.  I could only image the response I would have got by encouraging people with cancer to walk into the light. 

This illustrates the challenges of humor and not paying attention to details. I'm trying to be witty, not callouse. 

That being said, I've been experimenting on Blue Sky with not blatantly showing t-shirts for sale and trying just to get people's attention with a quick joke.  For example, today is Boy George's 65th birthday (can you believe it). Ironic that he shares a birthday with the Orange Menace in the White House. But I suggested that perhaps Boy George should change his name to Ol' Man George and that would be fitting karma.  Then I posted my design for Carmen Chameleon.

Of course, the joke only works if you are familiar with Boy George's song "Karma Chameleon" from the 1980s.  And you also need to have some idea who Carmen Miranda was. 

I should have just posted this image on Blue Sky instead.

But I suppose it would have been bad karma. Or Bad Carmen.

It doesn't Ad up

 

This is what I fantasize about looking like and being thought of. In reality my hair never looks like that, my beard is more like John Brown, the militant abolitionist. 



At times I'm afraid I look more like this when I pander for advertising awards.

Though my hair also never looks curly and that isn't my shade of lip stick.  But to be fair, I did recently win an local Emmy. I just never got to go to the awards show and pick it up.  It was delivered to me yesterday in a box.  Not that I would have gone to the show in an evening gown and jewels. I'm not that senile yet.

I have worked in marketing and advertising a long, long time. So you would think selling my own freaking t-shirt designs would be a slam dunk. But since I was ousted from Teepublic and Red Bubble and moved to a Printify pop up store, I haven't sold squat despite some pretty aggressive  social media marketing.  I've posted ads and videos with more hash tags than a bad 1950s truck stop.  I have hung my hat on the National Day Day posts religiously to the point I believe they are going to get a restraining order. 

I've started desperately trying to use stuff from the "onthisdayinhistory" people.  Today was the anniversary of the burning and sacking of Troy in ancient Greece. So I posted this:

You would think I'd at least get a few likes or reposts out of it but nothing. 

I just think the world isn't ready for my genius.

No sugar, just spice, and not very much that is nice

 

It is National Herbs and Spices Day, but I didn't really have a t-shirt design to go with it. It did make me think of the book (and movies) Dune and the spice planet Arakis. I read most of the Dune series and saw both the David Lynch movie and the latest versions.  The more recent movie version was probably truer to the book since David Lynch can't help but be well...David Lynch.  I always got a kick out of the way Paul Atreeides was given the Fremen name Muad'Dib in the movie with the Fremen leader dramatic stating, "We will call you Muad'Dib." I thought he was saying Moabdib and for years that was my go to password until it was compromised on the Dark Web. 

But I digress. National Herbs and Spices Day also reminds me (as if I could forget it) that I've stopped eating carbs and sugar and anything that tastes half way decent.  

Growing old sucks.

Home on the range

 

It is National Prairie Day and at first I didn't have anything in my t-shirt bag of tricks.  But that has never stopped me. I was pleased the way this design turned out. Though I imagine referring to a stove as a range is probably dated.  It works for me though. It makes a sweet t-shirt and an apron.

It is also National Drive-n Movie Day (another things generations of people know nothing about). And believe it or not I had a drive-in themed design ready to go.  

I realize these realistic designs don't seem to go over well.  It just isn't a concept that works well as a more cartoony, t-shirt design. It makes a great tote bag, too.

It was National Eyewear Day, as well. I didn't really have anything for eyeglasses, but I did dig out an old sunglasses design.

I could have dug out a related design.

I still may. But it seems to be a bit too close to the current world political climate.  Again, both of these designs are based on 1980s songs that most people probably won't recognize. But then again, if they did, I might get flack from the Intellectual Property Police.  Other than actually selling t-shirts, I sure don't miss Teepublic.

Starting over, and over and over...

 

It is National Start Over Day. I can kind of relate because each day I load several t-shirt designs on Blue Sky. And each day nothing happens. And the next day I do the same thing. It is very much like National Repeat Day. 

It is all very Sisyphian like mowing the lawn, making your bed and going to work.  

Oh well, it is something to do.