We are in a season of change, which means on any given day we are navigating an unmarked path, trying to decide the best way forward. It can be exciting and other days it’s like cats and dogs living together. #LotsOfChaos
Of course when you embark upon new endeavors there are many “firsts” along the way. I try not to be precious about it, but do want to acknowledge where progress is happening because:
1. Celebrating is important. 2. We kinda suck at it.
Anyhoo… this week marks our first audiobook for sale that we jointly narrated and produced in our updated home studio. #pinchme
When we decided to dive into the deep end of the audiobook pool, Dean went into research mode to determine exactly what we needed to upgrade our current setup. The improvements have allowed us to work more quickly and efficiently when recording and given us more confidence when sharing our work.
For example, we previously couldn’t hear each other when recording because one of us is at the computer in the office (where the audio is being recorded) while the other is in the “studio” (aka. padded storage room). So the person at the computer could hear the person at the microphone because the audio is coming through headphones, but the one at the microphone couldn’t hear what the other was saying because they are in a different room and sound isolation is a double-edged sword.
This resulted in many a comical moment with the person at the computer shouting feedback at the one recording, while the one at the microphone kept saying things like; “What do you think?” “I can’t hear you, what did you say?” “You sound mad, are you mad at me?” #MarriedAndWorking
As fun as all of that was, I’m glad to have it in our rearview mirror as we move on to a much better set-up. Plus, Dean is continuing to learn “everything possible” on how to edit and master our audio, ‘cuz that’s his way.
The result is a book called “Outsiders: The Story Luke Tells About The People Jesus Loves” by David Ramos. It’s a non-fiction book that makes a compelling case for what this author believes the book of Luke in the Bible was all about. Spoiler alert: it’s a far cry of what many think of as “christian” in our current western world. The book walks through many familiar stories in the book of Luke and shows how Jesus put tremendous value on what society of that time deemed “outsiders”. #YesPlease
I don’t always resonate with books that I record, but this book was so well written and really captured a perspective that I think is getting lost in our polarized world. We’re talking “welcoming the stranger, what you do for the least of these” kind of stuff. If you would like to hear it you can go to audible.com to purchase it.
I am pleased to share that I have a limited number of promo codes that I can share to redeem a free copy of the book. #awwyeah The only catch is that if you want the free copy you have to promise to listen to the entire book and leave a review on Audible.com. #NoFreeRides
So, if you are interested in helping out, or just curious about the book itself, send me a message and I can hook up the first 5 people with promo codes. I may have more in the future, but I always want to share the goodies with you fine folks right away.
We have new products in the shop and this is absolutely a case of other people helping to make the artwork much better than what I started with. #ItTakesAVillage
I had been sketching and playing with the idea of the letterforms in a word embodying the characteristics of the word itself. It sounds more heady than the reality, bottom line: when I drew the word “dog” the “o” had a swish that looked like a tail so I tried to make the “g” look like a tongue. It really is the simple things in life that make me happy.
From there I created a “dog person” graphic which gave me a smile every time I looked at it. Since I am not a “dog person” I was anxious to see what others thought. (Thank you, social media)
Of course, I knew that sharing “dog person” would mean that “cat person” would follow quickly, but as I shared when I posted the artwork, “cat person” did not come together as easily as “dog person”, which felt very appropriate when trying to capture the vibe of each animal.
When thinking of the environment, a food bowl made sense for dog, but I didn’t want to do the exact same thing for cat. Besides, I know some folks who treat their cats to various kinds of foods, so I didn’t think a food bowl felt as universal.
What other shape would relate to a cat and have space for the letters to sit? A litter box of course!! #Sigh Thankfully, a number of people shared their disappointment in that choice (I believe one response was “God, no!!”) which gave me a chance to rethink the idea and find a new solution.
Fortunately, the yarn not only made my audience happy, I enjoyed creating lettering words in script. #WinWin
However, this is not where the story ends. In my mind, I was only thinking of these graphics as one-color, black. So I put them together in mug and shirt form for our shop. Fortunately, we have a rigorous review process for every product. Dean said “Those aren’t finished, are they?”
After some back and forth we landed on the following solution and I am so pleased with how they look.
So the takeaway is, make space for feedback. It doesn’t mean you have to do everything that is recommended, but it can help you to be aware of blind spots or missteps. (I still shudder when I think of that litter box. Rumor is the Cat Mafia was pleased with the change as well.)
To all my cat and dog peeps out there, if you would like to have your very own mug or shirt to declare affinity for your fur-baby, then check out my shop. Or for those who love all 4-legged friends, grab yourself one of each to show that cats and dogs living together isn’t such a bad thing after all.
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