2012 Recap.

Hey everyone!! It's been a little minute since I've chatted up on these internets, hope you all are doing well. 2012 has come and gone, the world is still intact (such as it is), and I am still here creating and pushing limits everyday. It is a new year full of new beginnings and new ideas, as well as finishing the stragglers of 2012 that didn't quite make it through due to time constraints, exhaustion, changes, evolutions, too much food, not enough booze, or any number of random scenarios that may or may not involve platypuses and penguins.

It was a great time in 2012. I released Delayed. Sleep. Phaze. #2. We rocked the six-year anniversary of ArtSlam! with L'amour Supreme, Skinner, and Alex Pardee. I painted at The Current's "BEST OF" party. I completed a long awaited project; my first comic book (Penumbral Silence #1). We launched Awake and Movin' Clothing in the Spring--an idea I had been waiting for quite some time to pursue. I discovered and fell in love with Breaking Bad and as a result probably raised my stress and cholesterol nightly. My partner Rabbit RYE and I took a few road trips to Los Angeles, our future home. Including visiting once for Jim Mahfood's Los Angeles Ink Stains book release prom-themed party (which was incredible). Some of those road trips included doing some art shows throughout Texas. We rocked events for TOMS Shoes. I went camping (with actual tents and such) for the first time in my life. I took to mountain biking like crazy during the warmer months with my homie Adolph. I saved a lot of money by foregoing the switch to GEICO all together, riding the metro and my bike to work for a few months. I finally got a dot com. Sneaks Up 6 was DOPE as fuck. I made the leap into prints. I got love from many people throughout Facebook and Instagram including love from Freeway and Ubiquitous of CESCRU (that default is my art btw). I updated Melodic Measures a few times. Some of my art was created into a meme without my knowledge. We painted a lot more walls with some AMAZING graffiti artists like this one on Halloween. I put out stickers for the first time, including the latest die-cut sticker (one of my most comprehensive pieces of work to date). I changed my "art name" and dropped all the nicknames all together. I rekindled my love with both comicbooks and skateboarding, visiting the shops and parks more often than ever. I pursued another old love, photography, quite heavily including shooting more film than I ever have, even in my scholastic days. I also pronounced my love for my partner Rabbit RYE and solidified our friendship and love.

Adolph and I left our old apartment and went into separate areas of town. I struggled with my 95, questioning myself almost every morning I got up for it. DSP #3 didn't quite make the cut for the year. I almost lost my best friend. I almost lost my girlfriend. I was only able to put out one design for AAM Clothing as opposed to the projected 2-3. I did even fewer shows than I initially thought (through my own desire to "slow down"). I almost got hit by a car the first month I was riding. I sweated more than I ever have in my life on the hills of Wiseman and Westover. I lost a shitload of weight, and put a bit back on during the Fall and what we consider Winter here in San Antonio. I entered a few contests and won none of them. I dropped the name of the first dot com I bought lol. My job stayed the same. I hit a few more artistic blocks than any of us like. I did manage to stay injury-free this time. My new apartment lacks proper lighting to shoot my paintings and I filled the place with a ton of smoke one night from a burnt pot of tea, subsequently ruining my favorite pot as well. And I still don't have a TV.

That Italian cruise ship capsized resulting in tons of hilarious memes. Feelings were mixed. We said goodbye to Megaupload in nerdy upheaval. We got stiffed on the last season of Breaking Bad by having it split up into two parts over two years. Sketchbook Fightclub was created. Anonymous shocked the world. Then were slowly forgotten by so many. Dexter came and went, still surprising us. Chisme hit the scene. Streetwear continued on with success. And entered the malls in larger numbers than ever. We fell in love with Instagram. Then Facebook bought our beloved app. Then we bitched and moaned because we can all admit, it's full of glitches and spambots now. Gangnam Style. Bolt. Occupy. We land [a rover] on Mars. SOPA fails, but NDAA makes it through. A red herring for sure. Funny what we find important. Our local publication The Current's format changed and Newsweek printed it's final publication. Felix Baumgartner amazed us all once again. David Choe took over Reddit for 24 hours and subsequently has most if not all his YouTube responses deleted in true rock star fashion. Track Battles made it's return in San Antonio. Sandy bombarded New York. Kony. McAfee. Kim Jong Il. A new De La record. Tech N9ne, CESCRU, and Strange Music. The underground still breeds greatness as the mainstream continues to suck the life and intelligence out of our youth. We watched the world stand on edge for the elections and for, coincidentally, the end of the world. The elections passed and the Mayans were wrong or, rather, misunderstood, and life continued on through December, putting 2012 into the books. After Sandy Hook hit our hearts one last time before the year's end.

2012 is one to remember, as all years, but not to be dwelled upon. May 2013 bring you all amazing prosperity and peace. I am still in slight hibernation for the moment but hibernation is not sleep and most of you know I can't stand still for too long. Taking rest while creating for the new year behind closed doors. 2013 is gonna be AMAZING for all of us, just keep the intention alive and positive.


Stay Creative,
BLUE731.