This is the space for our members to discuss and share their creative projects, ranging from written works to drawings, photography, and even craft projects such as knitting and woodworking. Self promotion is welcome and certainly encouraged (websites where we can view and/or purchase your work). Please continue to preface if content is NSFW and properly spoiler/link such content. Those of you who’d like to post future Creative Endeavors Threads post your request in the comments below.

I visited Florida last week for the first time since 2018 to stay with my dad’s family on their annual summer vacation. It was relaxing but weird, as there’s a lot of less-than-happy family stuff going on right now (largely involving elderly parents and their siblings—with all that implies—as well as my considerable socioeconomic distance from just about all my relatives; somehow the latter hits harder in certain locations, say a beach resort looking and feeling like Portmeirion scored by Morgan Wallen). Got back this weekend just in time to face down the first anniversary of moving into my present joint. My initial (?) year here hasn’t panned out quite like I’d hoped, but that’s not particularly the house’s fault (despite a number of infrastructural issues). That said, I’ve started online searches for other places a little earlier than I’d expected—I focused on Detroit but trolled more local room listings out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised at the potential options (I’d much rather stay here until I’m able to move away as well as out but you never know).

I took both weekends off to bookend and decompress (didn’t realize I was gonna need the latter so much; that’s usually my mom’s province) and was pleasantly surprised on a visit to Detroit Saturday. I’d meant to check out the Pig and Whiskey music festival in Corktown but I never get weekends off normally and so my determination to absorb as much as possible (Eastern Market, finally touring the interior of the restored Michigan Central station) wound up steering me away. I’d just learned of the Belle Isle Art Fair the day before and decided to check it out. I ended up bagging two prints and a book collection thereof for forty bucks total, which would have been absolutely unheard of back in Ann Arbor (and maybe even Ypsilanti); I seriously couldn’t believe the efficiency and value for money. The book was a collection by Ernest Fackler, who I’ve seen before at local fairs (the big one as well as smaller ones throughout the year). I like his style but not quite enough to spring for a full print, and this was a great way to split the difference. I’ve long wanted to try something like this myself and it was a good reminder to explore my options (this might make more sense than a zine, for instance).

The header this week is, of course, my swag from Belle Isle (the individual prints are by Julie Pfanzler and Shreya Shankar). Definitely gonna keep my eyes peeled next year as this is just the kind of art vendor venue I’ve been looking for (maybe there could be more like this closer to home; who knows?). How’s your work going?