A Long Overdue Update and a New Portfolio Website

Hello out there in Blogland!  I have not updated my Relished Artistry blog for a long time, as a lot has happened in my life.  I thought I'd share before this blog turned into a "fader".

I returned to the University of San Diego as their Costume Supervisor in the fall of 2012.  I have been managing their costume shop and designing shows there.  I teach a section of Fundamentals of Theatrical Design once a year, and a Costume Design class as well as a Costume Construction class.  I didn't realize how much I missed teaching.  I am really, really glad to be back, and it felt like "going home" for some reason.

I also had a bought with cancer in the summer and fall of 2013.  It was a long and uncomfortable period of chemotherapy to deal with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, but I came through the other end.  There is no sign of the cancer currently.  To be frank, I have a much stronger appreciation of my life now, and a huge respect for my partner, Jonathan, and the small cadre of friends that pulled together to help me get through it.  Without them, I wouldn't be here.  Literally.  I could go on and on about the cancer, but I won't.  Suffice to say, it's done.  And I've got things I need to do with my life.  Moving forward.

To that end, I want to share my new portfolio website!  There's nothing like putting together something like this to really appreciate the accumulation of work that results from years of doing costume design and wearable art!  Haha!  Here's the link:

http://www.coreyjohnstondesigns.com/

I am re-energized to try to keep this blog updated, but I must admit that since my employment has changed the nature of the blog will shift as well.  While it previously focused on my private wearable art business, I will probably torque the perspective to sharing my endeavors in my collaborative artistic endeavors on the shows I will be designing and mounting.  I look forward to sharing the different methods, techniques, and processes that I will be using on the various costumes I'll be building, and I may share interesting links that pertain to education and professional development as well.

While I don't want to let go of my wearable art business and the non-collaborative aspect of artistic expression it facilitates, my primary responsibility is again the education of young people who recognize the power of live theatre and the impact it can have on our communities and culture.  I truly believe it is a "courtroom" to examine the human condition, and a spiritual opportunity to celebrate all that we are as human beings.  I'm hoping to share that belief with others.  I look forward to exploring many creative and educational opportunities in my future.

As a consequence of my return to teaching, I have let my Etsy shop slide.  Currently, I can't really keep up with that side of my life and do justice to the time required to teach and design at school.  So I have let all of my inventory on my Etsy site expire.  I may end up returning to it at some point in the future, but right now I have my hands very full.  That also means I won't be doing art fairs or festivals any time soon, either...  I'm glad I have all of my stock and tent, but I simply don't have the time to try to participate on the weekends like I used to.

I hope that you'll join me in this new direction in my life, and continue to live life with relish!