The future of Rick

So sorry for the entire month of no posts, but I've been doing a lot of thinking, a bit of art, and a lot of business stuff.

So first off, I might switch my major to Fine Art. No, I take that back. I might drop out of art school. I've been re-evaluating my life and have decided what I really want is total freedom when it comes to work/art/etc. Illustration is too much working for other people...hell, I want to draw what I want to draw, not what other people tell me to draw.

Now, I've realized that I'm very wishy-washy in that I get into something really hardcore for a few days-few weeks, and then I want to do something different. That's why I tend to lose interest in my classes around weeks 5-8. I hit this midpoint where I just don't want to practice the same shit again and again.

Also, here's some stuff I've done here and there for the past few months. Not sure what I've already uploaded, but eh.

This could be due to my defense mechanism that likes to quit when things get hard, but I've found that in general, my interest in other things (even things that I'm really good at) wanes and waxes like this too.

So, I've been thinking about my dream job, so that I can realize it (after all, you can't get something without knowing what it is). My dream job would be as a gallery artist that paints or prints or draws when he wants. I don't like the idea of having to do anything. I want to be able to change up my style, publish some zines/books, do wedding invitations, do some more theater, etc., etc. Thus, I've realized that the only way for me to really reach my full potential of doing sporadic tasks is to not have any obligations. This also involves being financially secure, so I'm not 100% sure on how this is going to work over, but I'm pretty sure that it'll come to me somehow. Right now, I'm hoping via the lotto, but eh, I'm not too worried.

So right now I'm honestly thinking that I may only stay in Academy one more semester after this one. I might go to some school where they don't take attendance and I only have to crank out a few papers per semester to keep my enrollment up (loan deferment, baby), but I think I'm ready to move on. Besides, having a degree isn't going to do shit for getting me a job. It's all about the portfolio.

Anyhoo, I want to get a portfolio site (at rickkitagawa.com) up and running, but that requires more of my personal stuff, and just more work in general. I also want to figure out how to format the wordpress blog for Little Yeti, as well as get that site up and running.

I also have an idea for two more zines, as well as the Bad Date zine issue 2 I need to publish soon. Fuck, so much to do, so little time.

Also, our landlord is apparently going to come in 2 days to inspect our apartment, and since our place is a shithole guess who's staying home from class tomorrow to clean it up?

Anyhoo, here is some random shit I've done in the past few months.

Winter (break?)

So although I'm on Winter Break from school, I feel like I need to be working on stuff in order to start my business so I'm not broke as all hell.

Sidenote: I'm (well, technically it's little yeti) now tweeting on twitter (gah! stupid lingo), but if you care you can follow me here.

Things I'm working on:
-Beijing/California illustration
-T-shirt design for charity
-"I'm moving" postcard for client
-"Thank you cards" both to sell and to send out (thanks everyone!)
-Valentine's Day product
-Spectrum submission (although in all honesty, might not happen this go-round)
-Little Yeti site & designs
-donating the Boat (aka the Taurus) to charity
-finding printers for Little Yeti
-signing up for Zipcar/Citycarshare something so we have transportation
-getting to 80
-Bad Date Zine Issue 2

And yes, all of these things have deadlines before I go back to school on the 26th, so I have a little over a week...

So, since I haven't posted any art up here for a while (well, I haven't posted anything, really), here ya go.


Tangerines - first still life that I actually CHOSE to paint. Oil on canvas, 8"x10." I'm gonna be selling this one (and perhaps the others) on Monkey + Seal soon.

Not Going to Happen - linocut on fancy Japanese printmaking paper - about 4" x 6." My modernization of the Frog Prince story and the "happily ever after myth."


No on Prop 8 - Thermofax screenprint, 6" x 8." 'Nuff said.


Chronos - My final project for my Figure Painting class. Oil on canvas, 24" x 36." I thought larger paintings would be easier than small paintings. I was wrong...kinda. Anyway, there ya' go.


Birth - 12" x 16." Oil, mixed media on canvas. One of my experiments with style/mixed media.

December update

So I apologize for the lengthy absence...been super busy with stuff, finishing up finals, etc.

So I'm starting work hard-core on Little Yeti, as I need to get it up (ideally) by February 1st. Sooner is probably better, but I want to make sure I'm not totally going nutso on the site without any substance to back it up. I mean, there will definitely be a learning curve, but hey, I don't want to wait to launch until I have EVERYTHING completed, right?

Anyway, as a little preview of the aesthetic to come, I've taken the steps of fully do business as Little Yeti, and have registered www.littleyeticave.com . Also, due to a misprint (my fault) in our holiday cards, www.monkeyandseal.com is also up, albiet being a crude, crude, barebones site.

Eve and I are hard at work creating new products for Monkey + Seal, as well as getting Little Yeti up and going.

Special props to Lindz for hooking me up with some great marketing ideas and some business contacts. Yosh!

Anyway, I'll upload some pictures of my final projects soon once I get them uploaded and color corrected. I'm glad I've made contacts with some people who do art/product photography as that will be a crucial part of the business. Yosh!

Now Eve and I are going out for an adventure! Yay!

Possible little yeti card/logo

Feedback please? Comments or email work fine.


PS - I finally registered Little Yeti as a business name, as well as the domain www.littleyeticave.com. There is still a long way to go, but huzzah!

Paper Source - done...kinda

So today was my last day working at Paper Source on Fillmore. It's been a long, awesome ride in which I've made tons of friends, some great connections, and figured out about my passion for customer service and wedding invitations.

I'm not 100% done, as I might still come back to run some of the workshops for Fillmore (especially the wedding invitation one!) but I'll no longer be a regular employee. It's a bit sad, as it's been a major constant for the past two years of my life. Granted, I've recently only been there one day a week, but the customer interaction and such awesome frickin' coworkers-turned friends kept me coming back even though I've been doing 30+ hours a week at Minted.

I will be stopping by on occasion to hang out at the Source, buy my microns there, and keep updated on all the work gossip. I'm glad I'm still friends with Sourcers, both present and past, and that makes me happy, so I'm not too torn up about leaving.

Anyway, my last weekday at Minted will be this Friday (I'll be on Saturdays through December, and might stay on as a contractor for kicks) so it's really starting to hit me that I have to get my shit together for Little Yeti. And finish my finals for school. And deal with the distraction of Wrath of the Litch King. But now my livelihood (and Eve's, in a way) depends on Little Yeti. A special thanks goes out to my partner of my life who is ever encouraging and supporting of my huge leap of faith. Aishteruyo, bu-chan, and honto ni arigatou.

Well, time to get back to work and the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

Gotta do it with a "DON!"

Lazy blog

Apparently, due to the typealyzer (credits to Mitchbo), this blog belongs to a Myers-Brigg type:

ISTP - The Mechanics

The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment are masters of responding to challenges that arise spontaneously. They generally prefer to think things out for themselves and often avoid inter-personal conflicts.

The Mechanics enjoy working together with other independent and highly skilled people and often like seek fun and action both in their work and personal life. They enjoy adventure and risk such as in driving race cars or working as policemen and firefighters.

Sounds pretty close huh?

The Biggest Adventure EVER

So I'm about to undertake one of the largest adventures of my life. Ever.

I'm not traversing through the jungle, or climbing Everest. Instead, I'm quitting my jobs and starting up a business.

So I have no money saved up. I'll get a little from my art school loans, but that's pretty much almost enough to pay my bills each month. I have $300 in start-up funds, and that's going to have to go the distance.

My website isn't up yet (I haven't even settled on a domain name), I have maybe 27% of the products done, and I've decided that come December, I will be solely employed by myself (although I will be at Minted one day a week for three weeks to help train my replacement).

However, I have faith in myself and my product...well, mainly in a way, that product is me and my expertise. Nothing is super finalized yet, but I've given both Minted.com and Paper Source my notice, and am on my way out the door.

Shitty economy? Check. No savings? Check. Deciding to risk my livelihood on my wit, skills, and fearlessness? Check. Complete confidence in myself? Check. No one ever accused me of having a small ego.

Many thanks to everyone at both jobs - I'm still going to stay in touch, and an especially large thanks to everyone who is currently on my advisory committee, and a huge ass giant fucking thank you to Eve for supporting my "reckless abandon" and even encouraging me to do so, which is especially gutsy as we share rent payments and a bank account.

And so you heard it here first: The first month my website is up, I'll do 10 orders easily. Here we go!