Tag: entrepreneur

SWLH 2023-24 site update

Dear readers: happy new year! – I hope your 2024 is off to a good start and holds good times in store!
I want to begin by apologizing for my lack of engagement with this blog over the last season or two.
Whenever one tries to pursue a hobby into something more than a hobby, the threat of burnout is constant, and sadly—despite being a decently-successful member of its Maker community—my mental health when it comes to the Galaxy Far, Far Away took a definite downturn over this past year. (What I really need is to just stay off Star Wars Instagram, which typically takes just a couple swipes to alternately deflate my self-confidence, inflame my inferiority complex, zap my motivation, and/or raise my blood pressure! (Now there are some topics in serious need of unpacking!)

So then, what have I been up to?

-After spending most of 2023 sewing a succession of vest commissions for folks lucky enough to experience the short-lived Galactic Starcruiser (with a particularly hectic late-summer rush to outfit several final-voyage travelers), I had to return to a more conventional job for a steadier (and larger) source of income. Sewing-for-hire is great, and I love seeing my customers get to live their adventures wearing clothes I made for them, but it can’t quite pay the bills (at least not yet)!
Bike-commuting to/from and working a 9-to-5, detail-oriented, standing-desk job demands a totally different kind of energy than full-time crafting, and as a result I’m usually pretty wiped out when I come home, and after household chores, cooking dinner, and giving my partner and doggo the attention they deserve, there’s often very little time for galactic pursuits and other fun! Lately, I’ve been taking a break from the GFFA in favor of indulging my inner six-year-old by building out my herd of Jurassic Park dinosaurs (often repainted and retooled for scientific accuracy, naturally!).

-Just after Halloween I was approached by the host of the Into a Larger World podcast, who had found this blog and wanted to hear all about my approach to the GFFA. Eventually, we were able to chat and record an episode, which you can check out here! It was a ton of fun to sit down and actually talk Star Wars with another person for a change!

-Then there was my annual fall trek with the Middle-earth Reenactment Society, preparations for which took up every moment of free time for the better part of a week. (This time, we decided to do a paddle-in campout, which meant I had to get creative and tackle some major, long-overdue renovations to my rawhide canoe.)

On the way back home from the wilderness trip, I managed to snag something I’d had my eye out for (at least) the last six months  – an old Wedge Antilles pilot helmet from Hasbro’s Black Series.
Why? Because OT flyboys are where it’s at! Yep, that’s right, I’ve been on hiatus long enough to almost finish building a whole new kit!

As I’m currently in the grasp of a polar vortex, we’re stuck waiting on warmer temperatures to return so I can properly weather it and finish up a few pieces, but I’m almost there – and you can be sure a full breakdown will be published in future posts!

So, what does 2024 hold in store for this site? I’m still trying to fight the good fight, and have several Galactic Style Guide entries in the works. I’d still like to do some costumer spotlight-interviews if possible, and I should definitely have some finally-finished projects to show off fairly soon! On the Offworld Outfitters side of things, once we get our Mark 3 vest pattern knocked out (third time’s the charm!), I would like to reopen my commissions, but likely on a more limited scale—ideally, something like one a month or so. I also have plans for a couple of non-vest offerings to put out there—but those announcements will have to wait until the time is right 😉

What are your GFFA costuming/reenacting/living history goals for 2024? Let me know in a comment below, or come chat with us on the SWLH facebook group!

Programming Announcement – 2022

Hello there, readers! As I did last summer, I want to give a heads-up that the next several months will see a change in the pace of material being published here at the Star Wars Living History blog. While I kind of wish this announcement was coming at the start of another long-distance backpacking adventure, the actual reasons for it are still exciting!

Somewhere around the middle of Virginia last fall I decided that when I returned from the Trail I wanted to get into the (small) business of galactic clothing, and this spring launched my Offworld Outfitters brand. At present my product line is limited to in-universe-styled spacer/adventurer’s vests, with plans for other offerings possible down the line. I trust that the previous five years’ worth of posts at this blog will sufficiently demonstrate my commitment to quality and the authentic GFFA style 😉 For those interested in a vest of your own, you can find my vest commission form and more information at the OFFWORLD.OUTFITTERS link above!

So: in order to better divide my time between this venture and some intensive projects for the Middle-earth Reenactment Society, plus for my own mental health (you can experience ‘burnout’ on hobbies, too!), over the next few months you will see me stepping back from publishing this blog on a weekly basis. What this means for you, reader: my recurring series the Galactic Style Guide will continue to drop on the last Saturday of each month, while future entries in our new Diamonds in the Rough interview series will come out on the second Saturday of each month. In between those, I may release other posts on an individual basis as time allows; in other words, as a rule you should expect two posts per month instead of four (or five).
I’m also open to the idea of reader-submitted guest articles, so if you have a fictional-reenacting or GFFA-living-history-related topic you would like to research and report on, please don’t hesitate to click the CONTACT button above and get in touch!

Thank you for reading, and may the Force be with you!