January and February -
The darkest months for creatives
Hello again internet land. Black Phillip here. I am taking control of my vessel again, for yet another riveting blog post. Today I would like to talk about the darkest months of the year for creative people, and their possible effects. The dreaded "new year blues" strikes most creative people at the start of a new year. People's bank balances are in recovery from the festive period and people all over the world are assessing their finances for the year ahead. Many folk tighten their belts during January and February. This means that pieces of art, lovingly created by vibrant people, get overlooked somewhat, causing sales to dry up. Art is essential for culture and adding spice to life, but not essential for the "meat and potatoes" of pure survival.
At the time of writing this, England is in a terrible financial state. The cost of living is the highest it has ever been since records began. Rent and/or mortgage payments are through the roof, making it difficult to have spare money for frivolous things, such as art. Some poor souls can't even afford to die - funerals are extremely expensive, with many people opting for a direct cremation instead.
When the commercial hell of the festive rush comes to an end, creative people are left in a horrible dimension of self-doubt and inactivity. It can be absolutely engulfing, causing many people to propel into a downward spiral, as they begin to question the quality of their work. For many creative people, success is expressed through sales. I find that my vessel will quickly begin to doubt his talents, unless I step in and take over at regular intervals. We tend to spend January and February testing out new formulas for release in the coming year. But if you create art that is more immediate and spontaneous, January and February can seem endless and depressing.
At this point of the blog, I would like to offer any creative people who get these low feelings, to contact me directly and speak about them. If you do not have someone you can talk to about your feelings, you can talk to us. Email us anytime and ask for me (Black Phillip) directly. I will take control of my vessel and email you back.
The dark times of January and February are nobodies fault. It is a natural lull in general spending, which comes in after Christmas. This is why St. Valentine's Day was created - greetings card companies noticed a drop off in sales at this time of year, so mid-February, "St. Valentines Day" was invented to boost card sales. Nobody can argue with something which is seen as saintly in the eyes of the public, but in reality it is just a very clever marketing trick.
Towards the end of February, activity for artists begins to pick up. Markets/stalls are booked, sales start to pick up, and the new year seems to get it's engines firing. As winter turns to spring, the harder months of January and February become a hazy memory, as the spirit of spring takes over, offering feelings of renewal for all humans in it's grasp. It is always a good idea to bring out a new piece of art towards the end of February, to boost those spring feelings to a higher level, as customers begin to re-surface. This year (2024) we brought out VOYAGE. A new year got an entirely new product. Visit the VOYAGE tab on the menu above, if you haven't already and are in any way curious.
Remember, as a company we exist. Proudly. And until my vessel dies, we always will. During tough times, during good times, we will remain vigilant and determined. We started something with Room Spell. And we intend to finish it.
This is Black Phillip signing off and returning control to my human vessel.
At the time of writing this, England is in a terrible financial state. The cost of living is the highest it has ever been since records began. Rent and/or mortgage payments are through the roof, making it difficult to have spare money for frivolous things, such as art. Some poor souls can't even afford to die - funerals are extremely expensive, with many people opting for a direct cremation instead.
When the commercial hell of the festive rush comes to an end, creative people are left in a horrible dimension of self-doubt and inactivity. It can be absolutely engulfing, causing many people to propel into a downward spiral, as they begin to question the quality of their work. For many creative people, success is expressed through sales. I find that my vessel will quickly begin to doubt his talents, unless I step in and take over at regular intervals. We tend to spend January and February testing out new formulas for release in the coming year. But if you create art that is more immediate and spontaneous, January and February can seem endless and depressing.
At this point of the blog, I would like to offer any creative people who get these low feelings, to contact me directly and speak about them. If you do not have someone you can talk to about your feelings, you can talk to us. Email us anytime and ask for me (Black Phillip) directly. I will take control of my vessel and email you back.
The dark times of January and February are nobodies fault. It is a natural lull in general spending, which comes in after Christmas. This is why St. Valentine's Day was created - greetings card companies noticed a drop off in sales at this time of year, so mid-February, "St. Valentines Day" was invented to boost card sales. Nobody can argue with something which is seen as saintly in the eyes of the public, but in reality it is just a very clever marketing trick.
Towards the end of February, activity for artists begins to pick up. Markets/stalls are booked, sales start to pick up, and the new year seems to get it's engines firing. As winter turns to spring, the harder months of January and February become a hazy memory, as the spirit of spring takes over, offering feelings of renewal for all humans in it's grasp. It is always a good idea to bring out a new piece of art towards the end of February, to boost those spring feelings to a higher level, as customers begin to re-surface. This year (2024) we brought out VOYAGE. A new year got an entirely new product. Visit the VOYAGE tab on the menu above, if you haven't already and are in any way curious.
Remember, as a company we exist. Proudly. And until my vessel dies, we always will. During tough times, during good times, we will remain vigilant and determined. We started something with Room Spell. And we intend to finish it.
This is Black Phillip signing off and returning control to my human vessel.