I probably won’t usually do this… but I wanted to sorta self-bookmark what’s happening with me right now, so I thought I’d turn my ‘now’ update into a post. And since I don’t save my ‘now’ page… here I am.
What I’m Doing:
Designing, researching, producing, and self-publishing a children’s boardgame for ages 4+
I’m still collaborating with my illustrator on the board game. Revising, revisiting, re-evaluating.
It may sound crazy that I’m still in the illustration phase for this thing, but it’s all very detailed. Once I share the board art, I think you’ll understand. And I genuinely think you’ll love it!
Meanwhile, I’m trying to wrap my head around shipping and fulfillment. I’ve gone deep down the rabbit hole in attempt to answer- do I hire out shipping and fulfillment or do I begin by doing it all myself?
Unfortunately, I haven’t made a decision yet. If any of your readers have any experience with a product launch and you have advice to give, please write to me at houserat.blog@gmail. I need all the help I can get. I’ve heard conflicting horror stories from both sides and of course have overwhelmed my brain with decision fatigue.
What else I’ve been doing.— dreading social media realities—
In my heart, I want to prove everyone wrong that you must have social media to successfully sell something…. It’s the classic David and Goliath fantasy- where my product wins through a grassroots physical campaign and genuine mass love and support— all without ever stepping foot into the social media arena…
But it’s a fantasy, right? I must face my social media conundrum. Meaning- I don’t have (and have never had) social media accounts! My decision to stay out of that fray has been intentional and, previously, the effect has been positive. But now, I feel that decision is going to bite me in the ass big time : (
How do I start a social media campaign for my product now, without feeling like an asshole? I worry I’ll come across as insincere because I’ve never been on it, and now suddenly I will be- but only for my product. Again, any advice would be helpful… please, oh please.
And what else…
We’re selling our multi-plex.
It was meant as a long-term hold, but this board game endeavor has flipped the plan. Besides, it’s challenging for me to have all these tenants- because I sincerely care about them and struggle to be ‘strictly business’. It just isn’t the right role for me (and managing the finances/tenants is my job, while my husband does any physical/maintenance).
So the plan is to take the money we’d initially tied up/invested and use it to fund the game’s production. I don’t want to be beholden to loans and I don’t want to ask anyone for an ‘investment’ because it feels like I’m asking permission and, when it comes to this, I’m a control freak.
Besides, I once said, the only way I can fail at this game endeavor is by not doing it. But a bank or an investor won’t have the same perspective on failure as myself. This means, we’d be a bad match for each other, you know?
What I’m Reading:
A friend gave me a crazy-amazing stack of old wimmelbilder books from her childhood… it’s been a lot of fun going through them. That and lots of games I hadn’t ever seen before too!
What I’m Fascinated By:
This person, who draws a different version of the Titanic every single day. Their drawing from yesterday is pictured below:
Now, I need to tell you something.
My son became really obsessed with the Titanic around age 4. I don’t know why, or how it came to be, but he suddenly began drawing it. All. The. Time. For literal years.
In fact, for 3 years straight, he asked for the Lego Titanic for both Christmas and his birthday. Of course, Lego Titanic is nearly 10,000 pieces, aged 18+ and cost about $700 dollars. But this year, for his 8th birthday, we finally caved and got it for him. He put it together totally by himself over the course of 2 months. I had worried that he’d give up, or take it apart, so the agreement was that he had to do the whole thing, submit it to the local county fair (with a poster), and he’d have to display it in every apartment/house/living space he had for the rest of his life, haha.
And you know what’s even weirder? One time, a door-knocking missionary left a weird titanic-themed religious pamphlet on our door. Freaky, right?
Anyway, below are four totally different Titanic drawings drawn by my son at different ages. It always unnerved me that the first one looks like the boat is centered on a scope’s target…
Now, why the Titanic?
I have no idea. But I find it fascinating that this other random person out there has a similar affinity for it.
And I really hope the rando Titanic artist finds this!!!!!! ‘Everyday Titanic’, if you find me, please reach out at houserat.blog@gmail.com
: )
Thanks for reading,
HouseRat Zero