Blog

The stream only gathers a crowd when it falls...

Somewhere in north central Wisconsin

https://incopreaart.blogspot.com/

Going back to work for Amazon and painting in my free time. Everything I have done, you can do too! ( all my notes )

27 March, You-ni-verse ~&~ ^The BIG boys

25 March, working on large projects is a lot like working with different version of yourself. You have to try to make things easier and not rely to much on your future self and also trust your future self to complete it. Most of these are completed in one session or if I have to sleep, the next morning. As I experiment, I am not finding as many limits.

23 March. LOT’s of Youtube traffic last night! That is most definitely what is up YouTube! Still touch-and-go if I can do this full time. I have enough savings for one more month and then I may have to go back to driving full time for Amazon and doing this on days off again. In any case, let’s see what we can make now!

Going to run a bunch of Deep Dives and get creative with loosely edited rough ideas. Should be very interesting. This is more fun and natural for me. If any ideas really shine in these, we can see how they do when more heavily edited on the Main Channel.

22 March, NEW hobby! Found 5 great original works of art (a gauche pictured below). Now, when I drive around Wisconsin and Michigan to paint, I am going to hit all the local antique shops and start a collection. Not only is it fun to see and have as inspiration but it also reminds me of my Grandfather. He lived in a shack in Wisconsin and painted deer, but his supplies were from the grocery store office section and on scraps he’d find. l wish I had been able to ‘upgrade’ his supplies at the time.

If I do ever ‘make it’ one of my first charities would be in providing staple art supplies to low income rural people.

21 March, Finished Deep Dive #40 (below) Going to get groceries and lock myself in my apt for about 4 days and see what I can make. The deep dives are so much fun bc I place all my unused and brainstorm clips in random order to music for new ideas. I have the same excitement and curiosity for these as I did with the very first videos, feels right.

19 March, Even thought I tried to make as wide a variety of videos as possible. I am definitely sensing a direction with my channel and main audience. So the new plan is to 1) continue to experiment as usual. 2) Render those collections as deep dives in the channel playlists. 3) From that, make what feels right and either publish it or list it in the bio section.

18 March, When I was in the Air Force, I would get up and read the dictionary while waiting for my iron to warm up. I’d pick a word I didn’t know, making it the word of the day. One day, “Incorporeal” became “Incoprea” in my mind, and I attached all my work to it. Later, working for a production company, I put together slideshows, often late into the night or in a rush during big corporate events. That hard work and the extra words I learned for prompting benefit me now as I make these videos. If there’s a point, it’s that small efforts add up and can benefit you later, even though it may not seem like it now.

15 Mar. pt2 After making videos, I like to go back and grab all the unused renders before I toss them out. This way I can see how things worked out (or didn’t) and it often inspires NEW ideas. Working WITH the AI and making things that overlap my interest and it’s abilities;

15 Mar. Making videos for the next two weeks an nothing else, should be interesting! Looks I might be able to do this full time. : ) Just learned about the 90-9-1 Internet rule. 90% consume, 9% share/promote and 1% create. I think we can change that, we’ve been ‘programmed’ to sit and watch because the means to interact were not present. With Ai generated content, this could change dramatically, maybe 35-25-40…

14 Mar. Updated my Ai? page with the following;

AI’s big win is removing the gatekeepers of ideas! Letting someone express their own ideas from start to finish, no money or tech skills needed. It’s like a good folk song: all you need are three chords and a truth. It’s a step away from the over-processed, politically charged, and censored stuff we get from through corporate filters and a huge leap towards mutual respect/understanding.

9 March, Current short term goal is 500 videos ( 119 to go! ). Current critiques are about how AI isn’t the same as regular videos (i.e. perceived mistakes) or shortfalls on my part with regards to settings or technical choices. I think one of AI’s best attributes, is REMOVING technical and financial barriers from ideas to execution. I’d rather hear/see/influence more authentic/less curated work.

8 March, I have been using licensed audio so far. I might get a synthesizer and try to compose some of my own tracks. Something I have done a bit of in the past, but would need some reorientation.

7 March, Woke up and completed a darker video Paralysis Demon, then a lighter Mix Tape, then au·tom·a·ton just happened. I edited it down and looked for music. I found the audio and it was PERFECT! In all my years, I have never had the audio be the exact length and match so well. I did have to adjust the visuals a bit but wow!

6 March, Working backwards, I just completed #5, now there are only 3 left and remastering of number 7 (with added content). This series is my artistic approach to manipulation and coercion for public persuasion using visual media from the beginning to the end of time. It involves regular people, government agencies, performers, alien influences, historic events and more. *fictional artistic representation.

You can see the difference in AI video evolution clearly through this series. The first one was very early on and more abstract, while now it is very realistic and I have to do my best to contort it.

3 March, Woke up at 4am, got a drink of water and stood at the patio door. The whole complex was so quiet. I could only hear the appliances humming in the distant background while all else was empty. Black night clinging just around the foreground cars and garages. Reminded me of all the night shifts I worked and how your mind can play tricks with the shadows (especially between 3 and 4 am) So, I sat down and made this video;

2 March, couldn’t take a break, made four new videos, Spells, 10 Minute Balloon Ride, Black and White 2 (on bio page) and Lithograph 3.

1 March. I know I just got here but I am considering going back in. At this point I could go back to the corporate world, Work on Oil paintings or books (Which I love but is very slow and has not provided ANY income), The Amazon routes, Go back to freelancing (which is currently paying about 1/4th of what it used to for 5x’s the work) or I could spend the last of my savings and go all the way! If it doesn’t work, (worst case) I will still have checked off many more boxes than I could doing anything else. The AI videos check all these boxes for me;

  • Inspiration
  • Entertainment : )
  • Art Expression (ideas)
  • Experimentation (new)
  • Fast (concept to finish)
  • Widens field of possibilities
  • Removes Ideas from my head
  • Alternative content (non-divisive)
  • Possible Income (need min 10k subs)
  • Showing others how +allowing remixing
  • Share work and enjoy the NOW with everyone!
  • Many more..

  • Worst case, I’ll create as many varied videos before newer ai ends it. P.s. I realise this is using my delusions of grandure. Not sure if i’m interested in making videos past the distorted artistic forms of earlier ai when it inevitably advances beyond perfection.

29 Feb, Wow, that was quite a trip. ok, I’m back. If the last two weeks of videos take off, I would love to go back to that, even full time. Meanwhile, here is a new picture gallery Rural Route Ai;

29 Feb. When I make my videos by myself I laugh really loud I cry really hard I dance and punch the air with triumph and all that goes into the videos and I love it so much. Through it, I have seen potential other worlds, drove there, seen beings and pushed through as realistically as I can, while taking as many detours as possible along the way.

28 Feb. I have created over 100 oil paintings (about 50 still detailing) 22 books, sold 3 copies so far (~$6) two still planned anyway lol. My YouTube channel was taking off, so I put in as much as I could and got about 30 videos completed over the past 2 weeks. ( almost as long as a full movie ) and made a couple new friends;

I put some ads on to promote my most popular videos and now I have to work on some commissions and will come back to check on this. No matter what happens, I will always work on Incoprea! If it really takes off, I can put MUCH more into it… Otherwise I may have to go back to driving the big blue truck and just make videos/paint after my routes again.

26 Feb, pt 2. I want everyone included, I want to feel the NOW we are ALL in. I want corporations and agendas to get out of our heads by creating content for each-other like I heard we used to do once.

26 Feb, I love experimenting and seeing NEW things, the cost of that is that some of the videos will not be acceptable to the main library (maybe just in my mind) In any case, I am going to move the list of unpublished work to the BIO section at the bottom permanently.

25 Feb. I thought I wanted to paint and maybe make videos to support that, but as I get into it more, I think maybe the videos is what I was meant to do after-all.

24 Feb. Added a bit about Motivation on the AI? page;

You are the only one with your perspective. AI art has become accessible enough that we can start creating meaningful content for one another without the need for big studios or technical barriers. I’ve worked as a Production Assistant and, more recently, as an Amazon Courier. I made a video tribute to each role. What personal jobs or insights can inspire you to share? They say a good folk song consists of three chords and the truth—let’s do more of that!


23 Feb. One way to show a consistent series of videos or images that have the same feel or style is to come up with a prompt that you like and just change the subject or time of day. Copy and paste your prompts that work to a notepad or somewhere else in case of glitches or to use in the future or to even go back to when an idea isn’t working.

22 Feb. (pt.2) It’s starting to feel more forced and difficult at this point, I also have a lot of self doubt on my lows. I’m sure it will strike again;

22 Feb. When I am working with clients and something happens of interest (as to the workflow) I try to include it in my notes (advice for artists). I also am trying to keep the AI? page updated as I learn new techniques. One thing I just added was this about prompt character limit;

Prompts are usually limited in character length but you can tweak it without a noticeable difference; The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The light is bright. The old man is snoring. can be Quick,fox,jumps,sleepy,dog.bright light.man/old,snoring.

Also, in making all these videos I am both experimenting and using a technique I vuagly remember so forgive me if this is not verbatim. An art class was divided in half and one group had 3 months to make one master piece of pottery. The other half was instructed to make as many as they could in 3 months. Though the (many as they could) team had many sub par and uncompleted works, they did have several magnificent works in the mix because they were able to evolve ideas!

21 Feb. Safe Space;

20 Feb. D R E A M !

19 Feb. Let’s talk about likes. So, one of the big reasons I left all my social media was because of the like/dislike metric that gives anyone influence over projects they may not understand or worse want you to quit/troll etc. Anonymous people, who’s real intentions you do not know, can only wreak havoc with your work. I feel that I understand what I can and want to do. I know what direction I want to go in and I don’t want to listen to anyone lol. But behind the scenes I am always filtering.

However, when there are lots (more than a group of connected people) that like or dislike, it can give you a sobering pause for recalibration.

18 Feb. Whew, ok, well I made about 20 videos and I LOVE them all! I tried today but I cant do anything worthwhile, I tried all day. It seems that I only have the ability when I am on a manic high, which I am now coming down from. I will have to wait and see when the ability strikes me again. When I am ‘in the zone’ I am very emotionally attached through the editing and put a lot of love into them. I have lots more ideas but to be able to work them through seems to come very easily at times and others not at all. Stay tuned!

14 Feb. I have been making videos and noticed a pattern. When I go in as deep as I can into something old, It feels natural and ‘self righting’ to make something very new next. Old/New Neglected/Polished Lost/Discovering Distant/Close. It may not be true, but believing it doubles my output! Giving in to any delusions of grandeur that help me continue unabated. The problem is, when it’s over your in such a bad spot (especially financially) lol. oh well, yolo! When I painted for a year straight and sold no art; at the end my fridge was empty, I lost a lot of weight, owed over 2k to friends and my glasses were taped together in 6 places. I had to immediately temp at a factory then got a job driving the blue trucks for Amazon for a 18 months until I had paid people back and had enough to take another span of time off to make art.

13 Feb. The one thing all successful people have in common is focus. It is the only way to work on massive projects. I’ve done what I wanted to do for now with the Virtual Gallery and saved it. I’ll leave it up for now, may leave it up for good. Going to focus all my energy on building my YouTube content at the cost of everything else, including this site. I’m sure I’ll post more, but let’s give me a month off. If you want to see what I am doing I am sure my YouTube channel will have consistent uploads.

12 Feb. When I was younger I wanted to be a radio dj, cake decorator, anime background scene designer or music video producer. I used the public access studio to edit a music video of clips I recorded from tv to VHS and mixed the visuals to a fast paced Anthrax – Got The Time.

Finally going all in on these videos I have been purchasing licenses and producing AI videos that have better music and themes. Using three different audio sources now. Exciting!

11 Feb. Made quite a few new renders and published some new videos, getting back into it and it’s fun! The music license from Ben Sounds is working and I am no longer getting the copyright notices many of my Adobe supposed ‘free to use’ (which I think I can dispute, maybe later). Going to put everything I have into making high quality videos and build the channel. painting and some freelance work on breaks. Going in! wml

10 Feb. Here we are. I feel like I have trust fell into art and failed so many times that I am scared to do it again but I think I see a way;

I love making videos and people seem to enjoy them. While I didn’t get the art or book sales I was expecting from them, I think through monetizing my channel and purchasing audio licensing, I can make enough over time to earn a living and continue to paint etc.

8 Feb. I would like to complete the Puzzle book, if for no other reason than to get it out of my head. I think I should do some more painting, many of my pieces are very close to the funnest detailing part.

South Dakota Oil on Panel

3 Feb. I quit Amazon truck delivery and am back to working on art full time again! : ) I am going to really focus on the puzzle book I have been working on for years. Time to put some serious effort into finishing it. Give me 2 weeks. Then, possibly going back to AI videos.

31 Jan. New gallery, Suburbs. While Dal E is working better than ever, definitely has a centering problem. Even when asking it to not center, it will still center the elements within the scene. I have been trying different things, like Unique Angle, with very interesting results.

30 Jan. Completing children’s book commissions, working on the virtual gallery and thinking about a book that I have been working on for years. Thinking about AI videos again but it takes a while to acclimate enough to do it well. Also need to remaster vol 2.

28 Jan. Working diligently on the Virtual Gallery

26 Jan. New Gallery, Masterclass prompt below;

Prompt: art scene in the corner of a studio, bustling with the creative activities of sophisticated non-human beings, deeply immersed in their various forms of artistry. +/- Non-human beings, advanced civilization, artistic creation, unique culture, futuristic mediums, creative process, diverse artistic styles, intricate details, imaginative creatures, otherworldly art, unconventional materials, alien aesthetics, cultural tapestry, artistic community, imaginative landscapes, mythological creatures, individual artistic expressions, sophisticated creatures, cultural symbolism, fantastical beings.

25 Jan. One of my favorite effects is when you are lulled you into thinking what the dream is and then having it overlap with a real life event, like dreams do. This causes the viewer to ‘awaken’ at the point of realization. The ultimate transition! I have attempted this many times. Here I have the water and a sort of subtle warning tone that builds until you see the real ‘disguised by dream’ situation.

The best example of this I can remember, was when a friend in the Air Force showed me his Manga animation DVD’s. In one, the entity makes a fighter pilot remember past good times with family and friends, really naturally. Then the happy family memory or dream is shaken by a close approaching tower and a quick diversion, almost crashing. I was WITH that pilot, I forgot we were flying. SO good!

24 Jan. I recently learned about Terry Davis and his program. A man who single handedly wrote his OWN operating system, programming language, graphics programs (including vector and 3D) and games. He passed in 2018 after completing his 10 year project. I am sure he would have been blown away by the interest today. Someone even made a version of Minecraft in it!

This got me thinking a lot about my Virtual Gallery. I rented space with a new host and uploaded the latest version. I have spent a LOT of time on it and nobody has really seen it yet. But, as long as I keep archiving, all my work will be available to people in the future. Adding more today and for the next couple months. Because it is FUN!

23 Jan. Getting the larger gallery of ~ 100 unpublished renders together. here it is! Now I am going to work on the massive Virtual Gallery again! Lot’s of things to add with GPT’s assistance, maybe even working elevators! Will keep you posted and link instructions how to log on once I am settled.

21 Jan. new gallery Merchants. Sorting through my images, thinking of putting all the random unposted work together in one long post (about 100 interesting renders). Look for that this week. otherwise, just working on commissions and painting for now.

20 Jan. Three years into this; blood, sweat, tears and much love. I started this adventure with over 100k in savings. I paid a year ahead for an apartment near a wooded state park with volcanic rocks and started painting right away. About a year ago I took a job with Amazon driving 10hrs a day F-M then painting (and other art like AI) after work or on Tu-Th.

New gallery Everything Everywhere

Making the AI videos really pushed me to the limits mentally and financially NO regrets! : P Here is my income vs. expenses so far;

INCOPREA.COM
2015-Present

Total Expenses
~ $75k

Total Income (to date)
~ $6k

*Expenses Painting supplies, web hosting, software, licenses and rendering credits, hardware, minting costs, studio space, book printing, transportation / park passes, and basic needs.
*Income is from oil paintings, nft’s, donations, posters and publication royalties.

I’ve come to understand the solitary challenges artists face, balancing their work with delayed or conditional recognition. Selling some paintings, books, and nft’s helps me stay afloat while I work towards more recognition. Most of my expenses are initial, with items like oil paints lasting years. Your support means a lot, especially if you truly enjoy my work and it fits your budget. We all face our own struggles.

19 Jan. Impressed with the enhanced Dal E and ChatGPT4, I use them for themed series and potential videos. I’ve yet to find a place for standalone images. My alien cookbook, with 200 illustrations but in an unknown language, remains unpublished. I’m considering presenting it as an art book due to its unique alien script. *(didn’t work lol)

16 Jan. Currently working on children’s book commissions. I’m waiting for the latest book ONVI to become available so I can get a copy. I’ve got a brand new book in the works, one I’ve been chipping away at for years. Need to give some tlc to Vo. 2 & start V3. You can maximize your efforts and results (with no social media 👍 dependency) in judging success only by how much quality work you produce.

15 Jan. Added a new gallery Gameshows . Published a new book called ONVI. It is an alien cookbook showing recipes for entres, salads, drinks and otherworldly desserts. I included some coupons and other ads you might see in a book from another world. just waiting for it to go through the approval process, will post a link on the shop page as soon as it is available.

11 Jan. Added a new 360º Gallery

9 Jan. Completing a new bizarre book, will post it here in a couple days.

5 Jan. Thinking of a favorites section for images that are not part of a series but worth sharing. Will keep you posted!

4 Jan. Working on paintings and updating vol 2 then the puzzle book.

3 Jan. Keep watching this music video I made, it really is like magic. Can’t afford ($ or Time or Insanity) to do that type of work again anytime soon. Best to finish some paintings and take some hikes rn.

2 Jan. Happy New year! Standing in the woods you would never know what year it was, 1400, 2034? I don’t know where I am going with that, just a re-occurring thought. Going back to painting for a bit. Will update the site with the new work as it is completed. be well.

* Current blogger account *

2023