Asia Travelogue – 2011, 2012, 2013
This travelogue is dedicated to my Father, James G. Sproul, who died 31 January 2012.
15 May 2011. Midwest, USA:
I turned 40 not long ago, and I wish I was unsure where all the time went, but I know very well what happened. I continue to chase a seemingly impossible dream; one of being a financially successful artist that will enable me to keep creating what I want and how, and to do so until the end. Reality and ideals are harshly incompatible, however, and existence tends to be a severe compromise that allows you to see a distant horizon yet never quite grasp it. I do not know how much longer I can keep trying.
I quit my job in October 2009 because I needed to see if I could make a living with my art, which, suffice to say, has not gone well. That has nothing to do with the quality of my work, just that it is extremely difficult getting people to view or show it, and even more so to purchase it. That challenge is compounded on the Internet, which I have long regarded as a cesspool of porn, scams, and losers trolling for companionship. I am desperate, though.
Welcome to my new Internet site.
Since I have no expectations for this, and the excessive expenditure of time and money is theoretically over, I am going to do what I want, as always. That is not the best business strategy, but if I can attract like-minded people who appreciate my pictures then maybe this will not be as spectacular of a failure as I predict. Of course, I need visitors with money, not the poverty-stricken who are just going to drain bandwidth.
I intend to give this experiment until the end of the year, after which I will have to find another menial, low-paying, spirit-crushing job, or cease existence; neither of which are particularly appealing, but the odds are even for both at the moment. For most of that time, however, I will be traveling through Asia disbursing the remaining money I have allotted for this nonsense. My itinerary is as follows:
1 – 17 June: Hanoi, Vietnam
18 – 30 June: Saigon (HCMC), Vietnam
1 – 31 July: Vientiane, Laos
1 – 9 August: Phnom Pehn, Cambodia
9 – 31 August: Siem Reap, Cambodia
1 – 30 September: Hong Kong
1 – 30 October: Taipei, Taiwan
31 October – 13 November: Yangon, Burma (Mayanmar)
14 – 29 November: Saigon (HCMC), Vietnam
30 November: Bangkok, Thailand
During my absence, any sales of prints will be handled in a timely manner by an associate.