Hello World

Well... welcome.

I have about 30 million thoughts all swirling about in my head, not least of which is "do I really have anything to say that people want to hear?"and "What is this new venture going to be?" There's also painful self realization. "Will I be able to keep this blog current and updated?"

So I'm going to set some frameworks here.

First of all, a shout-out and a thank you to the lovely Abby of Stay-ing Alive. This week I had the privilege and pleasure of watching her present her research into the impact and reach of historical costume blogs, and then speaking with her afterward. She and her work inspired me (so if this blog turns out to be a dismal failure, well, it'll be my fault, but you can blame her anyway.)

Second, while I might currently have the coolest job in the entire world, I can't really tell you about it. Or talk about it. Because anything said publicly about my museum or what goes on there must be carefully vetted for public consumption, as befits an institution of great dignity. And yes, I can't say that I blame them.

Third, this blog will be (to the best of my ability), separate from my personal costuming business and all associated advertising. That doesn't mean I won't post personal research and photos of things I've made, both my own costumes and those for my customers, it just means that I won't be selling anything here, including advertisements or endorsements. If I tell you I love something, you may be sure it isn't because they bribed me.

Because I'm not here to make money or advertise for myself or anyone else, my hand is a bit more free with regards to online images for research and illustration purposes.  I can genuinely show you what I want to show you, in an academic context.

This is a huge step for me, both in terms of committing to updating something regularly (I am ashamed to admit that the greeting on my business site is roughly a year old, and the content is at least 2 years behind) and in using my own name publicly, not embracing the anonymity of the internet to say whatever I want without fear of reprisal. If I expect to be taken seriously (and I do - usually) then I need to be accountable for every word here set forth. I want an open, honest dialog with the costuming community, and if I screw something up, for heaven's sake, TELL ME. I came out of graduate school feeling like I knew everything, and the more I interact with the very talented people in this little world of ours, the more I realize that I still need to learn.

So.... teach me. And hopefully somewhere in this process, I'll find my wings.