December Post-Mortem

Friends,

The month of December, being the first full month of existence for The Sacred Antinous, has proven to be wonderfully successful. The site’s 350 visitors have viewed over 2500 pages, and the numbers will no doubt continue to rise as inbound links slowly accumulate. Articulated responses in the form of Guest Book commentary and private e-mails has been warm and enthusiastic, and I’m very pleased by the site’s initial reception. 

On the topic of creation, I’ve done little to augment the site since its launch on account of sheer exhaustion. I’ve needed to find some distance from it after 6 months of constant and driving work to get The Sacred Antinous on its feet. Additionally, the holidays have taken their toll in many ways – some expected and clichéd, others less so. It’s been a difficult time, and at a personal level I’m struggling to re-establish some creative focus and harness once again the creative energies that so effectively fueled me during the run-up to the launch.

There is much that I look forward to accomplishing this year with the site. Most notably, I’d like to complete the Gospel of Hadrian, the Gospel of Gryllus, and the Oratory of Favorinus. I would also like to add about 20 new Epistles of Antinous. Naturally, all of these intended projects, being “side” projects to my career, may need to be shelved at any time in order to concentrate on those writing assignments that promise to pay me. But until such demands manifest themselves, I’m looking forward to some leisured and enjoyable writing in the service of The Sacred Antinous

I’ve begun once again to work in earnest on my glass-tile mosaic of Hadrian, the portrait that is intended to face (and in some respects mirror) the mosaic of Antinous that I completed last year. I’m hoping to have that done by the end of February.

Wishing you a happy new year…
Shawn