My Absence from the Artist and poetry group

[Star-Thrower]

March 24 my computer died. I lost everything! My links, my digital and pen an ink drawings and poetry etc. I was like frozen. How to get this back. I had a thumb drive with passwords. I went to the local library and managed to get passwords, not only to connect again to Du Underground but to also plug in other venues of my digital art. My pen and ink drawings etc. are still on Du Underground.
As for my poetry, I have hard copies at home and also on some poetry websites. As for digital art I went to DeviantArt and got most all of my posts -

https://www.deviantart.com/search?q=schmidtkoff. I learned a hard lesson. Save everything, every thought, every idea, every image in your mind. Write everything. That is like a diary, dates, time, year day, time, etc.

[elleng]

1. 'Save everything, every thought, every idea, every image in your mind. Write everything.'

[Hoyt]

2. Glad you got most of it back. Can't imagine the panic of losing your best work.

[Star-Thrower]

6. A big

smile! Thanks.

[BigmanPigman]

3. I write everything down and save it

since I do not know much about tech. I know enough to know that I could easily lose everything by tapping the wrong button just once. I have lost stuff when I first started using computers in the 90s and learned really fast not to trust my tech know how to come to my rescue. I am hardly above the "basics" level still but I am aware of my limitations.

[Star-Thrower]

7. BigmanPigman

Guard your works like you would guard your life. It is important in order to pass your legacies on to your family, children etc. At least that is what I think. You might be interested in what I replied to lunatica.

[BigmanPigman]

8. Yes, I document and save everything

and have no storage, only my regular clothes closet and under my bed (550 sq ft apt.). My portfolios are stored at my parents' house since my apt floods every 3-5 years due to neighbors' plumbing issues.

I have kept many journals and sketchbooks and this helped out when I became a teacher. Experienced teachers gave me this advice so I could refer to documents of every conversation, especially with the parents.

[lunatica]

4. It can be heartbreaking to lose your work

Every piece, no matter what it is, is replete with memories and emotions. I’ve painted all my life and there are some paintings I wonder about. Paintings that relatives and other people framed and put on their walls. Sometimes I see them in the background in family photographs and I always wonder what happened to them. We’re they given away? Thrown away or just left behind during one of the many moves from one place or country to another? It’s probably the latter. Lost in transit somehow. It is heartbreaking in a way. Artwork is a significant reflection of a moment in your life that means something. Especially when you’re a young person. I remember why I painted what I did when I painted them when I was a child.

You’re right! Keeping your art is really important. Hell! Most of the art I’ve posted here is old! All my figure drawings are 40 years old. I didn’t just keep it. I preserved it, laminating it so it would never fade or tear or fall apart. I’m so glad I did that! Now I take photographs of everything and have the photographs available in seconds. My iPhone and the cloud are how I archive them, as well as uploading them to Photobucket.

[Star-Thrower]

5. yes luniatica

Our scribbles, our doodles are us at a specific time in our lives. To me they, I think, convey a trajectory that seems not to stifle but to encourage going forward into writing and painting and any and all of the creative endeavors that we embark upon. Keep a journal or a diary. Document everything, even times, dates etc. Even photographing your works!