Adam Pacio
@kierken.bsky.social
Artist, Writer, World Builder, Gamer, LGBTQ Activist, Modern Occultist, Fantasy Cartographer, Manhattan NYC Contrarian committed to Life Out Loud. Recovering from a stroke, reinventing life as a creator.
A quick progress report snapshot of the rough draft of one of the website redesign’s landing pages. Busy busy busy.
pacio49.substack.com/p/26_0910-th...
pacio49.substack.com/p/26_0910-th...
26_0910 Th - Website Redesign Efforts Underway
The Joy of Working only After-Hours on my Passion Projects
pacio49.substack.com
September 10, 2026 at 4:34 PM
A quick progress report snapshot of the rough draft of one of the website redesign’s landing pages. Busy busy busy.
pacio49.substack.com/p/26_0910-th...
pacio49.substack.com/p/26_0910-th...
So much has been developed over the past year, I needed to put things in order. It’s definitely helping me move forward. But I let things get more out of hand than I thought.
pacio49.substack.com/p/putting-th...
pacio49.substack.com/p/putting-th...
Putting the Past In Order
Before Moving Into the Future
pacio49.substack.com
September 1, 2026 at 4:43 PM
So much has been developed over the past year, I needed to put things in order. It’s definitely helping me move forward. But I let things get more out of hand than I thought.
pacio49.substack.com/p/putting-th...
pacio49.substack.com/p/putting-th...
Divination questions, answered at random by thoughts prompted by a YouTube video thumnail’s title.
pacio49.substack.com/p/is-it-wort...
pacio49.substack.com/p/is-it-wort...
Is It Worth Being an Artist Anymore?
AI, Art, and the Point of it all.
pacio49.substack.com
August 28, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Divination questions, answered at random by thoughts prompted by a YouTube video thumnail’s title.
pacio49.substack.com/p/is-it-wort...
pacio49.substack.com/p/is-it-wort...
The first pastel wasn't as successful. Hand numbness means relearning a lot of basics. And I forgot pastels are painting, not sketching, and need to be built up in a specific painterly way. But I'm back to working analog again.
August 22, 2026 at 2:11 PM
The first pastel wasn't as successful. Hand numbness means relearning a lot of basics. And I forgot pastels are painting, not sketching, and need to be built up in a specific painterly way. But I'm back to working analog again.
My new easel arrived yesterday and removed my last excuse for not returning to traditional media after the stroke. Left arm and hand are still stiff and unresponsive a bit but the first 5min charcoal sketch from imagination went well.
August 22, 2026 at 2:09 PM
My new easel arrived yesterday and removed my last excuse for not returning to traditional media after the stroke. Left arm and hand are still stiff and unresponsive a bit but the first 5min charcoal sketch from imagination went well.
Giving some love and credit for an art promoter and his PDF book ‘Visible”, which has delighted me with good art marketing advice even just two chapters in so far. Check out London Artist and Art Promoter James Carter and his creativeflair.org community.
pacio49.substack.com/p/featuring-...
pacio49.substack.com/p/featuring-...
Featuring James Carter and CreativeFlair.org
Resources I’m currently using
pacio49.substack.com
August 21, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Giving some love and credit for an art promoter and his PDF book ‘Visible”, which has delighted me with good art marketing advice even just two chapters in so far. Check out London Artist and Art Promoter James Carter and his creativeflair.org community.
pacio49.substack.com/p/featuring-...
pacio49.substack.com/p/featuring-...
My new sketches as I tried out stained glass treatments as a possible new Series Focus for the next year of art. (Not happening, but I still like the work I'm doing.)
Prometheus Bound, WIP
Prometheus Bound, WIP
August 19, 2026 at 4:44 PM
My new sketches as I tried out stained glass treatments as a possible new Series Focus for the next year of art. (Not happening, but I still like the work I'm doing.)
Prometheus Bound, WIP
Prometheus Bound, WIP
Art Business post. Since I'm in the rebrand/regroup/relaunch phase of things for AdamPacio.com, I took the time to clear the path ahead by recounting and honoring the path behind. And away we go!
pacio49.substack.com/p/wisdom-fro...
pacio49.substack.com/p/wisdom-fro...
Wisdom From the Path Behind
Manure of Mistakes Fertilizes the Fruit of Success
pacio49.substack.com
August 19, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Art Business post. Since I'm in the rebrand/regroup/relaunch phase of things for AdamPacio.com, I took the time to clear the path ahead by recounting and honoring the path behind. And away we go!
pacio49.substack.com/p/wisdom-fro...
pacio49.substack.com/p/wisdom-fro...
The YouTuber who impacted my whole journey, and the challenge that started my late life art career.
pacio49.substack.com/p/the-creati...
pacio49.substack.com/p/the-creati...
The Creative Advice from a Random YouTube Tutorial That Finally Helped Me "Get It" About Art
Even the brightest ray of sunshine is ineffective until it's got a narrow focus.
pacio49.substack.com
August 13, 2026 at 6:23 PM
The YouTuber who impacted my whole journey, and the challenge that started my late life art career.
pacio49.substack.com/p/the-creati...
pacio49.substack.com/p/the-creati...
Three changes to my creative life I'm working through right now.
pacio49.substack.com/p/three-new-...
pacio49.substack.com/p/three-new-...
Three New Changes I'm Wrangling Right Now
Utilizing this time of Energy Renewal, wisely.
pacio49.substack.com
August 13, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Three changes to my creative life I'm working through right now.
pacio49.substack.com/p/three-new-...
pacio49.substack.com/p/three-new-...
The reason I made this Mandala, woven from stories of sunlight in the Old Country from my Italian Aunts in the 70s, and the hope of immigrants, transformed into a legend no one actually lived, but everyone loved. pacio49.substack.com/p/update-on-...
Update on the Old Country Summertime Mandala
Work in Progress Wednesday
pacio49.substack.com
August 12, 2026 at 9:17 PM
The reason I made this Mandala, woven from stories of sunlight in the Old Country from my Italian Aunts in the 70s, and the hope of immigrants, transformed into a legend no one actually lived, but everyone loved. pacio49.substack.com/p/update-on-...
Sharing the plan for the redesign and relaunch of AdamPacio.com as I pivot through the last days of desperation and destitution. Payday is coming at long last. And the lessons of the past are alchemizing into a roadmap for success.
pacio49.substack.com/p/the-pivot-...
pacio49.substack.com/p/the-pivot-...
The Pivot Plan
Reimagine. Redesign. Rebrand. Relaunch.
pacio49.substack.com
August 11, 2026 at 11:38 PM
Sharing the plan for the redesign and relaunch of AdamPacio.com as I pivot through the last days of desperation and destitution. Payday is coming at long last. And the lessons of the past are alchemizing into a roadmap for success.
pacio49.substack.com/p/the-pivot-...
pacio49.substack.com/p/the-pivot-...
Three ways I've found to break through inertria when the last ten percent of finishing work on a piece fights back.
pacio49.substack.com/p/three-ways...
pacio49.substack.com/p/three-ways...
Three ways I've found to break through inertia when the last ten percent of finishing work on a piece fights back.
Finishing can often be a gauntlet of endurance rather than a creative joy.
pacio49.substack.com
August 11, 2026 at 11:31 PM
Three ways I've found to break through inertria when the last ten percent of finishing work on a piece fights back.
pacio49.substack.com/p/three-ways...
pacio49.substack.com/p/three-ways...
The key to transforming past failures into future successes is learning from the worst mistakes you made. Here’s three of mine when it comes to starting online art businesses over the years, so you don’t repeat my errors.
pacio49.substack.com/p/top-three-...
pacio49.substack.com/p/top-three-...
Top Three Lessons From Failed Past Online Businesses That Independent Artists Need to Know Before Starting Their Own
So that they can avoid making my mistakes
pacio49.substack.com
August 9, 2026 at 9:23 PM
The key to transforming past failures into future successes is learning from the worst mistakes you made. Here’s three of mine when it comes to starting online art businesses over the years, so you don’t repeat my errors.
pacio49.substack.com/p/top-three-...
pacio49.substack.com/p/top-three-...
After wandering lost for a bit, an idea for turning failure into success emerges.
pacio49.substack.com/p/26_0806-th...
pacio49.substack.com/p/26_0806-th...
26_0806 Th - An Idea Emerges
Amid the Bounce, after months of wandering, wisdom comes from the wreckage
pacio49.substack.com
August 6, 2026 at 5:27 PM
After wandering lost for a bit, an idea for turning failure into success emerges.
pacio49.substack.com/p/26_0806-th...
pacio49.substack.com/p/26_0806-th...
PM note - Once again today I seem to be speaking Greek and making all the wrong calls. Luckily I know this is just new team blues. It always takes a crew a bit to learn to trust me or any new PM.
But oh my the self-created problems they're making by ignoring me. Ah well. I try.
But oh my the self-created problems they're making by ignoring me. Ah well. I try.
July 27, 2026 at 8:37 PM
PM note - Once again today I seem to be speaking Greek and making all the wrong calls. Luckily I know this is just new team blues. It always takes a crew a bit to learn to trust me or any new PM.
But oh my the self-created problems they're making by ignoring me. Ah well. I try.
But oh my the self-created problems they're making by ignoring me. Ah well. I try.
I'm in that weird liminal space where I'm working again but it's a month until paydays start. All of the subscriptions have come due and are shutting down.
I'm hopeful because I finally believe enough in me to focus on my own artwork.
Stay tuned for a sept rebrand and relaunch. Here's a WIP.
I'm hopeful because I finally believe enough in me to focus on my own artwork.
Stay tuned for a sept rebrand and relaunch. Here's a WIP.
July 27, 2026 at 2:21 PM
I'm in that weird liminal space where I'm working again but it's a month until paydays start. All of the subscriptions have come due and are shutting down.
I'm hopeful because I finally believe enough in me to focus on my own artwork.
Stay tuned for a sept rebrand and relaunch. Here's a WIP.
I'm hopeful because I finally believe enough in me to focus on my own artwork.
Stay tuned for a sept rebrand and relaunch. Here's a WIP.
Returning to Sketching practice for Character Art. Some musings about the interrupted Art School foundations, and the dreaded Impostor syndrome from never mastering figure and character drawing from imagination. Yet.
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
26_0727 M - Sketching Practice Works
Putting in the time to master faces and figures, finally
open.substack.com
July 27, 2026 at 1:40 PM
Returning to Sketching practice for Character Art. Some musings about the interrupted Art School foundations, and the dreaded Impostor syndrome from never mastering figure and character drawing from imagination. Yet.
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
Returning to work, regaining perspective, and processing grief at mistakes in my past, while resolving and renewing the hope for the future. Busy morning.
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
July 25, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Returning to work, regaining perspective, and processing grief at mistakes in my past, while resolving and renewing the hope for the future. Busy morning.
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
One Year on, the business model has to change. I’m saving what can be saved, and continuing the journey with a renewed focus on my art, my creativity, and my unique generalist style. Now that the day job career is resuming, and I finally feel like a whole person again, 3 years after the stroke.
July 13, 2026 at 2:09 PM
One Year on, the business model has to change. I’m saving what can be saved, and continuing the journey with a renewed focus on my art, my creativity, and my unique generalist style. Now that the day job career is resuming, and I finally feel like a whole person again, 3 years after the stroke.
Done with the color blocking on the next mandala painting. Finishing touches and cleanup still to be done, but this is mostly complete.
July 12, 2026 at 11:30 PM
Done with the color blocking on the next mandala painting. Finishing touches and cleanup still to be done, but this is mostly complete.
Thomas Cole didn't visit Italy for the scenery. He went to exploit a market. Wealthy elites craved the romance of dead empires. Cole painted ruins to secure their cash. He turned Europe's decay into a personal funding model to paint the wild American wilderness.
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
The Perfect Hustle of Thomas Cole
Cole. Thomas - Cascatelli, Tivoli, Looking Towards Rome (1832)
open.substack.com
July 9, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Thomas Cole didn't visit Italy for the scenery. He went to exploit a market. Wealthy elites craved the romance of dead empires. Cole painted ruins to secure their cash. He turned Europe's decay into a personal funding model to paint the wild American wilderness.
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
Thomas Cole knew the wealthy elite wanted the wild frontier safely framed on their clean parlor walls where the mud couldn't ruin their rugs. He packaged the savage American wilderness under a dirty Manhattan studio window and sold them a brilliant myth.
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
The Polished Wilderness
Cole. Thomas - View in the White Mountains (1827)
open.substack.com
July 6, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Thomas Cole knew the wealthy elite wanted the wild frontier safely framed on their clean parlor walls where the mud couldn't ruin their rugs. He packaged the savage American wilderness under a dirty Manhattan studio window and sold them a brilliant myth.
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
open.substack.com/pub/pacio49/...
The new mandala is blocked in. Ready to begin rendering and blending treatments now.
July 6, 2026 at 7:07 PM
The new mandala is blocked in. Ready to begin rendering and blending treatments now.