PROCRASTINATION:WHEN THE CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST

Procrastination, with me, for a while now, has been almost a vocation. Probably you could call it a Vacation, as well. (This doesn't include the time, 4 years ago, when I slipped on wet grass and fell, doing something drastic to my right arm in the process. I'm right-handed. Things still aren't quite right, there). Back the actual Vacation from promptly entering and filing:
1.  Handwritten notes, on scraps of paper, into the notebook where I record info on favorite writing and artwork sites, blogs of other writers and favorite authors---all that really energizing stuff.

2.  Computer education info, on papers large OR small. Research for later art/writing projects. Relevant motivational and inspirational material.

3. The Institute Of Children's Literature's valuable newsletters and their apt, well-written website pieces that buoy me up as I learn more about writing for children.

So. Within these 3 categories we see that, topic by topic, eight binders with dividers are needed if everything were filed logically. Or if the Vacation had, very sensibly, not begun at all. Oh! There's also:

4.  A schedule of artwork deadlines: all the work needed for 2 fairs in September and October of the coming year. Here are (always!) notes for drawings and paintings in various media, sized from 4x5" to 18x24", to be finished and framed for exhibition/competition in the exhibition halls of both fairs, plus all that is needed to fill the walls of the space I rent at one fair. A serious matter.Deadlines missed, mean that I go back on my word at one check-in table, as my entry form has been received by them a month ahead of check-in date. It also means disappointingly few pieces to exhibit at the other fair, where I don't need a written document. Either way, it means fewer ribbons and cash prizes. Not good. The only other penalties actually incurred are by me, in my heart. I like to keep my word.

And so: Unfiled papers grow into orderly piles, then become sliding stacks on the computer desk and long, low storage cabinet; the dining room table; the large book case; the so-comfy easy chair and the couch. (In the smaller living room is a second couch. Unfortunately. If I had only one couch, the Procrastination Vacation would possibly be less likely to start, much less continue. Keyword here: Possibly). Fortunately, the middle grade novel has been finished months before this. Actually, completion of the novel and all that it involves, is one very big reason there was a Procrastination Vacation in the first place. But I wouldn't have traded the writing experience for the world! I'll start another, soon.

In late winter, a version of Murphy's Law glides shockingly into the mix---right before I am to begin the Big Paper Organization Push (and we all know Murphy's Law always works like that)!  The (not so) simple existence of all this physical and mental disarray immobilizes me. Without the information buried in the sliding stacks, vital computer expertise goes unmastered. Writing projects go unfinished. Not to mention the artwork! A constant lament: "I know I wrote it down. It's around here somewhere..." Yes. Where? Who knows? Not I. Meanwhile, artwork goes undone. The chickens are home to roost. Come September, they appear in my rented fair space as well, when, due to my allowing my stated deadlines to fall on deaf ears in previous months, I have much less inventory than usual. Although giclee' prints of my original art, in all sizes, are abundant, people are wanting small, more affordable art. If their shoes were on my feet, in this economy, so would I. Profits decrease acordingly. Of course! Why not? I'll apply wisdom gained, to next year.

Comes the day---finally, this past December---that I search out every looseleaf binder, in use or not, in this house. I rifle through each, tossing obsolete papers, freeing up great quantities of page protectors. Then, beginning each morning and continuing until mid-afternoon, for over a week, each stack in turn is sorted. Info for each category goes into its own pile. Now needed: big binders. To Staples I go. On sale: big binders.

Filling, indexing and labeling binders, takes the rest of that week. When finally the piles get down to really manageable size, there's room on the large table for a cup of green tea. The filled binders stand side by side with my writing notebooks in their new space, in the base of my six-foot-long book case on one wall of the room where I write. They occupy the right hand side, to the middle. Art/photography binders are nearly completed. They'll fill the left side by the time this is finished. At last count, there are 21 binders, all sizes.

And here is my first longer post in many weeks, spurred on by the Intentional Blogging course I'm taking and which I love. Though a ridiculous amount of time has passed, I can't call this anything but a victory. Considering.

Intentional Blogging students were told, "Write something dangerous." For me, (who loves to be organized--
--is that grammatically correct?) writing about how I allowed such disorganization to whack me upside the head, feels dangerous enough for now. The only thing more dangerous would be if I blamed my secretary, but I don't have one.

Lessons learned:

     1. Don't SAY 'I have deadlines.' DO "I have deadlines.' Be responsible.

     2.  Learn to say, for the day, the week, or whenever it's true, 'I'm working then.'

     3.  Daily, without fail, place any new information into the binder or notebook already prepared for it.
          Leave the entire workspace clean.

Actually, I like chickens. Once we owned some wonderful varieties. I miss them. But, in my life and in my workspace, no chickens home to roost.

Murphy's Law

With my last War Horse post, I promised more to come in the next post. Murphy's Law went to great lengths  to sabotage that idea! And, too, the previous post, the review of Jeff Goins' book, You Are A Writer (So Start Acting Like One), absolutely had to go onto my blog. As soon as I read it, I knew that! This is one book that no writer ought to be without. The very next post, within-the-Next-Few-Days-I-promise, will deal with Procrastination.  Then we'll have more about War Horse. That's a promise too.

A New Book On Writing---Well Worth Reading

No sugarcoating, no wasted words. Tough, yet kind. Tough love, I would have to say. This is the essence of Jeff Goins' book, You Are A Writer (So Start Acting Like One), which is now available on Amazon.com and on youareawriter.com . Jeff has written from the heart, obviously. He shares what it took for him to become a real writer, and shows us that we can do the same. You Are A Writer is a fact as well as a title. We just have to write. Focus. Persevere. By following Jeff's example, putting his book to use, we will surprise ourselves with the progress we will make.

Jeff doesn't tell us to do anything he hasn't already done, himself, and he doesn't hesitate to tell us what it took to get over the obstacles in his way. The same ones we ourselves face each time we sit down to write. By practicing, we will find our voice and more.  I can't think of a book I would rate any higher than this one.

War Horse Puppets---Almost More Like Horses Than Horses Are!

Before I go any further, here's a link to a site about the War Horse puppets. There's a videotaped interview on this site. Rather long, but worth the time. Very interesting. Toward the end, Joey the horse (puppet) will be active onstage. www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=34726 I went to the site just before posting this to be sure this link is working. And here's another: http://www.performingarts.about.com/od/Costumes/a/Bringing-A-War-Horse-To-Life-Onstage.htm . I checked this link, too, just now. If you scroll to the bottom of page 1 and click on War Horse On Broadway, you'll see an ad for W.H. In a minute, the photo becomes one video clip after another, of bits of action from the play. The horses are great! Almost more like horses than horses are. (Well, you'll see what I mean).

Because it took me so LONG between last post and this one, I included more than one link. There's a lot more about War Horse if you google it.

My apologies for taking so long, due to circumstances. I have another post ready, which will be up in a few days if not sooner.

What do you think of the Steven Spielberg movie, 'War Horse'? I think it is now in the U.S. theaters. So far, I have only seen the previews and cannot wait to see that movie!

How about the play by the same name, now in New York and in Europe? Aren't those huge horse puppets wonderful and fascinating? I've been so taken with the very idea of them, that I've been finding film clips of them, seeing what they're all about. (No, I haven't seen the play. But I sure did see a short clip of the puppets on the Today show last Thursday---Dec. 15, right after Al Roker's Kids Book Club). The book was "War Horse" by Michael Morpurgo. Four children, ready with questions, were on the show; so was Mr. Morpurgo, who answered each of them and didn't they all have a good time! Yes, they did.

I'll be saying much more about all of this in my next post. There will be a link to at least one clip. Now I need to learn how to get the link onto my blog. It can't be all that hard. Can it?

It will be good to get your thoughts on War Horse.

Fryeburg Fair artwork; my article:"Lovebirds; Lovable---Or Not?"; matting/framing: it looks like, for once, several goals at once are being met, and most of them ahead of time. THAT's what I LIKE, and I'm this happy because usually I don't GET to be this happy about Goals.

Many things conspired against these things getting done as soon as they had to be! There's no point in going into that. It's over. Whatever slows us down or works against us to the point of discouragement---if we give in---gives us the chance to get above it all, to do what we've gotta do, (yes, 'gotta'; it fits the situation) and to feel that nice sense of accomplishment at the end of it all.

See? The quote in my previous post: Function in disaster, finish in style (from Lucy Madeira) fits right into everyday life just fine. There's still time for disaster to sneak in again while I'm too busy gloating to pay attention. I'd better keep that in mind. No gloating. Get on with it. So here I am writing this blog when I'm supposed to be doing art. Well, this is the first post since August 6th and writing, too, is an art. I was working in charcoal and thinking of my very tardy blog, which meant I wasn't getting too far with the charcoal, which is too bad since I really like the picture in progress.

My project, the dog's bath earlier this morning, I wouldn't call disaster. The dog has a vet appointment on Friday. It's nicer for the vet to see a clean dog than otherwise--and she really wasn't all that bad to begin with---now she's drying off in the kitchen. Washing the dog means washing the bedding too, for obvious reasons. This is the best day for it all, as tomorrow it's going to rain.

The lovebirds are listening to the radio, which is their third choice of all music forms in this house. CD's are first, records (yes, vinyl, 33 1/3) are second. First thing, they had records, but now the day will become nonstop, so the radio it is. I don't have time to keep turning over the stack of records, and if I don't, and the music stops, they yell in chorus for me to go fix it. Not in so many words, but I know the tone of voice. The light-rock station has a good variety. They squeak in rhythm with whatever happens to be on, knowing almost every tune so well that most of the time they are a beat or two ahead. They do the same thing with the classical music. They'll be fine. So will I, if I go back to the artwork and finish the pieces one at a time, beginning right now.

I wish each of my friends a good day that ends the way you want it to. What methods do you have for getting that to happen?