Birthday Celebration

I'm so bad at posting. I've got to get better. I would so totally fail at Twitter. :) Any hoo, On June 17 I decided to celebrate the week leading up to my birthday. I've worked very hard so far this year and I have accomplished a lot. I am very proud of myself. My friend Marta, my very first friend in North Carolina, is going to take me to lunch. Our tradition. What else to do?

Well, I've started. Started on Friday, June 19, with a Kung Fu movie marathon. Featuring Jet Li who is quite AWESOME! Yesterday I had dinner with friends at a new restaurant downtown. A grilled veggie salad topped with mozzarella cheese filled me up. Along with a magarita and Oreo cheesecake, OMG! Today I go see Pixar's UP. Tomorrow I meet with more friends.

I feel great! I am so happy and grateful for everything in my life. Where I'm living, my friends old and new, my new found creative drive. I am an artist. I am a writer. And I love it.

Keeping Track

When you have many projects on your plate and the same amount of events happening in your life, it's easy to lose track of what needs to be done and when. Projects that need to be done right away get lost with projects that can be finished over a period of time. I have tried numerous ways to keep abreast of all creative endeavors and I always seem to come up short. Not for lack of time but for what I cannot see. You know, out of sight, out of mind. That one project on a piece of paper buried under a ton of other papers.

I have tried and I'm about ready to get a cork board. I've done the list thing, monthly, weekly and daily. Sometimes the projects get broken down into smaller steps. But once again, sometimes a project gets lost in the paper mound and gets forgotten. Or you think that you're on track and you haven't done the next two steps. What to do? Cork board! Cork boards are not in the poster board expense category. Neither is a personal assistant.

While in my applique class, one of the ladies pulled out a spreadsheet with all her projects on them. And each project was broken up into smaller steps. Every step had a box for checking off when completed. She had a start date and finish date. I stared at her sheets in awe and thought, Oh my gosh! She's got a lot of time on her hands. But then I continued to look at it and she said it worked for her and she gets things done. Hmmm.... I continued to think about it and thought I'd like to give it a try for my gazillion projects. Some that need attention today, others that can be spread out over a year. I could keep track and still hang them on the wall over my art table or computer. I emailed her asking for a blank sheet so that I can at least try it. I'm waiting for her response.

Adjustments

Just when you think things are going well, something happens. Something weird or that something where you get comfortable and cocky and you get knocked on the head to get you back in line. If you're on a roll, it's not time to get cocky. Stay in the zone and continue to push forward. If you're working towards a bigger goal, take a break if you need one but press forward. Finish a smaller project within a bigger project but keep going. Pat yourself on the back for doing a good job but don't think it's time to coast, especially if you're not done with the complete project.

Even when monetary rewards start to come in, you figure out the next project, the next media blitz and keep going. Sometimes you just fall into that mental trip of 'yeah, things are going great, I don't have to work as hard.' Then something happens to make you humble again and you're back on track.

I am no longer the Queen of Procrastination. I'm slowly losing my Princess status too because I know I can do better. I have more time in my schedule to get things done. No excuses. There is finally a tunnel and I really want to see what's on the other side.

Book Making

Monday morning I went over to my friend Benita's to learn how to make a book. She's a wonderful, award winning photographer, book/journal maker, decorative pin maker and mixed media artist.

Upon arrival at her place and after her friend Lou Ann showed us, she produced a large flat plastic container full of various books she has made. She showed a beautiful 18th birthday/graduation journal for her son. It included a letter from her and her husband on the day he was born. Black and white photographs that he had never seen. Letters from grandparents, teachers and friends. There were simple bound journals with soft covers to very elaborately sewn hardback books.

The three of us headed for Benita's studio in her basement where Lou Ann and I chose the type of books we wanted to make. We began by cutting board for the front, back and spine of the book. It was my first time using metric measurements. Once I got the hang of it, it did make measuring a lot easier. Once that was done, the fun began.
Benita allowed us to go through all her papers that she has collected over the years. We could pick whatever we wanted because she said that she had enough for several lifetimes. That done, she showed us how to cut the paper for the board. Lots of glue later (it was best to wear old pants), we had our pieces covered. I chose a simple binding technique which involved a bit of sewing. Easy enough for me. I will have to make another one very soon so that I won't forget how it's done.
You can barely see the knot where I tied off my thread. Benita gave me the choice of showing or not showing my knots. She said that if they show, it allows people to know that you really did do it. My first handsewn book came out very well. Now I'm off to collect more supplies. Some books will go with dolls, others.... well, they will be holiday gifts.

Joyful June

Well there, it's a brand new month and I can start all over again if I want to. It's amazing that this year is almost over. We're almost at the half way mark. Eegads! It's all good. It's a new month. More goals, new things to try, new challenges.

So far so good. Yesterday and today I've worked on my manuscript and new dolls. I didn't meet my quota for last month, but there's this month. I will keep at it until I make my goal. My manuscript is taking off after a short block. That wall has been torn down. Yay! Two for two. I'm feeling great.

Exercising is still going on too. It's sometimes a chore but I gotta do it. I would like to walk on a beach this season and not scare small children and old people. Those 80 and up. So there it is, a new beginning. Have a good one. I know I will.