The Artist’s Rallying Cry

My last blog was such a stew! After re-reading it, I would like to apologize profusely for the forty different rabbit trails I took. Ha! What can I say, truly I have a dizzying intellect.

I’m blogging again today because I need to whip myself into shape. After a few days of intense heat, humidity, and PMS, I find myself with a shocking lack of drive. So I’m going to type up a rallying cry into the computer-box and read what I have to say. This is my proverbial equivalent to Jessica’s Daily Affirmation, which is awesome, if you’ve been under a rock for the past decade and haven’t seen it.

“I can do anything good, better than everyone.” -Jessica

So! Here I am, I have an office-in-a-corner set up which is so cute, pertaining of: a flatbed scanner, a dry erase calendar, a dry erase marker board, a printer, a filing system, an iMac, and my trusty stapler. These are the essentials, and I have them. What I do with them is entirely my privilege and responsibility. Would you like to know what is written on my marker board right now? I’m ashamed to say, it’s a bullet-point list of six things that I still need to do. Why haven’t I done them? Because of heat, humidity, and PMS. How shall I set out to actually do them? Smaller goals, perhaps? Divide each thing into three smaller things? Provide rewards for myself upon accomplishing each small goal? That is a great idea. Except that I’m on a diet, and I’ve already eaten all of the chocolate I was hiding in the apartment.

On a side-note, Adam and I really have decided to change up our eating. Food in Iowa, ironically is quite a bit more expensive than we’re used to paying. Isn’t that weird? It’s “The Bread Basket of America,” shouldn’t that mean it’s cheaper? Well, that put us in a quandry, seeing as we’re not raking in the big-bucks yet and want to be healthy. So we’ve decided to go all organic and only eat meat twice a week (one day beef, one day poultry or fish). So far, it’s been agonizingly difficult for me (love meat), but it makes sense, so my brain is rewarding me with smug feelings of superiority. It’s all good.

Anyway.. goals! Let’s do this:

Here are my current work things to do (including but not limited to the marker board list):

1. Get next round of drafts out to AG & FH
2. Polish up illustration for AT
3. Reach out to Adam J. to check on job status & if I can start on the next three logos
4. Check in with John M. regarding catalog shipment & current project edits
5. Make gifts for KA and DM
6. Write Business Plan
7. Start on Chris’ tattoo design
8. See if Nicole has any feedback for me
9. Put up feature photos on website portfolio
10. Think about items to sell

That’s a daunting list! I already just want to go eat something. Good thing there’s nothing to eat. ):[ All right, let’s think about this. But first! Let’s pee, and then get another cup of coffee.

Okay, my brain keeps going to sticky notes. I feel like it would be stimulatingly satisfying to have the “little goals” written on different-colored stickies, and have them arranged on the marker board in order of urgency. That’s a great idea! Except I should just use different-colored markers to reduce my carbon footprint, right? That may be the first time I have ever used that term. 1+ Smugness

Little goals:

1. Get next round of drafts out to AG & FH
    A. Review notes & revisions
    B. Sit down at #NattyLightDraftingTable and sketch up some roughies
    C. Scan, polish, and send
2. Polish up illustration for AT
    A. Decide what final “message” should be
    B. Ink it up
    C. Send it out
3. Reach out to Adam J. to check on job status & if I can start on the next three logos
    A. Review next three logo notes
B. Send email
4. Check in with John M. regarding catalog shipment & current project edits
    A. Send email
5. Make gifts for KA and DM
    A. Pencil
    B. Ink
    C. Scan
6. Write Business Plan
    A. Review notes
    B. Draft pitch
    C. Draft executive summary
7. Start on Chris’ tattoo design
    A. Pencil
    B. Ink
    C. Scan
8. See if Nicole has any feedback for me
    A. Send email
9. Put up feature photos on website portfolio
    A. Script
    B. Scan
    C. Vectorize
10. Think about items to sell
    A. Brainstorm online
    B. Pro & con list
    C. Ask opinions

Oh. My. Goodness. That was so easy, and I already feel more empowered.

ps: My thirtieth birthday is on Friday.