Kickstarter Project "I Fear For Humans"

I woke this morning to my alarm at 7:30, but I didn't get up. Usually that's not an option, but Orion is off track for school this month. Still, I had a long list of things to do. Orion's birthday party is tomorrow and I have a lot of work to do in the shop if I want to keep the bills paid. I remind myself that I'm of the 'privileged poor.' Being an artist, I will likely always struggle to get by. On the other hand, I do what I love. Generally, it's the art that propels me. Some days, like this morning, I feel made of lead and only the persistence of cats got me out of bed and into my robe, shuffling to the kitchen to make coffee.
So here I am, with coffee, messy hair, old robe, cats fed and off to do whatever. I'd like to go back to bed and read. That's not going to happen.

What I will do is tell you about the book. Why this morning? Why not wait until after the weekend? Because then there will be something else, and then something else. I know that to make this book, I can't do it in a vacuum. There's always going to be a clogged sink, dental appointment, cut-off notice, cat catastrophe, laundry, dishes, runny noses or the blues.


So. I'm an artist. Long before I was an artist, I was a reader... If you click Kickstarter or the link at the top of the page, you can read about what's got me burning the midnight oil. I'll be adding to the page. I'm nearly ready to launch. The final step is to make a short video.

That said, I'm going to finish my coffee - now cold, of course - hit the shower and get this day going. I've got a tenth birthday to celebrate! And a house to clean, orders to pack.... Sheesh!

Thanks for reading and please don't hesitate to comment or suggest. I'll take all the help I can get.
Actually - do comment, if just to say you're interested. Or what might make you more so. I'm nerdy enough to have no doubt that all information is valuable.

--your artist, a little nervous

Sunlight, late afternoon.

Late afternoon light on simple things:




A stray kitten who found refuge.


























Weathered wood and smooth plastic














A chair that remembers many summers.















A whole winter's neglect on the glass.

Two cats going about the business of being cats.

And a boy, choosing to read.

More on the rising tide

In the time since my last post, I've been keeping my head down, focused on working, pushing to try to get to a new level. I've had to put a few things into the margins to make this happen. One of the more difficult aspects of this sort of focus is explaining the need for 'space' to friends and family. Sometimes I have to work pretty hard to extract a block of creative time. The Etsy shop is my day job. It's a full time job and then some. But time for writing or creating an inspired larger work is another animal entirely. So when I do get some time, the pressure is on to 'make it count.'



It seems that everyday life abhors the creative zone.



One of my favorite comfort movies is "As Good as it Gets." There's a scene where Helen Hunt's character, Carol, goes into a tail spin because she gets enough breathing room to examine her life. That scene has come to mind more than once lately. Finally the drama and unrest in my life has settled down and I'm looking around wondering how the hell things got so convoluted.


In such a situation, it's really hard for me to focus on one thing. Other things clamour for attention. This is one of the disadvantages to working from one's home, I suppose. One approach would be to make a list, prioritize it and work through it.



When that doesn't work, I try a different approach. I keep moving and chip away at whatever is in front of me. If I discover a logistics problem, I stop and fix it. Messy bathroom- take a quick swipe at it. Whatever I do will improve the situation as a whole. Getting rid of little things that annoy or waste time will only help. I find this freeing. I can think while I do simple things. I can get back to projects tomorrow with less distraction.

Now, one could see this as a form of procrastination. I'm thinking of it as an experiment in fitting the task to the inspiration. Instead of lists and priorities, I go through a few days looking to improve things in general - including snatching a bit of time for reading or play with Orion.



It's good to be here. Less treading water, more swimming.