Keeping fun and joy in the mix
Happy Friday!
Despite another week of setbacks (toddler home sick Monday, and then me absolutely floored by his stomach bug Tuesday into Wednesday), the morale pendulum is swinging hard into optimism recently. The days are getting longer! The kids are (for now) healthy and (as ever) hilarious! I made a breakthrough on swimming laps and am able to ping-pong back and forth instead of taking a breather at the end of each lap! I finally admitted defeat with the kneeling chair and got a real desk chair and can sit at my table comfortably for hours! Hope and hope and hope abounds.
I have four categories of work on my desk right now: my Emotionally Heavy Big Book, which I care the most about and which has the least timing pressure, and is hard to walk in to when life also has been emotionally heavy; monthly freelance comics, who keep neglecting to pay me; an exciting collaborative project in its nascent stages outside my usual wheelhouse that I need to script; and very early ideas towards pitches for kids books with my agent. There are also the bottomless life/family admin, and application/grant deadlines on the horizon, but none of these main tasks have hard deadlines except the 3 days a month I work on the freelance comics, which makes prioritizing what to work on a challenge. After the morale crashes I’ve had since the new year, I’ve given myself permission this week and next to work on something light hearted and fun: drawing developmental ideas towards the kids books.
Might could be spending 5 hours a day drawing something joyful has something to do with the uptick in good feelings around here. I’ll take it!
Friends who also have several amorphous projects on your desk: how do you prioritize your time & work?
Have an excellent weekend!
Xox marn