As I mentioned on Top of the Mountains a few minutes ago, I’m going to try to simplify my life. I’ve got too much going on, and it’s crazy. I’ve been addicted to busyness.
And it’s hurting me as a writer and as an artist.
You see, I spend so much time on these minor projects that I rarely have time (or energy) to hone my craft. They’re good projects, and I do learn from them, but I could learn more from my own work.
So, from now on I’m going to stop making so many commitments. I want most of my projects to be self-assigned, because I can rearrange those priorities as needed — if I need extra time to write, I’ll have it; if I need time to read, I’ll have it. Right now I’m lucky if I have time for much of anything beyond my obligations. Sure, sometimes I just ignore those obligations and do my thing — because I’ll go insane if I don’t — but then I have to go into crisis mode to make up for lost time. It’s madness.
Anyway, I’ve scaled back on my commitments (and I’m going to see if there’s anything else I can pull out of), and it’s already reaping some dividends. This is a good move, I think.
Changing topics slightly, I went to a couple sessions of the AML conference this afternoon and came out with a strong desire to write short stories. I’m not sure why. :) But the “why” doesn’t really matter; what matters is actually writing. I used to write daily, back in August, but it’s been pretty hit-and-miss since then. Not good.