How Do You Stay Regular?

Fiber is not the answer for this particular question. My thoughts on becoming regular pertain to work productivity for the online, home based, self scheduled worker.

Writing two to three blogs a week is not hard. The idea of sitting down and expressing new thoughts on a daily basis isn't that daunting either. I think the problem I have with writing regularly simply comes down to a lack of discipline. 

I have a calendar that decoratively hangs on the wall in my room/ office. It has Mucha's art on it and I fell in love with it at first sight, glitter and all. I'm certain that if I took a pen or a marker to it and circled days that said "Thou shalt post on these days!" It would get done. However, there is a little part of me that doesn't want to harm the glorious pieces of art on back side of each calendar month. 

I find it peculiar that whenever I write that something needs to get done it gets done. Even if by writing, I mean circling a few random number days on my calendar. I find it peculiar because I can say something all day long (or admittedly even month long,) but unless I write it somewhere, it tends to be left to the wayside. 

It's due to this strange behavior that I try to keep up my diary when I'm particularly stressed out. My diary is really one big to do list that has little notes and random artwork inserted between the pages. However, the diary is usually my last resort and I'm beginning to think that I may need to mar up the beautiful calendar soon if I'm to become a productive member of society. 

The introspective part of this particular blog post makes me wonder what is so compelling about a few written words? Is it because I see it as some sort of promise to myself? Or is it simply like a contract with a date and time, giving me physical proof of time philandered away on the internet instead of focusing on things I ought? I'm not quite certain where the motivator lies in those written words. I know I feel guilty if I neglect something even though I've "said" that I'll do it.

I think writing down tasks has to do with intentions more than guilt. It's a personal guess, but it makes more sense to me when I sit and think about it. It's like a daily resolution to resolve the little problems in my life. Just like how I decided I was going to have a carrot smoothie today. I did it, and it was delicious.

So now I resolve to get back to work and to finally start brainstorming some ideas on space operas. Penumbra will need a new blog shortly and I know very little on that particular subject. 

Happy Writings, and better concentration to all the creative people out there!

Can You Love What Drives You Crazy?

I'm certain we've all been here at some point.

The easy answer to this question is yes, yes you can. All those little flaws that make you want to deck your brother or sister, slap your lover, or tear the page out of a good book may seem like pure hatred, but the truth is it comes as part of the mental package. The flaws that drive you crazy do so for a reason, and often those reasons are nearest and dearest to your heart. I know there are things that I do which I will never understand. Procrastination for one. They make me want to tear my own hair out almost as much as watching people destroy themselves or each other out of selfish wants and needs. The world is a messy place and it's more than just bodily problems. We make "drama," add to our emotional problems, and do down right crazy things for those we know and ourselves.

Let's face it, no one is a saint. We try, we really do, but at the end of the day we are only human.

Some of the best stories I've read involved characters who felt just in what they were doing, and I almost loved them as much as I hated them. They were ruining or thwarting my favorite character's efforts in a way that seemed downright dastardly. Thing is, stuff like this happens in our every day lives all the time. Some girl stole your best friend's boyfriend and mercilessly flaunted the fact to her face. Your grandparent got robbed by some kid who was just trying to make it into a gang. Your school rival got the job you had been trying to get for the past five years and it was only because he or she was flirting with the boss to get it. Crazy crap happens and it's all around you. The key is writing about some of that stuff when you are angry or peeved. Capturing the thoughts of that moment are so revealing about what is happening to a person in a rage. Then, after some time trying to see what you have written in another light. I, for one, had a moment like that tonight.

There's nothing like experiencing a bit of my own stupidity. Even now I'm shaking my head wondering how in the heck I managed to miss that tomorrow was New Year's Eve. Time flew right past my brain and made me think it was next week, not tomorrow. Somehow, I managed to believe that December deserved another week of existence for 2012. There was so much I was going to get done in that extra week too! I wanted a certain project for Musa done by tomorrow and was supposed to be working on my notes for my 50,000 words in January. That has all been reduced to one day's work and as luck would have it the road will have a couple hours of my attention (again.) I'm seething and have no one to blame for myself. Sometime in the future, I'm certain I'll look back at this and laugh. Who knows I may even be glad I was late because of some of the inspiration I got from the film adaption of Les Miserables tonight!

I'm definitely hitting a learning curve. Now, I have some work to do! Happy Writings to all of you and may it be an outlet for all those moments in your life you feel the steam pouring out of your ears.