plans

Sketchbook #10

Writing

On the last Monday of the month, I like to check in and let you guys know what creative projects I’ve been working on, and what sort of progress I’m making.

March has been ok, I guess, but a bit different than I’m used to. I spent the first week or so deep in planning mode, trying to figure out what my creative goals actually are, and figuring out how to go about achieving them.

It’s been… surprising.

Not all of it, of course. Photography is still my priority. The 52-week project is still going well (I’m getting it done, even when I’m not really into it, which is part of the point), and I’ve started looking at some of the other photo projects I want to work on over the next few months. And drawing is still a comfortable hobby—I’m still stuck on the same plateau I was on in February, but I’m (slowly) seeing some improvement. It’s not something I stress about too much.

The surprise is that, apparently, I’m not done with writing fiction.

Which isn’t to say that I’m actually writing again. But when I was thinking about what I want to do, how I want to spend my time, writing kept coming up. And I keep playing with ideas that feel like novels or scripts, and I have this slightly-uncomfortable feeling that, at some point, I’m going to want to start writing one of them.

I really don’t know how I feel about that.

I still haven’t figured out how to go about the whole thing without burning myself out and starting to hate the entire writing process. I’m starting to think of ways to get around my natural tendency toward perfectionism (which is a problem in everything I do, but is particularly damaging when it comes to writing), though it’s not a problem I’ve come close to solving yet.

So.

That’s what March has been like: a lot of thinking about projects, but not nearly enough progress. Now that I know what I want to do next (or, at least, now that I have some ideas), I should be able to start getting some real work done in April.

Wish me luck.

Sketchbook #9 | Reghan Skerry

Sketchbook #9

Art + Craft, Photography

It’s the last Monday of the month, which means it’s time to check in with how my various creative projects are going! (Not sure that really deserves an exclamation point, but whatever.)

First off, my 52-week photo project is still going strong. The photos have been enough of a challenge to keep me interested, but (usually) not so difficult that I get frustrated. And it’s doing what I’d hoped: giving me a reason to think about photography every week, even when I’m not feeling particularly inspired. I’m starting to think I might do something even more ambitious next year. (Though it’s still early… we’ll see how I feel forty-eight weeks into this thing, and after I’ve tackled some of the really tricky prompts.)

As far as drawing goes, I’m back to practicing nearly every day, but I’m also in another one of those phases where what I want to do doesn’t quite match up with what I’m able to do. I’m mostly fine with that; it’s frustrating, but I know it’s just a matter of sticking with it and figuring out what my next step is.

That said, the big projects this month have mostly been about figuring out my goals for the year (and beyond) and changing the way I work. The office is finally starting to feel like an office (I love the white walls so much), and less like a storage room. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it won’t be too long before I can start working at my desk again, rather than the dining table. (I love my desk. I miss my desk.)

I’ve also been putting a lot of thought into what I actually want to be doing with my time and with my work. (The existential crisis I’d been expecting since the beginning of the year finally hit, though it was more of a slow simmer than a middle-of-the-night panic attack.) I’m setting firm goals for the rest of the year, surprising myself, figuring out ways to track my progress, and generally starting to feel pretty good about things again.

So, yeah. It’s been a good month.

This time for sure.

Admin, Personal

I almost should have expected it: no sooner did I say that things were finally starting to get back to normal, and I was ready to get back into regular posting, I was knocked off my feet for nearly a week by a cold.

It wasn’t all bad. I spent a couple of days mostly asleep (not nearly as much fun as it sounds), but then I was able to rouse myself enough to catch up on some podcasts, and some reading, and start making some serious plans. And now I’ve had two good days in a row—though this is the first without any sort of cold meds, and the computer screen is still making my eyes glaze over, just a little.

So. Barring any (more) unforeseen disasters, everything should start easing back toward normal. Regular updates first, then I’ll start working on some of these plans I’ve come up with.