For those of you following the link from my updated tattoo website (www.tattoosbyceleste.com), welcome! And I just provided a handy little link for those from the other half of my life--the writing half--so that the rest of you can check out the website too. Yay!
I'm sure some of you (Anybody out there? No, probably not.) may notice I haven't posted here for a bit. Call me a slacker if you will, but please know that I'm busy writing things other than blog posts and tattooing until my eyes cross.
It's the beginning of my busy season at the tattoo shop. I go from working eight hours to nine or ten hours (or more) on the days I work. Plus, I juggle drawing up tattoos for my scheduled appointments and handling walk-in clients too. In addition, I have to clean, return calls, answer emails, and shovel snow. All of which makes for mentally exhausting days and nights.
So, I have to stay very focused if I plan to meet my personal deadline for finishing the first draft of my current work in progress. Which is January 31st, by the way. My writing time gets cut in half. Sometimes, it's whittled down to a mere hour per day. The writing is going well and the project is...exhilarating? No, that sounds too, I don't know, joyful. A more apt description would be consuming. The project is consuming and I'm happy to let it eat me alive.
But how to stay on track? How to keep some small kernel of creativity in reserve for those precious writing minutes left to me at the end of the day?
Eliminate any possible distractions.
I've removed every app from my phone which could tempt me into wasting time. Well, not facebook or twitter, but c'mon, those are necessary. Right? Yeah, maybe I should hide those from myself too. Especially twitter. Total time suck. I do, however, make sure to sign out each time I use either one.
My critique partner, Kimberly Meyer, had the brilliant idea to change her passwords on time-sucking sites to things which would prompt her to get back to writing. She's so smart.
I also set a start time for myself. I get an hour to unwind after work. No more, no less. Then, I turn off the television, put on some music, and open the laptop.
The husband is loving enough to allow me the space (and time) I need. He's so smart.
So, I've spent my hour composing this post.
Time to go to work.
