Writers, Protect your Time

As a writer and a stay-at-home mom, one of my biggest challenges has been finding the uninterrupted time to actually sit and write, without needing to worry about outside or additional responsibilities.

That the unpaid duties of parenting and home keeping - whether beloved or merely tolerated - still fall primarily on the shoulders of mother, is an almost universal constant. Women have been navigating these competing priorities for generations now. Those of us working in the arts are not exceptions, although we might have the advantage of a short commute if our studio is at home, as mine is. A recent study of salary data, found that the work of a SAHM is worth over $162K per year, when all the different functional roles are added up. Today as housekeeper, cook and part-time administrative assistant, my salary should be about $90K - but that would assume I'm a bit more enthusiastic of a housekeeper than I usually manage. 

For the last 20 years, I have been acting as the support system for my partner (my husband) and his professional activity as the breadwinner, while my own career aspirations have fit in part-time, around the choices I made. Yes, I did make the choice to live this lifestyle, centering home schooling as my priority and all the multitude of tasks involved in being a home maker as how I spent my time. It wasn't my original ambition to be out of the workforce. I had planned a fabulous career in theater and film. Just because I am happy with the choice I made, and the beautiful life I lead, doesn't mean I don't sometimes mourn what might have been.

Slowly, starting about 10 years ago, my daughter grew ever more independent. As she needed less of my focus, and I turned increasingly towards working for an income. Now I am a writer, with my first book on its way to publication. (More on that soon.)

In fact, I would go further to say that now I am practically a full-time writer.

It is because my daughter has entered college, and my husband and she leave for work/school together early just about every morning. My productivity, now that I am free of interruptions or plaintive importunities for attention or snacks, has skyrocketed.

Never have I felt the truth of and identification with Virginia Woolf's idea in her essay, "A Room of One's Own" so keenly as now, when I feel the real difference the comes from being alone in the house for a specified, predictable and regular time on a repeating schedule.

How did I manage to write a whole biography before? Well, my daughter was able to give me just enough time alone at my desk each working day, either from her sleep schedule or from as much self-discipline as she could muster, that I was able to put in about three or four hours a day, with some extra magical times when I was able to squeeze in 8 or 9. But it was a slog, and there is no denying that sometimes the others in my household, while expressing full support, left me feeling torn with their reasonable neediness.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Here are the tactics that I use, that worked well in the past to let me get some writing work done, and continue to work well now.

• While working on the bio, I had a daily set time when I wrote that I made sure everyone knew about. I had my accountability buddy to help me start every day at a consistent time. But I also had a set finishing time most days. When I was in a particular deadline mode, I would put the time on a dry erase sign, to let my people know when I was going to stop. I don't have an office with a door - yet - so that sign was very important. This included working on resumes too. 

• I got efficient about preparing meals, and I have only become more efficient now with week-long meal planning and a daily preparation time built in to my schedule. I know when they will be home, and I work to that each day. 

• I've been using a Pomodoro timer app. I let it tick aloud during the five minute breaks, when I jump up and do some quick housework task. But I find the countdown clock inspiring too. I have really become a lot more productive. 

• I have a to do list, numbered by priority. If I have to make fewer decisions, work gets done faster. I spent some time during the first week of January creating an editorial calendar for the first Quarter of the year, even longer for some aspects of my writing businesses. Just four pre-planned blog posts a quarter here - surely I can manage that. 

• I get most of my groceries delivered, especially the kind of household paper goods and sparkling water that come in bulk sizes. On the other hand, it can be a nice break to go up to the store and gather a week's worth of veges and proteins for meal planning. But the fast ordering and ability to avoid traffic and standing in lines, helps my time management immeasurably. 

There was no way for me to work consistently and in the great chunks that actually move a work of fiction along while my daughter was tiny and underfoot. Sure, I could knock out a blog post, or an article - even if it took a few sessions. But the ability to write a thousand reasonable words of a narrative or a screenplay needs the kind of time that allows flow - immersion in a whole other world where time moves entirely differently, and re-entering the common world, leaves one in a daze wondering where that time went...when did it get dark? How long has the cat been asserting her desire for her dinner? That takes protected time. And now I have it, for the time being at least.

Good books I read over the last year

I have to be honest. Most of the time I listened to audio books. I have subscriptions to two different services and this has been the greatest impetus to get new books and consume that informative, inspiring or entertaining content.

One of the reasons I choose audio for so much text based content is because of time constraints. When I read a book, that is all I do. What tends to suffer when I am absorbed in a book, especially a ripping narrative, is my sleep. I will continue the habit of a lifetime and read in bed. It's still relaxation, but it's not sleep.

I travel by public transit a little over an hour to my volunteer gig once a week. Every other week, I have an errand to another part of town. Perfect reading moments, right? Alas, I get terrible motion sickness if I try to read in a vehicle or on a train. So it is the perfect time to listen.

I like to listen to something while I'm walking or grocery shopping. Often I hit up podcasts, but buffering can be a problem. So I have a book downloaded, and I can listen happily. At home, I use an audio book as my "reward" for doing some housework. I put my earbuds in, turn on an entertaining book, and clean. It's especially great for the vacuuming.

Here is a selection of the non-fiction titles I read and appreciated this year, in no particular order. I read more than these, but these are the ones I truly enjoyed in the moment or intend to return to for references and ideas.

Wendy Wood - Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes (2019). This book is a conglomeration of the science including a lot of Dr. Wood's own research into the topic, but is written in language accessible to the layman. I have only just finished my first listen, and I will be going through it again to make notes of some actionable practices. Stay tuned on that one.

Ken Robinson - Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative (2011) and Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life (2013). Creativity is a particular interest of mine. Ken Robinson's TED talk on the subject is still one of the most listened to in history.

Simon Sinek - The Infinite Game (2019). This is an interesting take on the concept of fixed and growth mindsets for leaders. I have already recommended this book to others.

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton - The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience (2019)

Michelle Obama - Becoming (2018). Definitely her story, her point of view, not his. Good value too, because it is long and detailed.

Mel Robbins - Work It Out (2019), Kick Ass (2018) and Take Control of Your Life (2019) - Audible Originals. These are recorded coaching sessions with deeply insightful commentary and actionable take-aways. I like this work better than the original Five Second Rule.

David Wallace-Wells - The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming(2019). A depressingly clear run down of the current climate-change science, and some of the predictive models - but with some hope attached. Very useful for anyone writing futurist or sci-fi novels, if nothing else.

Marie Forleo - Everything is Figureoutable (2019). One of the great features of this audio book, is that the sections with the exercises - what she calls an "Insight to Action Challenge" for each chapter - have their own heading - so it is easy to jump to them to participate in the exercises.

Currently reading:

Matt Bird - The Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers (2016). This is another book that will I will be taking copious notes from. I'm finding it illuminating.

Amy Schmittauer Landino - Good Morning, Good Life: 5 Simple Habits to Master Your Mornings and Upgrade Your Life (2019). I am already a fan of Amy's first book, Vlog Like a Boss, and I like her reading style in audio. She writes in a friendly, authentic style and shares personal stories from her own life, including sometimes painful learning experiences. Plus it includes actionable exercises and doable steps. I like it so far.

The best tool to help you finish a big writing project

Here's my other buddy, Virgo the cat - trying to tell me to take a pause I think.

I've been busy with two different projects connected with writing for the last few weeks. The first is my ongoing agent search for Dervish Dust - researching each prospective agent and sending out tailored query letters. I call this process "collecting no's" and I feel good about the number I have so far. Many have been a bit more personal than a form letter, and feel genuinely encouraging.

The other writing I've been doing is the first book in my Middle Grade fantasy novel series - or maybe it will become YA in time. I've been managing to get out close to 2000 words a day, because the plot is very thoroughly written out already. My challenge is actually prioritizing doing it - especially as the Holidays loom. I'm keeping track of my word count at the end of each writing session - a scribbled post-it note with yesterday's tally crossed out, and today's written down. It helps to feel productive.

But one thing that I learned about writing a big project - in my case a fully researched biography - is that it helps to have an accountability buddy. I honestly think I would have added a year to the process without mine.

My new friend Julie, a super-duper marketing maven, set the terms. I was to write without fail from 10AM until 12PM every weekday. I was to text her at the start, and text my word count at the end. 10AM suited me and my schedule at the time. But only two hours? I thought it was an insufficient commitment. But then again, it also felt doable, even when I had other stuff going on.

It felt odd at first, being beholden in a way to someone so entirely outside of my usual life. We had met at a talk about leadership and management for musicians and film composers. Such an odd fortuitous circumstance. When Julie heard that I was finding it tough to get into a rhythm of writing, she suggested being my accountability buddy. It was so kind of her, with her own busy life and schedule, to take that time to hit a thumbs up each day.

Sometimes I would text that it was going to be a research day - and then I got a lecture about actually writing for two hours first. If I needed to miss a day for something nonsensical like a doctor's appointment, I got a pep talk about not sliding out of the writing habit. It was wonderful.

And of course, two hours usually stretched to four or six or even eight when I was on a roll. But the text was always at noon. Sometimes I would text again after the next two hour interval. And the book got done. I'm so grateful for that daily nudge.

So that is my big advice to anyone trying to get the thing done and having trouble starting or focusing or just believing that it's OK to make your writing a priority - have an accountability buddy outside your family, someone with no stake in it - objective enough to see clearly through the likely moments of making excuses. Just two hours - two hours every day.

Join my creativity group to enter this giveaway

Creeping terror, and the damnable, frustrating waste of it all.

My mother-in-law passed away just before Christmas. She died at peace with her family including me. What she left behind however, her estate, is not peaceful but rather an enormous cacophony of stuff.

I have taken on the task of managing the move, storage and organization of her many collections, in preparation for sale. It's a job that I can best do, as a service to my family, since I have no emotional attachment to her things, no fond childhood memories to revisit to slow down the job of wrapping and packing. There is a mountain of things from fine art, to decorative pieces and antiques, to ordinary household goods like the cookware from three different kitchens, to an endless supply of dark colored sweat pants and knit tops in a range of sizes.

Beverly collected. In her youth she collected Asian art and textiles from her travels, esoteric books and the fine art pieces of her artist friends. In her later years she collected catalogs, gems from cable shopping networks and boxed art notecards.

And a lot of her things are undeniably trash that she just wasn't able to release. I have placed hundreds of outdated catalogs from clothing and home decor stores into the recycling bin. Every small box, dish or basket has to be checked because lurking among paper detritus, used matches, cat treats and bottles of expired aspirin, will be a ruby ring or silver art deco hair pin. So many of her belongings are frustratingly damaged, including some of the decorative art pieces that otherwise would be of great value. So every tiny piece of wood or tin has to be examined and saved in case it is needed to repair something.

I have found boxes of garments, many new with the tags still on them, others stained and marred by scorch marks. The sizes range from Medium to 3XL. She kept vintage designer pieces and kimonos, which is great - but not everything was put away cleaned, which is not. She also kept ordinary contemporary clothes that no longer fit, rather than ever donate anything. Plus I have 10 old tube television sets, which may or may not work, but have to go to e-waste recyclers.

Much of what she saved over the years became part of what she considered her arts and crafts stash - beads, paper, interesting ephemera, shells (boxes and boxes of shells). But the sad thing is that in recent years, there is little evidence that she actually created, or at least completed, anything.

In her drawers and closets I found a few small half-formed beginnings of things - several items gathered in a dish, a beetle in a plastic box, a piece of gold wire almost wrapped around an antique bead pilfered from a beaded curtain. She kept supplies until they were beyond use, like paint tubes that had hardened, inks dried to a shadow, paper yellowed and crumbling. Then she bought more to suffer the same fate. It was as if she had many intentions but evidently little follow through in action.

It has been challenging to witness these dismaying twins of waste and lost opportunity. As a maker I too have a tendency to collect ephemera and materials. I keep things I like with the plans, oh yes the plans, to make art with them. But many of them sit for years. I have started to feel a kind of creeping panic, terror even, that I am becoming a hoarder without productivity.

I get some relief from my recent determination to organize my workspace. At least I know where everything is, in labeled boxes, which gives me a great advantage over my poor mother-in-law whose every drawer was a mish mash, and whose inability to find things among the stacks meant numerous repeat purchases. I surely don't want to die leaving a great challenging mess for my daughter to have to sort. I now believe that my recent purge was insufficient. Labeling and organizing (in her case piling and stacking) can also be tools of procrastination.

The other thing that disturbs me is the small scale of her work - and mine. I am a doll maker, so by definition sometimes my work is miniature - but that's not what I mean. I am speaking of the aesthetic value of the work. What disturbs me now is that I see, as a mirror, my tendency to dash out something small, and unimportant, because it is quicker to do, easier to set up. Small like a card or a flower pin, instead of moving forward on my larger scale - personally valuable and important - projects. It's fiddling around instead of diving in to the flow. Remember Covey's Time Management Matrix? 

I realized today that this scale issue has kept me focused on "crafting", instead of attacking my new business with gusto, or engaging with my next artistic goal of making large scale sculptures, or devoting real attention to my screenwriting. It's not only my personal satisfaction I am seeking, but also the idea of leaving a legacy of completed work.

Ironically writing for Natural Life Magazine hasn't helped. A while ago I wrote about my process of designing projects for the magazine (scroll down). Since my focus there is making crafts from recycled and upcycled materials, I have a tendency to hold on to stuff with the idea that it might become useful for the column, instead of simply looking in the recycling bin when I need something.

My mother-in-law lives in the memories of her family and friends, but passed away leaving only stuff as her public legacy. Some more special stuff, the family will claim as useful or meaningful; some stuff people will be glad to put to use; other stuff, being long unused, should have made its way back into circulation a long time ago.

I have a new determination - as soon as this ongoing estate disposal business concludes - to simplify my workspace, reduce the clutter of ideas by streamlining my plans, and ruthlessly eliminate those items I am holding on to non-specifically - just because they might be something one day. Gotta get rid of more of my old stuff.

Stay tuned for a de-stash - very soon.

Oh, and if you know anyone who wants a set of random antlers, let me know. We seem to have at least 20.

Links from my Unschooling Creativity presentation

Fleur and the Goblet of Fire by Jayn.

I love presenting this talk, although I had so much fun telling stories that I did run out of time. Didn't it just fly right by?

Here is the bibliography and references from my talk and some further reading.

My Iggy Jingles blog

More articles from my MMM blog:
Found: the Artist Within
Not Creative article
Encouraging Creativity article

Howard Gardner, "Multiple Intelligences"
George Lois
Daniel Pink's writing

R. Keith Sawyer - tends to see creativity as really hard work, and that must be taught.
Anna Craft - ditto

John Taylor Gatto

"Possibility Thinking" -
     CA standards and frameworks for Visual and Performing Arts

The Breakfast Club
High School Musical
Glee
Big Bang Theory

Helene Hanff - Underfoot in Show Business
Brenda Ueland

Diogenes
Lyndon Johnson
Futurism - Balla
Picasso

Kelly Lovejoy - "Stages of Unschooling"

Constructivist Theory of Learning - I have here linked the Wikipedia article because even though there are issues with it, it has a ton (a ton!) of links to more on the topic. Unsurprisingly many of the negative critiques of the ideas come from school teachers.

John Holt: "How Children Learn", "How Children Fail" (1990's editions with his revisions and notes)

Have fun!

Help a Reporter Out

I'm registered with Help a Reporter.

Every day, at least once and often up to three times, I receive an email with calls from various reporters, journalists, publications or producers seeking experts or people with experiences relevant to the articles or segments they are creating. There are also periodic casting calls for reality tv shows.

This is how the articles with stories and expert opinions are created. Presently James and I have been interviewed as part of a documentary about people who got married in Las Vegas. I have submitted experiences about travel, and pitched to a crafting project.

Additionally, twice a week, calls for Gift Bag submissions are made, which give people the opportunity to insert their products into the swag and goodie bags for different events. They've been a little too big for me so far, but in the future I can see giving 200 printed Craft-It-Easy craft project instructions to the right kind of event - perhaps a working moms, parenting or educational networking event.

Meanwhile I constantly see calls that I know would suit people I know. For example earlier today there was a pitch seeking yoga instructors that work with pregnant mothers, and I immediately thought of my friend Danielle who is starting a wonderful new business, Kiss My Bliss Yoga which does just that.

I would encourage everyone, especially if you have any kind of business, to register with HARO and keep a gentle eye on the stories. The motto of the company is "Everyone's an expert at something".

The Path to an Uncluttered Mind

Counter space!

As some of you make know if you are a Facebook friend, I have finally embarked on a serious declutter and reorganization program. I realized that my home was overwhelming my ability to create, write, or even make a reasonable stab at meals (and you know how I despise  cope with cooking at the best of times.)

I also started thinking that if we soon have the ability to move to a better place, as we all hope for, the actual packing up process will be truly horrendous. So my plan is to create mental and emotional readiness, my message to the Universe, by clearing the junk away that I certainly don't want in my next home, now.

My kitchen looks awesome - the appliances are actually out of sight, and I got rid of those tablecloths I don't like. My mailing center and office armoire is wonderful, and now the rest of the office area/dining room will follow suit over the next few days. I wrote a comprehensive, task based list, for every room, with timings attached, so that I work in three hour blocks. I included the key task - "Take out trash - 5 mins" at regular intervals, so that the discard pile does not become an issue in itself.

Now I can find things at once without having to dodge an avalanche.

Part of my declutter is mental, including freeing myself from "obligations" that are entirely imaginary. Here's a big example. For years I would send out 72 (yup) Christmas/Holiday cards to family, friends, and work colleagues of both my husband and I. This meant that I made by hand, 72 pretty cards. Bear in mind, most of my work colleagues are from 12+ years ago!

When I started thinking about reducing my list last year, I agonized. Certainly I received back way fewer than I sent out. But what if the world ended if that guy felt bad when he didn't get a fabulous hand made card from us this year? Wait, how do we know that guy?

Then I started thinking of it a different way. What if I relieved someone, or someone's administrative assistant, from the onerous obligation of having to send out a return card to someone they really didn't remember either?

Even better, what if I could use that saved time to make better, truly beautiful cards for the people I really do care about? Win, win.

I received a total of 19 cards last year, all from people we actually know and really do care about. I find I hold no resentment whatsoever against the people who did not send us cards. Perhaps they feel the same way. I feel so much freer!

Of course the 19 are still hanging on display, but that will end soon, and they will turn into tree decorations per this tutorial. Yay.

What completely self-inflicted "obligations" have you been holding on to, that are cluttering up your mind or spirit? Please comment.

Time budget redux

How quickly can I slide into a yawning maw of time wasters and frittering? How quickly can clutter blindness sneak up on me? How fast can the first quarter of the year pass by?

You wouldn't think that these are the burning questions of my life, but at least I can give answers - or the same answer to all three - "like greased lightning".

It's not that I haven't had accomplishments. I've completed our business plan and sent it to three kind mentors to get feedback - which has been incredibly, dazzlingly useful. As it turns out, I guess I haven't completed our business plan.

I'm more than half way through the layout, and almost entirely done with the writing of our first big title, and we are spending time every weekend taking gorgeous photos for it.

I've written a short crafting e-book that now only needs illustrating. (Only! That will be 150 photos too, I expect). I've completed a sample of a doll for a very nice project for my friend in Australia. I've planned out the sequence of my articles for Natural Life Magazine's website. I've made a start on my conference presentation for NEUC in August. I've even completed our tax return, so we know what we owe.

Working model of a flip doll.

At this point, in the middle of the swirl, nothing is actually finished. Despite several full-car trips to the recycler, my house is a disaster, and I suspect even Jayn is getting tired of take out. But the realization that this is not really very productive for three months of supposedly full time effort disturbs my serenity most of all.

Three months ago I left my job at Michaels for the purpose of concentrating on my own work.It was a bold leap of faith in our big idea. At the time I also left behind my time budget. Without it, I realize I've been more adrift that I want to admit, more startled by urgent, sudden deadlines, and most certainly more easily distracted by the fun, frittering stuff of social media. Instead of planning ahead and scheduling month by month activities (other than a couple of unchanging routine deadlines), I've been starting each day overwhelmed with too many choices, and askew priorities.

So since the last time budget did help a lot, although not without imperfections, I have made a new time budget, allocating percentages of my time around my priorities, prioritizing based on the Eisenhower/Stephen Covey Urgent/Important Matrix. Unlike the last time budget which was a monthly projection (one of the things that made it too easy to excuse myself from sometimes), I have allocated my time on a weekly time table, with the awareness that some activities have to be daily.

My diverse daily activities (30%) will take up 4.75 hours per day, not in a single chunk, since this includes cooking which happens several times, household duties (varies), business marketing including research, and 45 minutes for email and Facebook fun. (Stop laughing, this is serious - I'm going to set a timer).

Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I will be doing all out (a whopping 45% for the top priority) my new business venture, the task list for which has already been created using WorkFlowy. Tuesdays I will be screenwriting (10%) for most of the day, and getting in some other doll art/crafting (5%) for different purposes in the evening. Thursday I will be working on other writing (10%), at the moment my Upcycled clothing book. This leaves the weekend for the photography (mostly part of that 45%) - a family activity - and anything else that should come up business wise, like new commissions. (BTW - Don't do the whacky math. I have worked it through and I'm happy - some work days are longer than others.)

I'm so lucky that almost all this happens in the same room as Jayn's favorite activities. She's been pretty keen to help with the making and crafting of different things. Also this is a guide. There will never be a time when I say we can't go on an outing with our friends because today is a work day, as it was when I was actually working out of the house.

So, today is Tuesday. I've been doing this writing instead of screenwriting for a while. Where's that timer?

Changes at Natural Life Magazine

Things are changing at Natural Life Magazine. My column, Crafting for a Greener World is going entirely digital, and will be available at the NL website.

So to celebrate this, we are changing the format some, and I plan to feature my creative answers to your crafting dilemmas in my new column. I hope to be able to include more photos than space allowed in the print mag. I have already received several juicy problems that folks have with their stash of trash, junk, fabulous recycled resources and art raw materials.

I'll continue to design crafting projects, and post footnotes and links here - but I need your help, dear readers!

Here again is the "blurb" that appeared in a recent issue:

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Got Stuff? Need Projects?

Do you gaze forlornly at that stack of odd containers? Are you puzzled by those old rusty bits in that bucket in the garage? Is that stiff plastic packaging too cool to toss, but you just don't know what to do with it? Maybe you just can't bear to throw out those embroidered bell bottoms filled with memories, even though they haven't fit you in years. I bet you're not alone.

You have stuff you're collecting and need some plans and projects, and I would love the challenge of coming up with some new creative ideas especially for you and your stash of possibilities.

At last you will feel great about that cardboard you kept for years – maybe get a jump on your holiday gifts, or hand make some fun – cheap - kids' stuff. Finally your husband will stop grumbling and start seeing the potential of that pile of boxes. Well we can dream....

Tell me what you are saving, hoarding or wondering about. E-mail me your list, even send photos if you have 'em. And I will do my best to come up with a new crafty use for it, in a future article. It's like Dear Abby for junk!

Then once you have created your masterpiece, send along another picture or link, so that we can all applaud!

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Oh and I still need Target prescription bottles - I'll reimburse your shipping if you can send them to me.

The value of ice cream

We are in high excitement mode over here as we prepare for the Good Vibrations Unschooling Conference. I'm going to be speaking first, about Unschooling and Creativity. My presentation is pretty much ready - I just need to tweak it for time, to ensure the fun parts are the most parts. There is a lot of creativity being talked about and promoted and explored at this conference - as happens at all the unschooling conferences.

I only wish the mother of all the spin off conferences, and Jayn's godmother, Kelly Lovejoy, could be there. But I know that she will be so in spirit and maybe facebook.

James will be presenting his Nitrogen Ice Cream making funshop at the closing picnic, in what has become something of a tradition when he attends conferences. It is always delightful to see the kids' fascination with the process, their enjoyment of stirring like crazy, and their enthusiasm for the different recipes - or measured and cautious exploration of new tastes. Just because it is sweet, doesn't mean that every child likes every flavor. And being free children, when they are sated, they are happy to watch and not eat more.

Then we get to do some other fun things with the liquid nitrogen - like make a "haunted" toilet bowl for a few minutes, or freeze a leaf. Did you know that if you place your razor blades in liquid nitrogen for 10 minutes or so, they stay sharp for many more shaves than normal?

What has Jayn been doing?

As I start collating all the random thoughts and laser focused ideas for my upcoming Good Vibrations presentation, and as her birthday approaches (she'll be 12), I have noticed a change in Jayn's creativity and her interests.

When I first proposed the idea of a presentation about unschooling and creativity, I was thinking of expanding my article about it. Jayn was still doing a lot of drawing, very visible manifestations of her artistic pursuits. In the nine (?) or so months since then, she has really shifted her attention to computer gaming and storytelling. Although she still picks up her pencil and paper to sketch out ideas, she is more making notes to herself about characters, rather than making a running commentary about her emotional life.

She has started writing stories, usually with the intent to film them via The Sims, and she is very keen to acquire some decent editing software. She has also started revisiting older stories, ones that she dictated outlines for me to write down, rethinking them in terms of movie scripts.

Just as I predicted, as she has become a fluent reader, she has begun chatting by text with some of her friends, especially those she joins on Free Realms, and rarely needs my help with decoding.

Jayn has always been an illustrator, with only rare forays into sculpture or building, the latter usually being doll related paraphenalia. Now she is clearly far more excited by the prospects available to her digitally, especially character creation. She still loves designing clothes for her Sims, and by the way, has an awesome incisive understanding of exactly what fashions in clothing and shoes, especially shoes, suit her. I've never told her what to wear, and I have no plans to start doing so now.

Her professional goals have changed - or more accurately the path she envisions to her goals. Instead of focusing on doll design, she is more interested in game design and animation. She is very interested to go to Comic Con next year too. She still speaks of her doll museum, and looks over the new releases in the stores, but she hasn't actually played with a doll for about a year. I always said she looked at them as a Collector.

So lots to think about for my presentation.

Time Budget Update

After about a month, I'd thought it was time for a quick report on how my time budget is working.

The short answer is very well. I have planned by budget for two months in advance, and the organization looks good.

However if I am being completely honest, and I am, I haven't stuck to it as perfectly as I wish. I have found that Jayn has been needing my attention, and she has been on a normal schedule. So we've spent some days out and about, eating in to the "professional" time. But that's a great trade-off! Also I've had doctor's appointments, and have shifted things around on the fly somewhat.

And there has a been a bit of frittering - much diminished, though.

At the moment for my business pursuit, I am working on the business plan. In the absence of software, I have downloaded and printed a blueprint for a good business plan, and I am laboriously making my way through it. The questions are tough, incisive, and it really is important to do your plan well, both for your own clarity and for the purpose of seeking funding/investors in the future. Finally one of the purposes of a thorough plan is to ascertain if it is actually a viable proposition, a good business that might actually turn a profit.

So moving forward, slowly but surely, instead of running in frenzied circles and falling on the floor in exhaustion. Better.

Self Value

WIP

So let's also reverse it:

"When you undervalue who you are, the world will undervalue what you do."

Wow. This puts the responsibility for how we are perceived at least partly back on our own shoulders.

I was trying to think how this idea might apply to say, mothers, but surely it also applies to fathers, especially when these two people are in their workplaces instead of their homes. Are you a mother or homemaker who undervalues herself because you are not in the paid workforce? Let's ban the phrase "Just a housewife" from our speech and thinking.

Jayn and James at Legoland

I was thinking how it might apply to women, ("woman's work") but surely it also applies to men ("cos after all he's just a man"). Here are some surprising stats about time spent doing different activities categorized by employment level (FT, PT, none). At least, I was surprised. The page isn't perfect - they have left out the ages of the children which I think differentiates the three similar tables. Also they do leave out some (important from my pov) demographics - the minority of families where mother works full time and father is either part time or not working, or both work part time. Yet it is still very interesting. Who knew moms are getting more sleep than dads? And by the way, home schoolers, scroll down to the Reading to Children and Playing/Doing Hobbies with Children lines and prepare to be amazed.

Jayn's earrings on her Etsy store

Of course professionally women are still paid less than men for the same work - except that it isn't always the same occupations. Women are often still the first choice for the crappy ones. Plus it turns out women aren't as good at asking for more money. I know I'm not!

Aquarium of the Pacific public mural activities

The world tends to undervalue the daily work of children, unless it is at the level of prodigy (ie indistinguishable from that of an adult). I don't think it's because children undervalue themselves. Maybe they learn to undervalue their own gifts and strangeness in favor of the external gratifications of grades and the correct answers to test questions. What about the daily work of children in much of the third world, who are living as if they were adults? Their work is undervalued.

Swap-o-rama-rama

On another level, do you claim your highest aspirational title? I call myself Writer, not someone doing a bit of writing. I call myself Artist, Artisan, Crafter, Maker - increasingly leaning to dropping everything but Artist  - not dabbler, dilettante or hobbyist, not playing with stuff. This is serious professional business for me. If I value my title as a big part of my identity, maybe it will follow that the effort I place on my work, the quality of my work will improve and then the world will value what I do.

My husband is something of a genius

Time management has been a problem for me, more so in recent years. There was a period, a long period, in my life when I did one thing. Worked. Almost all of my time was taken up with my one job at a time - which was often all consuming, but not difficult to manage at all.

Now, however, I have way too much going on. It all takes time. It all needs to be scheduled. There are some things that if I fail to schedule them, they simply disappear into the ever growing pile of laundry at the end of the bed, the ever growing pile of mending on the sewing table, the ever growing backlog of cool ideas I want to write about, the ever nagging project deadlines, the ever patient aforementioned husband who tends to get last place in my attention.

I have plenty of goals, long and short term. They are publicly declared, standing like doleful sentinels around my good intentions, while my creative desires flutter off following other muses into new interests. I am perfectly efficient at setting goals.

I'm also fine at devising deadlines. My calendar is filled with color coded deadlines - publication deadlines, scrapbook calls, project due dates, dates by which I need to have certain things done for the long term. Plus my calendar is filled with those commitments of which I can be reasonably sure - classes I will teach assuming I get student registrants, the upcoming Good Vibrations conference, exhibitions I hope to attend, birthday parties.

But finding the time to complete the works to meet the deadlines in the midst of my day to day frittering - that has been tough. I've started to feel like I was drowning - in that deadly quiet way that has been a topic on facebook and home schooling lists recently. No flailing or crying out - just a kind of paralyzing despair that I would never  get anything done, let alone everything - that I would have to let go of some of my beloveds.

So how is my husband a genius? For some time he has been telling me my time management needs improving, which I translated as "do more". I have been struggling to work out how I can possibly fit even more tasks into my day and still sleep. Then yesterday James said something that I heard differently - that finally clicked.

"You need a time budget."

I don't know why that seemed to be the right phrase, but it was. So I immediately set to work with a spreadsheet and a calculator to look at percentages of my waking hours, and actual hours, to work out a monthly time budget.

First I am assuming 8 hours of sleep, which has so rarely come to pass in recent years that I feel like I am banking time by not counting those daily 8.

16 hours/day x 30 days = 480 hours/month.

Looking at typical weeks, and assuming that I have signups and will be teaching all the classes that I have scheduled in any particular month, I can plan on at most 52 hours of work at Michaels. It is very unlikely to be more, and good chances are will be less, but that is 11%. 11% already gone! When I started doing this budget, I Immediately realized that I really would never get everything done, unless I changed how I do things.

Here is how my time budget looks in its raw data form:

Big Writing Craft Project    18%  86.4 hours/mth  or 5.75 hours every other day
Custom Scrapbooking        11%  52 hours/mth  or  3.5 hours every other day
Writing                                5%   24 hours/mth or 3  full work days per month (ie 8 hours)
Crafting/sewing/crochet      10% 48 hours/mth or 6 days per month
Michaels shifts/classes        11% 52 hours/mth - scattered somewhat but predictable

Daily stuff
Cooking (God help me)      15%   2 1/2 hours per day
Design Team admin              2%    20 minutes per day
Housework                          6.5%  1 hour per day
Time with Jayn*                   15%   2 1/2 hours per day
Time with James*                6.5%    1 hour per day
*actually doing something together as compared to hanging out in the same space while we do other stuff - that's the other 69% of the time I am working at home.

The idea that I only really need to put in on hour per day on the housework to stay on top of it makes things a lot more manageable. The DT work is checking and posting to message boards.

Then I went back to my calendar and I scheduled, in color codes around the days that I have classes and demos already planned - 6 sewing/crafting days over the next month, roughly every other day a long day of business crafting work (which is planned to be my biggest income stream and the most fun too), and three days per month of just writing. This will be mostly screenwriting, and by focusing on writing on those days, and knowing I will be focusing on other work on other days, I hope that more gets accomplished.

This removes the overwhelming "what do I do first" choices from my day. I already have my writing deadlines outlined from early in the year when I did my goal planning, so when I see that tomorrow, Monday, is writing day, I already know that I'm going to be working on "Mermaid Lake" story structure and character development.

Now all I need is clients.

                                       

If I were interviewed on Etsy I'd say this.

I'm not likely to be an Etsy Featured Seller any time soon, but that doesn't mean I can't interview myself and answer the same enlivening questions others have answered.

Tell us about yourself.

I'm Robyn Coburn, former theater and film designer and current unschooling parent, artisan and writer. I live in Playa del Rey, CA just by LAX. I make art dolls and other things. Recently I fell in love with scrapbooking, and become a Certified Scrapbooking Instructor at Michaels. I've also just joined the ScraPerfect.com design team.

Apart from creating, what do you do?

I presently work at Michaels Craft Stores and teach Beginner's Scrapbooking. I like to watch classic films, read especially sci-fi, go to the movies, and particularly hang out with my daughter. We used to do more crafting together. I love Dr. Who, Torchwood and The Mentalist.

What would be the title of your memoir? Why?

Couple of options. One is certainly “I Hate Cooking”. Just flat descriptive. I think the volume dealing with my early life should have the word “peripatetic” in the title. I like to think that the latest installment could be called “Becoming Fearless”. That's an aspiration.

Where does your inspiration come from?

My daughter led me into the world of art dolls. She also continually inspires my writing with story ideas. She is definitely the featured visual motif of most of my scrapbooking.

Other than Jayn, much of my inspiration comes from examining the materials and media. I like working with vintage fabrics and repurposed things a lot.

There have been times when my vision outstrips my abilities. I think this is good – it inspires me to seek out new training and information. It only takes a bit of a nudge to push me into a whole new realm of creativity. Actually I have to be a bit cautious. If I learn about a new technique or skill, I tend to want to run away with it, leaving my prior obligations standing around staring at each other.

What does handmade mean to you?

In my own work it means that every piece is something that I have personally conceived and that it has passed through my own hands in the manufacturing process. It means small quantities, even one of a kind and short series. It means the tools are only one step removed from the hand – that they need to be actively operated by hand. Still there are grades of this. I use commercially made fabrics, even if they are vintage or used.

This last calls into the question of whether scrapbook pages can be truly considered hand made when they include elements cut with electronic cutters or dies. However part of my answer to that is to include hand embellishments and alterations to cut or purchased elements, and to combine many sources for elements, so that the combination is truly unique.

Who has been most influential in your craft?

My daughter. My mother especially for wanting me to working in theater rather than some ordinary stable profession. My husband for always saying do it. My mother-in-law by gifting me so many gorgeous vintage textiles. The whole world of the internet including art doll makers. My old teachers at college – especially Ian McGrath. Zika Nester. Taking part in round robins and trades has definitely had an impact on my work also.

When did you know you were an artist/maker?

I did a lot of creative work for school projects, like dressing dolls in historical costume but I didn't consider it to be art. I also worked professionally in creative fields since my first actual job as an actress during the summer holidays when I was 16. I started working as a theater designer when I was 21 at acting school and really preferred it to anything else.

However I didn't consider myself to be an artist until I started writing screenplays and making art dolls to please myself. I've blogged about the difference between artist and designer before.

How would you describe your creative process?

Mostly I have an idea and I mull it around a bit, procrastinating. Then I have a couple of different processes depending on the project.

For writing I tend to mutter and make pencil notes, until I turn on my computer and get down to it. I imagine scenes or processes and then write what I am seeing. Then I follow my own instructions and see how they work. I tend to consider some projects as writing based rather than making based. Usually there will be a couple of prototypes while the instructions are sorted out.

For Art Dolls or vintage redux I think about it a while. Then when the idea will just burst if I don't get it out, I set aside my computer at last and start sketching. There comes a point in the art work when the item takes over. I work intuitively and I leave room for the random. The sketch in this case is just a direction.

For theater or film design, I spend many hours with the script. I do a lot of research, sketching, pulling images from other sources, playing with color combinations. I spend time watching rehearsals of course in theater – and a lot of the work is logistical. I look for the subtext and the themes. There is collaboration to be considered also. The Director's vision must be the primary concern, rather than mine. For costume designs I also try to save the actor work. For example if the costume helps the actor stand or move a certain way that enhances the character, then that is something to which they need not direct their active attention. Even discomfort has a use. I do very detailed final sketches and working drawings which then become the blueprint – with very little deviation. Unlike with art dolls or wall art, the design is relatively set in stone before the construction work begins. Changes are then usually responses to problems, so reactive rather than creative. It really is a whole other mind set.

If you could peek inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who would it be?

Dead: Leonardo Da Vinci

Living: Well thanks to the internet it is actually possible to visit the beautiful studios of doll artists. I'd like to see Demi Moore's doll collection though. I think my daughter would too.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

The green leaf earrings that Jayn made when she was 9. I wear them a lot. I like how they are very light and don't pull on my ears. My mother made counted cross stitch bibs and baby quilts for my daughter which are family heirlooms too.

How do you get out of your creative ruts?

I don't have them. In fact I have the opposite problem – too many ideas and projects and plans and crafting directions. If I get stuck in one place, I just turn to do a different thing.

My difficulty is saying no to myself. Prioritizing well is my biggest challenge. Sometimes my heart's desire is to work on projects that are small and for personal use instead of those with the potential to be big sellers. Those intimate, personal ones that only need half a table are so much easier. I tend to desire comfort and ease, instead of risking getting out there. The fact is that if a crafting project doesn't have the potential to generate income or further my writing career, right now I shouldn't be directing my attention to it. Time is the one luxury I don't have.

Where would you like to be in ten years?

Still alive and healthy. Watching my daughter's dreams coming alive. A published book author. A produced screenwriter. Having exhibited in art galleries, possibly sold some work to a permanent collection in the public art sphere. A member of a couple of really high end manufacturer's design teams in the paper crafting world. A successful entrepreneur with three business lines flourishing – Iggy Jingles Crafts, Robyn Crops custom scrapbooks, and something educational I'm not ready to announce quite yet – but I hope it will be a boon to parents and students everywhere. Oh yes – and living a house with an actual dedicated studio/workshop space attached.