New Schedule

Usually my day consists of whatever it is at that moment that I need to be dealing with. Most of the time that means I'm doing some sort of illustration for a client who needs the art at a certain date. I fill my days trying to get their work done, the whole time promising myself that when I get a full day to myself I'll work on some more personal projects. And sometimes I get those days off from clients and the personal projects just seem so big that I don't know where to start.

And, if I am in the middle of a personal project and it gets frustrating I might end up just chucking the whole thing and mess around on the internet or watch TV for the rest of the day. The next thing I know I am back to doing client work and wishing I hadn't wasted that day off I had once, way back when.

The Exit 6 Collected book is almost done and all that is keeping me from finishing it up is writing the story behind the story. Since the actual comic book never finished I couldn't see putting out a simple collected comic where the story never ends. So I thought I'd write a journal of all the trials and tribulations I did to self publish that book back in 1998. I am thirty pages into the writing but it seems to have stalled and I can't see sitting down for a whole day to write any time soon.

I've wanted to do an OilCan Drive album of music since you've probably been reading this blog. It was really great when I got that one song on the radio that one time and I really appreciate the DJ who did it liking what I was doing. But, it also turned something I was goofing off with in a corner of my living room into something very real that I now had to be good at. So I became very critical of something I used to do for fun. And it got frustrating.

The nearest thing I can compare it to is the feeling I would have when I was back in college doing some art for homework and it just not turning out the way I wanted it to. The frustration became so great that I remember a time or two throwing illustration boards across a room and wanting to quit.

But I didn't.

So, when I feel like quitting music and selling every piece of music gear I own I try to take a breath, take a walk, and remember why I want to do music in the first place.

Because it's supposed to be fun.

So, I'm trying to get my head back into that sort of thinking. And, in doing so, I made myself a simple new schedule of four things I want to get done every day before I go to bed at night. I'm only on the second day but it seems to be working out well so far.

And, what are those four things, you may ask?

1. Color one piece for Sports Illustrated Kids Magazine (at least this week...who knows what client work I'll be doing next when this project is done.)
2. Record one part of one OilCan Drive song.
3. Do one piece of art sitting at the art table and not on the computer. This can be a sketch, penciling, inking, whatever, as long as it is physical and not digital.
4. Write one chapter of the Exit 6 Collected book.

It's only the second day but it seems to be working well so far. We'll see how it goes the rest of the week and beyond.

But, it feels good. I'm never bored with one part of my day as there is always something new and different to do next. And, when I do get to that part of my day I can really concentrate on it. I no longer need to finish recording a whole song in one day. I can just concentrate on one part of one song and play and record that part the best I can.

So, if you'll excuse me now, I need to go lay down some of Henry's bass guitar track on this one OilCan Drive song. And then I need to write a chapter of Exit 6. And, then I'll take a bike ride. And, then maybe, just maybe, I'll go to sleep.

But, maybe not in that order.

Have a great day.