As the world turns...
Well, this was supposed to be a day of non-stop creative efforts. And, although I have made some miniscule steps forward, in realizing my goal, I once again spent most of the day avoiding doing what I'm pretty sure I know I need to do. Suddenly, even cleaning out various plastic bins (!?!?!?!) seems infinitely more interesting than...
Of course, I also have to remind myself that, at least for me, this 'creative process' isn't much like having a job in an office. I am sometimes doing as much work on my newest project, when I'm in a different room, apparently engaged in something entirely unrelated to the work down in the basement. This afternoon, for instance, as I was making the soup we had for dinner, I was running through the various steps that lie ahead for this work, and realized that there's a much simpler way of going about this, than I'd originally thought would be necessary. I've gathered most of the oddments I'll need for the project. I'm just about ready to stop the painting and repainting, and finalize decisions about the little details, the bits of stage dressing, that signal the winding-down part of making new work.
But tomorrow, Sunday, is almost completely booked. Monday, some other time-consuming obligations. Tuesday looks promising, until early evening, when I've got my bi-weekly critique group meeting. I think I'd like to have the thing finished on Tuesday, so I might take it along to the meeting. I rarely bring glass-centric work to the group; this time, I might make an exception to the rule.
Ah, and I got some unanticipated news today -- at a fund-raising event last week, for Combat Paper, one of my prints sold! I'm astonished! It's the one I would least have expected to be of interest to anyone, which goes to show there's no accounting for tastes, I guess. Now I think I'd kind of like to make some more images, not necessarily for my book (how that lags and drags... Last Sunday, I did manage to begin the process of creating more paper, but otherwise...), but as an effort both to help Combat Paper raise much-needed funds, and to explore this avenue of creativity. I think I'm even supposed to get some money for this, although I don't have any idea how the prices were set. And really, that doesn't matter to me.
Well, in terms of the Combat Paper book I'm supposed to be working on, I actually have made some minor but important progress, I think. I've re-arranged the text and (theoretical) illustrations, and now how many pages the finished book should be. I've made a rough draft of the 'invisible' poem that will make up an important part of the work. (I'm semi-tempted to add it to this post, but think that, for now, I'll keep it under wraps, at least a while longer...) I still think it's going to take two years to finish this project. It'll require, I estimate, 30 lb. of fabric, to produce the heavy-weight paper necessary. I've got a lot of cloth prepared already, but might have to be scouting the local thrift stores for more men's pink shirts...
How odd. I'm making a new piece of sculpture, even though I think it's a terrible and wasteful idea. I'm getting ready to begin rehearsal for a comic musical that will require me to take off most (or all?) of my clothes in public. I'm also committed to this Combat Paper project, which is prompting me to revive an interest in print-making, and to take my writing more seriously. All of this creative energy and output -- if only some of it (other than the occasional sale of a print showing a fifth-century Norse coin, some runes, and part of the geographic map of Iceland, that is...) would earn me some money.
Some statistically insignificant number of humans do earn quite handsome livings in any one of these artistic ventures, but for most of us, the efforts remain avocational. I'm exceptionally fortunate, I know, to be able to devote my time and energies to these activities (thanks to the generous, long-suffering support of hubby John...), but doesn't it say someplace in the Bible that the laborer is worthy of his hire? Of course, no one's actually hiring me...
Well, tomorrow is yet another day. Who knows what little bits of progress I'll be able to sneak in, when anyone would least expect it?
We shall see...
© 2013 Walter Zimmerman
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