No, it's not Nano time

Nearly done with N'inktober, so far, I haven't missed a day. Some days were better than others, but understanding how I could do a month of daily art without a hiccup, when so many on the art feeds struggle for this... requires a look at what I do on a routine basis. I make art almost every day. I miss a handful of days a year. I don't always make the same level of art - I've had days where I did a one-stroke cat, finished in seconds. It's not what I'm making, it's the discipline to make every day. The habit to grab a tool at hand and just go for it. Most of all, it's letting go of the idea it has to be perfect, and perfect takes time, and I don't have time! 

I don't have time. I've been insanely busy this fall, between life and family and work. We've had running car problems, alternating between vehicles, since midsummer. I'm only just now starting to feel fully settled into the house and like I'm putting down roots. Literally, as something clicked in my brain recently and I've been gathering houseplants and watching bonsai videos. I guess I feel like this is where I can begin very long-term projects and not have to worry about the need to shed them and move again. It's one thing to know that logically, and another to have the heart come into alignment with the brain. So no, I haven't had the time to spare for much. Even now, I'm looking through to next year and it doesn't let up much! 

However, it wasn't about time. Most of us have fifteen minutes to pull from somewhere and in that fifteen minutes, I can make art. You know what else I can do? I can write. Not a lot, in 15 minutes, but that's more than nothing. I'm not going to attempt Nanowrimo for several reasons. I am going to go back to writing every day, tracking it on my calendar, and we shall see at the end of the month what I've managed. Should be interesting, if nothing else. I'm one woman. I'm not data, I'm an anecdote! Still, personal goals are helpful. 

One story at a time. One scene at a time. One sentence, if that's what it takes, at a time. 

And... go. 

Lord Threllgun watched his charge as she looked up towards the small crowd of people gathering atop the city wall, saw her eyes narrow, and wondered if she knew any of them. 

(Header Image: Robot Sweeping Cherry Blossoms, rendered with MidJourney)