So I have three days off from the day job, and my reaction was 'goodie! I can do the other job!' and maybe I'm broken, but this is what I mean when I say that...
Coffee and sunshine on the balcony.
I started my morning a little late, with the Mad Genius Club blog post, wherein I postpone the deadline for the Can't Go Home Again anthology by a couple of weeks. If you write, and want to write something emotionally wrenching but hopeful, you may want to take a look at it. After that bit of work, I moved with my coffee mug and the First Reader on phone to the balcony. Spent about an hour out there enjoying the conversation, reading, and going through a half-pot of coffee (ok, I'd started on that before sunny time...)
Home workspace!
Today I have decided that rather than sit at my desk, I'd totally kick back and stay in bed most of the day... Wrote about 1500 words on a story for an anthology. Made art for a client's approval. Made designs for print book covers. So yeah, I've been working. No, it's not exactly a hardship!
A bit of artwork from today. That Natural History Illustration course is finally coming in handy for professional use!
I mean, I haven't been here all day. The Little Man dragged me out to the store - the cat needed litter, and to make sure she used that, cat food. Also, he wanted a pizza. So I spent some time making lunch and eating and playing with the cat and talking to my son. Who, being the helpful sort, decided that since I'm sitting on my bed with the laptop deployed on lap (shocking! I know...) he was going to set up something else for me to listen to music/podcasts with. A disused blueray player and my husband's monitor/tv later... I'm listening to Jocko Willink talk to Jordan Peterson. I was listening to 'epic battle music' while I was writing, earlier, but graphic design lets me listen to voices. I very much enjoy both of these men, and their insights, and although it's an older episode, I hadn't heard it before.
Plus? I'm working. Multi-tasking, in fact. Like the time I'm taking to write this blog, which is my internet presence. I'm told that as an author, if you don't have a platform, you'll be looked down on. Not sure by whom, or why, but as long as they are only looking I don't care. Look down your nose at other people and you're likely to get whacked in the forehead by that branch you couldn't see. Me? I need to do another book promo post for friends. I'm sure there's some new books out there they want to show off, and I like to help. I mean, really, I can't write that fast. I know you can read that fast, though. It's no skin off my nose to promote authors I think you'll like, here on my little platform.
Yes, I really should do more marketing and promotion. I'm seriously thinking about hiring someone to do that, though. I just...
I'm tapped out. Two jobs is all I can manage, and as the owner of Sanderley Studios, knowing my limits and delegating is part of the job. If I want to write - and I very much do - I have to scrape some stuff off my plate. Probably the stuff I don't enjoy doing as much as I enjoy creating stories, and art, and designing lovely book covers for other people. You budget, and then you hire competent people who share your vision. That's the plan, anyway. If I can find someone I trust... that's the biggest thing, and the hardest when you are bringing a new person onto the team.
Sedges! This is all digital, and I love how inky it looks anyway.
I know, I know. I'm a recovering workaholic, and that recovering part may be shaky. Right now, the extra income is a vital part of life, and I'm ok with that. I like what I do. When I start to burn out? Well, I'll let that bridge blow up when I get there. Life's constantly in motion. The bridge might be out already by that time. Or there may be a new bridge, one that's bigger and doesn't shake when you step on it. All I know is that today, I'm working and it feels good and I'll keep doing what needs to be done so the bills can get paid and the cat can poop, and the kid can have pizza.
It's enough.