Restricting Creative Projects

Restricting creative projects can be hard. I've been struggling, lately, with a list of things I want to do. There are short stories and webcomics, videos and forums. There is so much I want to create and engage in, and there are never enough hours in a day.

My ideas are flowing like water, and it’s hard to contain them. Each one I write down for later strains my sense of what I need to be getting done. This gets me stressed and stress means less sleep and more of a slog the next day at my word processor, struggling to get the day’s word count in.

I think part of the pressure to pursue all of my ideas at once comes from comparing myself to other, already successful authors whose lives I wish I could live - authors like Neil Gaiman and John Green. They’re very active on social media and engage their audience through so many projects that I often wonder when they even find the time to write! It’s not about fame, for me, just the freedom of doing all of the things you want to. They have that freedom, and I like to pretend I have that freedom. It’s like keeping up with t Jones’s, writing style.

Of course, unlike me, they can afford make their lives revolve around projects that even a part time job would make impossible. They're also getting paid for their work and appearances, so a part time job would be pointless. I, on the other hand, should work for my bread and not simply get carried away with the act of making, disregarding reality and doing what I want to the detriment of those around me. In short, mooching.

However, just because I'm not getting paid, doesn't mean I can't work on other projects outside of my novels! I have a burning need to diversify my projects to keep focused, otherwise I end up bored of even my most loved darlings. To this end, I am organizing from the feet up. My goal is to be a well-read author, and I’ve reviewed my little list of projects to assess each one on how it contributes to this goal.

Only two out of eight of my creative projects pass muster. The others, sadly, must go on hiatus. This includes my very short-lived (though rather self-righteous) little vlog, Ree’s Personal Space, but it’s ok. There are other video projects coming that contribute much more, and hopefully not only for me! 

I think it's important to maintain focus, and not get distracted by all of the noise of possibility. Yes, I can justify my other works until the cows come home, but the bottom line is that my time is less renewable than my ideas. Ideas come and go and come again, but time is always marching forward.

There's so much to do, but we all have to start somewhere. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are anyone’s life's works. One step at a time. Square one. (insert more platitudes here)