I admit, I intended to start this a few weeks ago and got caught up. I wish I was one of those over-productive people who could go full steam ahead even while on vacation, but I took a few weeks off (planned, I had PTO) and even the housework took a break. It’s kind of a problem hole I dug myself which I now have to crawl my way out of, but I feel better than I did before. More rested. More relaxed. Less stressed, even though I objective put more on my plate than I had been trying to juggle before my time off.

I’m trying to balance my day job, which I have to do all the time so I won’t be homeless, with my housekeeping duties, which I have to do to justify working so much to pay rent for. Nothing makes your mental health take a hit quite like having a home that isn’t up to par. Clutter and mess and disorganization and piled up dishes you haven’t cleaned will tank your creativity faster than anything.

And on top of that I have multiple projects I’m juggling, tentative titles I’ll be keeping to myself just a little bit longer, while also trying to do all the necessary ground work to make sure that I’m making good stuff while I’m doing the creative work.

Objectively, it looks like a lot for one person to have on their plate all on their own, and subjectively it just feels like spinning a hundred thousand plates at once. I know that the pace I want to set won’t be sustainable long term, and I’m unfortunately a work horse. I have the kind of personality that I could work myself to burnout every three weeks if left unchecked. I definitely don’t want to do that.

But I’m also feeling so, so excited for the future and energized right now, and I want to make sure that I capitalize on every ounce of initiative I have while I still have it. The more I can systematize and automate the parts of my life that are sisyphean, the better it will be for my creative work in the long run.

I’m trying to finish up one craft book, which I hope to ~review next week, but I’m also reading fiction for background research on a secondary project. In the meantime, the steady clackety sound you’ll hear will be me abusing my poor, poor keyboard.

Much love,

BH ❤