First, to the right: another piece of my artistic cross-training, the dabbling I do in visual arts and crafts to refresh my writing mind. This crazy quilt in our guest-room is hand-stitched, took months of reflective evenings: so it's a crazy project in more ways than one.
THE BREAKING NEWS: a gathering took place last night of the artists from my area who are alums from the nationally-offered Creative Capital seminars on strategic career planning for artists.
There were 7 of us: 5 visual artists, one writer/visual artist (our host Carrie Knowles), and novelist-me. Also two spouses and a 15 year-old son.
The energy and excitement were as inspiring as at the original seminar, which teaches artists of all kinds HOW TO MAKE MORE MONEY AND MANAGE THE BUSINESS SIDE OF AN ARTS CAREER.
Bryant Holsenbeck, a mixed-media sculptor, asked everyone to announce their goal for 2006. These included: get a six-figure book deal (two wanted that), settle down in one place, get work acquired by a museum, increase annual income by $15,000, become 50% less irritable, solve the health insurance problem, get Queen Latifah to play the heroine in the film, and become fluent in Hebrew.
At the very least, the question and the answers were quite a good party ice-breaker. (Not that there was a lot of ice.) But it was more than that: I'd bet that we're all seriously committed to these goals we've declared and are taking steps today to get there.
It's hard, of course, to figure the steps to a $100,000 contract. But one useful one is to FINISH THE NOVEL.
So I'm about to hit "Publish Post" and start on today's work on mine: without berating myself that it's already past 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
One way or another, time always seems to be an issue: getting it, using it, reaching a goal by a deadline, etc.
For me, the dinner was a double reminder: yesterday was my 57th birthday. My time, it's now clear to me, is not infinite. If this is true for you as well, feel free to join me in getting moving NOW on the NUMBER ONE PROJECT, and get a bit more done on it TODAY.
