Muse and Mischief

To say that the past eight weeks have been busy would be an understatement. My day job as a project manager didn’t just take the driver’s seat for February. It knocked me unconscious, threw me in the backseat, and left me hog-tied with duct tape on my mouth while it blared recordings of high school musicals from the mid-90s.

After twelve hours on the first day of the month, I had three weeks of 9-10 hour days. Even now, the work is still pretty demanding. 

Unfortunately, that means writing and growing my platform had to be paused because I would rather nothing get done than produce substandard work. That I think is one of the hardest things about being a writer or artist when your craft can’t cover the day-to-day costs of life. 

It’s a hard pill to swallow, knowing that even with all that passion and great ideas, it just isn’t enough to survive. When I think about it, it’s a double-edged sword. It’s disheartening and deals tremendous blows to ego and drive. However, it’s almost Darwinian. 

Because it really takes strength to survive as a creative. The ability to endure hard times is what so many call ‘paying our dues,’ and such a mentality held by those who made it can seem somewhat arrogant.

If we really think about it, though, those who do make it in most cases built a tolerance for disappointment and rejection. Making it through this gauntlet also helps to separate the passionate from the hobbyists. Not that there is anything wrong with writing or creating art as a hobby. I’m just saying that there is something to be said for living in the trenches. 

All this being said, it does take more than mere strength. Talent and Strength without Wisdom can sometimes harm more than it helps. Taking my situation into consideration, the past month has taught me that my ambition set some unrealistic expectations of myself. 

My original production plan was feasible from where I stood. It was layered, where I was prepping, drafting, and editing different projects at any given time. For several months, it was working until this work project kicked off and started getting demanding. Prepping and Editing were manageable because those could be done in short bursts without losing much momentum. 

Drafting is where things suffered. My standard one hour was shot to hell, and even getting 15-30 minutes was a lost cause since Thanksgiving. I took into account the past six months and came to some sobering truths. 

While most projects allow me to still maintain my lunch break, this project couldn’t guarantee me that. It is an annual project that involves 12 different workstreams across the entire company. That’s a lot of spinning plates. 

I had to accept that writing a novel was not feasible during the six months this project was open. What could be done is short stories, though. This led me to create a production plan that splits 12 months into two seasons that I affectionately call Summer, which spans from March through August, and Winter, which covers September through February. 

Now, what seems great now may end up being untenable down the line, but I feel good about it, and that is what matters. 

The ability to recalibrate plans and strategies is the hallmark of a good business. Much like the animal kingdom, businesses that cannot adapt will die off. As I have said a couple of times, anyone who wants to make writing their career needs to approach it like a business. 

How have you had to recalibrate in the past? Is this something you feel comfortable with, or does it feel intimidating?