I haven’t talked about this project because I wasn’t 100% sure if I was going to work on it or not. Once I made my final decision, out came my red pen and work immediately began on:

101 Mixed-Media Art Projects, How-to’s & Ideas:

A Beginner’s Guide to Messy Art Without Rules (Volume 1)

I’ve been obssessively checking my email ever since I sent it off to the publisher, so it’s time to busy myself with something. I’ve dropped the ball on the Pancreatitis Cookbook project, so I’ll get things rolling with that one again. I’m a very “scattered” writer and, for those of you who have know me for any length of time, you already know it’s normal for me to work in this manner. I don’t intend to, it just sort of happens.

In the meantime, I’ll also be working on getting some more articles posted to my Mixed Media Arts topic over at suit101.com – which reminds me, Volume 2 of the above mentioned title is releasing April 2010. New volumes are releasing each time 101 articles are gathered that are at least one year old. It’s an exciting project, and I have no idea how many volumes will turn out from this effort – my guess is many because I absolutely love writing for this topic.

By the way, if you’d like to write a review for this book, please drop me a line at jmgreenleaf [@] aol [dot] com. Thank you in advance for your interest!

Can you believe Christmas is only one week away?!

Since last Saturday, I’ve been obsessed with writing about art projects. It hit me out of nowhere, much like the push I feel when working on other writing projects, and had remained consistent. I love working on mixed media art projects anyway, so this has been very good for me.

 

I’ve been including a lot of ways to include recycled materials in with these mixed media art projects, as well. We’re all feeling the bite from the economy, so it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to work on art projects regularly. I’m constantly trying to find ways to use, re-use, and bring new life to things that would typically be tossed out. This drives my husband nuts sometimes because my art area looks like a paper bomb went off in there.

 

Here’s what I’ve been writing about since my last blog update:

I’ve been working on most of these art projects as I write about this, which has been inspirational for my children. They love being part of my “work,” so they’ve been creating a lot of these projects when they come home from school. They feel like they’re involved in my career when this happens, which is helpful to me because it inspires and motivates me to do more. I’m looking forward to altering catalogs with them today after school!

 

Do you use junk mail or other items in your art projects as a way of saving money?

It’s freezing outside, and I just had to bring my kids to school. Typically, they’re picked up by the school bus at 7:15am . . . but their bus got stuck in the ice this morning. The bus driver must’ve been so stressed out because, when I pulled in my driveway about fifteen minutes ago, he was just getting out. So, it’s been an interesting start to day.

I don’t know why, but it feels like the start to the week as well. I know it’s Wednesday (this week is flying by), but it feels like Monday. I can’t describe it any better than that . . . aside from that it’s weird.

There’s lots of keyboard clicking and pen scratching planned for today, and I’m off to a good start thanks to freezing my butt off (yep, that’ll wake you up) while waiting for my truck to warm up, and good old-fashioned coffee! I’m behind, once again, on a couple of projects I should be nearly wrapped up with by now . . . so, that’s topping my list of course.

This little blog of mine doesn’t seem to have many readers (looking at my hit counts), so I think I need to add “learn better promotional techniques” to my list of things to start off the New Year with. I used to be really active in a lot of forums, communities, and networks – the fact that I haven’t had time to do that lately is truly reflected in the numbers I see before me. Plus, I’m terrible at SEO … I miss writing to present facts, ideas, and thoughts (etc. – etc.) without worrying how it’ll all pan out with search engine optimization. ::sighs::

What do you have planned for today? Is your week flying by, too??

Have you ever had one of those days where, when you start out, you think you’re going to have time finishing everything up? Today was like that for me. I had a rather long to-do list, but it all seemed manageable. I really don’t know where I went wrong, though.

I had some driving to do, between 7:30am and 10:30am, which always makes me nervous when there’s bad weather predicted. It didn’t hit, though, so that was good. I had to hit the bank, get groceries, get snow pants for the kids, and pick up my son’s birthday presents. So, I managed to pick off a lot on list right there.

When I returned home, I had to prepare for an appointment that was scheduled for 3:00pm. In the midst of that, I wrote one article – How to Make an Experimental Art Journal – and, I even though I had plans to write more articles, it didn’t happen.

The appointment lasted until it was time to cook dinner and help the kids with their homework. So, following dinner I managed to write a blog post – Life Lost Pace  – and one more article – How to Make a Mixed-Media Snowflake Book.

So, now that it’s the end of the day, I’m working on getting through the massive list of emails in my inbox. Then, it’ll be time to hit the sack (I’m sure). Tomorrow is a new day, though, and one that won’t be filled with errands and appointments – just my pen, my research, my computer, and me. I have another rather long to-do list, but I’m a lot more optimistic about checking everything off this time.

 

Did you accomplish everything you wanted to do today?

In addition to my regular writing tasks, it’s been a very busy phone and other types of conversations day. I had two conversations with my neighbor, who popped in both times. Then, I had about a dozen other phone calls come through . . . all of which were pressing matters, so it wasn’t as though people were just calling me to chat because they think I have nothing else to do.

As a result of all of this talking, writing, calling, receiving, and emailing (had a few to do for my husband’s work) . . . this day has flown by. I believe I have one errand to run, which involves other people I’m waiting for yet another phone call from, but I’m not 100% sure. If it doesn’t happen today, it will definitely happen tomorrow.

Here’s what I’ve been writing today:

I have a number of other projects on tap for today, so I’m sure I’ll be blogging about all of that later. Plus, my children and I want to turn our house into a winter wonderland using paper snowflakes. We’re going to make some more 3D snowflakes, as well as some traditional flat snowflakes. What’s great about this is we don’t have to take them down after the holidays because they’re not necessarily a Christmas decoration!

How is your Monday shaping up?

Even though my children are very creative and imaginative, they have days when nothing seems to sound appealing to them. Take today, for example . . . they want to do NOTHING. Nope, nada, nothing at all.

While I’m a huge proponent for do nothing days, this doesn’t work out well when the “I don’t want to do that,” attitude is followed by the bellows of, “MOM!!! I’M BOOOOOOOOORED!”

Me: Do you want to work on the art projects I’ve been writing about this weekend?

Them: No.

Me: Would you like to read Christmas stories together when I’m finished working?

Them: No.

Me: Why don’t you write a letter to your Grandmother?

Them: No.

I try to be as patient as I can, but this behavior typically falls on the days when I tell them I’m not going to bring them to this or that friend’s house. Can you guess what happened today? Yep. No carpooling has equaled, there’s NOTHING to do today, Mommy!!!! ((screams to self a little bit))

We’ll figure something out – we always do. Until then, however, this writer mama is going to have to put up with the bellows she’d much rather tune out.

I’ve been working on a lot of Christmas craft related articles for my Mixed Media Arts topic over at suite101.com, and it’s been SUCH an inspiring experience!! I’ve been feeling so inspired by all the project that I’ve been writing about that I would much rather be “arting” than writing.

Here’s what I’ve been writing about since yesterday: (I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on any of these articles and/or blog posts!)

I will, however, work on the writing projects that are pressing and have nothing to do with art projects. I’ve found, though, that this inspiration is really been a driving force for working on writing projects that have managed to fall by the waste side (not by choice, but rather by circumstance). It’s a GREAT feeling to be back on track.

This leads to another topic I’ve been thinking about. Writers have constant challenges with writers block, but I seem to have a bigger problem with derailment. I don’t have any issues with coming up with things to write about, nor do I have trouble finding projects. However, I do have an issue with life challenges getting in the way and derailing me from meeting deadlines and other project related obligations.

My goal is to figure out how to prevent or work around these derailment issues. That way, I can stay on target and meet all of my goals. For the past several months (realistically, most of last quarter), this has been an issue I’ve been trying to crack. I’ll figure it out, and than I’ll write about it to help others!!

Do you have issues with derailment? What are some techniques you’ve used to help you through this challenge?

I’ve been really disappointed with myself in terms of setting, meeting, and achieving goals for 2009. One thing after another seemed to get in the way, challenge, and stop these goals from happening.

The biggest reminder, though, which happens to all writers . . . there will always be one excuse or another. Being able to overcome those excuses is my first and foremost goal for 2010.

Do you need help setting 2010 goals? Here’s what I’m reading about the topic:

I have a number of things I’d love to see happen during this coming year, but I’m going to take things one day at a time. For example, I’m expecting book releases – but, deep down, I know hiccups could potentially occur, so I can’t exactly plan for what I’m not 100% sure will happen. I’m going to spend the rest of the month working on my goals list, making then permanent in a spreadsheet of some kind, and MAKE them happen.

When do you start planning out career goals for the new year?

I just wrote a new article for Suite101.com – Paper Tube Christmas Decorations: Recycle Cardboard Tubes Into Holiday Fun.

I can only share four pictures within the article’s text, so I’m going to post all of them on here. All the steps are listed within the article in the link above, so you should be able to follow along fairly easily. I hope you all don’t mind this, but I really enjoyed working on this project today. This is just the bare-bones basics of the project and, as you can see, there is a lot of room for creative exploration. I hope you have fun with it, too!

 

You only need a few simple materials.

Step one.

Step two.

Step three. 

Step four.

Before and after.











Step five.

Okay, it’s catch-up day. Or, as I used to say when I worked in retail management many moons ago, it’s ketchup day! (I’d write it on my giant desk calendar – which, oddly enough, was hung up directly above my desk rather than ON my desk – and it would confuse the heck out of my employees. Hehe) So, yeah, it’s ketchup day!

School is cancelled in preparation for a huge storm today, but I’ve already got this one squared away. I wasn’t caught off-guard because the school already planned an early release for students because of a teacher workshop. So, rather than doing “early release activities” later this afternoon, my little ones are working on them all day. We haven’t started baking cookies yet, but it already smells like we’ve got some in the oven….strange!

My to-do list is huge, and I planned on chipping away at it while the kids were in school (seriously, why does it smell like delicious baking cookies in here!?). So, that’s about the only hiccup I anticipate for the day. At least all the Christmas-y planning and decorating things are finished, so that isn’t hanging over my head (well, sitting in a pile next to me) anymore.

How is your “hump day” shaping up?

Over and over throughout the years, I’ve heard professional organizers say that a home clear of clutter equals a clearer mind. I have a lot of “stuff” around, but it’s not quite clutter until I bring out boxes of, say, Christmas decorations! Then, it’s a zoo in here.

I’ve had bins and boxes around since Thanksgiving and, ironically (?), I’ve been struggling with concentration and a quiet mind. Today, all the boxes and bins are back into the storage room downstairs. Wouldn’t you know it; my mind feels so much clearer and peaceful.

It interests me how something as simple as finishing up Christmas decorating, and putting away everything has really cleared my head. I didn’t realize that was the culprit until I put it all away a moment ago. It even feels brighter in here for some odd reason. I know, this all probably sounds pretty strange. It’s true, though.

So, the plan today is to tackle the writing I’ve been having a hard time focusing on. No writer likes to admit difficulties with focusing and concentration, but it’s a reality we al must face (and remedy). Rather than denying it or pretend it doesn’t happen, I’d rather face it and solve the problem. I’m glad I found some way to solve it today, and I’m looking forward to the pace that’s set as I get the ball rolling!

Do you have chaos around you that you may not realize is there . . . until now?

Last night, I couldn’t seem to quiet my mind for sleep.

It’s strange because it was such a busy weekend, and Sunday was the busiest day of the whole thing. Why couldn’t I sleep? I tried dozing at 11:00pm, and watched the clock (while trying not to toss and turn too much) until 1:00am. I woke up around 3:20am and watched the clock until 4:00am. Then, I heard my husband turn off the alarm clock before it rang (5:30am) and managed to fall back to sleep until 6:30am. What’s wrong with me?

Strange. Strange. Strange.

Because I’m feeling mostly awake this morning, I’m going to pound out some projects. There are some reviews I’m working on (I haven’t forgotten you!), and I need to wrap up the last of the cookbook project. Then, it’s off to finish up the first stage of the “no” book before my editor loses her patience with me. I’ve been juggling a lot, but that’s just part of being a working mom.

How is your Monday going so far?

It’s starting to look very Christmas-y around our little household, and it’s certainly helping me stay in the spirit this year! I don’t know why, but I’ve been feely very Christmas-y since just after Halloween. It’s a nice feeling considering past years have been rather bah-humbug for one reason or another.

We’re making plans for my oldest son’s 10th birthday on the 20th, as well. Because his birthday falls on a Sunday, we’re looking forward to more family being able to attend because we know it’s their day off. The only other real hiccups he runs into each year are holiday parties coinciding with his birthday party. He’s been a really good sport about it, though, and hasn’t taken it personally. (Thank goodness!) My best friend knows what this is like because her birthday is the same day. How cool is that?!

So, in addition to finishing up the last bits of my cookbook this weekend, the kids and I are finishing up the rest of the decorating. We like to decorate just about every corner of the house, and then it stays up until about a week after the New Year. Yes, we love Christmas decorations . . . if you hadn’t guessed. Now, if only Santa was real!!! Oh well, we can’t have everything!

What are you up to this weekend?