Devon Ellington's Blog, page 33

Thurs. June 18, 2024: On the Road Back

image courtesy of Pexels via Pixabay.com

I am on my way home after the reading today (if all goes to plan).

We will catch up tomorrow!

Wed. July 17, 2024: SERENE & DETERMINED READING

Lavinia Fontana, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I am in NYC today, for the staged reading of my play about painter Lavinia Fontana, SERENE & DETERMINED.

I’ll tell you all about it when I return!

Tues. July 16, 2024: Last Minute Pressures

image courtesy of Ernesto Orihuela via pixabay.com

Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune Retrograde

Cloudy, humid, oppressive

I hope you had a good weekend.

I’m sure everyone who reads this blog is already familiar with the Project 2025 manifesto. If not, please educate yourself. You can read it here. (Thank you, Joanne, for the link). You can read about it on many platforms. Hannah Irvine has a capsule of some of its dystopian aspects here.  The whole vision is revolting.

Friday, I caught up on email, and tried to get ahead of the game as much as possible. Even though it was cloudy, it got more and more oppressive. I managed to get the curtains up in my office, though.

I turned around a couple of small coverages in the morning, wanting to get as much done as possible.

It didn’t seem as bad as previous days, although the humidity got steadily more oppressive. I did some reading, did some house stuff, and put in another 5 chapters’ worth of edits on TAPESTRY.

I was a lump most of the afternoon in the heat, finishing SMASH. The backstage satire was well done. But the rest of it is a male wet dream pretending to be through a young woman’s perspective, with the older male “teaching” the young woman about sex and love, and, in the end, of course she gives up everything and follows him. Blech.

Slept okay, although it was not good sleeping weather.

Up early on Saturday. Finished putting the edits into the last three chapters of TAPESTRY and sent it off to my editor. In early August, we can see if I made any huge errors that need fixing, or if we are ready to go to formatting/copyediting. When I get back from my trip, I will start putting the edits into MURDER BELLS, and, hopefully, moving forward on VICIOUS CRITIC (I want to finish the draft of that by the end of August).

Wrote an article about the importance of keeping a work log that will go live tomorrow on Ink-Dipped Advice over on Fearless Ink.

Headed out to MASSMoCA for our cohort day. It was a beautiful, glorious day with people from cohorts all over the state, and CT. We had a tour of the studios and talked about residences. We had lunch and got to know each other. Then, we had a behind-the-scenes tour of an exhibit in the process of installation, and a tour of several current interactive installations. It was just fascinating.

Because MASSMoCA does not collect, they create onsite work that lives for a limited time and then is gone (exhibits don’t travel to other museums), it’s a truly unique space. It reminds people of the immediacy and transience of life and pretty much everything.

The James Turrell timed experience in his “Perfectly Clear” installation was an astonishing experience of how the mind and eye respond to light. Standing in there really fills one with wonder.

Two of the artists and I went for coffee after and had a great talk. Then, I joined others at Bright Ideas Brewing for a drink – more from our local cohort were there. Most of them know the museum well, so didn’t really need the tours, but at least we got to meet for drinks, talk, and make future plans.

Because we are finished with our Northern Berkshire Artist Capacity Building Program. It’s been an amazing experience, and I’m so grateful that I had the chance to participate. I’ve learned things that will serve me for years, and on which I can build.

Came home, tired but happy.

I got my next word for the large poem. The timing relieved me; I was worried that it would drop while I was travelling. But it showed up on Saturday afternoon, which meant I had until Sunday afternoon to craft the poem.

That’s what I did Sunday morning – worked on the poem. I started AFTER I’d put in the take-down request for ANGEL HUNT, which was honored almost immediately.

You know what this means? ALL THREE serials are now off of Kindle Vella, and can start their next lives after adaptation. The sense of freedom around that decision is wonderful. I’m really glad I had the experience; now it’s time for something else. I look at how many of the current authors are struggling, and that’s not where I want to put my energy. And the authors who are just posting first drafts of chapters of their books instead of crafting honed serial episodes are part of the problem.

I did the social media rounds to thank ANGEL HUNT readers. Took the links off the website and my blog.

This cycle is done, and it’s time for new things.

I worked on the poem. While the first poem for the event was born out of anger and determination, with rhyming sarcasm, this segment is born out of joy. It does not rhyme, but works with some sonics and communal experience.

I ran some errands early in the morning, getting things set for the week. The heat and humidity were bad, but it was still beautiful in the sunshine. Getting the final arrangements in place for the trip.

Sent off the poem. Worked with the cover/banner designer for the Nina Bell Mysteries. We have another banner option, and a cover for VICIOUS CRITIC that works much better.

I might be able to start building the Nina Bell website before Mercury goes retrograde. Although, with the way the Devon Ellington site glitched today, I might want to wait until September anyway!

It got hot pretty fast, so I packed up and went to the Clark – where I had to park far, far down the street and hike up to the Manton. I’d forgotten it was Community Day and the place was full. I couldn’t plug in, but I set up in a little booth at the Manton and just worked as long as my laptop battery held out! I managed to get all but one of the prompt sheets designed and created. The final sheet has to do with a moment in North Adams history, and I have to do a little more research.

I am not going to get into a discussion about the staged shooting, designed to gain attention and support, without care to collateral damage. The only ones who believe it’s real are in the cult, and the media outlets being paid to push it for propaganda don’t care, as long as they are paid.

Up early on Monday. It cooled down more than expected, which meant I could get the internal temperature below 80, which was good. It gave us a good starting point, as it was set to get well into the 90’s outside.

I wound up working at home – I took care of a bunch of email and last-minute things, I did a library run, I worked on material for the farmers’ market residency. I didn’t get to finish it, because four coverages came in, and I sat down and turned them around right away. One of those coverages already sent back questions, which I will have to turn around this morning before I go, which adds a layer of stress to my day, but too bad for me. That has to get turned around before I go, or it will taint the whole trip (even though the deadline is the end of the week).

There was an addendum to one of the workshops last night, with one of our mentors. Only two of us showed up. I felt bad for the presenter, but we still had some good interactions.

I also have to finish the material to send to the chamber, so that they can print it while I’m gone. I have a feeling my departure this morning may be somewhat delayed. I’m hoping the rain stops by then; it was supposed to come through yesterday afternoon and then be clear until this afternoon, but they’ve been wrong about so much lately, why not be wrong about this, too? I really don’t want to drive in bad thunderstorms.

I also feel like way too many people are demanding a piece of me today, when they KNOW I have other priorities this week, and it irks me. No. You have to wait until next week. Deal. I’ve been very clear about what this week was about for me for well over a month. Your disorganization does not constitute my emergency.

I hit the road around mid-morning, headed to my friend’s place in NY. Tomorrow, I take the train into the city for the reading (and back out after). Think good thoughts for me. I haven’t been to the city in quite a few years, and I’m sure there will be surprises.

We’ll catch up when I get back.

Mon. July 15: Intent for the Week — Focus

image courtesy of Rudy and Peter Skitterians via pixabay.com

There are a lot of moving parts (literally and figuratively) this week. The intent is to focus on both long and short term needs while enjoying the whole process. These are all potentially wonderful experiences, and I want to savor them.

The heat and humidity over the weekend and these next few days continues to be a challenge.

But, somehow, we will get through.

What’s your intent for the week?

Fri. July 12, 2024: Maneuvering Through the Meteorology

image courtesy of Rajesh Balouria via pixabay.com

Friday, July 12, 2024

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune Retrograde

Cloudy, hot, humid, oppressive

How are you holding up in this weather? We keep being promised rain, and then it’s a 2 minute sprinkle that just leaves it more oppressive.

I did as much as I could early in the day yesterday: sent out emails to confirm information or check in as needed, put together some background material for the play, prepared for my meeting with my mentor, did some research for grants and LOIs.

With this weather, we keep the fans on as much as possible. We check on the plants a couple of times a day, to make sure they aren’t parched. We change the cats’ water every couple of hours.

I’m researching devices we can use next summer (the prices have been jacked for this year). I’m going to see if I can try out a couple of those personal cooling devices and see if any actually work before I buy them. I’m also going to look, over the winter, at the rolling units, even though that will be a PITA to vent through a window – although it’s still a better option than not having the option of a window unit. Because this type of weather is no longer an anomaly; this is the way it’s going to be, from now on, and only getting hotter. So it’s up to us to adjust within the parameters we have of what the apartment can use, and what our budget can take.

Why do I have the feeling that our winter holiday gifts will be about a/c for next summer? Which is totally fine.

Once things got oppressive again, I felt crushed under the weight. I got very little done.

I set up in a corner of the living room for the ZOOM meeting, because my office was too hot, and had a good meeting with one of my mentors. She had sent some questions a couple of hours before the meeting, so I worked through those. Now, it’s about readjusting my plan for the smaller increments and the larger ones, and then, you know, DOING something about it with good follow through. All the pieces are there; I just have to play them as intelligently as possible for maximum value both artistically and financially.

It’s less about balance than knowing what to bring forward, what to let recede, what to let go of, and what to aim for. That will need some percolation time, which is a good way to use my travel time next week.

There was a quote she shared that makes a lot of sense: “Procrastination is a design flaw.” It doesn’t mean something is wrong in the core of the procrastinator, but there is something in the project that causes resistance. I certainly find that true in coverage work. If I start a coverage and find my mind wandering or wanting to do other things, I know that the piece hasn’t held my attention. In that case, it is my job to bring my attention back and find a way to give a constructive note.

Finalized some appointments over the weeks I get back, looked at upcoming deadlines, did some admin work. Pushed off the coverage work and more residency work to today, because I couldn’t even think straight in the oppressive weather. Did a little house and home stuff that needs to get done. I think I’ll put up some lace panels in my office to help block sun but let in light. My office gets too hot; at the same time, I love all the natural light.

In the afternoon and evening, trying not to feel like I was breathing underwater, I read this month’s Agatha Christie book club read TAKEN AT THE FLOOD. I found it a little weird, and, also a little off-putting that one character realizes she’s in love with another character only after he tries to strangle her. That does not sound like the foundation of a healthy relationship to me. Also read THE TEMPTATION OF GRACIE by Santa Montefiore, set in Tuscany, which was a pleasant read. Both good for this kind of weather because they were engaging, but not taxing.

Used many of our delightful CSA veggies for a pasta primavera which was sublime. It’s amazing how something as simple as a CSA commitment changes the quality of life for the better.

Was awakened a little after 1 AM when the fire trucks arrived across the street again. Charlotte was thrilled to sit in the window and watch. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

I will probably pack up and head to the Clark after an early lunch. I need to get a bunch of stuff done today, and I can’t function well in this weather. I HAVE to turn around a coverage today. I’m glad I had some breathing room this week. I will also do my initial packing today for the trip, knowing I will repack on Monday night. But being packed ahead of time is a necessity for me.

Tomorrow is our final hurrah with the cohort, spending the day together at MASSMoCA.  I think the incoming cohort, from Pittsfield, is also invited. These past months have meant a lot to me, and they really have helped me “build capacity.” It’s still up to me to follow through and continue building, but the foundation is there, and it was a lot of help stripping away the negative self-talk which fed on negative outside chatter from previous years, especially in my previous location. I took a gamble. I lost. I’ve been re-grouping. Now it’s time to move forward out of joyful strategy rather than fear. It’s also about matching the energy to the task. I’m pretty good about time management in that I don’t miss deadlines and I work backwards from them, so I’m not overwhelmed at the last minute. But, as I age, I need to manage my energy better.

Sunday and Monday are all about prep for the week, both for the show, and for the residency. If coverages come in, I will take some on. In fact, I sort of hope some will, at least on Monday. I’d like to add a little more to the pot. I hope there will be plenty of coverages the last week and change of the month, and that August is lucrative, coverage-wise (although it usually slows down; I’m hoping, since things have been picking up the last few months, that continues). I’m pitching for work from November-February – I’m looking at a very specific type of work/pay rate/chunk of time each week. If I get on the stick about that when I get back, I hope to have it in place by the time I actually need it.

Have a great weekend! It’s supposed to be hot and awful, so I have a sense I will spend as much time as possible today, Sunday, and Monday at the Clark getting things done.

Thurs. July 11, 2024: Wilting in This Weather

image courtesy of congerdesign via pixabay.com

July 11, 2024

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune Retrograde

Hazy, hot, humid

You can read the latest on the garden over on Gratitude and Growth. I used my own photo of this week’s CSA for the header over there.

The promise of Beryl’s rain isn’t happening. We get a shower here and there, but it’s not really cooling anything off.

Lost most of the morning to an unfortunate personal situation. Hopefully, it is resolved. I should have shut it down a long time ago, and I spent far too much time and energy in appeasement, even when boundaries were repeatedly breached. I have paid the price for that mistake, and, hopefully, learned from it.

The afternoon saw the last of the four sessions of the financial workshop, which was excellent. I learned a lot that I will actually put into action over the coming months.

I had a quick breather, and then headed off to tarot. It was 97 degrees outside when I left (we’d managed to hold the inside at 85). Tarot was great, as usual, and then, in the same space, there was an art opening, which was wonderful. I stayed for a little bit, then headed home. It had gone all the way down to 94 degrees when I left!

Was too hot and tired to cook when I got home, so just fixed some cold snacks, and then read for a bit.

I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, plus I’d been awake since 4:30, so I went to bed early. Slept well; it cooled down a bit, although only into the 70’s. The promised break in the heat didn’t happen, and won’t happen anytime soon. But the high today is supposed to be much lower, although it goes back up in the next few days, so I hope we can deal with it. I have a feeling tomorrow and over the weekend, I’ll spend a lot of time at the Clark.

Woke up a little after 3 because I’d gone to bed so early. Tessa tried to convince me to feed them, which was not happening. She and Charlotte actually shared space on the bed without fussing. Even Willa comes up, now and then, for banana time (I have to get her a new banana; she ripped open hers and emptied it of catnip).

I’m doing memorial candles for Ben and for Tracy today.

I received an email from a theatre in Colorado with whom I’m interested in working, asking for some information, and an email from a local theatre, where we’ve been trying to set up a meeting for months, and it hasn’t been able to happen. But it looks like we’ll be able to do so at the end of August. So that’s all good.

I honestly have no idea how much I can or can’t get done today. I need to do more work on stuff for the residency, since I didn’t get anything done yesterday. I need to follow up on some information with some people. I need to draft a flash fiction piece. I have a mentor meeting at 11 for a half hour on ZOOM. I’d like to get more edits into TAPESTRY, and I do need to turn around a coverage. So we’ll see how the day plays out. I will probably pack up and head to the Clark in the afternoon, unless we get a break in humidity.

All I want to really do is lie down with a fan over me. With everything that needs to be done, I also need to rest as much as I can, so that I have the necessary energy for next week.

Have a good one!

Wed. July 10, 2024: Pacing Myself in the Weather

image courtesy of Sukitha Udugamasooriya via pixabay.com

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune Retrograde

Hazy, hot, and very, very humid

We had a heavy shower yesterday morning, shortly after I got home from the laundromat. Didn’t cool anything down; just added in more humidity.

Tessa was very upset early in the day, pacing and crying. I was worried she was sick or hurt, but she seemed physically fine, just upset. I found out a couple of hours later that a friend’s very sweet cat had died. Tessa had never met Ben, but they knew each other’s scents from my luggage, and I used to tease Tessa about her boyfriend. He was a dear soul, much loved by everyone at the Ridge Runner Gang, and everyone who ever met him. We all mourn him.

Tessa quieted down later in the morning. At one point, both she and Charlotte were on the bed at the same time without a fuss, and Charlotte even let Tessa have her banana. If you know anything about the banana drama dynamics in this household, that is a big deal.

I did another rewrite on “Ancestor Treasure” and got it out the door. Got another play out the door, too. I posted on the Cerridwen account. I created 4 of the prompt pages for the Spontaneous Writing Event (of course, I got far more elaborate than originally planned, adding in visuals). I also started working on other materials, such as information sheets and handouts.

You know me: I am the Queen of Handouts.

I put in 5 more chapters’ worth of edits on TAPESTRY (about 12K).

I learned more sad news: an acquaintance whom I met through tarot circle died from injuries suffered in a severe motorcycle accident a few weeks ago. We’d been holding her in our hearts in tarot since we first heard, so this was sad news.

Gave myself the day off coverage work; I have two small assignments not due until the weekend, so I will do them tomorrow, and see what else comes in. I worked on some proposals. I had a good ZOOM meeting with one of my Senators, with whom I’m in regular contact, setting out some of my current concerns. Whether it changes anything, who knows, but she can’t represent me if she doesn’t know my positions.

Picked up the next box at the CSA. So yummy! Very excited for this week’s meals.

Only stayed for one hour of yoga, but it was very, very good and necessary.

Home, dinner, dealt with show stuff.

Still sleeping in the living room, because it’s cooler. Charlotte and Tessa both prefer it.

I was awakened at 4:30 this morning by fire engines arriving for the place across the street. No sirens, thank goodness, just flashing lights. Charlotte was fascinated, and thrilled when they were getting back into the truck, looked up, saw her in the window and waved.

Tessa figured, since I was awake, I should feed them, but I reminded her we are not starting the breakfast routine at 4:30.

It’s not that hot (yet) but the humidity feels like breathing underwater. Hopefully, the rain that’s the outer tip of Beryl will come through today and give us some relief.

This morning, I have to go to the post office (never made it yesterday), the grocery store, and the library. Our final financial workshop is this afternoon, and then I head out to tarot. Because there’s a bridge replacement happening on Rt. 2, I will take the back way, and no stop at Wild Oats for me today! Somewhere in all of that, I hope to get some writing in, or at least another set of chapter edits on TAPESTRY. I have some show stuff to deal with, and a check-in about the farmers’ market residency, and some other admin. I already moved next week’s CSA pickup to Saturday from Tuesday. And then I have my next pickup the following Tuesday, so we will have an overload of veggies, which will be great.

The Vella chaos continues to intensify, and I am glad that I can put in the takedown order for ANGEL HUNT on Sunday.

Stay cool, my friends!

If it gets as hot tomorrow and Friday as predicted (without a break in humidity), I’ll head over to the Clark on those days.

I did not get any work done on the next flash fiction piece, so I hope to get a very rough draft done today. I need to get it out the door before I leave next week. Then, I have a bit of breathing room until deadlines for longer short stories in September and October.

Tues. July 9, 2024: Trying to Stay Organized

image courtesy of stokpic via pixabay.com

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Waxing Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune Retrograde

Hazy, hot, humid

I hope you had a good weekend, and it wasn’t too hot, wherever you are. Ready for our regular Tuesday natter?

Friday was kind of hot, humid, and uncomfortable.

I finished the draft of “Ancestor Treasure.” It came in 14 words under the limit, giving me a bit of wiggle room.

I put in the chapter titles on the first 5 chapters of TAPESTRY, then put in the edits (and chapter titles) in the next 5 chapters. I adapted the first few episodes of THE VICIOUS CRITIC into chapters, and began the author note.

I did a big grocery shop, to set up the staples for the month.

I moved to the couch to turn around two medium script coverages, because the living room was cooler than my office.

In the afternoon, and then after dinner, I read the next book for review.

Charlotte refused to even try to sleep in the bedroom; I made it until 1 AM before moving to the couch.

Early Saturday morning, we had big thunderstorms with lightning and heavy rain. Didn’t do much to cool anything down, and the humidity remained at 93%.

Finished the second handwritten journal book of the year and started the third (I usually use four per year).

Got another 5 chapters’ worth of edits put into TAPESTRY. Adapted more serial episodes into THE VICIOUS CRITIC.

Checked In with several friends, who are having busy and somewhat tumultuous times in their various lives. I wanted them to know I was thinking of them.

Went down to the Vietnamese pop-up to get a banh-mi for lunch and an iced Vietnamese coffee. The coffee was everything my little heart desired. The banh-mi was a disappointment – the roll was old, and they were stingy on the filling. And, they only used a single sauce, rather than layering flavors, the way I was taught. Especially for the price, it was a disappointment. The ones I make are better (as was the one I had in Boston). But that’s good to know. I’ll get coffee from them while they’re around for the summer, but keep making the sandwiches at home.

Home, turned around a small coverage.

Finished reading Sara Paretsky’s HARD TIME, which was well done, but difficult. Then, I read her TOTAL RECALL, which was well done and powerful, overall. I disagreed with some of the structural choices, and I felt a couple of plotlines were left dangling, but I think part of the point was that things don’t always wind up neatly.

Decided to pull out the sofa bed and just sleep in the living room for the next few days. It may be old, but it’s a nice, firm mattress (even though the couch cushions are rather lumpy, at this point, but when the bed is pulled out, they’re not on it).

Slept so well that the cats marched into my mom’s room to get her up, because I was still asleep. Yes, I slept through the night, until 6 AM. That hasn’t happened in a good, long time.

Did some work on the Cerridwen Insta account. Insta is already accusing me of “automated activity” which is crap. I have two accounts. I move between them. I’m not using a scheduling tool. Bite me.

Vella readers are going through all kinds of chaos, between the “Velly” awards (the submission requirements are ridiculous and then authors ignore them and wonder why they’re bounced), the “Summer Reads” program, and all the other ways Amazon pretends to promote the serials while actually putting in more restrictions so they don’t have to pay authors.

I’m glad ANGEL HUNT will be down in a couple of weeks.

I did a revision of “Ancestor Treasure” which is still under the word limit.

Gave myself the day off from all things Nina Bell.

Got an idea for a new play – I have the title (rare so early), the three characters, and the structure. I’m still in search of the plot, but I know the themes.

Reading a book about Annie Adams Fields, who was first the wife of James Fields (the Fields of the publisher Ticknor and Fields) and, later on, Sarah Orne Jewett’s companion, as well as being a poet and writer in her own right. She was friends with Harriet Beecher Stowe (which means I should have known about her and her work for years) and a distant cousin to Louisa May Alcott (ditto).

Decamped after lunch to the Clark, where I turned around a large script coverage, and then started the revisions on THE WOMEN ON THE BRIDGE. I got about 35 pages done. Now, I’m in a tricky section that needs some restructuring. There’s a two-line exchange I really love, but I think I need to move it. . .somewhere. Haven’t figured out where yet.

Came home, cooked dinner, realized I couldn’t send in the review for the second book unless I actually READ it, so got started on that. Fortunately, it was quite good.

Was too hot and tired to finish it.

Slept reasonably well. It got cooler overnight than expected, into Monday, so I took advantage of it with the fans, etc., to get the interior temperature down as far as I could before the exterior temperatures headed up again.

Realized I made a huge continuity mistake in “Ancestor Treasure.” At least I caught it before I sent it out the door!

Wrote the two reviews (after I finished reading the second book), submitted them, submitted the invoice, was paid within 10 minutes. Love it when that happens. Was assigned my next two books for review.

And that was it for creative work for the day. Wiped out, and the heat/humidity was getting to me. I’d gotten the inside temperature down to 79 degrees in the morning, with the fans. So, while the outside temperature hit over 90, inside it hovered around 84 and was bearable, with the fans running.

Because of the workshop, I couldn’t go work elsewhere.

The third segment of the financial workshop was good. It contained a lot of harsh realities, but necessary ones. The information on how the credit score/credit report system is used for oppression was especially important.

Something I think we need to realize is that we are never “valued customers” to any financial institution. We are marks. We need to pick our poison where we are screwed over the least, and can make their particular cons work best for us.

There were multiple attempted interruptions while I was in the workshop, regarding a situation that I hoped was resolved and is not. Someone is trying to shit-stir for their own agenda, and I am not participating. It is an absolute deliberate attempt to sabotage on their part, the timing is very calculated, and I am done. I mean, I was done the first time I was done, which is why I refuse to engage this time around.

Even being done takes energy that I would rather place elsewhere, especially being in show head, but boundaries need to be maintained.

I had just dealt with all of that when a tarot friend from the UK got in touch about dealing with a somewhat similar situation, “and then I pulled the 5 of Swords, all about causing dissent just to cause dissent, and I laughed.” We both laughed at that. Completely fit both our situations.

Started reading Garson Kanin’s novel SMASH in the evening, about putting together a Broadway musical. While the backstage stuff is often a lot of fun and satirical, the protagonist is supposedly a young woman, talking to the reader in first person. But the lens is so much through the male gaze, and, especially when she’s obsessing about her own body, it’s in a male, voyeuristic way rather than in the way I’ve ever heard any woman deal with her own body, even when she’s trying to figure it out in relationship to misogyny. It stretches beyond the ability to suspend disbelief that this tale is told from a young woman’s viewpoint. It’s too much through the male gaze, not a woman’s relationship to the male gaze.

A friend sent me information about some of MIT’s free open online courses, and I am just fascinated. Doubt I can do anything until autumn, and then I only want to do one course at a time, not get caught up in signing up for a bunch that are interesting and not being able to follow through. With all the free educational opportunities for adults happening in the state, I’m searching for a web development/beginning coding course. That would give me more earning power AND allow me to change template code within my websites to make them do whatever I want (which would be really helpful creating the “secret room” for my subscribers). I am sure I will cry a lot in the actual learning early on, because it is not my language, and I have to find a way to learn it properly, but, in the long run, I think it would serve me well.

Slept in the living room again, and got a good night’s sleep, which is nice. The heat and humidity are draining. Plus, there are still echoes of how exhausted I was after the move, and how all I wanted to do was sleep. The body remembers.

Fortunately, I’m in good shape with my deadlines, at least for the moment, and working to clear everything off for next week so that I can actually enjoy the week.

Out the door early to the laundromat, and back before 7 AM. I did the edits on “Tumble” and started the edits for “A Stylish Death.”

On today’s agenda: get “Ancestor Treasure” out the door; start writing the next flash piece that needs to go out this week (it’s pretty well set out in my head; hopefully I can get it on paper); get more edits into the TAPESTRY document; maybe get some more adaptation work done on VICIOUS CRITIC. I’ll have to see how much the humidity affects me. In and around all of that, I’m designing the prompt pages for the farmers’ market residency, so I can print them out and paste them into the flip book we’ll use at the table. I’ll also put them into a resource sheet that people can take with them and use on their own. I need to do some work on the Cerridwen Insta account. I decided to wait until I’m back from my trip to launch the latest round of Topic Workbook promos. I have a small script coverage to turn around, a trip to the post office to get in, picking up the CSA box this afternoon (and then changing next week’s pickup, so I can do it when I return), yoga, and stuff for the reading. I need to do some follow-up with some proposals, too, but that might not happen today.

Tomorrow and Thursday, we’re supposed to get a little slap from the outer rims of Hurricane Beryl.

Have a good one!

Mon. July 8, 2024: Intent for the Week — Clear the Decks

image courtesy of Mariakray via pixabay.com

This week is about clearing off deadlines for this week, next week, and into the following week., since I will have other priorities next week. Next week is my reading and the farmers’ market residency. I am already in “show head” for both projects, plus I have to get two short stories out the door this week. One is ready to go out today; the other I still have to write (but it’s a short piece, and I already wrote most of it in my head).

There’s cleaning, packing, workshops, whatever coverage work still comes in, LOIs to get out, bits to put together for the residency prompts. I may have a short poem to write, if my second word for the exquisite corpse poem comes through this week.

It’s busy, but a good busy, and staying on top of things this week means I can sink in and really enjoy the experiences next week.

What’s on your agenda?

Fri. July 5, 2024: It’s a Juggling Act

image courtesy of Gerd Altmann via pixabay.com

Friday, July 5, 2024

New Moon

Pluto, Saturn, Neptune

Cloudy, hot, and humid

If you’re in the US, I hope you had a good holiday yesterday, and are enjoying a long holiday weekend. I felt like we should be walking the streets, keening, not celebrating.

If you’re anywhere else, I hope you had a good Thursday!

I scheduled yesterday’s Gratitude and Growth post to post yesterday. If you didn’t see it, you can read it here.

My brain was jumping all over the place Wednesday morning, worried about All That Must Be Done. So I made myself pick something and just get to it. Once I actually started working on something, I was much better. Much of Wednesday, today, and into the weekend is prepping material to go out the door next week (starting around Tuesday, to give people a chance to catch their breaths after the long holiday). It’s tied to my own schedule, and what I discussed with Daniel, integrating it with what I learned from Laura’s workshop and the financial workshop. There’s a need to balance All the Things that need to be done and look at each individual piece, while seeing how they fit into the bigger picture. There’s also a need not to get so distracted by planning that I’m not DOING.

If it takes longer to put it in the planning tool than to do it, the planning tool is dropped, and I just do the thing itself. I don’t get a dopamine hit by crossing something off a list. I get the hit by knowing it’s done.

It was too hard to work on a dark, gothic, stormy piece in bright sunshine, so I put that aside for a bit and did more practical work. I set up the Instagram profile for the Cerridwen Iris Shea Account and also the lnk.bio for that account. I’m initially planning out about a month’s worth of posts for it, and then the posting will be a little more organic. Not as organic/all over the place as the Devon account, but not quite as planned as the first month. It will, however, be more of a curated account than the Devon account. I hope you follow both: https://instagram.com/devonellingtonwork (@devonellingtonwork) and https://instagram.com/cerridwen.iris.shea (@cerridwen.iris.shea). I’m using the new Cerridwen’s Cottage logo as my profile picture on the latter.

In one of those “the universe offers synchronicity” moments, I mentioned to Daniel in our talk about using the NYU connections more (rather than just book club), and an opportunity landed in my inbox on Wednesday morning. I will wait until after the holiday weekend to take advantage of it.

I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things and the library.

I started the script coverage, then paused for lunch. I made a wonderful salad, using both our own lettuce (the Romaine survived the squirrels) and CSA goodies.

After lunch was the second of the four financial workshops. Enormously helpful in terms of practicality, emotional work, strategy, and hope. As artists, we are conditioned to believe that we can’t have a sustainable life because it suits the agendas of those who exploit us. That is not the reality, and it’s about understanding how the current systems work to make them work FOR US, while trying to change those systems so that future generations have a better time of it.

Reframing it like that makes such a huge difference.

After the class, I headed out to tarot. As always, we had a good discussion, and we are trying to handle what’s terrifying in the world through community. Again, reframing within a context that we aren’t helpless makes a huge difference. One of my friends from tarot helped me put in the new, uncracked mirror on the car. It was a bit of a fiddle, but she got it snapped in properly, and I am very grateful.

Home, cooked dinner, finished the script coverage.

Rested a bit.

Slept really well. Had a dream where I was on a residency retreat with one of the poets from BHPC and an artist from tarot group. We had quite the creative adventure!

Slept until 6, when Willa came in to wake me to give the cats breakfast, since both Charlotte and Tessa had been unable to get me out of bed.

Put in the take-down request for LEGERDEMAIN. Even though it was a holiday, it felt important to get it down on the dark moon, ending the cycle. The request was honored quickly. LEGERDEMAIN is officially off Vella. It can rest, and then start its next life.

I updated the links on all the websites and did a round of thank-you posts on social media.

The “last call” for ANGEL HUNT binge reading will go up this weekend.

Every day it’s clearer that this is the right decision. I’m glad that I did it for two years; now our visions are moving farther and farther apart, and I make different decisions.

I kept thinking it was Saturday yesterday, instead of Thursday!

I did a new sell sheet for The Topic Workbooks, which I can use at the market and beyond. I scheduled the “Last Chance to Binge” ANGEL HUNT post on TikTok. I wanted to post the Topic Workbooks video – only Flexclip destroyed it so I can’t download it again, and I haven’t been able to download it from my website (I lost the videos in the last computer crash, which happened two days before I planned the backup). The directions for the way it should work don’t actually work.

I’ve learned a bunch since the last video, so maybe I’ll just make all new ones. Not sure when, but it will happen. Gah. Even without videos, promotions for the Topic Workbooks go back into the calendar starting next week.

I finished the adaptation of A Stylish Death. I did about 13K to finish it. I hit a certain point, and it just made more sense to push through. The entire novella is 131 pages. With “Too Much Mistletoe” and “Tumble” it makes a good volume for MURDER BELLS.

Then, I started putting in the edits into the next draft of TAPESTRY. I was really proud of getting in five chapters’ worth of edits, and then realized I hadn’t put in the chapter names. So I will go back in and fix that today.

I re-read the material I have so far for THE VICIOUS CRITIC, which needs to be adapted, and then I need to move forward on it. It holds up pretty well, and is giving me the insight for BUT IS SHE A BETTING MAN? Which will be the next book in the series.

I’m reshuffling timelines for the books after that, because there’s a whole bunch of stuff I need to get in before the book set in and around 9/11.

All of that was done in the morning, and I gave myself the afternoon off to have, you know, an actual holiday and follow the election over in the UK. British voters definitely sent a message, didn’t they? Will we be organized enough and give a damn enough and furious enough at the manipulations going on to do the same?

My mom got her treat of hot dogs for dinner. I had mussels and pasta in a homemade wine sauce with herbs from the CSA and from a friend at tarot, and it was delicious.

The official fireworks down at the end of the street were pretty, but there were some bursts that were right in front of the porch windows, and a little too close for comfort. I missed most of them; Tessa was upset, so Willa and I stayed with her in my office to keep her calm. Charlotte, who is usually the biggest drama queen on the planet about everything, sat in the window and was fascinated.

There were more illegal fireworks in the previous years around the neighborhood, especially some dickheads a couple of blocks down setting off some after the really pretty, well done legitimate one. You know the type, they don’t know what they’re doing, they don’t care that they could set these old wooden houses on fire, they’re drunk and want to make noise.

It was nowhere near as bad out on Cape, where it felt like being under bombardment for days on end, and I constantly had to hose down the roof so the house wouldn’t catch fire. But it was still worse than in previous years, and annoying. And sent me into flashbacks of the worst times on Cape (there were years where I took Tessa into the walk-in closet and we had to wait it out for hours) or that last year, when I was in the empty house, the night before the last of the cleanup, hoping none of the fireworks would land on the roof, because I’d given away the hoses.

By one a.m. it was too oppressive to stay in my room, so I moved to the couch where it was cooler. Charlotte stretched across the back of the couch, to keep watch while I went back to sleep.

It’s very humid today; I hope we get a thunderstorm.

On today’s agenda: working on the short story. Putting in chapter titles for TAPESTRY (and remembering to add them as I move forward). Maybe starting to adapt VICIOUS CRITIC. Putting up some more Cerridwen posts (I’ll post three today, and then one most days for the month, then pull back and post 2-3X week). I have two script coverages to turn around; I’ll see how long they take. If I have enough time, I might add the one I planned to do tomorrow. I also have to do a run to the grocery store. I have to put in a Chewy order, too, so that’s all here before I leave for New York.

Tonight is First Friday, and there are a few things I’d like to attend, but it depends on how much work I get done/how much energy I have/the weather.

Tomorrow, I’m going to try the Vietnamese restaurant popup and turn around a script coverage (if I haven’t finished it today), and get some writing/editing in. Sunday I’m not doing any coverages (a big one came in for Monday, before the next workshop). I have two books to read for review this weekend, make sure the short story is ready to go out at the top of the week, and work on the materials for the Farmers’ Market artist residency (while also being in show head and doing whatever they need me to do for the show).

This coming week, I will be in serious “show head” for my reading. I also have the last two sessions of the financial workshop, yoga, and tarot. I will finish the prep for the residency, pack for New York over next weekend, and do as much client work as comes in. If it’s a light week, I’m okay with what will be done by Monday; but I’d prefer to have more work next week to close out this pay period, especially with a trip coming up, and not being able to take on any client work the week of the show/residency. I need to get out a bunch of proposals/LOIs this week, too, per my conversation with Daniel, so that I can set some new opportunities for fall and winter in the directions I want. I’d like to get the synopsis for CAST IRON MURDER finished and get those submissions out the door this week, too. Once I have the current short story out, I need to get one more out the door before the end of the month. AND I have to finish the Llewellyn article.

I’m going to put my head down and do as much as possible next week, so that the only thing I have to think about the following week is New York and then the residency. I can take on a good bit of work the week after, if it comes in, and then there’s the Word X Word event at the end of the month.

It’s all do-able, as long as I don’t start to feel overwhelmed and dither.

In the meantime, I hope you all have a good weekend, and we’ll catch up about it next week.