Not a Great Start

So, after all that fussing and getting witnesses to the contract and all that, I didn't do that great on the pledge projects. I went hunting for the old score thing that I had made up . . . and I couldn't find it. Maybe that's a good thing. I can still remember the melody and what I was doing with it. And I discovered that the thing is done in D dorian. Those are the pitches I remember, anyway. I'm fairly good with pitches.

As for the tell-aloud stories, I know what I want them to be about . . . but I only have the basis for one of them. It will be called Mama Harashana's apprentice, and it will be why Mama Harashana doesn't take apprentices anymore. As for the story . . . I really didn't do much, except for explore a little bit more who Mama Harashana is. I think she's going to be important to the story, so it was important that I define her.

As for the animation . . . I didn't do squat. Nothing. Zilch. No progress whatsoever. Which is sad, but oh well.

For the illustration, I did one! I made a Duenda. Which I suppose is working on the story of River Onion and doing illustrations :D. I thought about putting up the illustration here, but I really need to put up more illustrations on my jhuffakerillo.blogger.com blog. So there! And yeah, that's where I'm going to post up all artwork.

So I guess three out of four isn't bad . . . I just think . . . no, I know I could have done more. I've been coming home from work and playing computer games. But I've been tired . . . sigh. I really don't want to make up excuses. But I figure as long as I can update this blog, even when I don't do a good job, that things will get done

A Pledge to Myself

This week I was working at my job. Now, this job was very hard and challenging when I first started out, but now it is growing monotonous. After a weekend off for the holidays, I discovered that the job is growing very boring, and the thoughts kept going through my mind "You can do better" and "I don't want to stay here forever."

On the day after New Year's Day, I was going through the same thought process when I finally came to the obvious question: well, what am I going to do about it?

I am a creative person by nature (just see my other blogs), but I also tend to start things and not finish them, unless those things can be completed in a short period of time. But I want to change all that, and I want to get the word out about my own creative voice. So during lunch of 2 January 2008, I wrote up a contract with myself. Today I typed up that contract and printed it out and signed it in several places and then had two witnesses sign it, one of whom I know will at least remind me of the contract on a weekly basis.

This blog is so that I can further reinforce the promises that I've made to myself.

What are the promises? There are four projects that I'm going to do that I have pledged to myself that I will complete before I go on to projects of a different nature. They don't rule out joint ventures or projects that are different, but I'm just determined that I will get things going. They cover the three main areas of my creativity, plus a crossover area (I like to mix things up). I have until next year to complete all of the projects, but I'm allowing myself to finish these projects early, if I can.

What are the projects?

1) I'm going to write a children's book and make up a series of five tell-aloud stories that go along with the world of that book.

2) I'm going to make one illustration per week (my header illustration is the first) for the whole year of 2009. I'm also going to print and send out 24 individual postcards to publishers or other companies that I might want to work for

3) I'm going to make a short animation

4) I'm going to compose a fully orchestrated piece, and realize it both with electronic recording, full score, and instrumental parts.

They're big projects, and I haven't fully described them here, but the plan is for this blog to be the way that I keep these projects in mind and strive towards the finish. I plan to write here at least once a week, if not more.

And you may hold me to that.