For some reason, people like to insinuate that doing things last minute is a bad thing.  While maybe that’s true for somethings, like filing your taxes, it’s not true for everything. I, for one, believe that art-making is much better when under a little pressure.  The biggest reason, for me, is it forces me to get out of my head and just get shit done.  I don’t procrastinate- I over-analyze.  And while introspection, research, thinking, etc are good- they are not great when you’re on a deadline.  So the longer you wait, the more threatening things become, the better.  For me anyways.  There, I said it.  It is a-o-k to procrastinate.

I was looking through old blog posts from my adventuring days that I’d previously had on private.  I’m gonna un-privatize these for a while.  Caught up with a few old friends this weekend who had no idea of my adventures, so I figure they probably aren’t the only ones.  Take a peek if you’d like.  I was a better writer then too.  Oh what spending your days talking to your dog can undo.

A couple of times a month, I have what I very affectionately call “clean days.”  Days where I work on photographing work, updating my website, set up a work schedule, apply to shows and workshops, accounting, marketing, budgeting, etc.  I decided that I sort of enjoy numbers and business tasks.  Makes me feel like a real entrepreneur as I try to wrap my head around all of the intricacies of self-employment.

Here is my new perfect ledger book, since I am incapable of keeping up with online bookkeeping systems at this point in time.  And I like notebooks.

It has dividers and pockets and a PEN LOOP.  Not the cutest thing in the word, but not the worst either. It should be a perfect little tool of financial organization.  Income, expenses, receipts, show sales, its all goin’ in that lil nugget.

On clean days, I also spend time reading articles on business stuff, and came across this gem:

“Running a business involves administrative work, including email, invoices, setting up shop, being a good writer, talking on the phone, customer service, paying bills, advertising, accounting, taxes, and so on. Does this still sound like your ideal?”  At some point I will get over my disdain for phone conversation.  That day will probably be when there is absolutely no delay in telephone transmission.  God I hate that.  Truth is that I actually really enjoy the business side of starting my own business- which, like she’s says, is crucial in trying to make your creative passion a business.  Some artists just aren’t good business people.   Know that about yourself before you get started.

This article was also pretty great.

I spent some time putting together my application for Haystack as a Technical Assistant to the one and only Ayumi Horie.  Put some good vibes out in the world for me.  If I get in again… I am totally making another adventure out of it.  My first Haystack adventure literally changed my life.  No pressure.  Thanks to Paul Sacaridiz and Ryan Lawless for pulling together letters of recommendation in record time!  They are just exceptional gentlemen.  It should also be noted that I did this on February 28th, deadline March 1st.  I consider this early.