A Fine Balance

I just finished the second week on a new show - a series that will be filming until the end of October.  While my bank account and my dream of home ownership is thrilled, my creative drive isn't - and that's something I wasn't expecting.

This show is incredibly well written.  It's written by really strong women.  I *love* being surrounded by that.  However, I've got numerous scripts and story lines in my head and, despite getting up early on what is essentially my only day off to write, my own story lines are finding it difficult to come to the forefront.

This is something I have got to work through.  I have to.

I'm going to go out on an artist's date today.  I'm going to buy expensive coffees and head to my favourite stationary store on Granville Island and buy a really good pen.  I'm going to kick it old-school and sit by the ocean with a notebook made by a dear friend's Mum and write - anything - and see if I can peel back the layers of another's voice and find my own again...

One thing that continually astounds me about Creativity

One thing that continually astounds me about Creativity - or the Creative Mind - is how often it knows what the normal brain does not.

As a writer, to my detriment or not - I don't know yet - I like to let the first draft story have full reign. I plot and write my character's actions and thoughts.  Sometimes they do something I've never experienced or attempted.  When I'm working on a first draft, I don't let those details deter me - I just write the movie playing in my head and move along.  If it doesn't work, I'll amend it in editing, otherwise, what my brain shows me goes.

And occasionally, I'll stop writing a first draft (like I just did) and see if an action or plan my character has layed out *would* actually work in real life.  I'm happy to say that once again, my Creative Mind knew...  it will work and my character didn't lie to me.

It's a small success but I'll take it!

:: heads back to plotting ::

And so it begins...

Today has been an eventful day, and not a little stressful in it's own regard.  Today I signed and fedEx'd off my publishing contract.  I'm thrilled to be able to share more with you about the endeavour when details are provided for me, but rest assured I'm very happy and very grateful.

Today, I also signed on to do a TV series...  yes, I'm going to be excessively busy over the next 4 months.  Excessively.  Not only will I be working six days a week on the show, but at some point I'll be editing The Book.  I don't have a time-line yet for the production side of the publishing of it, but I can tell you that when I'm not looking at, prepping, or shooting an episode, I'm going to be hammering away at the keyboard getting those edits completed to everyone's satisfaction.

I'm going to be busy, tired, and (forewarned) probably cranky at some point - but I also couldn't be happier.  After all, who actually gets to fulfill two dreams at once!

I count every blessing...