182 :: Word Diet

Its been a few weeks since I wrote Cut It In Half about how I had big plans. I wrote about how I needed to break the idea down and make it more modular. I did and still do now have a pretty clear plan.

Every week since then though, I’ve written here on the blog about how its ‘Cold, Wet and Miserable. I mean it IS cold wet and miserable but the thing is that has been a euphemism for ‘I’ve been really struggling to just get on with shit’.

The last couple of weeks has basically been me opening new documents, or starting new posts etc. I’ll making a few notes or noodle on something. Then be absolutely unable to make any headway in any of them at all. It’s never really happened to me before tbh.

Even when I was depressed I could still ‘get down to work’.

The last three weeks of 301 only got done because I forced blood from the stone. I haven’t enjoyed making them or working on them at all. They have been such a struggle to produce, and grinding on them like that is unsustainable psychically.

Then earlier this week a post from JDO who blogs daily over at Broken River Books showed up in the feed.

He posted ‘Unblocking’, and wrote about creative block. Here’s the money advice:

First, you have to eliminate all distractions to the best of your ability. If you’re already thinking about all the ways you can’t do this, you lose.

Secondly, you have sit in front of the paper or screen and wait. That’s it. You have to wait. If you’re already thinking about all the ways you can’t do this, you lose.

Thirdly, you have to be willing to have fun while you’re shoveling some serious shit. It won’t always be bad, but hey. If you’re already, etc.

The whole post is on creativity and really good/inspiring.

The first point about eliminating distractions is well met. I’m going to follow his advice next week.

I was speaking with ADH on a call yesterday about this and he mentioned an author speaking about setting aside time to work: “You can write, or you can do nothing. But thats it.”

I just got to the chapter in The Artists Way by Julia Cameron where she recommends going on a ‘word diet’.

I’m going to adopt this too. My plan is for the next week to reduce the amount of words I consume via a screen radically. I’m going to cut most of the internet out of my life.

Its is going to give me so many hours of my life back.

I have a bunch of deadlines that are looming so I’m just going to sit in front of the screen until there done. Either write or do nothing.

I’ll check back in next week with how it goes.

If I get a blog post out (that isn’t the podcast) between now and the next weeknotes you’ll know its working.

Permanently Moved

The Ministry Of My Own Labour

I have so much to do, So much I WANT to do. I don’t want to talk about it.

Dipping the Stacks

Gamasutra – The psychology of Diablo III loot

Magic: The Gathering and Keyforge creator Richard Garfield on 35 years of making the games he wants to play | Dicebreaker

MTG: It’s Not Gacha | press.exe

The Store of Value Generation is Kicking Your Ass and You Don’t Even Know it – blog maverick

双曲番 (Puzzle Game)

Reading

H. Bottlefield AKA Dustin Jacobus’ Universitas: Solarpunk aesthetics arrived this week.
A wonderful book, full of really cool illustrations and the Solarpunk imaginary.

Anarchy 99 – Rockstar Super Heat

My mate sent me a link on Signal the other day said ‘You might like this. Listen to track 1 and 5’

So here’s tracks 1 and 5

I listened to the tracks and then the next day went for a walk and listened to the complete album. Fucking love it.

After I got home google revealed that this is a new project from Devi McCallion of Black Dresses fame, and now the album makes even more sense to me.

Theres a line in one of the songs about the DSA and Digimon. lol

Remember Kids