Where to start? Here.

I have the supplies.  I have the talent.  I have the tools.  After years of struggling, I even have the organization.  I have the most supportive husband in the world.  I have the desire.  I have the drive. 

What I don't have is direction. 

There are at least 50 different art projects I would love to do. That's at least 50 different directions I could run in. I have no idea where to even start. I've spent too much time bouncing back and forth between different options, different loves, different desires. 

The result? I'm a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. 

It turns out that this is actually TYPICAL for adults with ADHD.  Aaah! I did not know this until I asked the amazing artist and speaker  Ben Glenn, "How did you know which direction to pursue with your art?  When you have so many different desires, and so many possible outlets for your talents, how do you pick one to focus on and pursue?"

He answered with: 

"Dotty you just summed up one of the biggest challenges we ADHD-ers have. Our mind thinks it can do everything, however our brain forgets there is only 24 hours in a day. There is no way we can do it all. That's the first thing we need to realize, because if we don't we are just setting our selfs up for constant disappointment. The best tool that I have for controling this on going battle is accountability from someone who understands my ADHD brain. I bounce my ideas off them before I pour any time into them just to make sure the idea lines up with my goals. Goals by the way I set with the same person. The ADHD community calls this a coach. A person who helps you stay on track so you can reach your goals. There are all kinds of coaches out there but an ADHD coach is special because they understand our unique issues. If a couch is not in the budget then the next best thing is a very close friend who you can trust and is willing to take the time to understand better how ADHD effects your life. I hope this helps a little. O and as far as the art medium goes, I use them all because all of them are
fun. Blessings." 

Wow--so in a weird and wacky sort of ADHD way, I'm normal!  :) 

I've learned this lesson in a round-about way.  If I'm required to work out at 5am every morning, as I was in ROTC, I'll get thin.  If I'm required to work every morning, I'll get out of bed. I'll even become a morning person. If I'm required to write and produce a church skit in two weeks with no notice on a deadline, it will be done.  (Long story.)  However, if I have a dream of getting certain art projects done, "whenever I can sqeeze them in," they'll never happen.  They'll stay in the subconcious cobwebs of my brain, in a little file marked "Dreams." 

I have lots and lots of dreams. The cobwebs are thick, and so are the files they cover.  What I need is accountability, structure, and focus.  I need a place to start.  That's what this blog is about. 

One of the greatest lessons from the book,  
is that "EAST is least effective."  EAST = "Everything At the Same Time."  I know now that it's useless for me to work on an art journal, a church skit, and a spec screenplay all at once--NOTHING will get done. 

Here's a new strategy: once a week, I will work on a new artistic goal.  You guys can follow on this journey, keep me accountable, and see the results of my work.  I'm not expecting to produce studio-quality results on anything in just one week, so in a way, it will be "52 first drafts" of art projects.  However, by the end of this year, I will know three things:

1) What did I enjoy doing the most?

      When I sat down to do this project, did my eyes light up, did the creative juices flow freely, and did the minutes slip by without noticing?  Or was the work tedious, boring, and unproductive?

2) What fits most with my lifestyle?

      I have a husband that I adore, two little kids that I love more than life, and a 3rd-shift job that I hate.  What can I create without neglecting the other areas of life I'm needed in? 

3) What helps reach our goal of being debt-free in five years?

     I would love to produce a full-length play for our church, but that would take up four or five months of my life, cost a bajillion dollars in childcare, and pay me no money at all.  I would love to learn oil painting, but the cost of oil paint and canvas is simply out of the question when acrylics are cheap and cardboard is free.

I want to rate each of these three questions at the end of the creative week. 

Ok, I've spent enough time on the computer now---this is my preparation weekend!  The first creative day will be Monday, January 17th.  I've got a lot of stuff to do.  I hope you'll join me.