Now, as everyone knows, with a new year comes those pesky "resolutions" we all tend to promise ourselves, but have a hard time keeping. I'll admit, I was going to skip it this year as a way of trying to jump into it with a clean slate and no expectations. Notice, though, that I used the past tense in that. I was GOING to skip the resolutions this year, until I heard one from my buddy Andrew and decided it was a damned good idea ... and one I was going to co-opt (with his okay, of course). It's actually a simple idea that's going to take a lot of follow through. Basically, the resolution is simply to make sure that every day I make a point of working towards a goal. It doesn't have to be a specific goal and the goal doesn't have to be completed ... but the point is to make sure that I don't waste the time I have.
So, what's the plan for 2011? Well, I've got a few goals in mind. Some I may reach, some I may not, and some ... well, some I haven't come up with yet. You see, if I've learned one thing in my life it's that you never know what's going to happen tomorrow, and you need to make sure to leave yourself open to the changes life throws your way. Still, here are just a few of the plans I have for myself. Some are serious, some are more in the "pipe dream" category, but in some way, they're all on my "list" right now.
- Putting Pen to Paper
Okay, so this one goes without saying. I mean, after all, I AM a writer. The thing is, I'm not just talking about the journalism work. For those of you out of the loop, I've had a couple of properties bouncing around in my head for years. A couple of them in particular I'd actually started to flesh out in a script format. Now, I'm not saying anything will come of either one, but it's a good way for me to write more and NOT have it all be just about work. It's also a great outlet to let off some steam, focus my thoughts, and to build something brand new. And as Spider Robinson once wrote, "Writing is a simple trick: all you have to do is sit and star as a blank piece of paper, until beads of blood form on your forehead ..."
- There Be a Brainstorm Brewin'
Sue me, I couldn't think of anything better to call this yet. Once again, I've decided to co-opt an idea I've seen a buddy of mine take advantage of. Of course, he took the idea from various comic conventions. Anyway, my good friend and an amazing comic book artist, Randy Green, has been organizing Dine and Draw nights at or around his place on a semi-regular basis. If you've never heard of these before, it's basically a bunch of artists getting together to shoot the breeze, grab some grub, and to share their talents with each other. A lot of times, there will be themes to these, and everyone there spends time drawing their take on the theme. Now, maybe I can slap some digital color on a piece of art from time to time, and I might know how to draw a straight line, but that about covers it. So I'm thinking of taking the idea and expanding it to include some writing. The artists can draw whatever the idea for the night is, while the writers can put together a short little story or outline to go along with it as well. It's like a creative workshop, and hell, some people might come together to make the next great comic team ... or not. Still, it'll be fun.
- Workin' Hard for the Money
Okay, most of you know that I write at a lot of different outlets. Here's the thing ... sometimes, freelancing isn't all it's cracked up to be (shocking, right?). So I've not only been keeping up with the freelance gigs, but I've also been burning the candle at both ends by going out for a few possible options and keeping my eyes open for others. Either way, you should expect some changes this year.
- (Pod)Casting Call
This is something that's been brewing between Andrew and myself for some time. Sure, I've been a guest on more than a few podcasts, but I've never actually moved forward with my own. Andrew and I have talked about it from time to time, but admittedly, there's such a flood of podcasts out there, I've had a hard time convincing myself that one more podcast with a few people BS-ing about movies, comics, and games wouldn't get lost in the shuffle. This year, though, the more I think about it, the more I realize that it's not just about standing out. Much like the Dine and Draw events or my scripts, it's more about having a creative outlet. If we get the ball rolling on this, I can guarantee you that the podcast will evolve over time, but in the end it'll be as much for me as for you guys ... if not more so.
There are plenty of other ideas bouncing around in my head, and they'll either gain some solidity or vanish into the ether. Who knows? Hell, I still hold on to the goal of eventually getting myself a stand-up arcade machine (a real one, not a home built MAME machine ... and NOT Golden Tee, damnit), but I don't really have that on "The List". (It will be mine one day, though ... oh yes, it WILL be mine). The point is, this is going to be a year of goals and pushing towards them. Last year was, without a doubt, one of the most difficult times I've ever had in my life. I ended up being left with two choices: Give up or pick myself up and crawl my way back. If you know me, though, I was only ever left with one choice. After all, I'm a stubborn son of a bitch, and I'll be damned if I'm ever going to just give up.
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