So far, so good. I’ve actually decided to keep track of all my major projects right now instead of just three. “Three” didn’t make sense. So I have written out a “snapshot” list for each deliverable or project, working backwards in time. Then took each of those steps (at least the first 2-3 snapshots in that list) and written a to do list. It’s going okay. I’m trying to time myself so I don’t get lost and spend too much time on one thing. Hopefully, I can keep this up.

So now I have the to do list, but what I need is some sort of organizational tool that I can use to get me started and actually using it. I’m not very good at sustaining my use of to do lists, at list not in the past. I usually just don’t follow them after a short while whether they are on paper, on my iPhone, on the internet or on my computer. I’ve yet to find a system that will help me to follow it consistently. I could see maybe some really cool Flex/Air application written to aid in this. But of course I don’t have that now; all I have right now is Word. So the next step is for me to design some sort of paper/computer to do list or organization system to help me get through these items so I can accomplish the individual steps or snapshots that will lead me to the delivery of final product – in the example I am using, mailing at least five packets of my children’s book to publishers.

Okay, the previous step was relatively the fun part. The next step….not so much, because it actually involves creating the dreaded TO DO list. But this part is the really really important part. To tell the truth, this is the stage where I always seem to get stuck. Because this is the part where I always get overwhelmed, it’s important that I only do it a few steps at a time. My tendency is to be impatient and start out all “gung-ho” and take on too much. I quickly get overwhelmed or confused and stop. So the actual “to do list” needs to be done, taking only a few steps at a time from the previous list.

One reason I’d get overwhelmed is because I would try to see too far down the dimly lit road. How can I know what it will take to complete “step 7″ for example, if I haven’t even started on “step 1.” And why should I even be worrying about step 7 yet??

Starting at what is the bottom of my list, I break that one thing down into an actual “to do list.” A brainstorming session is in order and of course some of the “to do’s” on the list might be too small to even warrant putting them on the final to do list. But I’ll worry about that later. Right now I’m not trying to prioritize anything. I just want to make a list of everything I will need to do to make that “snapshot” a reality…even if an item on the list is “buy pencils.” Whatever it is, I’ll write it down.

If the to do list that I’m generating is too long (read overwhelming) it’s possible that my “snapshot” is too big and I need to go back in and break it into two or even more smaller snapshots. If there is nothing to do, then I should ask “why?” There should be something to do, even if its the end of the list and the item on the to do list is “get out of bed and do a happy dance!” I guess if the to do list has only one or two items and they seem like the mother of all items, then perhaps again this snapshot is too big (read overwhelming) and it needs to get broken down.

Depending on what the project is and where I am in the process of delivering it (the individual snapshots or steps) I will create this brainstorming to do list for 1-5 items. But I think more than that would be too many.

So the brainstorm to do list that I have come  relates to the first two steps from the previous list.

I finish piecing together the images for my first illustration. It is ready to be digitally painted.

1. Open Photoshop
2. Look at the illustration
3. Decide on the cropping and save it as a NEW IMAGE in case you change your mind later.
4. Adjust any of the images of the collage, if needed, due to the new cropping
5. Re-do the “lettuce patch“ in the collage
6. Create the inside borders of the illustration
7. Create the places of the illustration that will “bleed“ beyond the inside borders.

I play around with Painter and Photoshop to find the technique I want to use for the illustrations in my book.

1. Open illustration in Photoshop and save it as a test copy so as to not ruin the original. In fact, save a couple this way to be safe.
2. Open Painter and open the test illustration.
3. Experiment and play around with techniques until you come across a look you like for the illustrations
4. Keep a paper and pen nearby so as to write any notes to yourself you’ll need while playing and experimenting
5. Actually write some notes to yourself while experimenting. You WON’T remember what you did you later so write the notes. All of the gazillion things you tried will mush together. Keep it in your skinny-book.

A couple of important points. Some steps are so obvious that they are silly, like “open Photoshop.” Duh!! They can be removed from the final to do list. Some of the items on the to do list are so big that they are in fact the linchpin or whole ball of wax for the ENTIRE project. For example number 3 in the second snapshot of experimenting with the illustration style in Painter. That step is overwhelming but I can’t figure out  a way to break it down into smaller steps. So I think this step might be better served with an ongoing item on the to do list of “work on illustration style for 15-30 minutes”; this item will need to occur on the to do list until the desired outcome is reached, in this case finding a style that I want to use for all the book’s illustrations.

BTW, my “skinny book” is a thin book of blank pages that I have bound at Kinkos. I always have this book with me and jot down ideas or notes to myself. I date the books, write a table of contents in the front when that book is full, and keep it for future reference.

I tend to focus on too many things at once so the first thing I need to do with my plan, my rules so to speak, is pare the list down to about three projects. The projects can’t be so big or so vague that they encompass everything. I know that sounds simple and nothing earth-shattering, but it IS a problem I tend to have – losing my focus, being impatient (so trying to take on too many things), then getting overwhelmed and not knowing what to do next.

So the projects need to be able to be imagined in a single snapshot, so to speak. What will it look like when I accomplish that goal? So if the snapshot of that goal’s fruition is an image of me riding a bike while on a sailboat, sailing around the world 30 lbs. lighter with a Caldecot Medal in one hand and a bag of money in the other, then I’m probably focusing on too many things. If I can’t SEE the image in the snapshot from lack of details or its out of focus, the goal is probably too vague.

So what are my three projects right now?

I have been wasting a lot of time lately, still. I seem to wander through my day getting distracted a lot. I don’t think I’m very good at self-direction, especially when there are absolutely no outside forces directing me. I like assignments and deadlines. I like working with other people and bouncing ideas off of other people. So I need to figure out a way to get more organized.

Ideally, some sort of time-keeper software would be very useful. But I need one that is more aggressive and pokes it’s head through every now and again to ask if I’m really doing what I originally set out to do; or, have I somehow gotten so hopelessly distracted that I’m looking at lawn mowers on Amazon.com — true story and trust me, I don’t mow the lawn. I’ll start researching the options and see what’s “out there.”

Also, even though I hate them, I’m going to try and figure out some sort of “to do” list system that works for me. Over the years of looking, I’ve never found anything that I like and I’ve tried a few of them.

So this is a work in progress…but I’m going to try and come up with a way to organize myself by creating and working on a small set of goals (as opposed to 100 and getting overwhelmed). The trick will be to devise a way for me to follow through with this list on a daily basis because unfortunately in the past, I’ve either lost the list, forgotten to look at it or get tired of creating it every day.