Wasting time.

"Do you know the meaning of procrastination?"

"Yeah...I'll tell you tomorrow."

It's procrastination and not "writer's block" that has kept me from writing. It's also, I guess you could call it, organization or the lack thereof. When I do sit down to write I don't need to think of what to write because the stories are already in my head, I just can't get them out and onto a piece of paper. When I do accomplish that impossibility, bits and pieces get spread out all over the place, in multiple spiral-bound notebooks, and in no particular order. So to avoid that mayhem I just don't do it. When I decide to tackle that mayhem I just end up sorting through the notebooks attempting to consolidate my ideas, starring at my carpet overwhelmed by the task.

A computer could help with that I can hear you saying, but it's just as bad. The folder my main work is in has several sub-folders. Each sub-folder is filled with dozens of files from a handful of programs. Actually a computer makes it worse because I can only see what is on the screen and when I need to rearrange something I have to scroll up or down to find it and scroll back trying to remember where the info is supposed to go. The ideas in my head, my notebooks, and my computer files all look like one of those conspiracy nutjob bulletin boards with pictures and newspaper clippings connected with red yarn.

Enter Scrivener. The word-processing powerhouse is specifically designed to organize notes, research and other information needed when writing. Concerned with continuity and can't remember if your main character has blue eyes or brown eyes. Instead of searching through multiple notebooks just click the character profile you linked on the left side of the screen, called The Binder. Plan out the chapters of your book with one sentence outlines arranged like index cards on a cork board. If you need to rearrange the chapters simply drag and drop the index cards in the order you chose. There are similar programs available but I have been using Scrivener and highly recommend it. Download the free trial or purchase the program for $50. #notsponsored There is a learning curve but if your in a hurry a YouTube video can get you started within minutes. The program has tons of features, including the ability to set goals and reminders but it can not enforce you to follow them.

So I no longer have the excuse that I am unorganized. I procrastinate, plain and simple. I have distracted myself from writing with a plethora of career options and hobbies. Noble careers one should be proud of and fantastic, productive hobbies many enjoy. I'm not disparaging anybody, but my hobby should be writing and in that spirit I'll write about the things that kept me from writing.

Enthralled by the possibility of quick, easy money I set up a Used Book Re-Selling store on Amazon. I bought some supplies and large, waterproof shipping envelopes and went to work sourcing books. After doing more research I realized the difficulty involved if you want to make a significant amount of money. On the plus side I did find an $80 Biology textbook for $2 at Goodwill. Of course that was several editions ago and now that textbook is worthless. If you have the desire and lots of spare time you legitimately can make money re-selling used books.

Believe it or not the picture above is an aquarium, an aquarium with expertly landscaped, well-manicured living plants. Typically the fish are carefully selected so that their size does not interfere with the illusion. It looks a million times better than those cheap blue aquarium rocks and red pieces of plastic that I think are supposed to be coral. This breathtakingly beautiful and time-consuming process is called Aquascaping and I was obsessed with it. I watched hours of YouTube videos and read tons of articles. However it is far to expensive an endeavor to be a hobby, this is a career opportunity and according to my informal research there is not enough interest in the area. So that idea went belly up. 

I also looked into becoming an Art Teacher, going so far as to contact multiple Universities. I wouldn't be where I am today without the support and guidance of my high-school art teacher. I think this is common practice but I'll explain anyway, at my high-school you needed a certain amount of "credits" to graduate. You earned one credit for passing a class, you could acquire several more credits than necessary and the classes where you earned those were called electives. Most students took electives like Typing, Spanish, or Drama. Every extra elective I had I filled with another art class. I had four art classes my senior year, my actual art class and 3 classes where I was essentially the teacher's assistant. It would have been an excellent, fulfilling career if I had chosen it right after high-school, but I didn't and now I feel that I have waited far too long to begin that journey. 

At one point I wanted to expand this blog to cover the important people, music, art, movies and other things that have influenced popular culture over the last few centuries. Like our friend, composer Ludwig van Beethoven all the way to modern creators like Stan Lee, Michael Jackson, Steven Spielberg and even WWE owner Vince MacMahon. I was going to differentiate the new entries by labeling them Popdipity. With a banner similar to the one above, but a different font and in purple. The idea was to write a short biography or definition, with pictures and examples and in what way they/it influenced the popular culture. Born from a project we completed in college it is a subject that I still find interesting. I add to the list frequently and if I were to create special Popdipity posts for these influences I wouldn't run out of material for years/decades. This resonates with my interest to be an Art Teacher and as fun and educational as this would be it is also a major distraction. Then again instead of a blog I may turn it into a book. 

 

Another hobby I thought was really fascinating was the art of Acrylic Paint Pouring. Again I watched hours of YouTube videos like the one below and read a few books on the matter. A familiar process, you carefully load different colors of paint into a cup, like avoiding foam when pouring a beer. Then there are a variety of methods to pour the paint onto a canvas, from novice to expert. More advanced techniques produce different results and the possibilities are as infinite as they are mesmerizing. I cleared out my second bedroom and set up my studio. I bought a table, protective mat, paints and all the supplies those YouTube videos told me I needed. I haven't produced much, nothing worth sharing, but I really enjoy it and will keep trying and maybe one day I will share some of my pours. Acrylic Paint Pouring is not nearly as distracting as the other things I mentioned and it's a great, relatively inexpensive creative outlet.  

Hobbies are essential to balance your professional and personal life. Just to name a few benefits; you get more out of life, you can meet new like-minded people, you can learn new skills, and become a more interesting individual. Everybody needs a hobby and no, I don't think watching TV is a hobby. Playing video games is complicated because of income producing streaming sites like Twitch and the emerging e-sports competitions, but for right now lets say it's not a hobby either. Check out the actual hobbies I mentioned or find another, the list is endless. A productive hobby can substitute as a money making side-hustle, so find something that sparks your passion but remember to prioritize. If you feel like your precious free time should be spent doing a particular activity (in my case writing) do not let a trendy hobby distract you.