Hello everyone! As I mentioned previously, I spent September finishing up the Make Art Not War Challenge: Rules, Essays, and 31 Creative Prompts eBook. Now that pledge has been fulfilled and my travel is more manageable, I’m back in my office and here to make art. Rah! Rah!

This month’s theme will be SELF-CARE. Fairly self explanatory, but a topic I’m going to write about further. I think we all need this reminder, especially in the wake of several natural disasters in addition to politics. I’m sure you probably know someone who is affected by what’s happening in the world today, and it can be hard to stay motivated. But, we have to!

Today, I want to revisit my pledge as a means of getting back on track.

My Original Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge pledge:

• I pledge to devote one hour a day to my original art.
• If I don’t feel motivated, I pledge to write down the reasons why I wanted to take this challenge for fifteen minutes or one-to-three pages whichever comes first.
• I pledge to mark down on the calendar whenever I complete a day’s efforts.
• As the challenge creator, I pledge to create a weekly accountability post every Wednesday beginning on January 9th. Comments will be open. Hashtag #makeartnotwar2017 #manw2017
• I pledge to check into social media twice a week for personal use, and once a month with my local community of artists and writers.

Here’s where I am sitting with my Make Art Not War Challenge pledges today:

• I fulfilled my promises in September, and managed to make a few jewelry pieces. I’ve been spending the time getting my space and personal business sorted as well, with a goal of December 31st.
• I did freewrite a few times, but I haven’t had an issue with motivation lately.
• I haven’t marked my progress on the calendar, but I do plan on logging time going forward. I’d really like to end this year with a bang.
• As the challenge creator, I pledge to create a weekly accountability post every Wednesday beginning on January 9th. Comments will be open. Hashtag #makeartnotwar2017 #manw2017 You’re looking at my post, right now! Hee.
• Connections are proceeding apace, and my social media time and usage will need to be adjusted further. I’m seriously considering further means of altering engagement, especially since Facebook and Twitter don’t seem to take the hint that not all of us use the tools in the same way. But, for now I have it blocked during work hours, and I’ll take it from there as time allows.

Right now, it feels like it’s February all over again, and I’m rocking with new energy, fresh to-do lists, and a heap of goals. The productivity is there, and after this year’s round of ridiculousness I can say this with vigor: if something doesn’t work for you, then consider letting it go. For full-time writers like myself, we have to remain vigilant and focus on work. If something throws our routine off-kilter, that can be disastrous unless we get back up on the horse quickly.

I’ve got some fabulous news, but can’t say anything for quite a while. It does mean, however, all the work I’ve done to clear up my proverbial slate and get my shit together has paid off. My business plan is solid, I’ve been doing some awesome work with Onyx Path Publishing and Wizards of the Coast for games, and I’m very happy with the direction my career is headed. Thanks to Luke Cage, the motto “Forward. Always forward.” is a wonderful thing. No matter how slow the mechanism of publishing moves, it’s still moving. Hah!

Mood: Huh. It’s Wednesday? Okay then!
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Yeah. It’s “ashamed to admit” levels.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Went for a short walk in the blistering heat.
In My Ears: Tron: Legacy soundtrack
Game Last Played: Pokémon Go
Book Last Read: Loads for work. Loads.
Movie/TV Show Last Viewed: Westworld
Latest Artistic Project: Make Art Not War Challenge eBook
Latest Releases: Over the Edge for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Dagger of Spiragos for Scarred Lands.
Current State of Projects: Read my latest project update. New project update coming when I get time.