Death of Sloth

Last week I fell into the bad summer habit of staying up late watching movies and sleeping in too late, which killed creative output.

Sort of.

But two really good things did happen.

First, the BIG PROJECT has begun. When I first started this blog, the general goal was that by logging my creativity, I'd create more. The more specific plan was that it would spur me to work on the BIG PROJECT. But I didn't.

Then, in a spurt of frustration at my increasing sloth, I sat and worked on THE BIG PROJECT. So it has begun. More or less. Although, that was a couple of days ago.

I don't want to say too much about THE BIG PROJECT except that, well, I haven't written a musical in a while, and though it is somewhat weird to be a guy who writes musicals as a hobby, that's what I'm about to do.

But.

I got together with a friend for coffee and what I now call "the 'bou," and we got to talking about my projects, and I mentioned THE BIG PROJECT, which I had started, but then I also told him about THE BIG IDEA I HAD A LONG TIME AGO FOR A MUSICAL. And I found myself getting a lot more excited about THE BIG IDEA than about THE BIG PROJECT.

So now I'm thinking, maybe I should work on THE BIG IDEA?

There is a problem with THE BIG IDEA, though, which is that, um, it might sorta kinda be illegal. That's why it's been on the back burner.

But it might not! So research will commence. Research on copywright law. Also, research on copyright spelling.

But this week was death to sloth, as this week I started teaching, in a not-at-all creative sort of way, in that it's a class that somebody else had the idea for, but then he dropped out, so I'm covering, just for the money, and it's a study skills class, which is pretty damn not-creative-at-all, but that's okay, cuz I am really interested in how the brain works, but then I find out the kids - ready? the fifteen students range in age from rising fourth grade to rising ninth grade. Which means I'm teaching third graders and seventh graders. At the same time. Study skills.

But here's the question: Will the death of sloth and the onset of work generate more or less creative product? Stay tuned.

The most creative thing I've done since the last entry:
Well, I did start work on THE BIG PROJECT. Wrote the first draft of the opening number.

The least creative thing I've done since the last entry:
Have you ever washed your windows with Windex Outdoor? Spraying second story widows with a hose:It's pretty fun.

Stuff that helped:
I don't usually get ideas while exercising, but frustration at laziness caused forcing myself to get off of my butt and go for run caused some ideas for changes to THE BIG PROJECT that broke the block I'd hit before even starting.

Stuff that hindered:
Coming back from New Orleans exhausted gave me an excuse to sleep in. That became a habit.

Current project:
THE BIG PROJECT. Or THE BIG POSSIBLY ILLEGAL IDEA.

Next project:
The above, reversed.

Guitar?:
Nope. I did work on it enough before the trip that I've found myself missing it, which is good. This may be one of those "The blog reminded me to work on it" sort of evenings.

What I should be reading these days:
Having just read a big "should read," A Farewell To Arms, followed by some fun read, Ex Machina, both of which I'd like to write about, maybe next time, I'm in a sweet spot of summer of aligning my should reads with my wanna reads. I'm between books, but tonight I pick up either The Book of Air and Shadows or True Enough, which are crazy different, so we'll see.
What I should be reading is a book that Roderick not only loaned me, but bought and had shipped to me. I'm saving that for later in the summer, though.

What I'm actually reading these days:
I like comic books, particularly superhero comic books, and I often read comics between books I'm reading. It's my palette cleanser, if you will. My sorbet. This summer I've enjoyed bad comics and one pretty good one (though when I say "pretty good," I'm quick to forgive the flaws that seem inherent in the medium.)

Today I recommend:
If you live in my neighborhood, I recommend taking the trash out tonight.