Now

Spring Planning

I just did my spring planning.

I sit down and plan properly once every season, and that rhythm helps a lot. Four times a year is enough. It gives me structure without tipping into overplanning, which is always a danger for me.

The main focus right now is the business.

I won’t go into detail here, but it’s related to video in a micro-niche, and it’s going very well so far. More importantly, I’ve been doing a much better job of avoiding shiny object syndrome there. Staying in my lane. Sticking to the plan. Not getting distracted by every interesting possibility. That’s been one of my biggest weaknesses in the past, so it feels good to notice progress.

Writing

Children’s Book

The main creative thing feeding me right now is a little children’s book I started last year. It’s about a shy little girl called Willow.

That’s my main creative output this spring. I’ve known for a long time that I need to be actively working on something in the creation phase at all times. If it’s only releasing, packaging, or marketing, I die a little inside.

So I’m writing this little book now, a little every day. The first creative project of spring. The first blossom.

Novella

I also have the novella ready, but I’ve deferred it for now while the business takes priority. That’s okay. The children’s book is scratching the creative itch, so that part of me is being taken care of.

Music

EP & Marketing

Running Down Dark Alleys Blind is doing well, which I’m grateful for.

But my relationship with marketing my own art continues to be tricky. I still have no desire to play the social media game, no matter what anyone says. So I keep coming back to the same truth: I make art because I need to make it. That’s how it’s always been. It’s never really been about fame or success.

Sure, I’d love more people to listen. I’d love to be able to tour. But I’m not willing to compromise what I actually want to make just to chase that.

So I test marketing things here and there, and usually find them underwhelming. Then I stop.

This spring I’m going to record acoustic versions of the EP tracks, and I’ll upload those to my YouTube channel gradually. Once a project is already out, I find it surprisingly hard to create things around it. But I’ll try.

Next Music Project

I also already have the next music project in mind: my first full-length album.

That’s for later in the year though. Right now I don’t have the mental bandwidth for it with the business taking so much focus.

Still, I’m excited about it. I’ve almost decided the tracklist, and it’ll include songs in the three languages I speak: mostly English, some Spanish, and one in Basque.

Videogame

We’ve settled on the game direction now, which feels good. The movement is almost done, we’re adding functionality, and it’s fun. Right now we’re focused on making the main loop good, especially the first 10 to 30 minutes of the game.

I’m also transitioning more into UI and audio work, which suits me well.

Focus, Burnout, and Life

Time Off

I took 10 days off at the start of spring.

I hadn’t properly stopped for a holiday in years, and it felt great. It was deeply recharging to not be “on” all day, every day.

I stayed home, rested, cooked, spent time with Marta and the cats, read, ran, and watched poker. Nothing dramatic. Just a real break. I feel much more rested now, and ready for work again.

I’m reading Nine Stories by Salinger, which is fantastic. I read The Catcher in the Rye first, and now these. Really good writing, and the stories are so well written and constructed. I’m loving it.

My photographic interest over the holiday was precisely on two subjects: cats and skies.

Here are the cats:

Here are the skies:

Shiny Object Syndrome

One thing I want to bring from the business into my creative work this spring is that same resistance to shiny object syndrome.

In creative work, I still have a tendency to start and stop things whenever a new idea appears. Game ideas, art ideas, any idea. Exploration matters, of course. But focus matters too. If I want to finish projects and make room for new ones, I need both.

It’s not some harsh fixed rule. Just something to pay attention to this season.

I find it funny that when I talk to friends about this, they think I’m insane. I’ve been releasing music consistently for eight years, so from the outside it must look like I have this fully under control. I don’t. Like everyone else, I still need reminders. I still need to pay attention.

Shutdown Ritual

I also set a new shutdown ritual for work.

I’ve tried it in the past and failed, so this is another opportunity to improve and stick to things.

By the end of winter I was extremely burnt out from the business and from carrying so many projects in my head at once. During winter I was doing a lot of 10 to 12 hour days, six days a week, and it pushed me right to the edge. Especially when you work alone, stay focused for that many hours, and keep yourself from changing lanes all day. It’s taxing.

So now I’m stopping earlier. Protecting my energy a little better. Spring needs a different rhythm.

A Beautiful Morning Making Pottery

Marta and I went to a pottery class for her birthday and made a breakfast set with Lisa at Estudio 36 in Donosti.

She was very sweet, helpful, and kind. It was a beautiful place and a beautiful morning, and we met some lovely people there too.

I’m sure we’ll do more of it in the future.