>>April 11th marked the first anniversary of my crowdfunding debut, and it was probably the most consistently busy year I've ever had.<<
Congratulations. I'm sorry I missed the exact date. I remember that one of your goals was to do more artwork, that you needed input and thought crowdfunding might work. Looks like it did!
>>I've sold prints, done private commissions, and received tips from over a dozen generous patrons, including three K-fans, each of whom contributed over $120 to my various art projects over the last year.<<
W00T! I'm thrilled to see you racking up k-fans. I think that's a sign of a successful project. Really, you invented a new kind of project, in terms of linking to extant projects by creating new content for them in ways that would connect different audience pools.
>>As you have undoubtedly noticed by now, the Story Sketches project has been largely dormant for a couple of months, but fear not!<<
I have missed seeing those.
>>I just have to come up with a better workflow than<<
I've spent, well, my entire life working on that issue. It's just my nature to be attracted by new things, moving things. Learning to finish stuff has been the challenge. But I've figured out that if something can hold my interest, it will usually hold an editor's interest too.
One of the ways I keep myself focused on an ongoing project is just repeating that this is what makes me a professional and some other people amateurs. Determination to stick with something. Dunno if that particular lever will work for you or not, but you might be able to find something that does.
>>The best approach for me will probably be to divide tasks by project (e.g. Story Sketches, EDST, Torn World, self-promotion, one-shot commission) and/or by type (e.g. research, drawing, technical, writing, design) and pick one category to focus on at the beginning of each work day, depending on the relative urgency of each and the number and type of spoons I wake up with.<<
Yes, that works. The trick is to figure out what kind of divisions you need; that is, what impacts your work flow or wears you out. So for instance, I'll consider whether or not a project pays, and what type of work it is (fiction, poetry, editing, etc.). If I do too much of one thing, I'll burn out on it and need to switch to something different.
So last year's project was boosting your workflow. You've done that. This year, I suggest examining how you feel about your work and what causes it to flow better or worse. That will help you figure out how to manage different projects together.
Oh, and pad your deadlines if you have them. Shit always happens. Any time-sensitive plans need to account for that. I learned that from being a procrastinator, except I hate having to do things at the last minute, so I wound up adapting to finish them early. Ironic, eh.
Also worth tracking is the popularity and/or profitability of different projects. For instance, I prioritize the Poetry Fishbowl because it's really popular and my second-highest-paying gig. Torn World doesn't pay much but it's a steady market to get stuff published and is good practice not just for writing but also for people skills. Lower priority, but worth keeping. Figure out what your different projects do for you and that may help you organize them.
Yay!
Congratulations. I'm sorry I missed the exact date. I remember that one of your goals was to do more artwork, that you needed input and thought crowdfunding might work. Looks like it did!
>>I've sold prints, done private commissions, and received tips from over a dozen generous patrons, including three K-fans, each of whom contributed over $120 to my various art projects over the last year.<<
W00T! I'm thrilled to see you racking up k-fans. I think that's a sign of a successful project. Really, you invented a new kind of project, in terms of linking to extant projects by creating new content for them in ways that would connect different audience pools.
>>As you have undoubtedly noticed by now, the Story Sketches project has been largely dormant for a couple of months, but fear not!<<
I have missed seeing those.
>>I just have to come up with a better workflow than<<
I've spent, well, my entire life working on that issue. It's just my nature to be attracted by new things, moving things. Learning to finish stuff has been the challenge. But I've figured out that if something can hold my interest, it will usually hold an editor's interest too.
One of the ways I keep myself focused on an ongoing project is just repeating that this is what makes me a professional and some other people amateurs. Determination to stick with something. Dunno if that particular lever will work for you or not, but you might be able to find something that does.
>>The best approach for me will probably be to divide tasks by project (e.g. Story Sketches, EDST, Torn World, self-promotion, one-shot commission) and/or by type (e.g. research, drawing, technical, writing, design) and pick one category to focus on at the beginning of each work day, depending on the relative urgency of each and the number and type of spoons I wake up with.<<
Yes, that works. The trick is to figure out what kind of divisions you need; that is, what impacts your work flow or wears you out. So for instance, I'll consider whether or not a project pays, and what type of work it is (fiction, poetry, editing, etc.). If I do too much of one thing, I'll burn out on it and need to switch to something different.
So last year's project was boosting your workflow. You've done that. This year, I suggest examining how you feel about your work and what causes it to flow better or worse. That will help you figure out how to manage different projects together.
Oh, and pad your deadlines if you have them. Shit always happens. Any time-sensitive plans need to account for that. I learned that from being a procrastinator, except I hate having to do things at the last minute, so I wound up adapting to finish them early. Ironic, eh.
Also worth tracking is the popularity and/or profitability of different projects. For instance, I prioritize the Poetry Fishbowl because it's really popular and my second-highest-paying gig. Torn World doesn't pay much but it's a steady market to get stuff published and is good practice not just for writing but also for people skills. Lower priority, but worth keeping. Figure out what your different projects do for you and that may help you organize them.