TWO FISTED HOMEOPAPE August/30 - Mental health above the productivity of doing more.
You came here for the teaching content, right?
♫ I applied for a rescue dog,
But if I get you dog,
You're rescuing me ♫
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2021 -- beyond.
You know I love a list.
I’ve been Bullet Journaling for a few years now. It generally keeps me on track, tells me what’s next, and helps me feel productive. That’s my baseline context, I like a list, I do many lists.
So I just read this article about ‘to do’ type apps, and it’s given me thoughts.
So it seems there are a tonne of ‘to do list’ type apps, and data shows most of them don’t quite work. The problem being that people tend to either: stop using their account, not finish their lists, or only put things on and then instantly tick them off so it’s not serving as a plan but rather a record [and in these cases, people check those things off, but don’t seem to check any of the things they initially put on].
It all seems problematic, but it does all depend on how you look at it.
In my BJ, I start the year by writing down the projects I currently have on my plate. It’s not like I’m going to forget these, but it is interesting to check in on this at June and December to see if you’ve made any ground, and what has been added.
I make a monthly list of things that are on the plate now, and that’s where I draw my daily lists from. Sometimes one thing is needed that week, so it takes precedence and I don’t want to forget maybe a second or third job that would be pushed down but I still want to get through. This is particularly helpful for when a job isn’t finished but I’m waiting on someone/something and so need to pause, but still want to get up at 4am and be productive, so I shuffle something else up the chain.
The daily list is then usually kept short - what can I aim for from 4-6am? I don’t want 10 items on my morning list, so I aim for focus and completion, ymmv.
My system has been refined over years to specifically work for me.
But now that I’m working from home, I’ve noticed my workday teacher list is very different.
I write down what I need to do that day, the jobs that must be attempted/completed. But I also sketch out a little time map of when things might occur - this is because since I’ve been teaching from home I have anywhere from 2 to 5 different video meetings to attend, and those times need to be locked in, and then around them I want to be productive.
The thing that I do most differently here, though, is I write down every other little thing that occurs - if I get an email and I need to respond, and I put it on the list and I strike it off. If an IT support email comes through and I respond with a link or a phone call, it goes on the list and I strike it off. My daily plan ends up filled with the minutiae of the day, and here’s why:
Teaching from home is some of the most hectic work I’ve ever done. It’s a sprint of a marathon, it’s death by a thousand cuts, and sometimes you can be flat out like al izard drinking and then at the end of the day realise you only got to 2 of the 7 action items on your list and that makes me feel like absolute dogshit when it happens. I wonder if I’ve wasted my day, if I’m inefficient, if I’m falling behind. But if I can look at all the things I did, even the distractions [which, let’s be honest, is a solid 60% of any workday] then I can definitely feel like I was busy, and productive, and helpful. It also helps me slowly track if I’m being swamped by the things that trickle in, and whether I need to block out a morning to tackle a big ticket item from the proper list.
I do this to stay productive, but you can probably hear that I’m doing it for mental health, too. I don’t want to sit at the work station from 7:30am-5:30pm and feel like I did nothing.
As it stands, this past week I felt like I was crushing it at the teacher game. I kept up with posting work online for my students, and providing video instructions, and giving daily feedback to work, as well as recording a daily video where I showcase images of some of the work and run through an Honour Roll type list of people doing amazing work from the day before [usually amazing equals effort, not quality]. My class has been engaged and enthusiastic, and so have I. Alongside that, I’ve created over an hour of video-based content for other staff members to watch and use for training, and have hopes for a bit more.
The way I try to see it is: I don’t have the daily commute anymore, nor the need to spend 15 minutes watching my class eat, or the need to go to the photocopier and wait, or a number of other little time sinks, so if I have time accruing I want to use it to innovate: what I give the kids, how I help my staff.
Just like last time we did this lockdown dance, I think I work harder and longer than I normally do, but my hope is we only have 3 more weeks of it, so I tell myself it’s sustainable for the short term. If we go longer, then I’ll need to find a better balance, no doubt. My problem is I feed off doing great work [or what I think is great] and providing for other people. If what I’m doing is helping, it gives me energy to do more, and so I do more, but I know eventually the burnout crash comes for us all, so I’m trying to factor in some breaks in the day, and some time in the fresh air and sunshine.
Anyway, enough of that: the last thing I wanna say about to do lists is: I use notebooks. I need the paper in front of me. I’ve tried different digital apps, they just don’t work for my brain, and a janky old notepad does the trick 100% every time. Again, ymmv.
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Let’s get back to comics.
I agree. I can’t let the fun of one job overtake another, so I’ll set aside some newsletter for the comic making in the same way I set aside a slice of the day for it, too.
This week saw EVERFROST #3 and BLACK BEACON #2 both hit shelves. I’ve struggled to maintain momentum on reviews for these books - not helped by me still not having a PDF of BB2 from my publisher, but most people who have read these have enjoyed their experience. I’m certainly loving having these books in the wild.
I’m starting to prep the battle plans for the EVERFROST tpb that’ll be coming in good time. Better to be on top of it now, that struggle and rush at the finish line. We are sending BB3 off to the printer now, so that’s another item on the list getting checked.
I’ve continued to handwrite the script for the first issue of [THE SHARP INK PROJECT]. A few times I’ve come to a page or a moment and thought to myself “How can I do this in a way where only comics could do this?” It’s given me a few awesome pages where there’s story, but also motion and design and fun and that’s the thrill of making comics. You get to do this specific thing in this way that delights you and it reminds me why I write comics. I’m just writing Pages 18-19 as a double page sequence now, and I’ve been mapping it out as a little thumbnail to see how I can use flow and panel size to direct more than just the story but also the tension and the timing of it all. It’s coming together well, and not normally how I write or map out a page.
This means just 3 more pages after that and then it’ll be done with the first draft. I’ll let it sit for a week or more, so in that time will turn my attention back to the script for SHE Vol. 2 and action some notes from Tyler James, the publisher at ComixTribe.
After that, I need to get something picked up so I’m writing with purpose for the end goal, but all in good time, I suppose.
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Wanna support some RKL writing?
My Patreon continues to roll on with short content ranging from my 300 word flash fic pieces, to analysis of story, to peeks behind the scenes. It’s a lot like this place here, but this is free, and will continue to be, but over there you’re helping me pay the bills on making comics. Some of you are already over there, so thank you.
If you are not, I’d just ask that you click the link and follow me there. Even just getting the extra free content might be something you’d enjoy, and it gets your foot in the door :]
I’ve still got comics for sale on Ownaindi - you can buy some back issues, or get something signed by me. I won’t lie, the lack of cons is hitting me in the back pocket, as well as the mental health check of not having that group therapy, so any support you can give on this front helps.
Remember: giving comics for birthdays and other holidays is the ultimate boss move.
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ASD&D.
Played another CANDLEKEEP MYSTERY with the kids at home. It’s a great book full of these little bottle episode style adventures, and their style of play always delights me. They think about creative ways to resolve situations, or how to do something. They’ve become specific in their actions, often with a back up response waiting for if things go pear shaped.
This means I don’t need to ask specific questions like “So you grab the door handle and just turn it when you enter?” which gives the player a chance to assume something’s amiss with the door handle, prompting them to say they kick the door in instead, which is a thing I’ve seen happen a lot because I’ll narrate “You grab the door handle and it burns your hand--” to which the player responds, “Nah, I said I enter the room, but I didn’t say I grabbed the door handle. I get the NPC to do it.” Which is just them retroactively avoiding injury, and I get it, but it’s frustrating as a DM, and I’m glad my kids don’t do it.
I’ve also just poked my head into the Mork Borg system and it looks fun and rad and metal af. More investigation shall be required, and I’d love to report back at a later time.
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PERHAPS YOU'D CARE TO SAMPLE
A new Cary Nord comic on Kickstarter - his art on Conan was so damn good for so damn long. This looks good, too.
Huh, I’ve been so busy teaching, and watching Covid numbers, that I’ve done very little else to feed my brain this week.
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GRIST FOR THE MILL
TED LASSO S2 - continuing to love this season the longer it goes on. The first season was a masterpiece of writing to match, and I think there’s some sophomore slump here, but I also think a Ted Lasso slump is better than 95% of other tv. The jokes are really hitting me these last two weeks, and the character arcs were always seeded from the start, but some are paying off in ways I still just love.
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Be one of the good guys, because there's way too many of the bad.
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POST CREDITS SEQUENCE
I don’t know I’ll ever find a quote as profound as this one:
It’s why I think about process as much as I do - I hope if I can slow down, then I can find a better way. Or a way that’ll make me enjoy it all more. Mental health above the productivity of doing more. Do things you like in the way you like doing them.
And bless you when you stand at that intersection.
Awesome updates as always. I am actually more of a digital guy than physical, but I schedule my life and days in Google Calendar. I struggle with the same problems you.kebtionwd here when it comes to 'task papa's and the such.
Love the writing stuff as well. Life's been...hectic lately so I'm actually a few weeks behind on comics at the moment but I can't wait to sink my teeth into EVERFROST 3.
I recently followed you on patreon so I've been enjoying the flash fiction you're writing. I do something similar on my social media using some graphic design elements to make it presentable on a daily basis. About a hundred to just under 300 words in each story. I think it's a really good exercise to stretch and force your brain into creativity.
Keep up the awesome work dude I really enjoy these newsletters. 🙌🍻🔥