Starting a project is hard

This picture is of part my stash. It is part of a much, much larger stash...How do you decide what to do with your stash? Or should I say, how do you destash your craft materials?

Sometime I think creative types have a hard time choosing a project to get started on; I do. I a many ideas, tons of yarn, needles, buttons, fabric, even time. How do you know you will bring all the creative elements together? Do these colors really work well together or are they a bit off? Perhaps I need a second opinion?

I can get so preoccupied dreaming about my projects that I fail to get them started. Does this ever happen to you? That is what happened to me today. Nothing got accomplished. No writings were written; no crocheting or knitting were done. And the speech for the conference in October went by the wayside as I dreamed away the hours.

Tomorrow is a new day. A chance at a fresh start, a new beginning. I vow to get something done, even if the only thing I get accomplished is straighten my office so that crafting can begin no matter what form it takes.

Associated Content and a camera

Associated Content is an online publisher and distributor of people's writings. It allows authors to publish their content on virtually any topic. It places the content and on those of its content partners.

It is not a scam; it does pay you for your work. The amount is based on the number of pages viewed (PVs) that you have written. For certain content, you can get paid for both PVs and a small amount “upfront” for the article. The amounts are small, but when you are a disabled artist or shy on cash, every penny counts.

At times, Associated Content runs contests for its authors. These contests often revolve around producing content about a certain subject. Frankly, I never paid attention to these contests.

I've never considered myself a lucky person. So, why bother with a contest, right? WRONG! Imagine winning a contest you didn't even know you had entered. At first, I thought it was a friend playing a prank on me. Next I was skeptical; was this a ploy to get personal information on me. I had no intention of becoming a victim of identity fraud, again.

Then I began to wonder, could I have won a Sony digital camera with 10 mega pixels. I checked out the Associated Content website and found I won. I'm now the proud owner of a new camera.

I gave my old camera (the one I could never figure out) to my daughter. Her camera broke while she was in Europe. Now I have a bright, shiny, new camera. It is already to take pictures for this site and articles I write for Associated Content.

I finally figured out if I take a picture holding the camera with it pointed at a mirror, you will get to see the camera. How is that for thinking outside the box? Now, there is only one more obstacle to overcome. How do I work the darn camera?

Eat, drink, and be merry for...

I jotted off a e-mail to a friend today. He had sent me a note apologizing for not making more progress on the website for ArtfulAbilities.com; he is spending time with his girlfriend. He is young and in love.

I wish there were progress being made on the site; however, with life experience you garner perspective on such things. Life is short. Health is fleeting. Love is a gift to be enjoyed to its fullest. Drink in all the life, love and happiness you can.

Things can wait; people can not. In the end, no one will say, "I wished I spent my life working more". Yet many will sadly say, "I wish I could live my life over to spend more time to be with the ones I love".

Kyle, aka "Frig" will soon make progress on the website, of this I am certain. In the meantime, may he eat, drink, and be merry... And for me, I remembered what young love felt like when I read his words.

Computers: A Love/Hate Relationship

My computer and I have a love/hate relationship. I love the connections it allows me to make with others across the internet. I love being able to reach out and communicate with friends and family. It allows me to make friends across international boundaries without ever leaving home (not that I wouldn't rather make friends with them in person but...). My computer gives me access to knowledge that I'd otherwise not be able to have access. In many ways, my computer is a blessing.

In many ways, my computer is a curse. It is a curse when the evil interwebs fail, when routers fail to route, and virus invade. It is a complicated thing. I admit it; in some ways, I am a dinosaur when it comes to techie equipment. When something goes wrong, I'm am totally flustered as I've been for the past two weeks.

We have a new router. Or is it that a new router has us? I'm not sure. It is a finicky beast that works when it is bright and sunny. It sleeps when it storms and someone must roust it from its slumber. Alas, that someone is not I. I don't pretend to know how to make it work. All I can do is wait for my son to return and hopefully show me how to make the cursed thing behave.

Diversification

Definition: A risk-reduction strategy that involves adding product, services... and markets to your company's portfolio.

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, "Diversifying in this way can help your business weather tough times by providing alternate sources of revenue". I tend to think that diversification is not only key to helping a business weather tough times, but also to help weather life situations. This is especially true when there are obstacles in your life that you must surmount, like disabilities and well, just life.

Getting the website of www.artfulabilities.com off the ground continues to progress at a snails pace, so it is time to get on with things with or without the website. No, I'm not abandoning the goal of having a shop for those who want to be a part of the Artful Abilities endeavor; however, I can only move as fast as my web designer does. As I am working with a new college grad, as web designer and paying him "on the shoestring", delays should have been expected on my part. Therefore, it is time to diversify.

Prior to becoming disabled, I use to speak at various venues and conferences. It was something I vastly enjoyed doing. So in October, I will be diversifying from the crafting of items with my hands to the crafting of words. I will be speaking at a ladies conference in the Chicago area.

More about that later.