As I re-engage slowly after a long, restorative break from too much of a good thing late last year, it's tempting to let overwhelm kick in and chase me back into hibernation. A recovering workaholic from my day job, it's safe to say I'd unwittingly found another substance (my book art) to take its place.
At 15 books and 10 clamshell boxes into an edition of 50, the end does not feel anywhere in sight. But I don't have to let that rattle me from what I'm re-learning: take it one day at at time. Quite literally, my intention (and actions, so far) is to get my hands on the edition once a day. Some days it's for ten minutes, others it's for an hour or two...but every day, I make a little progress.
This is not a new idea. I've used it in the past, taking it down to one hour at a time in the worst of times. Talented classmate and friend Leslie Patterson-Marx inspired its application to art last summer during our artist book workshop with Susan King. In her altered book, One Day at a Time, Leslie carved one mark into the book each day for thirty days - a meditational performance piece of sorts - the fruits of her effort only clear after she steadily showed up every day to do as she had committed.
This is very satisfying. It keeps extreme thinking and behaviors at bay, and grounds me in the present. This promises to be an extraordinary year, glimmers of opportunity to come already on my radar. As things ramp up - and they are, for sure - I'll serve myself and others well by taking it one day at a time.