And hot on the heels of that last post comes another, which reveals precisely why the old to-do list is constantly three steps ahead of me.
Last night I had a meeting in Schaumburg (a suburb of Chicago out by O’Hare) at the recording studios of Thadeus Project, an art rock band for whom I am doing a series of various designerly projects: their website, which I don’t believe I’ve mentioned yet here because it’s almost done but not quite yet, almost there, I swear, just one more thing, and now their media kit, which will be quite a cool little thing once it’s finished, a combination of textures and visuals that should definitely drive home the point that yes, they are an art rock band. More details as this progresses. In any case, on my way home from the meeting I took a sharp detour to the Barnes & Noble up on Touhy Avenue, as I had a coupon in my pocket and the knowledge that a new book by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean (the latter link is to the now sadly-defunct dreamline.nu; sadly-defunct doesn’t even begin to describe it, actually, more like woefully, tragically, apocalyptically-defunct) in my brain.
The new book, a visual script for their upcoming film Mirrormask, was perfectly timed, since I’m still coming down off of last weekend’s filmmaking adventure. I spent way too much time last night reading, and then some more time doing so this afternoon when I should have been working. When I finished it and closed it, it made me both excited and sad. Excited, due to the possibilities of creating such wonderful stuff myself someday, and sad because I am presently tethered to so many other things which don’t begin to approach that degree of coolness.
I am suddenly wistful for a different degree of creativity, and mourning my unfinished novel, and keenly considering running out to the local Apple Store and dropping Way Too Much Money on more hardware with which to make more magic. This is, of course, a bad idea; if I am to buy more hardware, I should wait until said hardware has appeared in the refurbished list at The Apple Store, or until I have once again reclaimed the official position of student, so that I can enjoy a nice discount. More hardware also flies in the face of several other goals, such as paying down debts and saving money for future periods in which I will once again be blessed with not only the official position of student but also the official accompanying anemic bank account and diet of ramen noodles and too much caffeine.
But. But. But.
In one of the appendicies for Mirrormask Mr. Gaiman describes the home of Mr. McKean, and damn does it sound heavenly. He describes my dream house, a small home out in the woods with a detached studio and lots of trees. I long for that, I ache for that. I dream of tools, and resources, and bookshelves, and stories, and time. One never seems to have all the necessary components at once; how, then, to bring them all together is something of a mystery.
I should work. I should finish the new Tohubohu site, since that is the nearest thing to this particular sensibility currently in my project list. I should finish client projects, since they are the key to having the resources to acquire my home in the woods. I should do many things. However, all I want to do right now is sit here, and plan, and dream.
I have been plunked right back down into my old storyteller’s mindset, but the story I most want to tell now is my own.