Time Management

John Fugelsang is in Albuquerque to perform “Unpresidented: The true story of a comedian trying to raise a toddler while his country was electing one” and we were lucky enough to get him into the Pyragraph LIVE studio (a.k.a. my office) to talk about comedy, politics, religion, and how he’s pulled all those elements and more into his unique creative career. 

After last week’s tragedy in Parkland, Florida, I reached out to Maggie Byers and Emilie De Angelis of Moms Demand Action NM to talk about recent developments on the gun control front. Moms Demand Action is a bi-partisan grassroots organization fighting the epidemic of gun violence in the US.

I am inspired by artists who say “I’m going to write or paint this weekend” without regard to “what” they are going to write or paint. Sometimes we just have to put brush to canvas, without being attached to the result.

Can’t get to the mic? Can’t make it out to shows? You still wanna be a comic? Well then, my friend, it’s time to pitch in and help out the comedy community.

Guest Blogger Larry Crane, founder and editor of Tape Op Magazine: Don’t try to work longer hours than you can really be productive during. I work 10-hour days. I’ve worked 14-hour days. Guess how much work we really got done in 14 hours? 10 hours’ worth.

How about acting out the fantasies that you only dreamed of during “The Before Time” (which is how I think we will soon be referring to everything that happened prior to January 20, 2017)?

Some of these tomes will open you like a window and let it all hang out. Others will flash some skin. Others will make you weepy, with a whopping hangover after. And, some, I can promise, you just might hate.

One human artist with all the feelings and occasional depression and anxiety cannot—CONSISTENTLY—do all of those things in 12 hours. What you CAN do is figure out how to use your time without burning yourself out. You will get done what you can get done and let the rest go. This is the only way to break the cycle.

I don’t think I’m alone. I think there are plenty of people that have a novel in them worth reading, if only they could find the time to write it. This is where November comes in.

I really love my kids and my husband. But I need long stretches of focused time for my work, and lately I feel I can’t get that without guilt, and often crabbiness. Bobby, how can I be present with my family while also doing my creative work?

I’m stuck in a cycle of jobs I don’t care about and feeling I never have the time to really develop my creative work to the point that I think I could actually make money from it.

For me, my final exhibit was already here, I was here in my last mill space, it was time, and I didn’t want it to be. I didn’t want my 18 years to be over.

We’ll see how far I make it into gearheadery, but this I can tell you: An important part of deciding to get more hands-on with media production is simply accepting the inescapable fact that there’s no quick-and-easy way to do this kind of creative work.

I certainly try not to think about how this 9th exhibit—of which these little things are part—is about to complete my 18-year project overall. All of this would be too big, too overwhelming.

I have a theory. I believe it all comes down to control. How little we have, and what lengths we will go to obtain it. Ooooh. Existential!

“Oh, remember those ten books and multiple short stories you wrote? Well, sorry, you stopped writing for a year so none of that counts. You’re no longer a writer.”