posted on 09 March 2007 09:46
by
DavidR
The Party is Over - step outside and smile into the light
¦ dialling in from the sky bunker ¦
8.26am, starting late today. Feeling tired. The euphoria and buzz from publishing my books has faded. I'm deep in a trench called Yellow Dawn and I'm not even half way through. *grim smile* After being lucky enough to have been able to spend over a year focussing entirely on my own projects, I can feel a new phase forming. After the Agency there was...
July-05 to Dec-05, me working on Edge, and starting the process of getting my photography onto a commercial footing
Dec-05 to April 06, head-hunded by global corporate, "come work for us on this project, here's lots of money" during this period my dad falls seriously ill and is hospitalised, Jo finds a house and starts the process of securing it; Edge has gone on hold, I create Yellow Dawn 1st edition.
April-06 to July-06 I'm living in Newcastle. An amazing period of time. Total focus on family and self. Visits to dad in Hospital, helping mum out around the house. Mum and I are finding each other again after a lifetime of being apart. I build strong friendship with Pete.
July-06 to Nov-06 Return to Bristol, abruptly move out of Happy Flat (after 11 years) and relocate to a part of the city I don't know. 300 miles from Dad, 300 miles from mum who is now alone. My darkest days. I've never been so low. I'm not sure about the house, not sure about Bristol. Hagen steps into my life as a rock of emotional support; and it's ironic when I consider how we met, back in Jan 2005, the black clouds in both our lives. I struggle on. I return to Newcastle every month for a few days. I look for work but my heart's not in it... I map out the plot for Dog Eat Dog whilst I'm in the South of France... I've got several creative projects I want to focus on...I'm confused and resentful.
Nov-06 to Feb 07. Dad dies. At the funeral I reconnect with my cousin Kenn-Ole; he says he wants to illustrate one of my short stories. I spent two months in Newcastle. There is an emotional release. A burden is lifted. Mum finds her feet, now with so much more time and nobody to care and worry for 24/7. Jo supports my decisions. Kenn-Ole's illustrations start arriving. Kick start to a new phase of creativity-with-confidence. I return to Bristol, lock myself away blissfully in the sky bunker. I go see my sister in London, our relationship is back again. I put together God Seed, Dante's Fool and Iron Man Project, and get them published. I start building the 2nd edition of Yellow Dawn.
March-07....
It's time to unlock the doors of the Sky Bunker and step into the daylight of normal reality. I've achieved a lot in these last two years. Potent life events. Creative projects. But the party (all my time for me) is over.
What do I want?
Within the next 4 weeks I want to return to full-time work within the company I've targetted, or, get some freelance work in copywriting; shift my creativity back into my spare-hours, build up my funds again and get to use my brain in different ways.
Within next 4 months, complete Yellow Dawn 2nd Edition.
Within next 12-16 months,put together a press-release for the novels and YD, and start marketting my work. Complete either Edge or Dog Eat Dog.