The Rules

These are The Rules that I'm going to use to guide my work:

1.) All projects must involve "pre-work"--collecting, note-making, brainstorming, thought. The work will be collected in a journal devoted exclusively to the pre-work. Then I can get started on a final piece. I'm making this rule for myself because I have this tendency to "pray" that my work will turn out okay. I have these misconceptions that great artists always know what they're doing and don't need practice runs. One year from now, I want to rid myself of that habit. I want to stop plunging into a piece and finding the mistakes out as I go along. I want to make it more of a process.

2.) Each theme must be represented publicly on this website, even if I think it's "complete and total worthless crap" or something much worse.

3.) If I miss a week, I have to catch up the following week, thereby doubling my work load. So it is not in my best interests to miss a week. This step helps to keep me accountable.

4.) Everything is open to interpretation.

5.) I can't change the themes I've brainstormed, even if I see the theme and think, "Oh, that sucks." I've already listed the themes in a notebook. I think it will be an exercise in pushing myself and not taking the easy route if I say, "No matter how bad you think this is, or how hard it might be to work on that theme, this is what you're committed to."

I think that those are all the rules. I'll add more later if I think I need them.