Work Pressures

Temporary stress management—hold please

A major work deadline has me writing on weekends until I can put it behind me, so my posting here has been sparse. The last time I had a writing project this large in scope, my deadline was more than firm: I had to deliver the manuscript before I delivered our first kid.

I still remember the difficulty of reaching the keyboard when I couldn’t pull close enough to my desk

This time there’s no extra kid on the way (good lord, what a thought) but I’m determined to make the deadline without slipping. That’s inspired me to share a few doodles about the writing life, home offices, and deadlines.

Many people lucky enough to keep working during the pandemic tricked out their homes as new work-away-from-work spaces. Here, we took advantage of our too-big house (bought to be close to family) and spread electronics out all over our lives. Older kid did school from the top of the garage, younger kid put a full gaming/workstation in his bedroom, I got our sun-porch (thanks to a standing desk donated by my brother-in-law), and we converted the dining room into my husband’s control center.

This doodle was a “from life” sketch of the devices my husband was using on a typical work-from-home day (not an exaggeration)

Within months, working from home had demolished any of the boundaries that I had been carefully curating (historically, I’m not great at leaving work at work). In fact, beginning to doodle was how I tried to reclaim my headspace, which—in a lockdown vacuum of other sensory inputs—was threatening to take over my entire brain.

A visual representation of what doodling accomplished for me during much of the first lockdown period

Since much of my work role centers on writing, my doodles touch on the creative process. After all, writing for hire (even on clearly defined topics) requires some inspiration, and that’s not always easy to come by.

This doodle is called “Seeking Clarity,” and I tend to think of it when I’m stuck during a writing project

Other times, I know perfectly well what I need to write, but dragging myself to the keyboard is an act of willpower. I have a little piece of paper on my desk, right under my monitor, meant to push me through this feeling. It reminds me, in big black Sharpie marker capitals, that “THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.”

I’m pretty sure you know what I was feeling when I doodled this one

In the end, if I stick with a project through the lows, I hit a rhythm and start to produce words. If I am stuck, I fill time doing extra research or organizing bullet points, until suddenly I come unstuck and start to write several thousands of words a day. I think that happens after my subconscious has finally put all of the pieces together in the right order. I’ve learned not to panic when blocked, as my brain usually comes through in time.

I called this one “Genius Burns,” after I had a productive day like Jo March did in her attic (no stocking cap, though)

So this is where I’m at now, in the (literal) final chapter of my work project. The research is done, the bullets are in the correct order, and only several thousand words stand between me and the final copy making its way to the copyeditor. It may be a little while before you get much quality word count on this platform, but I’ll still be doodling all the way through to maintain sanity. Wish me luck!