Refocusing, Doubling Down, Changing approaches in time management: How I’m planning on staying curious and creative!

For the past year, I’ve been managing my writing time between several, ongoing projects: Analyzing Shakespeare’s Sonnets, Rewriting the Sonnets in Gen X & Gen Z vernaculars (and I’m constantly putting off the desire to write the sonnets as Blues or Jazz lyrics, but I’m weakening on that front), T.A.E.’s book reviews (and the reading of new books), T.A.E.’s Arts Reviews (and the making of new artworks), continuing my Revisionist Poetry reinterpretations of my earlier works, and continuing my Revisionist Pedagogy updates of my academic writings. On top of all this, one of my collaborators is urging me to dedicate more time to a book or editorial series on the beneficial uses of AI in the classroom.

Somewhere in all this, I need time to teach (my day job) and tend to my family. Who needs sleep, right???

I’m realizing that I have some creative and cognitive rhythms that I’ve been messing with while trying to multitask. For example: breaking up the analyses of the sonnets with the vernacular rewrites (which requires deviations into some very open-minded research on generational linguistics).

In a nutshell: It’s getting exhausting!

Ie: My energy and motivation is being stretched to a breaking point.

So, I’ve decided to compartmentalize differently!

Starting now, I’m going to allow the mojo to flow!

eg: research on Sonnets in a sequence; same thing with my other areas of research… Then carve out blocks for creative stuff and let those flow.

I have almost always creating work in series and extra energy I feel from focusing on similar things, instead of switching between related projects with divergent cognitive requirements.

My belief is that I will be able to get more done (and stop feeling so drained).

So, the daily output of things should change to a more structured output.

To be honest, I had no idea how much mind-space the Sonnets project would take… What was I thinking taking on 154 very well documented poems!?! Especially when I know my nearly-infinitely-curious-mind is forever eager to start some knew project…

I actually have a list going: A modern analysis and vernacular rewrite, similar to the Sonnets project for Homer (The Odyssey, The Iliad), John Milton (Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained), & Dante’s The Devine Comedy, just to name a few…

I think I need more time! Anyone out there feeling generous enough to fund my retirement, so I can dedicate myself to this… I’d be very happy to accept. 🙏🙏🙏🤞👌