stop being lazy

i was lazy the entire day and while attempting to read for class, the philosopher rene descartes almost mockingly wrote:

for it is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to apply it well. the greatest souls are capable of the greatest vices as well as the greatest virtues. and those who proceed only very slowly can make much greater progress, provided they always follow the right path, than those who hurry and stray from it.
- Rene Descartes, Discourse on Method, Part One

this has gotten out of hand, recently i’ve felt a radical change in the principals of my daily progression. months ago i was slothing my way through summer, wasted in a void of misused time.

now i have difficulty finding time to relax. where did this come from?

looking back, i can only say that it may be the remnant satisfaction derived from achievement in my previous term. i set the bar high because i worked harder then any time previous and i actually enjoyed the fruits of my labor; the accomplishment has me hooked.

i signed myself up for an immense workload, determined to test my limits and see my true capabilities of success. the detail that will enable the accomplishment of said workload will come from a place almost entirely new to me, asking for help.

i am seeking out those who have the knowledge and determination to help me succeed; to accomplish the rigorous goals that i have set before myself. to my surprise, they have willingly agreed.

from thus point on i have ceased being lazy; i am now productive, therefore i am closing this goal and in turn have decided to track my progress in the attempt to increase my overall production.

if you feel so inclined, follow my achievements and blunders in my latest goal to track daily progress

thanks for all your encouragement and advice. this community has directly contributed to my success.

06:00 – woke

06:15 – exercise

07:30 – in the studio
- starting editing my writing assignment
- finished writing assignment

09:30 – futures class
- discussed our projects
- assignment: forecast future issues of water

13:00 – ideation and process class
- presented my assignment to, in some form, document an everyday object or activity that inspires creative thought (for me, literature and the act of reading, sparks thought through the enrichment of cumulative knowledge. the transmission of information capacitates the formulation of amalgamated thought)
- allocation of three new assignments
– go to an art event and prepare to interpret your experience through speech
– complete an assignment from the website learning to love you more
– unplug yourself for one hour, everyday, for an entire week. gasp! what will i do with myself?

15:30 – studio
- selected a learning to love you more assignment
(assignment no. 62: make an educational public plaque)

16:00 – failed at starting my assignments right away
- i went back to my dorm, proceeded to feed myself, in addition to reading another chapter of my current for-fun-book
- got caught up in the convenience of being home; crushed productivity

18:30 – guilted myself back into the studio
- reading handouts from my futures class about design for the other 90 percent

to do:
futures and ideation/process:
start on new assignments as soon as i am assigned them

graphic design:
- gather relevant imagery
- create a contact sheet of images and share them with my classmates
- print out images at the highest resolution possible
- attempt to extract them from their backgrounds
- either collage said images by hand or through digital compositing

typography:
-narrow down the copious amounts of rough compositions
-decide either a consistent typeface or variable typefaces
-refrain from spending too much time on typography and focus on more relevant and looming deadlines

start dear president assignment:
- comment on net neutrality by collaging license free imagery to communicate a message

start a visual progress blog
- name and domain issues
- define logistics of documenting and posting work

05:45 – woke
05:55 – exercise
07:00 – studio
- wasted time reading blogs
- continued work on typography assignment
09:30 – history of philosophy
- discuss neitzsche, genealogy, history by michel foucault
12:30 – met philosophy instructor at local coffee house with an assortment of other students and mused about time and existence
14:00 – studio
- reading transcript of a documentary on minnesota windfarmers
14:30 – time management meeting
- discussed scheduling and practice structures in order to successfully accomplish my goals
15:30 – back in the studio reading away
- wrote a rough outline forecasting the future social, political, and environmental impacts of local windfarms.
18:00 – took a break
- read the first chapter of the tin princess
- experimented cooking crescent rolls; garlic italian with pasta sauce for dinner, cinnamon nutmeg with blackberry jam for breakfast.
20:00 – back to the studio
-finishing off my futures assignment
22:00 – getting frustrated with writing
- feel like giving up, but can’t because it due tomorrow. shame on me.
- noisy people in the studios intrude upon my train of thought, where else can i work?
finished the visual component to my futures assignment
- the concept is thin, the message is simple along with the aesthetic. under the time constraints that i’ve regrettably put myself under, i feel that it serves its purpose.
23:00 – go to sleep, without finishing my project.
- i am a morning person and process thought inconsistently late in the evening (generally opposite of every other university student)

to do:
futures
write a forecast for the impacts of the social movement of the minnesota windfarmers
- write out and digitize final draft of the written forecast

start dear president assignment
- comment on net neutrality by collaging license free imagery to communicate a message

06:00 – woke
06:15 – exercised
07:00 – went to studio
- analysis of philosophy reading
- rough written draft of summary
- digitized rough
- proof read and final editing
- collation of notes
- finished philosophical analysis
- due tomorrow
11:30 – deposited paycheck
12:00 – went to design club
13:00 – went to typography class
- gave presentation on finished project
- two in class typographic exercisese
17:00 – first conversation with the japanese girl
19:00 – back in studio
- start project three for typography
- finished 30 rough letter formations

to do:
work on futures forecast
-self entrepreneurship movement in minnasota windfarmers
start dear president assignment
- comment on net neutrality by collaging license free imagery to communicate a message

right now i am avoiding philosophy. it is among many of the things i need to do but it is my number one priority, as it is due tomorrow. it is also my most challenging course and it’s workload:quality ratio is quite high in comparison to my other courses. there are also high expectations put on by the teacher, the other students, and from myself.

i enjoyed the reading, agamben on the topic of time and history, i also enjoyed learning and contemplating the various philosophies but now it comes down to the ever dreaded written and discussion formats.

i have ambivalence towards even picking up the packet, dread even. it is an anxious feeling in my stomach; the noxious weight of putting pen to paper. yet i know the euphoria that comes along with accomplishment; my senses are so short sided.

i am always reluctant to ask for help, and in order to finish by tomorrows deadline, the task is place fully on myself. although, i know and i must force myself to seek and accept assistance, if i am to succeed in this class.

school has started up again and i am so glad to be back. it is going to be an intense semester; i am taking six classes. this time around i am well organized and have many utilities to keep me on task. i am waking up early and going to bed early, working on projects as soon as i get them, and i will seek out help when i get in a bind.

i have to make sure i can keep this pace going without faltering at the end.

i will do my best.

after almost a month of vapid lethargy, wasting away my creative potential to anime and bowls of cereal, i have finally gotten off my rump and updated my design portfolio.

i just finished a major over hall of my portfolio website. i redocumented my most recent work and webalized them for pure aesthetic pleasure.

i hardly ever feel proud of my work; there are always improvements to be made. although, it feels nice to have my work out on the web.

view my hard work at: notfreelance.com

living at home with my father for the summer is the biggest waste of three months. the laziness is contagious, toxic even.

it is like having that one friend who always seems to get you in trouble. when you finally break off that relationship, your life turns around and you realize how great life can be.

i have never felt so guilty before. the first month i held out strong. i got up at the break of dawn, worked on various projects, ate healthy, exercised everyday, read books and studied; all the things that define my life when i live away from home. now i feel worthless, i hate it. i can’t wait to leave here and go back to school and never come back.

i have reengaged the chronic cycle of extreme productivity and motivation that slips into lethargic inefficiency. i hit bottom the other day and had my monthly epiphany, coming to the realization that i need to get a lot accomplished this summer. now that i am out of school for holiday i have very few responsibilities and an excess amount of free time. my realization was that i was wasting this great opportunity that happens quite infrequently.

it is time to get in gear and get things done.