Start me up...

...please, someone? I'm an experienced and dedicated ditherer. When I'm on a roll and really busy I seem to power through oodles of 'doing'. I have days where I crash on to the couch at the end to reflect upon what has been a super productive day. The bench is lined with baked goods, tea is cooked, I've taken the kids to the library, fed them nutritious meals and then filled the fridge and pantry with everything we need. Often the crashing onto the couch is followed by my piecing together a menu for the week just to push the super organised boundaries that little bit more. They say if you want something done, ask a busy person. So, on one of these days, I'm your man. Then there are days like today.
I'm having a dithering day and these ones irritate the beguck out of me. I fluctuate between frustrated, grumpy activity where minor stuff ups take on gargantuan proportions and flitting indecisively between tasks, unable to settle. For example, I can be trying to cobble together a pita pizza for lunch as I did today and find mould in the tomato paste, grate half the bag along with the cheese then have to pick the bits of plastic out, sticky the bench up by slopping pineapple juice everywhere then in a fluster of putting toys, shoes and other ephemera back in their rightful places, manage to burn the freaking pizza! It really is difficult to refrain from dropping the f-bomb on a day such as this!
Then there's the flitting. The cursed procrastination. I've got 64 000 things I'd like to or need to be doing but can muster not a scrap of motivation to propel me in to action.
I read on the weekend, an article about writers and writers block. I argue this is something many of us suffer, only we're paralysed from doing all manner of other things, not just writing.  It attributed this state of inaction to the reasoning/assessing part of our brain competing with the impulsive bit. Can you imagine two bits of your brain whacking each other with sticks and shouting rude things while all the other bits sit around looking at their watches wondering when things will calm down so they can get on with it? I can.
On a productive day it's all impulse. I've got a vague to-do list and I just get on with things without much thought. I whip around the house doing jobs and in and out running errands. I sort the kids out with little fuss and feel super satisfied with myself. Then on days like this lovely sunny one, I argue with myself (or, at least my brain bits do) about whether I would be better to whip up that batch of zucchini, lime and dark chocolate muffins I've been planning for a while or if in fact my blog is more important. Then, should I be writing my blog in such a scatter brained state? It'll probably be a pile of lines containing uninterpretable drivel. Well, seeing as you know the blog won the battle, I'll leave it to you to judge the quality of the drivel!
Oh, and the picture above? Another shining example of my gold medal procrastinating skills. It's a roll of beautiful drawing papers I bought several months ago, on which I intend to do some developmental drawings for my illustrated children's book. I have even perched them at eye level near the back door in the hope of impulsively bringing them outside to have a draw while the kidlets play. Seems the reasoning part of my brain has reasoned them to the bottom of the to-do list, and the explanation of the pic to the bottom of my blog!

The aforementioned 64 000 things on my to-do list concern mostly my beloved buntyandsars. She's been rather neglected of late due to a break from the market circuit. Well, after yesterday, I can proudly say I'm invigorated once more and have lots planned for the coming year. The pic is of the finished hair clipette, cut and colour activity book, of which I'm rather proud. In fact, after printing, binding then selling them at Sugar and Spice yesterday, it looks like I need another batch. They are very popular!
I didn't quite get Percy finished but I'll continue working my pencil down to the bit that says 3B and he will arrive on my stall soon. This Saturday, maybe? No promises!
I'm still working on the ultimate stands for my books, the corflute just isn't cutting it. I've got high standards and it ain't meeting them! Can someone suggest a great office or shop fittings and equipment shop? I think I need some robust commercially made numbers which I can adapt to look pretty, but professional.
I'm also keen on some feedback regarding visual communication. Big words, simple problem. I feel that people struggle to understand what they're looking at when they approach my stall and are reluctant to come and ask questions and pick things up for a good look. When I start chatting with customers, showing and explaining my gorgeous buntyandsars colouring range, I see the lights go on and often hear a distinctive chink when the penny drops, then they're hooked and love them. But without the conversation, they keep walking often gravitating to the easy read nature of clothing stalls. As in 'Oh, what pretty frocks and I just love those t-shirts!". I'm thinking better, bolder, really simple signage but then, I already have everything clearly labelled so I'm not even sure if that's the answer. Ideas, ideas, ideas please!
Blog written, good. So what shall I tackle next? The muffins or Paper Percy? Percy or my children's book? Then again I could be organising a menu for the weeks meals, that's really practical. But then I want to start developing some more colouring books and oh my goodness the bathrooms needs a scrub, but cleaning is overrated and we're getting the bathroom reno-ed soon, probably need to get tea in the slow cooker, kids will be up soon, golly is that the time...?

Where to next, my dear??

I love my home but when the weekend rumbles up to the front door I find it hard to stay there. This weekend just gone saw my husband and myself off on a jolly jaunt to Kyneton...with an empty backseat. What a lovely peaceful drive, interrupted only by the dulcet sounds of adult voices discussing adult topics and the occasional "Do I turn here? No? Where then??!...WELL I  DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE."
Our first stop was in Piper Street.  Very cool, a bit quirky and full of fancy foodie spots.  It took us a good couple of hours to ramble around the shops and an extoadinarily long conversation to decide which lucky eating spot would gain the privelege of filling our hungry tummies(we opted for a big, bustling turkish style place).  Long before lunch time, though, everything that we were yet to see was put in to shadow by one very awesome gallery/shop (see piccy, above) It's called The Stockroom (www.stockroomonpiper.com/) and it tickled many a fancy of mine. It's full of designer made items and artworks along with some funky reclaimed bits and pieces. All in an old factory, complete with a cafe area serviced by a retro food caravan (and I do love a good caravan!)
Come tea time (all the fancy places having been booked out weeks in advance) we settled on a new Indian curry house in an old flour mill called Dhaba at the Mill (http://www.dhabaatthemill.com/). What a cool place to eat! Curries bubble away behind the counter while Bollywood movies play on the wall. It's dark and has a grungy vibe but the food is really down to earth, authentic, and made with local stuff (yay, not full of crap!)
We rolled out of there feeling more than satisfied and got in the car with the hope that we'd burn off some of the food on the drive in preparation for some (more) red wine, some flash cheese and a healthy dose of chocolate back at the B & B. Haven't been so relaxed, or indulgently well fed in three years (and it'll take that long to get over it, too!)
It's amazing what a couple of days out of routine, immersed in the workings of clever, enthusiastic people, in the form of eateries, galleries and shoperies  does for the creative motor.  I've come back itching to get drawing and exploring different ideas.  Buntyandsars, you are a lucky thing...your maker is all fired up!

This is a page out of a book encountered on my travels. I love it. It tells the tale of a bear being hunted and craftily drawing himself an escape time and time again using his trusty pencil. I think I''ve got a bit of bear in me and he's inspired me to keep drawing my way through all that life throws at me. Now where's my sharpener?