ATCs

I have been holed up in my office all day today trying to write. I've been given the go ahead by Doctor Cz. to produce as many pages on Burian's production of May as I can. I've been informed that it's acceptable to repeat myself at this point because it's all part of the process. Instinctively I know that this is correct, but I'm still finding it difficult to conquer my perfectionist tendencies. I've tried bribing them with chocolate and rhubarb and beer, I've promised them that they'll get to play later if they would just sit quietly in the corner for a while, and I've tried threatening them with being in grad school for the next three or four years instead of for the next two. They, however, don't really care. My perfectionist tendencies do not like chocolate or rhubarb or beer, they refuse to wait for playtime, and they know that being in grad school longer affects my sanity more than it does them. I may just need to ride rough-shod over them until they're too bruised and bloody to do anything. Then they'll heal in time for the editing process.

So far this post has had nothing to do with the title. I'm sorry. I'm getting to the bit about artist trading cards. Essentially ATCs are pieces of art that must be the same size as a traditional trading card: 2.5" x 3.5". Anything goes provided you trade them for someone else's ATCs. They cannot be sold. I'd always been wary of them. I made two fairly crappy series last fall that are never going to see the light of day. This week, however, I decided to give them another shot and this time I am much happier with them.

My late-afternoon break from writing was a trip to the mailbox, which is usually a depressing task. We keep receiving Scientology magazines addressed to some woman who has never lived here in addition to the usual set of bills. Today, though, there was an envelope from the woman with whom I'm doing my first ATC swap. Her's are lovely. To the right is one of the ATCs I sent her. It's called Tiles and was inspired by a friend's very large and very adult bathroom. -Zh.