Making Masks: part 4

Welcome back to my bi-weekly behind-the-scenes blog series about the making of my upcoming poetry chapbook + soundtrack, Masks: Shadow. I am documenting the many trials and errors of this creative endeavor from the start to its release on Halloween.

Why am I posting and preparing so far ahead of time, you may be asking? There are many reasons, actually. If there is one thing I have learned in almost 20 years as an indie music artist, it is that shit can happen. Unexpected shit. Sometimes a lot of it. Therefore, I always plan and outline everything rigorously. Then I allow time for unseen roadblocks.

Another reason is that I need to balance my time between my different lives: indeed, my masks. I am a full-time college student, a part-time grocery stock clerk (for now), and a whenever-I-can-be multi-media artist. Plus, I have a fiancée I want to build a future with and a semblance of sanity I would like to maintain.

Lists and notes. That is how I balance everything. Extensive, chronological plans that outline every step towards the ultimate goal. And I adapt and update them as life happens.

For example, I wanted to have the first draft of the book complete by the end of May. I made that deadline (barely). Awesome! My next objective is to have all the music composed by the end of June: one track for each poem. 30 poems = 30 tracks = 1 track per day. But I have to work every weekend. Damn! The music composition phase will most likely spill into July, which means I will have to get a head start on the design and layout phase, in order to have it all done by mid-August, when my Fall semester starts. Shit!

Am I just brain-spewing here, or is this interesting to read? You tell me. Personally, I like behind-the-scenes stuff of creative projects. How about you? Shoot me some feedback on Facebook, Twitter, or comment below. Next post, maybe I will talk more about whatever you suggest 😉