done

Four and one-half years...
408 posts...

...in the last month the creative efforts have soaked through and become movements of long toil with no immediate piecemeal element to be included on this artifact log.  The daily accounting missing the waves accumulating and gaining sea change dimensions.  Who charts tidal shifts with handfuls of bathwater?

Today, in beginning unabridged audio version of The Pale King by David Foster Wallace, a correlating exchange from the Editor's note at the start of it all.  The Editor trying to have some progress reports on David Foster Wallace's new novel (that will become the Pale King) and his attendance at anniversary celebrations of Infinite Jest in the coming months.

David Foster Wallace will kill himself soon enough, the novel will be assembled by the Editor, and this trajectory entails noncommittal attitude towards the Editor.  But at this moment, he is working.

"You know I'll come if you insist, but please don't.  I'm deep into something long and it's hard for me to get back into it when I'm pulled away."

A perfect quote for me as I trail out along the fence posts, cloud hidden, whereabouts unknown...

1) identification, 2) creation, 3) community, 4) housekeeping

(last few weeks) Significant amount of creative efforts.  Filming four video projects with kids and moderate film editing sessions.  Tracking dreams, conversations, and applicable solutions to writing.  New Mac computer and transferring studio computer first from basement now migrating artifacts, programs, and skills to new computer.  Reading How NOT to Make a Film.  Journal entries and breakthrough on conclusion to The Great Falling Away.  Extensive outline and sorting of teacher book.  Some editing of Jones conversation on beating his mom in accordance to vision of grandmother prompting him to do so.  Also, jail house collect call from Jones for bail money.  I feign bad connection to allow the 1 minute of free connection to expire before he could fully communicate request.  These are old routines.

1) identification, 2) creation, 3) community, 4) housekeeping

(Last few days) photographing journals to archive source materials. Two journals completed, three more to go.  Backing up writing took almost two days, backing up sound files took over three days; labeling my studio computer as a legacy machine is a kind understatement. Attempting to install scanner software on laptop computer but no success.  Refining outline of teaching book and filling in some material.

1) identification, 2) creation, 3) community, 4) houskeeping

(last few days) streamlining studio to bare essentials and moving upstairs to armoire that can be closed up and hidden completely.  Some recognition the effort to turn large portion of basement into studio was a disservice to creative process and more about the image of having the space than actually usability.  Now the setup is similar to other times when I have been more productive with music.  Some hope here.  Discovering external hard drive had gone unstable and no backups of artifacts now existed.  Bought a new one, began backing up studio computer today, writing laptop tonight or tomorrow.  Watching Dexter (season 6) and American Horror Show (season 2).  Some success on Twitter posts, building community.  Naquin sending me new methods and efforts in images he will apply to cover for ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... book cover and musical accompaniment album (http://timcoalman.bandcamp.com/).  Tracking dreams in smartphone.

1) identification, 2) creation

(last two days) Tedious and incremental progress on full scripting of...fence posts rotting in the acreage... chapter 13.  Contact with Naquin with breakthrough on his work for covers to book and album cover.  Watching American Horror Story season 2 - the opening title sequence soundtrack vivid electricity.

1) identification

(today) Photographing exceptional pages of Carl Jung's The Red Book for reference.

2) creation

(last two days) Finished proofing copied journal pages, then crumpled and burned original pages, photographing both.  Tracked dream and various floating ideas.

2) creation, 4) housekeeping

(today) Quote from the boys written.  Website maintenance.  Trimming and modifying protective case for smartphone to remove filter screen, remove cross-brace, trim speaker edging, and create unified/larger opening from stock grouping of sound holes.  Finished rough scripting of ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... chapter 13.

2) creation

(last two days) Tracked conversation with mom.  Reading transcribed journal pages from steno pad for accuracy.  Filming various student projects.

2) creation, 3) community

(last two days) Filming music video project with students.  Checking accuracy of transcribed steno pad section of journal.  Enjoying social media efforts, though primarily adjacent lines of communication.  Creating framing structure for teacher book.

2) creation, 3) community

(last few days) Finished transcribing steno notebook into journal proper.  Tracked conversation with mom.  Twitter activity feeling mildly natural.  Trade-in of old phone for new provides much higher quality built-in camera than I had been using.

2) creation, 3) community

(today) Part of Naquin's agreement to collaborate on new covers for ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... book and soundtrack was for me to begin utilizing social media.  Twitter account now established, though I suspect Naquin will insist I use it.  Also continuing work on transcribing steno notebook.

2) creation

(last few days) Most of the steno pad notebook now transcribed.

1) identification, 2) creation

(last few days) Hours transcribing steno notebook in university class.  Reading several books, Eats, Shoots Leaves; The Information; A History, A Theory, A Flood; Jung's The Red Book (Liber Novus).

1) identification, 2) creation, 3) community

(Last few days)  Hours at the poolside, transcribing the steno pad journal. Communication with Naquin on covers for book and soundtrack for ... fence posts rotting in the acreage....  Hooked on television show Awake.

3) community

(yesterday)  Drinks with Naquin and his lady - planning out the cover he will do for ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... book and cover for book soundtrack.  Hours of fevered shop talk and orientations on current art efforts and passions.  Naquin insists on repercussions to his involvement - an actual printed version, revised website, social media, and payment.  Agreed.

2) creation

(last two days) Another horrid university class begun tonight and after 15 minutes of eye contact I was able to work on copying an old journal into a new one, preserving a notebook format I happened into and would like to preserve.  Three hours of copying, running four pens down to the last of their ink reserve.  Will need to buy new ones soon.  Continuing work on The Great Falling Away.

1) identification, 2) creation

(last few days) Significant progress on a relatively short section of The Great Falling Away, chapter 13.  Nearing the end of the piece has become slow and dense but purposeful.  Also reading The Information, A History, A Theory, A Flood, by James Gleick.

2) creation

(last few days) Resuming work on The Great Falling Away , having plotted out the end for years and now facing the climb down.  Months of various treatments, notebook entries, and voice memos to work out the structure and overall placement in ...fence posts rotting in the acreage...

2) creation, 3) community

(last few weeks)  Contact with Naquin and setting plans for him to create new cover for ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... - creating shared on-line dropbox and selecting illustrations and photos as a reference pool. Some illustration work for children and copying old notebook.

2) creation

(last few days) Copying old journal into new, calling Naquin about possibility of him doing version of ...fence posts rotting in the acreage..., beginning a new illustration but stalling out.

2) creation

(last few days) Hours of work-focused writing.  Illustration work and reading.

1) identification, 2) creation

(last few weeks) Hours of writing everyday, mostly at night to midnight, 1:00 or later.  Work related efforts of communication, correspondence, public relations, efforts to maintain and generate extra income for family, and standard papers for school.  Watching film, Beauty is Embarrassing.  Some illustrative work for kids.

1) identification, 2) creation

(during the last week)  Hours on work related websites, pleased to have daily efforts have immediate audience; frustration this artifact log charts the efforts but not the content.  Thoughts to stop this or change it and post an actual piece each day, without reference/correlation to placement within ...fence posts rotting in the acreage....  Illustration work and reading, The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood, by James Gleick - I had started it once before but had not found momentum, now I have my own copy.

2) creation

(today) Writing the last chapter of The Great Falling Away, which will be a transitional piece between the rowing columns of ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... and what comes next.

2) creation

(today) Slight editing and work on ...fence posts rotting in the acreage...

2) creation

(Last two days) Tracking long and pervasive dream.  Illustration work nearly finished on fowl in rippling water, seeing the effect of color pencil to pull it together.

2) creation

• (today) Illustration work, refining feathering, ripples in water, and light on water.

2) creation

• (today) Copying old journal into new one.

1) identification, 2) creation

• (today) Finished Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.  Copying an old journal into current journal.

1) identification

• (past two days) Fully invested in Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

1) identification

• (today) Listening to Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.  I've heard for years about his work and of course identified with the themes we worked within as represented by Blade Runner.  Please to finally be setting off.

1) identification, 2) creation, 3) community

• (today) Watching Side by Side by Chris Kenneally, especially interested in comments on taking digital manipulation too far and the issues of archiving.  From the film, writing a few notebook quotes relevant to my efforts.  Adding links to three books on this website.  
• (last few weeks) Creating and polishing several websites for work.

1) identification, 2) creation

• (today) Pages of journal entries, most reflective.  Plans to copy old journal fragments in steno graph journal into current journal and to create easy digital copy by photographing pages.  Watching Swans: The Seer video (sent by Teeple), always kicking me into working on artifacts, especially the scenes of opening vinyl, signing the sleeves, and repackaging - the handling of completed artifacts.

2) creation

• (today) Journal entry on possible accidental poisoning of the boys by melting nine pounds of dry-ice, fun in closed in kitchen.

4) housekeeping

• (today) Backing up phone to primary computer, hundreds of voice memos of conversations, routines, environmental sounds, dreams, et cetera.

2) creation, 3) community

• (today) Split ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... on-line version back into the two books I originally intended.  Added back in link to book 2 on website and did slight revision on www.timcoalman.com.

4) housekeeping

• (today) Cleaning and organizing garage to create space for piano that has been precariously balanced atop a horizontal furniture dolly.  Placed and playing, especially vivid moment with my oldest, playing off of each other in note progressions and rhythmic patterns. 

2) creation

• (today) Illustration work on animal in pond, an unfamiliar piece attempted now because of student request.  Using the opportunity to experiment with brush pens I have not had much success with; but here the strokes re-present the feathering nicely.  
• (last few days) Decision to sell Zoom H4 and buy Q3HD for better video work and similiar audio quality.  Also, will split ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... back into two smaller books.

2) creation

• (today) Finished slight revision of the rear and created PDF copy for website.  Revised website www.timcoalman.com so both ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... and the rear have links to full digital copies of each book, downloadable.

2) creation, 4) housekeeping

• (last few days) Editing of the rear to create PDF and post on main website, short story idea written, tracking frustrating workplace encounters, and illustration work for students.  Some file management to section off and add to stray story bits and comic strips.  Notebook entry on all the recent progress being made.

2) creation, 3) community, 4) housekeeping

• (today) Backing up all material from laptop, finished superhero illustration for student in class, made decision to combine book 1 and book 2 of ...fence posts rotting in the acreage..., and working hours to finalize revision and create finished PDF file of chapters 1-10.  Great quote from the oldest boy in notebook.  Revised website and included new link to download ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... as a complete book, PDF, 412 pages.  Planning to duplicate availability and process for The Rear.

2) creation, 4) housekeeping

• (today) Hours of reviewing and editing ... fence posts rotting in the acreage... book 1 and book 2 to be posted on-line.  Illustrative work for kids.

1) identification, 2) creation, 4) housekeeping

• (today) Extensive condensing, organizing, and streamlining of digital files.  Reading Neonomicon, by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows while also dipping into fax exchanges between Dave Sim and Chester Brown.  The combination of reading the graphic novel in one pleasurable and stimulating sitting while intermittently trudging the morass of Sim's bigotry and vapid religious/narcissistic worming pushed me to post my ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... books 1 and 2 in their entirety.  Hours of editing and finalizing the first two books for posting and researching the best way to do so.

• Daily Message to Mom: *I learned the value of telling stories from you, and the highly valuable wisdom that perceived reality is highly subjective, in my writing I am trying to be a reporter for the sensory dazzle, ...all...these...pieces...are...accurate...and...true...

2) creation

• (last few days) Tracked dream and daily illustration work in classroom.

• Daily Message to Mom: *The cover to ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... is iconic for me as it shows our life in the townhouse and the quality of our time: vinyl collection in the background, the plastic red chair from the set with table where I played with action figures, pie pans with milk, brown shoes and bowl cut, sensitive little boy enamored with puppies, and newspapers everywhere to protect the carpet.

2) creation, 4) housekeeping

• (today) Finished editing chapter 12 of The Great Falling Away.  One chapter remaining to complete, began writing in 12/1998, some dry stretches of not working on it reaching years.  Printed the first 12 chapters and hand delivered to parents.
• (last few days) slight file management and organization.

• Daily Message to Mom - realizing mom is reading these frequently, if not daily, thought to write her a message each day.  *I appreciate the random nature of my childhood adventures, loaded into vehicles and out on the road, stopping at caves, odd businesses, and corners of dead end places - talking, talking, and stories of who we were and who we are.  Me in the back seat, listening.  When reading these books, these are our stories.

2) creation

• (today) significant progress on The Great Falling Away, completing chapter 12, sorting pieces to be used in chapter 13 and those to be abandoned.  Ill and off due to snow days, reading five or six hours, eyes aching.

2) creation

• (today) Prismacolor pencils arrive, 132 pencil set, lush colors - will be used when doing daily illustrations for kids to become comfortable with them for other illustrative work.  Editing on chapter 10 and 11 of The Great Falling Away and finished on both.  Debating whether to follow plotting I have in place for chapter 12 and 13 or return to original plans of only 12 chapters, losing some sections I want and have written.  Illustration for kid in class, hesitant and uneasy about women superhero pose, but after starting, quickly a decent sketching.  New CD by Low, Trust, arrives and listening now.  Some outlining notes on teacher book.

2) creation

• (today) Kid quote, of minor value in notebook. Yesterday napping, tracking ideas and again today idea for transition in fence posts based on conversation with mom. Tracking reporting on our conversation.

2) creation

• (today) Purchased set of 132 Prismacolor pencils, reading through notebook for transitional pieces for ...fence posts rotting in the acreage..., tracking environmental sounds in home.  Some editing and writing on teacher book.

1) identification, 2) creation

• (today) Wrote dialogue from the boys, notes for teacher book, and enjoying Atop the Fourth Wall.  Researching Prismacolor pencils to buy with funds from students.
• (last week) Archived internet bookmarks. Included below as a reference of sites I spend most of the two or three hours I read daily.  Not included - all published books and periodicals, bookmarks on phone, links that too directly point at my public/work persona, pornography, and random links or pages visited that I have not thought to bookmark. Some of these I read daily and comment as a member, others are not visited for months at a time.
•  Helpful Websites You Have Never Heard Of | Top 10 Lists | TopTenz.net
  A MOMENT OF CEREBUS
  ashens.com
  Comixpress.com - The Leader in Short Run Print On Demand Comics and Trade Paperbacks
  Eddie Campbell
  Fanedit.org - Fanedit News
  FirstSounds.ORG
  Found Magazine
  Gapingvoid | "Hugh MacLeod" Cartoons drawn on the back of business cards
  Internet Archive Blogs | A blog from the Collections Team at archive.org
  Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine
  JoCoLibrary - JoCoLibrary
  Love the Liberry
  Mike Birbiglia’s Secret Public Journal
  Moviefone.com
  Orange Amplifiers Crush PiX Series CR20LDX 20W 1x8 Guitar Combo Amp | GuitarCenter
  Panel Borders: Eddie Campbell - the life and many deaths of the artist : Alex Fitch : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive
  redlettermedia.com
  slacktivist - Fred Clark
  Social Sound Design is a Q&A site for Sound Designers.
  SoundWorks Collection | Exclusive Video Profiles of the Sound World
  SRBissette.com - MYRANT
  Tape Op Message Board :: Index
  The Comics Journal
  The Womb - Powered by Electricity!
  timcoalman (bandcamp)
  timcoalman (daily artifact log)
  timcoalman (official website)
  timcoalman (YouTube)
  Tropes & Idioms
  Wikiversity
  wired.com
  Wordplayer.com: WORDPLAY - Screenwriting Secrets from Working Screenwriters TERRY ROSSIO & TED ELLIOTT
  Young God Records
  ZergNet - Discover Interesting Articles
  Pandora One - Listen to Pandora with No Ads, Higher Quality Audio, and More
  Motion Picture Editors Guild
  Cinema Audio Society
  The Daily Beast
  How NOT to Write a Novel
  Honest Trailers
  CinemaSins
  Yuck Ratz

2) creation

• (today) selecting piece from notebook for ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... and illustrative work for kids.

2) creation

• (last few days) hours of illustration work for kids, a few notebook pieces, and momentum reestablished on ...fence posts rotting in the acreage...

2) creation

• (today) transcribing lines from the boys into notebook, uploading and sorting photos, some illustration inking.  moved three or four hundred pound piano across cul-de-sac from neighbor, given to us for cost of moving it out of their home for new sectional couch.

1) Identification, 2) creation

• (last few days) a few good quotes captured from the boys and current obsessions detailed in notebook.  clear visions of where ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... but little motivation to make the effort.  reading approximately three hours daily.  to movies two or three nights a week.  the falling into sleep a vivid phantasmagoria.  playing with the boys, especially scorpions.  Two weeks of organizing classroom.  

1) Identification, 2) creation

• (last few days) uploaded zoom to studio computer, sounds files going back at least a year - evidence that engineering efforts are in cold storage while writing.  pleased to find that cd release show for yuck ratz tracked well, no clipping and adequate headroom.  they played the cd and then two new songs to end the set; the zoom ran out of memory after the first new song, reminding me to keep it empty of nearly so instead of allowing files to be on there for so long.
• slight work on the great falling away
• plotting changes in website to post all of ...fence posts rotting in the acreage..., enamored enough with A Moment of Cerebus daily posts to imagine emulating, but thinking better to have chapters posted, or books entirely right up to current efforts, chapter 13.
• quotes from recent reading copied into notebook -  This is Not the End of the Book; Two Great Men Discuss Our Digital Future

2) creation, 4) housekeeping

• (last few days) backing up computer.  daily illustration work for students, setting a routine practice time.

2) creation

• (today) writing Beckett quotes in new notebook.

2) creation

• (today) purchase of new writing notebook, some editing and addition to the great falling away, 

2) creation

• (today) tracking routine of movie night with mom - horrid.

2) creation

• (Last two weeks) filming and simple edits on student projects and a channel for Ian to post videos.  illustrations, always close to realized, the rendering coming in, but just off.  finished off the notebook I'd been writing in since 3-1-2010, with a few pieces copied in from before then, found on loose papers and stray notes.

2) creation, 3) community

• (last week) illustrations, out of house to see Naquin's band, filming student projects and editing into finished pieces.

2) creation

• (last week) working up pieces on new guitar and amp set-up, tracking video of students in classroom and enrichment camp, and playing guitar with boys (introducing effects pedals).

2) creation

• (today) retrieved old PA speakers from parents house and wired amp - dead.  trouble-shooting blown fuses throughout, then guiding the boys playing.

2) creation, 3) community

• (last few days) helping write and edit a letter for mate denied college financial aid, writing and editing section for ...fence posts rotting in the acreage... chapter 13, writing individualized thank you cards to kids for holiday gifts - practicing cartoon sketches/characters and typography.  dinner and alcohol with Naquin (http://www.matthewnaquin.com/), discussing current art efforts and taunting me to put out the hundreds of pages written but seldom shared.