First off, the new episode of the podcast is out, give it a listen! There’s free stuff!
Let’s see, weird sleep, low level disorientation, messed up dreams? Yep, that’s daylight savings time. Let’s get the brain in gear.
The week is looking pretty manageable for builds. On the docket are the second Smol from the beginning of Friday’s builds, and 4 Sonks. As the internals of the Smol are already built I should be able to get that done today, and I can usually do 2 Sonks a day, which means I could have a little flex time this week.
Being someone who does suffer from frequent bouts of insomnia, it’s something I’ve learned to accommodate for in my work schedule. I try not to fill up all available time just in case I need a bit of recovery, and I think I’ve found a good sweet spot for both being able to get things done, but also not push myself into the ground.
I’m acutely aware of how lucky I am that I get to make these kind of choices. Most people living with health issues don’t have the luxury. Capitalism demands nothing less than everything.
I could definitely push myself harder and yield more output, and in most companies that’s exactly not only what would be expected, but the only metric of “success”. But the result would be burnout and declining quality, and resentment towards the work. Puppet building is a personal, careful, thoughtful process. It may mean more puppets but they’d be worse for it and I would hate doing it. Not willing to let that happen for the sake of a few more potential dollars.
So today I will get up, post the blog, have some breakfast, make a trip to the post office to drop off a couple of puppets to their new owners, and settle in to enjoy building. The affection and joy in the process will be reflected in the work, and that’s what will form the connection between any individual puppet and a new client.
It’s only possible to do with some self care. And coffee.