I’ve said yes! and Yes!! and YES!!! to so many projects I have a back log decades long. No joke. Sketches and mock ups, partial layouts and plans that only exist in my mind’s eye.

I’ve slowly started moving through them – finally. The feeling of being overwhelmed subsiding ever so little, but only if I focus on what is right in front of me.

If I think for even a moment of the many promises waiting to be fulfilled on the shelf  behind me, the flow shuts down and I run off and start a load of laundry or a deep clean of the bathrooms.

I’ve had a creative mentor and business accountability partner for almost a year now and she has profoundly influenced my ability to focus, prioritize, accept, and move through the b.s. I put in my own way. And, there’s nothing like a deadline, self imposed or someone else’s, to clear the plate. Like say, your kid’s best buddy’s birthday.

Last year, a dear friend’s son found out he had diabetes, landing him in the hospital for a short time and putting his family in a whole new relationship with carbs. Shortly afterward, he tested positive for Celiac disease. Double crap (gluten free) sandwich.

His class made creative and hilarious cards and after a going through, my friend handed them to me to ‘do something with.’ My mind was a whirl. I scanned and cleaned them up right away then sat on ideas for an entire year.

I count her as one of my favorite people because there are no feelings of unmet expectations with her – which also accounts for why she is such a marvelously relaxed mother of three. I didn’t feel guilt around her, but there were many times I wanted to mention, lie really, that I would have those cards back to her any day now.

When she opted to celebrate a full year of her son successfully managing two huge lifestyle changes with an over night at a dude ranch, I found my deadline. The form took shape quickly (a poster!), the work was quick (scanning and cleaning done months ago!), and the flow took over. I had the 36″ x 24″ poster printed at Miller Imaging and Digital Solutions in half a day and delivered the gift on time.

If you’ve seen Captain America, the First Avenger, you know who Red Skull is, but you may have missed how ridiculous he sounds as he threatens the Captain saying, ‘You don’t give up, do you?!’ Or maybe you just need 10 year olds to reenact it over and over and over until you can’t help but chuckle every time you hear it. That phrase became a comical mantra after we all watched the movie together last summer.

Seems appropriate for a kid who proved he was stronger and more adaptable than he knew. And for anyone with the chutzpah to keep at life, art, love, work, adventure, even when the tasks at hand are daunting. All we really need is a good friend, a mentor, and our sights set directly in front of us.