I was chatting with my friend the incredibly talented Kelly Murphy recently about deadlines and the long hours we each spend in the studio. Long hours in which we are concentrating but also looking for material to occupy that part of your brian that is trying to get you to stop what you are doing. That same part of your brain is responsible for that annoying and monkey like specter of self doubt that you can find knocking about the corner of the studio after a good few hours if you are not careful. You need to give it something to keep busy so it does not notice that you are doing good work.
      Well if you find yourself on deadline or are facing a decent drive, Neil Gaiman's audio edition of the Graveyard Book is just the thing.
      It was hands down fantastic, touching, poignant and entertaining. You will notice the medal attached to the cover right over there so it should not be difficult to find eloquent and descriptive endorsements of this book.
      I  did miss the Dave McKean illustrations, as I am a huge fan of his work as well. But the reading was not to be missed. You will need to buy both.

Deadlines and the final stretch

 I wish that I could remember the quote concerning the end of long projects that came to mind late last night...or even exactly how the quote went......but as I mentioned...it was late.....and I am back at my desk today...early. In  any event, the quote was from someone at a well known animation studio talking about the final stages of a film and how it often feels as though they( the team) really get a good handle on a project when it is nearing completion. Nothing feels more true right now. While I will welcome the addition to sleep into my routine once again I will miss that feeling of flow that some books take on. Like a well suited travel companion. But I have a few more weeks on this the caffeine fueled trip. Anxious about the deadline? Sure. But I think if you look really closely at the guy on the clock you see a hint of a smile.