Inspiration or Insanity?

"Certainty is a closing of the mind." Milton Glaser

This quote was the needed spark to get me to post again after my month long dry spell. I have no more time to write a post now than I did a month ago, and maybe even less, but inspiration does great things to help us find time.

I have listened to all the organized writers that say you need to have an outline, or note cards, or programs and graphs to help you work your story out. Refer to the above quote and I say, balderdash! I'm a muddled mess of a pantser who is too far gone to change her ways. I need inspiration--incessant, daily, unending inspiration. (I edit and do other things when the muse is playing hookey)

NaNoWriMo time is here and I must be crazy to put myself through it again--but I will. I have one book I should be promoting, another I should be finishing and I am going to start a third? Now? Really? I'm fu@%ing crazy but it is like an addiction that I must feed--this fiction writing endeavor. 

The thing is, for so long I perseverated over my first novel--I won't even say how many years (it's embarrassing). My second attempt last year (through NaNoWriMo) exploded into two stories that needed to be two different books. One of those is close to being finished, but the other needs--well--a story. It's time to deal with that front and center. Maybe this year the stars are aligned right to help me finish. 

Enough of the insanity and back to the inspiration I spoke of. 

I found a great video for any artist that needs inspiration and clarity. Jonathan Fields of the Good Life Project interviewed artist Milton Glaser. One of Glaser's comments in the video that grabbed my attention was:

"Everything exists at once with its opposite, so the contradictions of life are never ending. And somehow the mediation between theses opposites is the game of life."

Now doesn't that make you feel better, knowing that this insanity of the writer's life (well, this writer's life anyway) is part of life's game. That is somehow comforting. Makes it almost sound normal.

More specifically he spoke of the struggle writers/artists complain about incessantly, 'How can I write and market at the same time?' Writing is an in the moment activity. But marketing. . . 

 "Marketing is the enemy of art because it's always based on the past."

So, trying to find that middle road between marketing my first book, finishing my second novel and creating my third all at the same time will be my struggle this month. You will probably not hear from me until the month is over. That's the insanity part.

Are you having inspiration or insanity problems? What do you do to cope?