Freelance Illustration: My Crazy Morning

It started with 50 things to do, all by lunchtime. It was possible to fit them all in, if I'd been calm and methodical. Instead I rushed and panicked and everything took twice as long. On the morning's TO DO list was:

1 Booking a taxi for 12.15

2 Chasing three unpaid invoices

3 Checking and answering emails

4 Paying an electricity bill

5 Making sure there was money in the bank to pay the electricity bill

6 Posting someone a CD of my Giddy Goat illustrations (for projection at a musical performance: more later)

7 Posting an invoice for last Saturday

8 Posting Georgia's drawing back to her school (and looking up the school's address up on the internet)

9 Updating my listings on my website

10 Getting books, posters etc packed for the afternoon's event
AND

11 Drawing a snake colouring sheet for a Class Two event the following afternoon

12 Emailing said snake to the event organisers for photocopying

OK, that's only 12, but it felt like 50.


I did the emails first: I can never resist them. They took longer than was ideal. I flapped a bit and knocked the contents of a pencil pot across the floor. I cursed. I booked the taxi before I forgot, then I chose books for the event, gathered posters, blutack, bookmarks, a piece of artwork to show.

I thought I'd best draw the snake next and get it emailed, as it mustn't fall off the end. It needed to be an ink drawing. I got ink, paper, but could I find the mapping pen? I hunted. I cursed. I found the mapping pen in a cupboard, with a piece of card taped over the end to protect the nib (left from when we moved). I tried to pull it off. It wouldn't budge. I pulled more vigorously. It flew off and I stabbed my finger hard with the sharp pen nib. I cursed. I sucked my finger.

I dipped the pen and began drawing. I got blood all over the paper. I cursed. I considered hunting for a plaster. I couldn't be bothered. I sucked my finger and started again. Blood smudged on my fingers, but the paper was ok. It was looking good, but the ink was thick in places: it would take a while to dry. I finished it off then dragged my sleeve through the wet ink: a huge black splodge obliterating his nose; a black cuff. I cursed. Then I saw I'd already smudged it in the other corner earlier and not noticed. I checked my hand. Black ink. I cursed.

I let it dry then scanned it into the computer and touched it up in Photoshop. Good as new. I emailed it across. It seemed to take a long time. I realised in my rush I'd not compressed it: it was 3MB. I emailed an apology.

I prepared the things for posting and rushed out to the post office, running until the wheezing became embarrassingly loud. I got back and allowed myself a mug of tea. I chased the invoices by email, phoned the bank, paid the bill, updated my listings. I looked at my watch. 11.40 - I had to have something to eat before the taxi!

I ran downstairs, made and scoffed a sandwich while pacing. I put on lipstick. The phone rang: the snake file was too big, it hadn't gone through properly. Could I send it again? I checked my watch. 12.00. I shrieked then cursed. I went back into Photoshop and saved the drawing again, smaller. I emailed it again. I gathered everything together and was in the hall for 12.14. Perfect. The taxi arrived. On time! Wonderful.

I opened the front door... and realised I had no idea where I was going. I rushed back up 3 flights, found the folder, took out the details, ran down three flights of stairs, put on the alarm, got into the taxi and... relaxed.

I spent the afternoon working at a drop-in centre on the other side of Sheffield, entertaining a miscellany of under 11s from Tinsley, who were at a loose end during the holiday: as relaxing as a hot bath, after that morning!!