Stuck on the sticking point of drudgery

One of the photos from Text on the Surface, my maybe almost finished, maybe never finished  on-line course.

I'm about to glue myself to the bed and pull the covers over my head. So close and yet so far. I finally finished my on-line course test version (need to notify the test pilots, too) and I really do like the way it looks and works. BUT to make it really finished (and usable to the participants), I need to go in adn turn every lesson (there are at least 20) into a pdf, upload it to my .mac public folder, add links and password protect each one on the web page that matches it, and then, no doubt, test every link, blah, blah, blah. Like  I said, where are the covers, where are the bon-bons.

The hard part is done -- but that's the creative part, too -- and all that's holding me back from completion (if anything like this ever is complete -- I also keep thinking of things that should be added) are these little niggly finishing bits of boring activity. That will take several hours. I want to scream, give up or throw a hissy.

Then of course i also have another sleeve and label to sew on an art quilt that has been accepted in an exhbit. Great to be accepted, but I HATE making those sleeves.

Does anyone out there have ways to trick yourself into the boring part of the work? If I could, I would hire someone to do some of this work for me, but I really can't afford that, and the tasks actually don't seem very "farmable-out" to the helpers I have available (my neighbor does do filing for me and trades me art work for that task).

Somebody encourage me! Give me your self-deceptive or come-to-Jesus tricks that get your though the parts of your work that you really can't stand to do! I can't even think of any rewards that make these last bits bearable. Whine. Whine. That's the rest of the crankiness, I can't believe I am so petty and whiny about it, either.

Comments

[Pat S.]

It sounds like you need a weekend workshop on finishing techniques! I am whining along with you on tiny finishing details of the two pieces I nearly finished in the workshop last weekend. Pat

[Sue Cooke]

Ack Susie! Adage: you can eat an elephant if you take small bites. Carve up this elephant. Use time or tasks, just do that one little bit today and then find a reward...a swim, a walk, OK-bon-bons, really decadent ones, Godiva Chocolate. They do mail order. It comes in a cold pak styrofoam box. ONE piece savored with tea/coffee when the day's little piece of elephant has been chewed. You can do this! Girl - you WROTE A BOOK- you can do anything! Mmmmm choco-elephant

[Diane]

Baby steps! Ask yourself what is one thing you could do right now -- then go munch on chocolate elephants for awhile!

So when does this online class begin and where do we sign up for it? Sounds like just the "next right thing" for me. Cheers -- Diane

[PD Crumbaker]

Two words that worked successfully for a friend of mine: "student intern." My friend consistently used two bright young interns per semester from the fashion design dept. of a local university per semester: dollars: zero; value - priceless. (Of course it's the wrong time of the year for that now, but something you might investigate in the future.) They did a variety of things from drudge work to fabric dying to packaging for vendor booths to writing and designing.

[PD Crumbaker]

Wish I weren't headed for Australia for August. I'd gladly do some of your drudge work as a swap for classtime. Let's talk in the future!