Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

I spent all of February working on a new full first draft of a new play.  I wrote 117 pages in 30 days.  That's hugely impressive.  Just for the sheer volume in that period of time.  It obviously wasn't a polished draft, but it wasn't a shit show either.

And I heard that first draft on Friday night with my writer's group in a marathon of readings.  I got notes and I have decided that I need to put the play down for at least a few weeks while I let all of that information digest.  In the meantime, I have a new pilot I want to write.

That means that here I am on Monday, at the West Hollywood library with my two friends who I meet up with twice a week for a writing date.  I have a regular writing routine that I adhere to every week.  I do something every day that relates to my writing.  That could be watching a TV show for research or a documentary or reading an article or reading a book or talking to someone.  I am doing something every day.  Some days I'm even writing.  It's all productive.

But here I am again on another Monday starting a new project.  I am like so many writers here at the library or at a Starbucks or a Coffee Bean or at the Intelligencia Coffee or at their home offices.  We're thinking of new things to put out into the world.  We're being inspired.  We're going to the art museum to look at new exhibitions.  We're Googling.  We're interviewing someone.  We're sitting in front of our laptops and desktops or ripping out pages from yellow legal pads.  This goes on and on and on every day.  It's a grind.

And even when the words aren't coming or I'm too tired because I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, I'm forcing myself to get my fingers working by writing a blog entry.  It's something.  It's a contribution.

That's the thing.  I have to make a contribution every day.  There needs to be something I'm doing just a little bit every day.  And that adds up to a lot over time.

I have a stack of books at home that I need to get to.  I'm constantly feeding my brain so that what I produce is enhanced.  I am grass fed beef.

I am grateful that I got up this morning.
I am grateful that I thought to write something.
I am grateful that despite my frustration, I keep going.
I am grateful that I am an optimistic person.
I am grateful for my productivity.
I am grateful for insight.