Timothy Garris

I’m finding that people are increasingly important in my life. I didn’t have much in the way of close relationships in my younger years, and I feel like that’s something I’m still trying to catch up on. A friend of mine recently described the difference between introverts and extroverts as this: introverts have to expend energy to be around others, and are recharged by being alone. Extroverts are the reverse. For a long time I’d thought of myself as an introvert, mainly because I spent most of my time alone and subsequently have many introverted tendencies. In the past few months I’ve started to revise that, because I’m finding that spending the week alone working is far more exhausting than socializing on the weekends. In the past when people would say that they were “introverted extroverts” or some such, I would consider it a ridiculous statement. But perhaps it’s not; maybe more of a scale and not quite as binary as that. Everyone is probably somewhere inbetween, including myself. Although I still do and always will relish my time alone, it’s not enough to live on. I’ve started having coffee with a few close friends every Saturday morning and it’s done wonders for my outlook. I highly recommend the practice if you find it hard to make time for quality interactions with people.

In related news, I’ve begun planning a not insignificant series of celebrations around my upcoming birthday. Last year it was stuck in the middle of finals week at school and a relocation week at my job, resulting in me having absolutely no free time. How things change in a year! It’s now the Saturday after finals end, and I’m a full time student. I’ll be going out to brunch, then spending the afternoon playing boardgames with as many friends as I can pack into a burger joint, then headed down south for karaoke. It’s a day I’m very much looking forward to, but I’ve got a lot to do in the meantime. Several papers are due between now and the end of the semester, and I have a new project at work that I actually enjoy doing. I’m working through Italian language lessons on the computer, and I purchased an acoustic guitar that I’m still trying to learn to play so that I can try my hand at songwriting. Then there’s always new juggling tricks to learn (still working on perfecting my Mill’s Mess), and I need to catch up on my gaming before some new things start coming out later this year. Also still working on getting in shape; in fact I think I’m going to start running soon.

Most importantly, though, I want to get writing again. I’ve been reading a book called The Writer’s Journey that has really been helpful and is making me take a fresh look at some of the big stories I’ve had kicking around. There’s one about a young woman in a city high in the clouds, and another about a family of pioneers. I also have a script I’ve been toying with. I won’t really have the time to dive in till after the semester ends, but my head is already swimming with new ideas. For now, I want to start it off by blogging more. To that end, I’m making Sunday my blogging day. Every week I’ll be trying to get something up, even if it’s even more inane than this post. This model worked for me before doing weekly short stories, so blog posts about anything should be no problem. And today is Sunday, so I’m already up one. See how that worked?

-Tim

At the end of last semester, I was coming apart at the seams. I managed to scrape by with my usual good grades and my social and professional obligations didn’t really suffer, but the quality and productivity of my personal time shot to hell. I wasn’t reading, or writing, or exercising. I wasn’t even devoting the time to watching movies or playing games that I would have liked to. Even a week’s leisurely vacation over the holidays didn’t help me to recover. The harsh truth is that poor time management is a cycle, and the more you let it slip, the harder it becomes to get it back under control. The good news is that cycle works in reverse too, and each positive improvement can make the next one easier. I’ve never been one for new year’s resolutions, but with a new semester and thus a new schedule starting for me next week, now is a natural time to work at resuming some positive habits that I’d like to make a regular part of my week again:

1. Sleep

Over the past few months, whether I’d start the day operating on 3, 5, 6, 8 or 10 hours’ sleep was anyone’s guess. I didn’t have the restriction of having to get up early for school when I was a young man, so left to my own devices I developed into something of a night owl. My first several jobs all consisted of evening shifts, which only reinforced my nocturnal ways. My current job is the first one I’ve had that has forced me to be up at the crack of dawn (7 AM), and I’ve struggled through it to varying degrees of success. School really ratcheted up the pressure on me last year however, and the combination of late nights up writing papers and early office hours began to take their toll on me. I think this is where my decline in productivity really began, because no matter how many plans you make, it’s impossible to execute on them if you’re chronically exhausted. Thus it’s fitting that I begin my new habits here. It will be the cornerstone of my new schedule, the rock that I will build my church upon. The church, you know, being greater productivity. The metaphor may need some work; I’m going to need you to extend me some credit on that one for now.

So how do I start? I did a little research on ways to help encourage quality sleep and reset the circadian rhythms. There are lots of minor changes that I’m making to help, but the main one is setting myself an earlier bed time. I’m shooting for 10-11 PM now, a big change from my 12-3 AM norm. This should allow me a good 8-9 hours sleep, the maximum a healthy adult normally needs (different people can get by healthily on anywhere from 6 to 9, depending on their body chemistry.) In order to help me keep these hours, I’m also going to start trying to get away from all computer and TV usage at 9 PM. It turns out that all that blue light mimics daylight, playing hell with the body’s internal clock. I’ll now be devoting the last hour of my day exclusively to reading or writing (by hand), things I need to make more time for in any case. I’m still adjusting to the new system but so far the results have been promising!

2. Food

Once my sleep schedule started getting out of whack, my eating wasn’t far behind. I’ve been spending more and more on it, eating worse foods and at more erratic times. I’m going to start keeping some snacks on hand in the car to help get me past those impulse fast food stops when I’m out and about, and I’m working on doing more cooking. I got a slow cooker late last year and I’ve been trying it out here and there on a few different recipes. Anyone who has one knows how awesome they can be, especially if you’re single. One meal prepared overnight with minimal work can go on to feed you for the rest of the week! I don’t prepare many dishes but I’ve always found fun in it, so I’m looking forward to a little more culinary exploration. I might even find some new foods to enjoy.

3. Fitness

I was hitting the gym pretty regularly a year ago, usually for about 40 minutes of cardio followed by 10-15 on the weight machine. The main reason was that I was smack in the middle of my first Buffy viewing, and anyone who’s seen the series can tell you how engrossing that is. I only allowed myself to watch that and Angel on my iPhone when I was at the gym, and consequently I ended up going pretty regularly. But I finished the shows, and then school got busy. It didn’t help that my apartment complex’s gym has gotten steadily worse as equipment has broken and not been replaced. So I ultimately stopped going, and consequently I’m not in the same shape that I was. I’ve decided to start working out at home, which has the advantages of both being more accessible and allowing me to use my nice big TV. I purchased a good jump rope today and some heavier weights, and I intend to get a few other things once some funds I’m expecting come through. As for my workout viewing? I’m a few episodes into Dr Who now, and after that I’m considering Eureka. My friend Jason also hooked me up with an invite to Fitocracy, so I’m trying that out as a new way of tracking my exercise routine.

4. Activities

I’ve made more productive time for TV watching and reading, but I need to go further. For one thing, I’m going to need to schedule in time for schoolwork, and actually stick to it. Otherwise I’m going to fall back into doing assignments at the last minute, which will mess with my sleep, and then the whole damn system falls apart. I’m also going to start using my idle time more meaningfully, which means more gaming, reading and watching films, and less time zoning out online. To that end, I’ve installed the Leechblock browser extension, and have it restricting my use of Facebook, Twitter, TVTropes and other notable time sinks to a mere 6 minutes an hour. It turns out that’s plenty of time to actually use those sites productively, and the rest is just waste. In addition, I really want to get back into the habit of daily writing. The creative juices tend to flow freer when you’re using them regularly, and mine have been sorely missed.

5. Cash

I never seem to have cash when I need it. I’m going to start carrying two dollar bills, because I want to be that guy. It turns out you can still just go get those at the bank! This is considered equal in importance to all my other initiatives.

-Tim

I’ve not blogged in awhile. It’s surprisingly hard to find time for updates greater in length than 140 characters. I had a fun summer though! I visited Toronto and Seattle, attended the Penny Arcade Expo and another U2 concert, and have been to a bunch of other just fantastic events. Then I abruptly was given the opportunity to go to school full time. This has been kind of like going from full speed forward, to dead stop, to full speed backward, in about a second. It’s a tortured analogy but I’m sticking to my guns on this one.

There is a lady of my acquaintance, let’s call her Amanda (that’s her name.) No, not that Amanda, the other one. And let us say that Amanda runs a website of monthly creative prompts that she calls The Scrawl (she does.) The prompt for September is (was) “If you could go back would you still do it?” I’m a little too genre-savvy to take that bait. Messing with the timeline never works out well, does it? I go back and keep myself from going to that one lame movie, all of the sudden the nazis won. Yes, I know it would have only been a few weeks ago. That’s just how time-travel works; it always makes the nazis win.

The truth is, I don’t regret many of my decisions. I’ve got good instincts and good reasoning, a powerful combination. Sadly, I also tend to be indecisive or procrastinative. I don’t care what my spellcheck says, I looked it up and that’s a word. The majority of my regrets are for things I didn’t do. Like this morning, where I read about 40 successive TVtropes articles instead of, say, writing or studying. The events I’ve talked myself out of going to, or the chances I’ve talked myself out of taking. I tend to make great plans, then fail in the execution either for lack of discipline or courage. These days I’m much better about the taking chances part. Discipline…well, it comes and goes. Scheduling is becoming important to my life these days, even if sticking to it is still a battle. I won’t lie, I’ve slipped. A lot. Would I go back and make myself more productive this past week? Tempting, but no. Cause, y’know, nazis. But I can learn from it, and do better next week. A goal which I believe starts with getting to bed earlier! Do you see where I’m going with this?

-Tim

Those of you who follow my Twitter feed will know what a bustling, busy month I’ve had. My time has been divided amongst too many friends and events to try to recount in the occasional blog post. Plus I can’t hang around indefinitely because I have lunch plans and then I need to start packing for Toronto. But while I have some time, I do want to answer a question I get occasionally.

“What do you want to do?” It’s not an unusual question. I don’t feel like I’m alone in thinking that it’s a notoriously slippery one to answer, however. I’ve always had a passion for creativity and storytelling. At various times over the past 15 years I’ve been determined to be a writer, game designer or filmmaker. Currently I’m attending part time classes toward a film degree, while pursuing writing on my own and helping to organize a writer’s group. And yet as I’ve grown older I’ve found myself still working out who I really am as an artist, while many of those around me have found their niche and are pursuing their dream projects. Oftentimes they don’t even know what they’ve got, and it falls to me to share my passion and explain to them how awesome and valuable their talent is.

But there’s something there, I think. It turns out that I enjoy being around artists and creatives as much as I enjoy creating for myself. I’m in my element when someone is bouncing ideas or problems off of me, and I love giving feedback on works in progress. For me, the drive to collaborate is very strongly tied to the one to create. Over the past few years my ideas of what I’d like to do with my life have matured into something a little more solid than what I had before, and I’d like to share some of those thoughts now.

Don’t get me wrong, I still want to be in a position to create for myself. I don’t think I could be wholly content just helping and encouraging others. But I think that needs to be a part of it. What I really want is a building. A big building. And this building should have sound stages and film production facilities, and offices and computers, and recording studios. I want to be able to meet filmmakers and game designers and writers and artists and musicians and say to them, “I really like what you’re working on, what do you need to make it happen?” And whether the answer is access to equipment, help from another artist in a different field, publishing/distribution help or just a bunch of money, I’d love to be in a position to hook people up with that. Of course, when I wanted to work on something personally, those same networks and resources would be there.

Am I being greedy? Yes, I’m greedy. And maybe a little unrealistic. Given the chance to do anything, I’d like to have a finger in many different fields. Maybe I just enjoy surrounding myself with creative people. That’s not the worst dream to have.

-Tim

There’s no small amount of irony in the fact that the week after my last post, wherein I mentioned my curious habit of stumbling into cool shows, I unexpectedly found myself taking in both Cirque du Soleil and The Strokes. And for nothing more than the cost of parking. I don’t know why this happens to me, maybe it’s just that I’m flexible with my plans. But I certainly hope it continues.

The first came about because a friend of mine had an extra ticket to Cirque du Soleil and was nice enough to offer it to me. The show I saw was Dralion, which is apparently a little more conventional than past shows. It being my first one however, I was still quite impressed. There was more music and dance involved than I expected, but it really worked. Each acrobatic act was more impressive than the last, and the clowns really made me want to get back into learning Italian. Certainly the juggler was fantastic and of particular interest to me, since I could look at his act from a mechanical standpoint and recognize many of of the tricks he did and just how difficult they are. The highlight of his routine was a brief flirtation with a 7-ball cascade, which made my paltry 3 seem utterly mundane. I was also really impressed by the woman who swung around on a large suspended hoop, especially by her finale where she twirled around rapidly until she became almost a blur. She was then immediately on her feet and walking around. Most of the acrobatics were merely the result of great skill and training, but I genuinely don’t understand how she was physiologically able to do that.

Although I was certainly able to appreciate the acts, I feel like they didn’t strike me in quite the same way as they might have when I was younger, or as they might have been seen in older times. Much as movies and video games may desensitize us to violence, I feel like they also desensitize us to the extraordinary. Now when you see something incredible you have to mentally correct for the fact that it’s not pretend, and -then- be impressed. There’s a disconnect there that I think is new to the human experience. My first impression when watching the acrobatics was something along the lines of, “Oh, I can do that…in Prince of Persia.” I’m not sure if making the instinctual connection between actions we see in the real world and experiences we have in a digital space is concerning or just fascinating. I suppose it’s more of a concern in terms of children. “Don’t try this at home” really is necessary if the line between fantasy and reality is becoming so fuzzy.

Wednesday evening I discovered that The Strokes were playing a free show for SXSW the next night. Now, I know I just talked about how I’ve lived here three years and have never done anything related to the festival. But the show was at the right time for me to go just after work, and the “free” bit did away with financial concerns. So I decided to give it a whirl on a whim. (Oh yeah, that sentence just happened.) And while I certainly had a great time, it was probably the least fun I’ve had at a concert. Part of that was that being an outdoor free show, I was assaulted with all manner of odors I could have done without. The sweaty press of of the mob did manage to propel me forward to a respectably short distance from the stage after they broke down the gate, but I could have done without quite so much shoving. And admittedly the music of the Strokes brings up mixed emotions due to prior associations in my personal life, which is no fault of theirs. But I also discovered that the degree to which I enjoy a band has a definite effect on my enjoyment of a live gig. I like The Strokes and think they’re a great group, but I don’t “love” them. Whereas if it had been, say, The Killers or U2 up there, I would have been losing my mind, crowd surfers kicking my head or no. But again, it was still an awesome concert and I wouldn’t have missed it, right up to the final fireworks-laden performance of “Last Nite.” (Apologies for the shaky camerawork.)

Speaking of U2, I’m hoping to see them again this summer. Most likely in Toronto, as an aside to a week of visiting various friends in Canadaland. That’ll be in early July…I haven’t made arrangements yet, but I’ve got the vacation time and I’ve got the money, so all should be milk and honey. Only, I don’t have a passport right now. I should probably see about that. Also still planning the sojourn back to Seattle in August for my triumphant return to PAX Prime. My summer is suddenly looking busy.

With all that’s going on, I’m ready to take the weekend to relax. The apartment could use some tidying, my cat needs attention, and I’ve a film history paper to write that necessitates the viewing of three classic westerns. After doing some research I’ve chosen Stagecoach, The Ox-Bow Incident and Tumbleweeds, all of which seem interesting enough. I’ve also been writing more fiction, partially because I’m trying out the new Windows version of Ommwriter. For those of you not familiar with it, it’s basically a minimalist full-screen word processor with no menus or anything else to distract you from writing in the default view. There’s also some optional soothing sounds and different backgrounds, which I’ve thus far ignored. Still, it seems like a really useful tool, and I recommend giving it a try if you do any amount of writing.

Tonight’s recipe is garlic cheese bread topped with pizza sauce and pepperoni. It’s like pizza but it’s not.

-Tim

Right. So. I’ve been too busy doing things to stop and take a minute to talk about it all. Which is not really the attitude one wants to have with a blog, is it? Noteworthy happenings abound, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention some at least in passing.

I’m slowly but steadily chipping away at the as-yet-untitled fantasy/”airpunk” story that I have going. I know the major events, the characters, their basic conflicts, and all sorts of little details that aren’t terribly important by themselves. This one really does seem to be coming along, and will likely be the largest thing that I’ve ever written. More updates on that as they become available. Which means whenever I can avoid being distracted by life or by writing other things.

Austin is abuzz with South by Southwest this week, and for the third straight year I am avoiding it completely. I really must check out some portions of it at some point, but thus far funding, time and energy haven’t conspired to allow me to partake of this quintessential Austin event. It’s just too large for me to wrap my head around. I’ve never attended ACL either, which is a source of shame. I am, however, looking forward to taking in more events in the future. Since moving to Austin I’ve steadily been increasing my attendence of live music, theatre, and other events related to areas of interest. Just recently I was able to attend a showing of Blue Man Group’s performance tour, which I enjoyed immensely. It’s probably the only instance in my life in which I will enjoy throwing pieces of chocolate into a man’s mouth and then having him spit it into my hand. I can’t see that coming up very often. Looking toward the future, I’ve purchased a ticket to the Arcade Fire concert in May, and am making serious plans to return to Seattle to attend PAX in September. Beyond that, I’ll take things as they come up. I tend to happen into opportunities to attend events randomly, which is how I ended up seeing Phantom of the Opera and Joshua Radin. I’m remaining open to whatever experiences Austin throws at me.

Speaking of my city of residence, it’s odd to think that I’ve now been here almost as long as I lived in Seattle. I’m amassing an impressive list of addresses for someone of modest means who is still closer in age to 20 than 30. Northwest Austin in particular is finally starting to feel like home. I’ve got my apartment somewhat outfitted in a way that pleases me, as opposed to the furnishing of necessity that characterized my early decor. I’ve gradually discovered nearby businesses and how they fit into my lifestyle. I’m sitting in a coffee shop near my place now, and I realize that I know the first names of every single barista that works here. Yet I couldn’t for the life of me tell you where the restroom is. Which I suppose says more about my feelings on public restrooms than it does about my familiarity with this establishment.

I have an idea for a script that I’m considering. It’s about light. I don’t know enough to say more just yet. I don’t want to divide my attention to much, but I’ve filed the notion away.

-Tim

Hello! This is my new little corner of the world wide web. As I become more committed to the things I’m creating, the importance of having a suitable place for them to live has grown. This site is still very much a work in progress, but it exists, and it’s an improvement over the free third-party hosted blog I was using before. This is my space, and what it becomes is entirely up to me. It’s worth noting that the weekly writing experiment from my previous blog has been retired. While I admit that it didn’t last as long as I might have hoped, I have nothing but good feelings about the results. Some of it will be discarded, but many of the pieces I wrote I’ve set aside to either polish up or expand into larger works. In fact, my immediate short term goal is to look into getting one of my short stories published in some form or another. The whole experience, even on the worst weeks, has pushed me forward tremendously as a writer. I may post snippets or entire stories here in the future, but that won’t be the primary focus of the site. Its purpose now is simply to be whatever, to display all of the content and experiences that I want to share with the world. It’s the only place you’ll find me, Tim. By day, your average e-commerce worker bee. By night, writer, blogger, film student and helpless subject to the whims of an orange tabby. There’s going to be a lot of cool stuff here in the coming months. I’m looking forward to it.

-Tim