Every now and again, a creative wave I was riding bottoms out and I end up stranded on a shore somewhere waiting for a new wave to come along. It seems to be how creativity works for me—I am filled up 80% of the time and 20% of the time I’m empty. The problem is, I need to be producing work 100% of the time because, uh, I need to pay my bills.

This is where the To Do List comes in handy. I make a list, do everything on it (even things like voting and finding a pencil to vote) and then I’m done for the day. This takes the stress out of being creatively empty. I’m not flailing around going, “What should I do next? I can’t think of anything interesting. Oh no, I will never write again!” I am busily doing the things my list tells me to while I’m waiting for something to inspire me. This is comforting.