'My Perfect Holiday'.

Okay, so my new English GCSE tutor has given the class the most condescending homework I've ever been given - I'm almost twenty years old now, and a 500 word essay about my perfect holiday to act as some kind of gauge of my writing skills is borderline offensive. Regardless of the insult, I've written something anyway.

My 'dream holiday' would be an excursion from the weekly dull rigours of college life, which has long ceased to provide any challenge or stimulation. Day after day I'm asked to study information I already know, to compare poems of no relevance or interest to me in a handheld fashion that discourages personal discovery in favour of "academia". I would use the week away from my academic life to book a small hotel room in Paris or Helsinki with my partner, alternating between taking in the local customs and culture - wine and art in France, or Northern Lights and sleigh rides in Finland - to getting back in touch with my own creative roots.

I'd take a small collection of classic literature; a translation of the definitive Faust by Goethe, as much of the acidic, sharp wit of Oscar Wilde as I could possibly fit in my suitcase, contrasted with the melancholy mental meanderings of the solitary scribe, Edgar Allen Poe. With nothing but a pen and paper at my disposal, I would spend the evenings inspired by some of the greatest writers I've ever read, and finally exercise my own poetic muscles once more, painting paper with ink as I have not had the time to do in months.

In essence, it would be a getaway from my academic life, to better my creative life. I would dine on cuisine I'd yet to try - but not in Helsinki, because a traditional Finnish dish is raw reindeer genitalia. In France, I would try all the wine they had to offer, and try my best to experience every museum, gallery, and theatre.

-unfinished-

ARGH

I have so much to do at the moment. Luckily, thanks to a near-obsession with work and some ruthless organization, I'm staying afloat, but the workload will remain constantly heavy for the next four months, until I can finally sit back and breathe for an entire summer before packing up my entire life and heading off to University. Okay, so as much for my benefit as for anyone reading, here's a brief list of what the next fifteen weeks or so contains for me:

• Radio Drama Final Major Project: "Monsters in Whitechapel" Conceived and scripted by me, this should begin recording in the next couple of weeks, or so I hope. The script isn't quite done yet, but I'm hoping the final piece will reach about ten minutes in length. It'll then be posted on my YouTube with some accompanying photos, etc.
• Music video for Loyalty And Life by Centralia DC: The guys at CDC have been kind enough to give me and Creepsley permission to use one of their fantastic demo tracks for our music video project. This is probably the biggest thing I'll have to get done over the next four months, but fuck, am I looking forward to it.
• Several articles and a layout for Tag Magazine: So the college's media students run a magazine every year, which I've currently contributed about five articles to. I think I only have two or three left to write, one including an interview with a local comedian and close friend, and I've got to knock up a Dorling Kindersley style layout for a gadgets double spread. Looking at it now, I've taken care of a majority of my responsibilities.
• English GCSE: This is more a minor annoyance than anything. I've got an A for every bit of coursework I've thrown at it but we have a new tutor, and I hate the wench already.
• Film Studies AS: Kinda stressed about this one. Time passes too slowly for my liking in exams, and I have a sinking feeling about it.
• Organize some form of legible portfolio in time for February 23rd: I've gotta get all the stuff I'm taking to impress the Uni people at Farnham together. I'm aiming for ten pieces of written work, ranging from hard to soft news, though the bulk will be made up of reviews 'cause those are, quite frankly, the easiest thing for me to generate. I'll also take along, say, five examples of inDesign work (My PhotoShop skills don't deserve any showing off yet) and my radio documentaries on a USB stick.
• Music video documentary: A little documentary on the making of the modern music video. I've already got some stuff filmed but it's an entirely self directed project on top of all the other stuff I'm dealing with.

I have to say, this is the most work I've ever dealt with all at once, and there are some pretty major things in that list, we're talking work that can shape my future, and other people relying on me to create something worthwhile. Centralia DC -well, mainly the bassist, who's a pretty awesome guy if I'm not coming off like too much of a kiss-ass - have trusted me with representing them through a demo track. The idea for the music video is a pretty ambitious one, too, but I'm sick of playing it safe. We've got cameras and we've got editing equipment. We can pull this off.

The great thing is that at first, this workload strained me, and I avoided work, afraid of drowning in the tide of evaluations and all important grades. But then something clicked, and I just stopped worrying and started working.

And it stuck. I've kicked procrastination - the sooner I can get something done, the better. For once I'd been able to finish an essay well before the deadline. I'm drafting and redrafting work in my own time, and it doesn't just feel like a mindless grind, or like I'm just another cog in the system. I'm really enjoying everything, daunting as it is.

The best part so far? I don't feel like I'm at my limit. I have a lot to get done, but the work is boosting my confidence and making me realize my own capabilities, and I know I can achieve far more than I am doing. I feel an intense sensation of self improvement, and right now it really feels like I'm going to waltz through my uni interview, get a place, and be off to live the scummy student dream.

Right now though, I should sleep. I've been kinda chilled today, but there's still plenty of work to be done, and I can't tackle it unrested.

Good night, blogspot.

-Laurie