That’s a phrase I first heard listening to Marc Maron on Morning Sedition. The show featured bits designed to seem real — fake phone calls, interviews, emergencies in the studio. On occasion a comic would refuse to break character, even when the routine didn’t work, or had wrapped up half an hour ago. “Committing to the bit,” Maron would say.
When I took on the character of Middle Aged Artist with ADD last year, I wasn’t sure how long it would last. If I learned all the tricks for managing time and improving self-awareness, if I found the right medication and working routine, I thought my performance as the distracted artist would end.
I’ve made progress. I’m getting things done. My distraction is a ghost of itself when my brain is Ritalinized.
I’ve finished projects that have followed me for years like Marley’s coin boxes (though my boxes were unlocked and open, spilling ideas and artwork.)
But glance down the page.
Two months have passed since my last blog post, and another two months before that.
Despite my best efforts to break character, it appears that I’m committing to the bit.
Mark, we must support one another and not let our blogs turn into a series of “OMG my last post was so long ago!!” posts.
Let’s pick a theme and each write a post on it.
You pick the theme! (I can’t do all the work!
)
Its so hard to stick with something when you’ve got ADD. Before I just thought I was flighty, at least now I know why. But it scares me because I’m afraid I won’t find a career I’ll be able to stick too.
Jay, the theme is What I Did This Summer. Oddly enough, it looks like a few months need to pass before we can report on it, which should work out just fine.
Aury, speaking of flighty, it took me a while to approve your comment because I couldn’t find my wordpress password. What sort of career do you follow at the moment? With the economy sinking into Deflation (a concept I’ve never heard before until recently; the reverse of inflation, where things have little value, and spending money is the only measure of wealth), and unemployment growing, I wonder if sticking with any one career is necessarily the best way to go. Perhaps ADD will give you the flexibility to stay on your feet when the ground keeps shifting.
Also, I’m not sure if many ADDs have long careers in any one thing. The nature of the beast. But these days, I’m not sure that anyone expects to have a long career. America is turning ADD.
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