45 DAY / 45 POINT PLAN

“It’s a 45 Day Plan.” - Michael Scott

Don’t blink. 

Back to school. 

Summer’s nearly over. Officially.

Flown by faster than Maverick’s F-18 over San Diego.

And I’ve barely written a word of anything.

No emails. Manuscripts. Instagram posts. Letters. Nothing save for a few sheets of notes. Hardly touched my pens, inks, paints. I’ve hardly drawn. Built. Crafted. Nothing. 

AND I still haven’t even seen this summer’s top grossing movie Top Gun: Maverick. 

I wanted to write. 

I intended to write. 

Like a kid at camp - ‘I promise to write everyday!’ 

I wanted to make - create - film. I had ideas: short stories, reflections, the start of a book, micro-movies, and reels. I even had the time for Pete’s sake! Scraps of hours here and there between trips and commitments. Weeks in between. ‘I’ll even get up early!’ Good intentions fallen flat.

I didn’t get to any of it. 

I suppose that I was too distracted by fun. Sailing. Swimming. Partying. Playing. Campfires and ocean-side sand castle making and sardine-sleeping at another random highway road stop whilst travelling with my wife and kids. And driving. So. Much. Driving. Pin-balling across the province and beyond. So. Much. Coffee. 

I’ve also been distracted by grief, confusion, and indecision. A couple months back we penciled in big plans to move out of province. Start fresh near the shores of the Atlantic. Chase down dreams in a new land. I didn’t think it wise to start a project I couldn’t finish - so I sat on my hands and did nothing instead. Joke’s on me. Our plans haven’t materialized. No big plans to move. And no clear direction for my life (as of yet). I figure that I can sit and wallow in my grief and self-pity.

Or get back to work.  

Write. Craft. Tell as many good stories as I can in as many different mediums that I get my hands on. 

Tell good stories for goodness’ sake. 

With that in mind, I’d like to introduce my Michael Scott certified 45 Day Plan. For the poor saps who don’t know - Michael Scott is the ‘worlds best boss’ from The Office - and a daily inspiration to me. 

The plan is simple:

It’s a 45 day plan. 45 days to get us back on track. 45 points. It’s a 45 day/45 point. One point per day. We get the 45 points we are back in business!

Over the next 45 days I plan to write, draw, create. Critique. Reflect and comment on my journey as a creator and my history in the church and life in the faith. I am in an in-between sort of place. Caught between worlds. A spiritual nomad. A pilgrim on a bizarre journey to who-knows-where. And I want to dedicate time to express my insights and experiences in the land in-between through art: stories, visuals, movies, content. 

45 days. 45 things. 45 days of something. Sometimes I’ll drop a series about an idea. Hopefully coherent. Sometimes it will be drivel. Nonsensical ramblings. Sometimes short. Sometimes long. Sometimes I will share something colourful and moving and hopeful. Sometimes provocative. Sometimes sad. Sometimes bland. Sometimes i't’ll be an image, or a movie, or an article. A series of individual mini projects that make up a collective singular project. A rope of many strands. A curation of ideas. A living gallery of expression.

45 days of some things that will hopefully make a something. And after 45 days of getting it all out there we’ll be back in business. 

And you can take that to the bank.

Follow the plan on ‘the gram’ (@chasing.lion) or on Facebook (@chasing.lion) and through email (this thing right here).

45 days to get back on track.

“And limo lady - we’re going completely carbon neutral!”

Twirly spin move. 

Applause. 

Exit stage.