This is a list I had made up in early 2009. I thought it was funny then and still holds true now so I am sharing it here with you cause being that I just finished two scrolls this week I still hold all these stages to be true. :) [NOTE: These stages can really be applied to any art form really. I just happen to be a scribin' crazy person so I made it for scrolls.]

Stage 1 – Procrastination – I have plenty of time to do the scroll, a month…then it is three weeks…then a little over a week…then oh s***!!! It is due in three days, time to panic. (These times are adjustable, some take longer or less time depending on complexity).

Stage 2 – Delusion – I have this really cool idea for scroll! I found photos and samples and colors and let us do this in a really large format and all this gold, with special knotwork, and special lines and color blendings…blah, blah, blah. This is going to be GREAT!!!!

Stage 3 – Impatience – I have to finish putting in all the pencil work and lines and measuring and crap. I want to paint, write, put down size and gold…blah, blah, blah. I hate doing this initial design process. I want to DO the SCROLL!

Stage 4 – Pessimism – It doesn’t look right. Look I messed up and the text took up too much space and now I can’t put all the artsy stuff on the bottom. The colors look flat and the gold isn’t shinny enough. Freaking ink didn’t lay down evenly it looks like HECK!!! Why do I do this to myself? There isn’t enough time to start over! Darn it all! I don’t like it, I don’t like it at all. I want to toss it! I am not doing any more scrolls for a while, this SUCKS!

Stage 5 – Hope – Well it is starting to look … ok … now. The highlights really add to it. The ink outlining is making the gold really pop and shine. The colors are looking nice laid on top of each other like that. You can’t really see the ink shading now that all the colors are in the illumination. This might actually TURN OUT NICE! Wow…who knew?

Stage 6 – Optimism – Wow that looks pretty as it is held up in court. I did that…it was me. ME, me, me, me. I did the pretty. Oh you love your scroll, I am so happy you like it. I like it too. It looks great. Congrats. Yeah, happy me, happy receiver, happy court herald cause I remembered at the last minute to print out the words and tape them to the back. Happy, happy, happy AFTER GLOW. This is almost as good as sex, it is just as messy and well it takes longer to finish.

Stage 7 – Realism – Oh, ok, yeah. I will take on another assignment. It wasn’t that bad. I was over reacting. I have time, email it over when you get home. Still after glowing a little. Return to Stage 1.

Heather Rose MacGordon
East Kingdom, Barony of Concordia of the Snows, Family Feckin
EK Scribe, Order of the Maunche