As I've been transitioning from two chunks of work down to one each day – summer break early, given the swirling circumstances – the toughest part is reconciling two realities: One, that by working less, I'm letting the creative part of me drift away, just a bit more than normal, the majority of the day being dedicated to non-creative (though, in some cases, not unenjoyable) pursuits and responsibilities. The second is that by working less and letting that part of my identity slip, I accomplish more in the few hours in which I allow myself to indulge the creative side before the day's run: it wasn't until I went to my summer schedule (which will, most likely, be permanent) that I found my footing with the Fictions (the former Project500, keep it simple and all) and blasted through the first one. The second chunk of work an (oft-failed) effort to assert an identity that didn't need assertion to begin with? Or, perhaps, I need the other stuff to help fill the well more than I had previously thought. Whatever it is, I'll take it – but that doesn't make it an easy reconciliation. An essential one, yes, but not an easy one; recording this as a note of the benefit of present effort.