Carla Ulbrich: Blog
some writing about writing - January 11, 2010
As some of you know, I've been writing a book during the course of the past year. It's a collection of humorous essays about dealing with illness- and health care. My publisher asked me do a little writing about writing, so I'm sharing this with you all here as well (then maybe I'll sing some of my songs about singing and talk about talking while walking to the treadmill):
I write usually when I get up, while my mind is fresh, or late at night, when the whole neighborhood is quiet. I’m usually teaching guitar lessons in the afternoon. My next-door neighbors have lots of keg parties, so I don’t even bother trying to write on weekend nights.
I don’t deal well with noise distractions. There’s nothing I can do about that stupid leafblower that shows up every Tuesday for five hours. My husband is far more cooperative. Sometimes when he’s listening to music, I gently offer him a pair of headphones. Or if he’s playing the guitar, I suggest maybe my office upstairs might be more comfortable for him. He always obliges.
every couple hours i have to get off the chair before my butt molds into the shape of the chair. i find doing something really mundane, like sweeping the sidewalk, helps me clear my head and even sort out something i might have been stuck on. Julia Cameron (the artist’s way) refers to these kinds of repetitive “mindless” tasks (mowing the lawn, taking a walk, sweeping, taking a shower, washing dishes) as “artist brain” activities- they occupy your left brain, the side where the critic lives, enough to allow the right brain to work uninhibited.
i don’t like to work in clutter, so sometimes part of my procrastination ritual is cleaning. Just the clutter. I leave the sweeping for later, to placate my right brain.
Why aren’t I using my office to write? Too messy. Plus, if I go downstairs to get a snack, I might not remember to come back up. I pushed a couple card tables together in the kitchen and put a big piece of plywood and a tablecloth over them and took it over. There’s room for the laptop, the manuscript, my scraps of paper, my pens, liquid paper, and a big glass of green tea. And a couple squares of chocolate. All my projects are chocolate-fueled.
My absolute favorite place to write is on an airplane. You’re trapped and there is nothing else to do. That’s a pretty expensive office, so I only write on the plane when I’m already going on a trip.
As far as time goes, I try to take a somewhat disciplined approach to writing. if I only wrote when the muse struck, I wouldn’t get much done. And I find when doing a large project, like a book (as opposed to writing a song or a blog entry), I need to work in one large block of time so I don’t repeat myself. I use my iCal program, and every month I block out writing time for almost every day. Some days it’s just an hour, other days 3-4 hours.
As far as planning what I’m going to say, I have a very undisciplined approach. I try to write from a place of deep honesty, as much honesty as I can muster. I don’t want to sound contrived or academic, or preachy. I still have my papers from high school to remind me I’m capable of that. So, for that reason, I don’t plan out the book in advance. I like to let it reveal itself to me as I write. I basically splat my feelings all over the page, then try to mold them into something slightly less maniacal later. Sometimes you don’t know what you have to say until you start saying it, so I like to allow myself the chance at the beginning to say anything and everything I need to say.
Keep in mind, however, this is my first book, and not only are the reviews not out yet, the book isn't even out yet. So judge for yourself whether this approach to writing is really one you want to follow. It seems to work for songs, but, aside from Freebird, Stairway to Heaven, and American Pie, songs are a lot shorter than books.
I write usually when I get up, while my mind is fresh, or late at night, when the whole neighborhood is quiet. I’m usually teaching guitar lessons in the afternoon. My next-door neighbors have lots of keg parties, so I don’t even bother trying to write on weekend nights.
I don’t deal well with noise distractions. There’s nothing I can do about that stupid leafblower that shows up every Tuesday for five hours. My husband is far more cooperative. Sometimes when he’s listening to music, I gently offer him a pair of headphones. Or if he’s playing the guitar, I suggest maybe my office upstairs might be more comfortable for him. He always obliges.
every couple hours i have to get off the chair before my butt molds into the shape of the chair. i find doing something really mundane, like sweeping the sidewalk, helps me clear my head and even sort out something i might have been stuck on. Julia Cameron (the artist’s way) refers to these kinds of repetitive “mindless” tasks (mowing the lawn, taking a walk, sweeping, taking a shower, washing dishes) as “artist brain” activities- they occupy your left brain, the side where the critic lives, enough to allow the right brain to work uninhibited.
i don’t like to work in clutter, so sometimes part of my procrastination ritual is cleaning. Just the clutter. I leave the sweeping for later, to placate my right brain.
Why aren’t I using my office to write? Too messy. Plus, if I go downstairs to get a snack, I might not remember to come back up. I pushed a couple card tables together in the kitchen and put a big piece of plywood and a tablecloth over them and took it over. There’s room for the laptop, the manuscript, my scraps of paper, my pens, liquid paper, and a big glass of green tea. And a couple squares of chocolate. All my projects are chocolate-fueled.
My absolute favorite place to write is on an airplane. You’re trapped and there is nothing else to do. That’s a pretty expensive office, so I only write on the plane when I’m already going on a trip.
As far as time goes, I try to take a somewhat disciplined approach to writing. if I only wrote when the muse struck, I wouldn’t get much done. And I find when doing a large project, like a book (as opposed to writing a song or a blog entry), I need to work in one large block of time so I don’t repeat myself. I use my iCal program, and every month I block out writing time for almost every day. Some days it’s just an hour, other days 3-4 hours.
As far as planning what I’m going to say, I have a very undisciplined approach. I try to write from a place of deep honesty, as much honesty as I can muster. I don’t want to sound contrived or academic, or preachy. I still have my papers from high school to remind me I’m capable of that. So, for that reason, I don’t plan out the book in advance. I like to let it reveal itself to me as I write. I basically splat my feelings all over the page, then try to mold them into something slightly less maniacal later. Sometimes you don’t know what you have to say until you start saying it, so I like to allow myself the chance at the beginning to say anything and everything I need to say.
Keep in mind, however, this is my first book, and not only are the reviews not out yet, the book isn't even out yet. So judge for yourself whether this approach to writing is really one you want to follow. It seems to work for songs, but, aside from Freebird, Stairway to Heaven, and American Pie, songs are a lot shorter than books.
small town police blotter - September 19, 2009
My freshman year of college, my grandmother bought me a subscription to my hometown paper. It came once a week, and all my college pals got huge laughs from our dinky town's idea of news, especially the police blotter.
Stolen potted plants. Cats in trees. Drunken disorderly, with names and everything.
I was reminded of this when we stopped for a bite in Pismo Beach, CA and I was reading the local paper. A couple highlights from the 9/17 edition of the Coastal news:
A woman on the 400 block of Longview reported that her quarter full bottle of absinthe had been missing for a week. Interrogate her liver; I suspect it knows where the missing spirits are.
A former tenant of a residence on the 300 block of Windward Ave reportedly made a copy of the garage door remote and would drive by and open the door.
Someone on the 1300 block of Costa Brava reported they had a headache.
Great stuff.
Stolen potted plants. Cats in trees. Drunken disorderly, with names and everything.
I was reminded of this when we stopped for a bite in Pismo Beach, CA and I was reading the local paper. A couple highlights from the 9/17 edition of the Coastal news:
A woman on the 400 block of Longview reported that her quarter full bottle of absinthe had been missing for a week. Interrogate her liver; I suspect it knows where the missing spirits are.
A former tenant of a residence on the 300 block of Windward Ave reportedly made a copy of the garage door remote and would drive by and open the door.
Someone on the 1300 block of Costa Brava reported they had a headache.
Great stuff.
hey you kids! Get outta my pool! - August 19, 2009
We have a pool in our condo association. Everybody gets the list of rules with the membership, and they are also posted prominently. Now I don't consider myself an old fuddy-duddy, but these lifeguards are not enforcing the rules.
I don't care if they enforce the no diving rule, but the "babies must wear a diaper rule" i think is kind of important. but even moreso, the "no alcoholic beverages" and "no drunk people" i think serve a purpose.
The other day I was swimming my laps, and 5 drunk people came in. They decided to race, and of course couldn't swim in a straight line, so i stood in the shallow end. then one of the landlubber drinks offered $50 to whoever won the next race. $50? I'm in! Can't beat 'em, can't expect the lifeguard to throw them out, may as well join them. I lost to one guy by about 3 feet, and the other guy quit swimming because his pants feel down. I guess he wasn't so wasted he didn't notice his pants falling off.
On second thought if the enforced the rules things would be far less interesting. But I'm still for the baby diaper rule. Maybe even not just for babies.
I don't care if they enforce the no diving rule, but the "babies must wear a diaper rule" i think is kind of important. but even moreso, the "no alcoholic beverages" and "no drunk people" i think serve a purpose.
The other day I was swimming my laps, and 5 drunk people came in. They decided to race, and of course couldn't swim in a straight line, so i stood in the shallow end. then one of the landlubber drinks offered $50 to whoever won the next race. $50? I'm in! Can't beat 'em, can't expect the lifeguard to throw them out, may as well join them. I lost to one guy by about 3 feet, and the other guy quit swimming because his pants feel down. I guess he wasn't so wasted he didn't notice his pants falling off.
On second thought if the enforced the rules things would be far less interesting. But I'm still for the baby diaper rule. Maybe even not just for babies.
Extreme Time Management - May 11, 2009
I had a lot of stuff i was trying to accomplish at once in March and April. I was teaching several days a week, gigging, editing 2 CDs, and taking a standup comedy class.
So I came up with some time-saving techniques:
-check e mail only once a day (this may feel like crack withdrawal at first).
-keep a master to do list and use a highlighter to select the stuff that just can't wait. This assumes you're using paper. Don't use a highlighter pen on your computer screen.
-have different tote bags for different places: guitar teaching, gym, comedy class. then you can just grab and go.
-every night before going to bed, prep for the next day with packing lists (if you're going somewhere), set lists, directions printed out, and a short to-do list of the 2-4 things that MUST get done that day. it's important to keep that list short. then anything else that gets done is a bonus.
-i have a system of post-it notes by my bathroom mirror. i have one for wed. that says "teach at 330 leave by 240" thurs says "teach at 2 leave by 115" one that just says "GIG" one that says "comedy class 6pm" one that says "teach guitar class at 7". Sometimes there are 2 or 3 post-its for one day. Of course if it gets too humid in the bathroom, a distinct possibility, my whole system could fall apart.
-i have a box of index cards on my desk where i jot down ideas for essays, blogs, songs. i put them in the front, pull the blanks for the back. It's capturing everything, kind of like a fishnet, but I'm not sure when I'll ever actually go back through it. Hopefully before the ideas start smelling like old fish.
-re: getting the cd done fast, i spent a lot of time in prep before going in to the studio. i transcribed the entire thing, every "um" and every single word i said, with the time next to it. (as in "35:02 into the recording, somebody coughed"). we plowed through the editing really fast, and the engineer was impressed with how much homework i did. Hard to imagine, but man was I tired of the sound of my own voice by the end of that.
-and lastly i think multitasking sucks, and i'm getting more into single-tasking when i can. isn't it messed up that i had to invent a word for doing one thing at a time?
then i went into extreme time management mode, which i really don't recommend:
-combine errands into one trip
-postpone errands trip
-stop socializing
-forget how to relax
-cut back on sleep
-stop going to the gym
- take really fast showers
-wash hair once a week, max
-on second thought, shave head
-eat nothing but meal replacement bars
-ignore all phone calls
-talk to spouse once a week
-make to-do lists
-ignore to-do lists
And my favorite time-saving technique of all: don't invite anyone to the house, because then you'll have to clean before they get there and clean again after they leave. Who needs friends? I've got things to do! (like e mail and phone calls to ignore and a house to not clean!)
you, too, can lose your sense of humor (and friends) in this easy to follow 14-step program.
So I came up with some time-saving techniques:
-check e mail only once a day (this may feel like crack withdrawal at first).
-keep a master to do list and use a highlighter to select the stuff that just can't wait. This assumes you're using paper. Don't use a highlighter pen on your computer screen.
-have different tote bags for different places: guitar teaching, gym, comedy class. then you can just grab and go.
-every night before going to bed, prep for the next day with packing lists (if you're going somewhere), set lists, directions printed out, and a short to-do list of the 2-4 things that MUST get done that day. it's important to keep that list short. then anything else that gets done is a bonus.
-i have a system of post-it notes by my bathroom mirror. i have one for wed. that says "teach at 330 leave by 240" thurs says "teach at 2 leave by 115" one that just says "GIG" one that says "comedy class 6pm" one that says "teach guitar class at 7". Sometimes there are 2 or 3 post-its for one day. Of course if it gets too humid in the bathroom, a distinct possibility, my whole system could fall apart.
-i have a box of index cards on my desk where i jot down ideas for essays, blogs, songs. i put them in the front, pull the blanks for the back. It's capturing everything, kind of like a fishnet, but I'm not sure when I'll ever actually go back through it. Hopefully before the ideas start smelling like old fish.
-re: getting the cd done fast, i spent a lot of time in prep before going in to the studio. i transcribed the entire thing, every "um" and every single word i said, with the time next to it. (as in "35:02 into the recording, somebody coughed"). we plowed through the editing really fast, and the engineer was impressed with how much homework i did. Hard to imagine, but man was I tired of the sound of my own voice by the end of that.
-and lastly i think multitasking sucks, and i'm getting more into single-tasking when i can. isn't it messed up that i had to invent a word for doing one thing at a time?
then i went into extreme time management mode, which i really don't recommend:
-combine errands into one trip
-postpone errands trip
-stop socializing
-forget how to relax
-cut back on sleep
-stop going to the gym
- take really fast showers
-wash hair once a week, max
-on second thought, shave head
-eat nothing but meal replacement bars
-ignore all phone calls
-talk to spouse once a week
-make to-do lists
-ignore to-do lists
And my favorite time-saving technique of all: don't invite anyone to the house, because then you'll have to clean before they get there and clean again after they leave. Who needs friends? I've got things to do! (like e mail and phone calls to ignore and a house to not clean!)
you, too, can lose your sense of humor (and friends) in this easy to follow 14-step program.
What's My problem with Steves anyway? - March 3, 2009
So this guy named Steve just discovered me/ my songs- in particular my song "Please Do Something Stupid," in which I say I would never date (among other people) anyone named "Steve." He wanted to know- hey whatcha got against Steves, anyway?
I figured he can't be the only Steve out there wondering what my problem was, so I'm sharing my response with all of you:
At one point in my life I was dating not one, but 3 guys named Steve. All at once. It's the only time in my life I've date more than one person at a time, and it was all above board- we were all pretty casual, just doing goofy things together like haunted houses, bike rides, comedy clubs. Finally, at one point I had to choose a Steve.
So actually i was being facetious- not only would I date someone named Steve, i would date 3 guys named Steve. At once. But the joke was so inside that no one but me knows what I really meant when I wrote it. In fact, when I sing it in concert, I usually replace the name "Steve" with someone else in the room who everyone else knows, like the soundman, the
presenter, or the other person on the stage if there is one. Then i have to make up another rhyme on the spot.
And that's the truth! I'm actually quite fond of Steves.
The song is here:
http://www.carlaulbrich.com/music-1.html
I figured he can't be the only Steve out there wondering what my problem was, so I'm sharing my response with all of you:
At one point in my life I was dating not one, but 3 guys named Steve. All at once. It's the only time in my life I've date more than one person at a time, and it was all above board- we were all pretty casual, just doing goofy things together like haunted houses, bike rides, comedy clubs. Finally, at one point I had to choose a Steve.
So actually i was being facetious- not only would I date someone named Steve, i would date 3 guys named Steve. At once. But the joke was so inside that no one but me knows what I really meant when I wrote it. In fact, when I sing it in concert, I usually replace the name "Steve" with someone else in the room who everyone else knows, like the soundman, the
presenter, or the other person on the stage if there is one. Then i have to make up another rhyme on the spot.
And that's the truth! I'm actually quite fond of Steves.
The song is here:
http://www.carlaulbrich.com/music-1.html
Give 'em the old elbow - February 17, 2009
This past weekend, I had a gig in (on?) Cape Cod in a small, historic (1800s building) Unitarian fellowship. I had been to Cape Cod once, when I was 4 or 5, and the only reason I remember going there is I got a plastic wallet that had a map of Cape Cod and the words "Cape Cod" on it. Which I lost, but I had it long enough to make a mental imprint of having been to Cape Cod. Or at least a mental imprint of having owned a wallet that implied that I had been to Cape Cod.
My host, Bob Weiser, leads a very interesting life- folk DJ, concert series volunteer, gardener, composter, cat owner, and a myriad of previous jobs, as he's not yet retirement age, but old enough to have done lots of things. He showed me all around the Cape and told me lots of interesting stuff. His neighbor runs an organic farm and lives off the grid- what a dream!
It's so nice in the summer there that the locals used to rent their houses out for the summer and go live in the state park- til the state caught on of course.
Know what's funny about people on the cape? Whenever you ask them about a town or where anything is on the cape they hold up their arm half-flexed and point to a spot on their arm. It's hilarious. Unless you're Italian- then it's insulting!
My host, Bob Weiser, leads a very interesting life- folk DJ, concert series volunteer, gardener, composter, cat owner, and a myriad of previous jobs, as he's not yet retirement age, but old enough to have done lots of things. He showed me all around the Cape and told me lots of interesting stuff. His neighbor runs an organic farm and lives off the grid- what a dream!
It's so nice in the summer there that the locals used to rent their houses out for the summer and go live in the state park- til the state caught on of course.
Know what's funny about people on the cape? Whenever you ask them about a town or where anything is on the cape they hold up their arm half-flexed and point to a spot on their arm. It's hilarious. Unless you're Italian- then it's insulting!
hairbands... - August 7, 2008
I was at the studio today continuing my quest to finish the tweaks on the "leftovers" cd. we remixed the new wall-of-sound version of "boy wonder" from the original Nashville ADATs, and found a new (old- i forgot it was there) version of guardian angel on those same ADATs. there was about 2 bars of vocals that the other engineer accidentally deleted so i had to re-sing them over and over today 'til i sounded like me, only 10 years ago and in a completely different space, geographically and otherwise. but we pulled it off. i dare you to find the edit. once i release it that is.
next up: getting the thing mastered at some point later this month. my engineer is in the middle of moving and his "day job" (doing sound for ESPN, which usually happens at night), so this may not happen for a few more weeks. but he doesn't need me for this part, thank the lord. much of today while he was listening to things at intolerable volume levels, i occupied myself in the other room playing guitar and reading his pictorial of KISS: the early years. yes i'm a closet metal head. i, in fact, was a rather overt metal head from about age 15 to 25 or so. but i love all music, even rap if it's good. ok i don't love 12-tone "music." i really hate 12-tone. but i don't consider that music. i consider that a hazing ritual required to get a music degree.
You might be surprised at how many metalheads there are at a folk gathering (there are even some Republicans in the folk scene, but this is one place where they are the silent minority). Somehow i got started on Van Halen and the Sunset Strip in Hollywood standing around at the Swannanoa Gathering last week. Me and this guitar builder were babbling for about an hour before we realized how bizarre it was to be standing in the middle of a folk gathering debating whether Ratt and Great White were legitimate bands or just part of the hair band craze. (please discuss).
the great thing about being metalheads is you forget to talk about politics. Maybe a long debate about David lee Roth vs Sammy Hagar (that would be a short debate actually) followed by bootlegs of old Van Halen concerts would finally bring world peace. Because when Dave was at his prime, you really couldn't tear your eyes away. there would be no attention left for guns and war. You might saaaaaay I'm a dreamer....
next up: getting the thing mastered at some point later this month. my engineer is in the middle of moving and his "day job" (doing sound for ESPN, which usually happens at night), so this may not happen for a few more weeks. but he doesn't need me for this part, thank the lord. much of today while he was listening to things at intolerable volume levels, i occupied myself in the other room playing guitar and reading his pictorial of KISS: the early years. yes i'm a closet metal head. i, in fact, was a rather overt metal head from about age 15 to 25 or so. but i love all music, even rap if it's good. ok i don't love 12-tone "music." i really hate 12-tone. but i don't consider that music. i consider that a hazing ritual required to get a music degree.
You might be surprised at how many metalheads there are at a folk gathering (there are even some Republicans in the folk scene, but this is one place where they are the silent minority). Somehow i got started on Van Halen and the Sunset Strip in Hollywood standing around at the Swannanoa Gathering last week. Me and this guitar builder were babbling for about an hour before we realized how bizarre it was to be standing in the middle of a folk gathering debating whether Ratt and Great White were legitimate bands or just part of the hair band craze. (please discuss).
the great thing about being metalheads is you forget to talk about politics. Maybe a long debate about David lee Roth vs Sammy Hagar (that would be a short debate actually) followed by bootlegs of old Van Halen concerts would finally bring world peace. Because when Dave was at his prime, you really couldn't tear your eyes away. there would be no attention left for guns and war. You might saaaaaay I'm a dreamer....