Metalworking Articles write an article

Thursday, 4pm
April 30, 2009
How Did I Get an Editor?
 
More than just an article, here on Teach Street, this will be an ongoing journal entry to chronicle the struggles to write my book. Be careful what you wish for because you might get it! I now have a book dead line for August 1st, eeek!
 
Several years ago I contacted my favorite art press to propose a book. I wasn't just disappointed that they didn't respond; I was miffed. What's worse than a rejection? No response at all. So I decided to "do it my way" as Frank Sinatra sings, and self publish my own books as distance learning lessons. I've been successfully developing and selling my virtual books since July of 2003.
 
So how did I find a publisher? Actually they found me via my website www.sandkuhler.com.The original intention of my site was to create a calling card for interested students, provide credibility for potential employers, display my curriculum, and have copy ready descriptions and photos available for marketing tools. I bought my domain name and began working on the site in 1999. Thus far I've been through several webmasters (Hi Kite Lady, Theresa, Emily, Mindy, Iris and Jen!) And some of us are still friends LOL! I’ve had to have it rebuilt several times to keep it simple, simple, simple. I also learned the hard (and long) way that to keep it compatible across all browsers and platforms I had to have it built in HTML (thanks Mindy). All in all, it's been a labor of love as well as an on going project. My site is invaluable in regards to putting me on the map and providing opportunities for employment. Now, it’s saved me the irritation of jumping through very time consuming and aggravating hoops to find an editor (Hi Tina!).
 
 
 
Aloha Friday, 10:40am
May 1, 2009
Wow. Being on Your Own Schedule Must Be Nice. Well, Yes and No.
 
 
YES:
I was just on Maui and Oahu for two weeks teaching. My life had suddenly become so simple. I woke up when the sun either hit me or made the room too hot to continue sleeping. Hopped in the car and searched for decent coffee. Returned, checked emails. Organized stuff (paperwork, tools, materials) to teach later that day. Wow. Its, like, only 9am. Oh yea. Jet lag. I feel so productive. Pondered whether or not I should go to the beach (pathetic if I were in Hawaii and not go to the beach right?) or work on my book. Thank god(ess) there were several days of rain/clouds and vog (volcanic fog blocking out the sun and view) so I could write. Then at around 2pm I’d get ready for work/class. Haul my suitcase full of tools to the trunk of the rental car. Drive to the vicinity of where I was teaching. Find a cheap meal. More coffee. Teach. Find another cheap meal afterwards usually at a hotel- or restaurant bar- somewhere. Unwind. Go home, decompress some more with simultaneous email and television. Fall asleep whenever. Get up the next day and do it again.
 
NO:
At home. Turn off the 7am alarm in my sleep. Over sleep. Here in the Bay Area the sun doesn’t reach the bedroom and it’s always cold so I want to stay in my cocoon and hibernate. Year around. Tosca (my borzoi) is now older and no longer drags squeaky toys into bed to squeak on me to make me get up. Start thinking about the book. Next thoughts about deadlines and jewelry samples creep in. When do I garden? Contact Kaiser about finding an alternate (cheaper) insurance ‘cause I’m self employed. Comcast wants me to contact them regarding a new cable box for the HD transition. Gotta contact the folks at the retirement home in the city where I plan to teach. Still have to unpack from two weeks in Hawaii and do the accounting. Return phone calls. I get overwhelmed and get up.
 
Prepare the cowboy coffee. Take Tosca’s water bowl, water the plants. Fresh water for her. Feed her. Pour boiling water into my cowboy coffee. Make the bed. Select some organic veggies for Baby Joey (newly rescued Dutch Rabbit who died on the operating table while I was in Hawaii, when he got his boy parts removed. Well, they only did side ‘cause of what happened. He did not go into the light but managed to come back to us.) He gets the carrot tops. Tosca gets the carrot (stick). Coffee is done. Go to my studio. Turn on the speakers and subwoofer, iTunes, listen to the Fernando and Greg morning show (http://www.energy92.7 FM) to get me going and put me into a good mood.
 
I make my list knowing that the only thing I should focus on is writing the book. Better do some photography before the light changes. Have to take a frontal photo of The Ring. Work on the list of things to do instead. Get overwhelmed. Put Tosca into the bedroom, shut the door and let Joey out. Play tug-of-war with him as I feed him his meds. I should check my emails to see if I’ve sold any distance learning lessons. Instead review, follow up and archive emails for the next hour and a half. Put new distance learning students into my data base. Send my webmaster new tasks. Follow Teach Street trail and see what’s going on there. Deliberately ignore Facebook ‘cause I gotta write. Start writing this “article” for Teach Street to get warmed up for The Book. Put Joey back. Let Tosca out. Oh man. It’s already 11am and I still haven’t started on the book. I’m ready for a breakfast break and more coffee. Focus. I’ve written the first draft of the following (hardest) sections:

About this Book
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Biography (paid Terry Graham, Marketing & Public Relations Consulting, to write this with me)
Resources
Creativity and Copyrights
Conclusion

Today I need to begin with taking a frontal photo of The Ring (lights almost gone), then begin photographing the step-by-steps for the Lucky Horseshoe Charm Bracelet, the first project to introduce students to simple metal manipulation and content. But first, go to the bathroom, make another cup of coffee and take Tosca out to pee. Its 11:30 and what have I done?
 
 
 
Monday, 1:12pm
May 11, 2009
Hey Iris…. What is the Book About?
Here is an excerpt: About this Book
 
 
I have been writing since I was a child. The first set of journals were too embarrassing to go back and read, so at the age of 12, I buried them somewhere in the sandy pine forests of Coastal North Carolina. Afterwards I regretted it and swore that no matter what, I would never destroy another journal. As I write this, I am 50 and with a closet stuffed full of journals. They have evolved from pen and paper into a combination of “dear diary”, scrap books, artist books, photo albums, floppy disks, zip drives,...