A Little Guide to Getting a Thing Done in a fun mini zine format

 

I've been playing around with a variation on a clever book form known as a meander, a kind of accordion-fold book made from one sheet of paper or, in this case, cardstock. If you do a Google search on the term "meander book," you'll find a lot of examples, instructions, and tutorials. 

The variation involves making pockets at three points where the folding of the book turns a corner. I made a template in InDesign that allows me to put content on both sides of the paper and have everything be right side up once it's assembled (no small feat!), then I blended some ideas, illustrations and content from some of my previous projects with new material I've been wanting to use that all go together thematically. I named it "A Little Guide to Getting a Thing Done," and so, of course, it's a very practical little zine in a fun package. 

I then realized that the advice applies equally to overcoming procrastination (what the title refers to), changing a habit (noted in in the subtitle) or solving a problem (not stated, because there's only so long a title can be, especially on something as small as this!)

I'm acutely aware of the irony that I started working on this, and finished it, as a detour from finishing my 2022 annual zine inspired by the Useful Calendar theme, the Year of the Tiger. That's still in progress, while this is done!

The book is about 2 inches wide by 2-3/4 inches high and a quarter inch thick. The pockets each hold a little card with an image on one side and a quote on the other, with one of the quotes coming from a dictionary. They relate to the theme of the book, of course, in slightly surprising and possibly amusing ways!

Today I brought 10 of these down to the Minnesota Center for Book Arts to sell in their shop. That includes one display copy, because people need to open it up and examine it, of course. The other nine are enclosed in little cellophane sleeves so they don't all get handled.

It's also available in my Etsy shop, here, with more photos, because you can't pick it up and examine it there!