My name is Marla, and I am an amateur procrastinator.

It hasn’t always been like this. In school I studied for exams ahead of schedule, set aside several days to work on important papers, planned and researched and made sure I managed my time properly. (Nerd alert!) But now that the work required of me is more creative than academic, I find that it is much more difficult to start; I have become somewhat of an expert at staring into space. Facts are easy—get them straight and you’re good to go. But ideas and storylines are a bit trickier. Where do you begin, exactly, and how do you know you’re on the right track?

It’s a good thing then that I’ve recently been enlightened on The Power of Cuteness. Although my computers’ wallpapers are still boring black, and my desk is still Snoozeville, I am slowly learning to invite a little color and kawaii into my writing process. Baby steps: a magnetic board of one of my favorite movies, and a quirky bookshelf skin for my laptop. I am still in the process of eliminating procrastination from my life, but maybe if I continue surrounding myself with Happy Things (and Happy People—even more important!), the Happy Ideas will keep on coming, too, and I can be smarter, faster, better at sharing these words with the world.

Tight hugs and kissyfaces,
Marla