A few days ago, I posted on my Italian blog a small list of New Year’s resolutions – although I prefer to think in terms of intentions, because for me it works better that way. The usual things, mostly – sending my novel Out There, writing a couple of plays I have in the workings, reorganizing my house in a serious way, and writing something outside of my comfort zone…

Mind, I’m not convinced that “life begins outside one’s comfort zone”, or anything like that – but I see the dangers of writing oneself in a rut, so I like to keep myself on my toes occasionally. Still, because I’m lazy and timid, I need to force myself to do it – hence the resolution.

Well, that was all of three days ago. Yesterday, I went to see a potential client for a writing job, and was startled to find that this interior designer is launching his new range of quite eccentric, very high-end furniture, and wants me  to write his ad campaign.

“But…” I objected, “I have no experience, marketing-wise.”

Apparently, it doesn’t matter. I’ll have to work with “the marketing lady”, at some point – but M. the Designer likes the way I write, and wants someone who can think simultaneously in Italian and English (the campaign must be bilingual), and seems to have had little joy with marketers so far. He wants someone who can concentrate on the writing, and “make the customer fall in love with his pieces”.

And I looked at his lamps, and chairs, and centre-pieces – so very different from my own taste – while he expounded his vision of high-tech and old craftmanship, of luxury and daring…

Oh dear, I thought. And I was terrified, and all the while I scribbled notes in my notebook, frantically thinking how to back out of this. How had I even got myself so very far outside my sort of thing…

And then it dawned on me.

So very far outside my comfort zone. Here it was – my chance to step out of my usual track. My New Year’s Resolution staring me in the eye. And so I took the plunge.

“Let’s try,” I said, before I could chicken out – and promised a general plan and a sample within a few days.

It may have been a good thing that the chance came so quickly after setting that particular goal for myself, before I had time to think too much about it. In truth, I may have had in mind something more fictional, and the notion was to walk up to some director, some day, and have them ask for something different…

But then, it could hardly have been more different than M.’s lamps, could it? And nothing prevents that I should do it all the same, later in the year, if I still feel like it. Meanwhile, I’ll have attempted something truly new. I’m still more than a little scared – but I guess that’s part of the game, right? That’s why I’m doing it.

Wish me luck.