I hate starting a new project. I'll do anything to avoid it. If there's a ball of string that needs untangled I'll do that first. I reckon with all the time I've spent procrastinating, I could easily have taught myself violin to a level worthy of Menuhin.

Here's the pattern. Client comes to me with some simple design chore. I tell them it's unfeasibly difficult, will take a month and cost the earth. But I assure them it'll be taken care of and they go away happy because now it's some other sucker's problem.

Then I spend three weeks staring into space, tormenting the cats and generally avoiding the issue. Client may ask to ‘see something' during this period but can always be fobbed off with some nonsense or other. Finally, after a great deal of unease, I'll kick the turkey into shape, wrap it up in three days and get it out the door before anybody gets twitchy.

It's not that I'm lazy. Far from it. I have a psychological condition - a near pathological aversion to the gaping void that stretches before me on each new task. They call it blank canvas syndrome. Until it's filled with something - anything - I'd rather waste my life doing something even more pointless.