Q: Your artist's statement is a piece of very personal writing. Once you've finished writing, let it rest overnight before your reread it. Taking some time will help you take a step back and give you the detachment necessary to polish the writing without violating your sense of integrity and safety. Before you go public with your statement, get feedback. Show your art and statement to friends, friends' friends, and maybe even a stranger or two. Make sure your readers get it, that they understand what you want them to understand. When they don't, or you have to explain yourself, do a rewrite and eliminate the confusion. Keep in mind that you alone are the authority for what is true about your work, but feedback on clarity, tone and technical matters such as spelling and punctuation never hurts. Many times, a little rearranging is all that's necessary to make your statement a clean, clear read. If you need help, find someone who writes or edits and have them fix the problem. Make the most of your artist statement and use it to promote your work to gallery owners, museum curators, photo editors, publications and the general public. Save all the notes and drafts that you've made. You'll want to revise and update your artist's statement from time to time to reflect changes in your work. Having your original notes and drafts at your disposal will help you to immerse yourself in your past thought processes and will give you a sense of creative continuity.
A: Let it rest. Seek feedback. Revise as needed. Use your statement. Save all your notes and drafts.

Q: Snipping off new growth helps make sure that all of the tree's branches are getting enough light. Heading off fresh branches early will train your tree to keep growing in the proper structure and will lessen the number of large branches that need to be removed later, once they start causing problems. If a branch breaks because of heavy winds or because it's bearing a lot of heavy fruit, remove it as soon as possible. Make the edges of the break clean by cutting away any jagged or broken pieces to promote healthy, quick healing. This process helps prevent the tree from over-producing, and improves fruit color and health throughout the tree. Keep an eye out for boughs that are producing a lot of apricots and becoming too weighed down, and cut away some of the branches to prevent breakage. If your apricot tree is only producing a substantial apricot crop every other year, thinning out fruit branches on heavy years helps to correct the tree and encourage it to produce a consistent crop every year.
A: Remove small sprouts a couple of times during the summer. Cut off any new branches growing towards the trunk or other branches. Prune away damaged branches immediately. Thin out fruit-producing branches in early summer, when apricots are about one inch.

Q: You'll be touching the trigger, so it's imperative that your rifle is unloaded for these tests. Remove all ammunition and clear the chamber before beginning. Use a tape measure to find the distance between the center of the trigger and the center of the back of the butt plate or recoil pad. This is the LOP of the rifle. In case the LOP turns out to be too long or short, you'll need to know the measurement to determine if your stock should be trimmed or replaced. Most factory rifles have an LOP between 13.00 and 13.75 inches (33.0 and 34.9cm).
A: Begin with an unloaded firearm. Measure the distance between the trigger and the butt plate or recoil pad. Write down the measurement.

Q: Before you decide whether you want a child, take a look to see if you're healthy enough to have a child. If you have a chronic condition, be it physical or mental, ask yourself, "How might this impact my child as I get older?" Meet with your doctor. Let them know, "I am considering having a child, and I want to know if my health might have any long term impacts on my ability to parent." Women must also be aware that certain biological factors may impact how likely they are to get pregnant, as well as how likely they are to carry the pregnancy to term. Ask your doctor for a preconception visit to evaluate any potential complications that may come up during your pregnancy. If you have a history of anxiety, depression, or other mental health complications, meet with a mental health professional and let them know, "I want to have a child. What impact could my mental health struggles have on me as a parent?" You don't need the whole quarter of a million in the bank before you have your kid, but you should make sure that you are able to meet your child's foreseeable financial needs for the near future. First, make sure you can afford the time off work. If paid parental leave is not a part of your benefits program, make sure you can afford reduced income for the amount of time you or your partner will take off after the child is born. Look at healthcare costs. Once you decide to have a baby, you and your partner are going to have to start paying for the expectant mother's medical care, which may range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending upon insurance programs and care received. You are also going to have to take care of any medical complications the child may experience after birth, and add the child on as a new insurance dependent. Consider how much it will cost to supply a new baby. Cribs, baby clothes, car seats, and other objects all come with a price, and items like diapers and baby food represent a recurrent expense that may add tens to hundreds a month in expense. Look into the cost of daycare as well. This may be necessary if you cannot afford to let one partner stay home with the baby while the other partner is at work. If you plan on being a working parent, now is the time to think about where your career is going. Meet with your boss to discuss current and near future plans for your company and your position, and ask yourself: Does your job require long hours or a lot of travel? Are you working on a major project that might require excess time or attention? Would having a child result in excess childcare costs due to career obligations? Does your company offer paid parental leave or other benefits for new parents? The bulk of raising a child falls on the parents or guardians, but a good support system will benefit both the parents and the child in the long run. Look at your friends, family, and colleagues and ask yourself if you see them having a positive impact on your child's life. Look for people who are not only willing to offer emotional understanding, but who will actually help with matters such as babysitting and housekeeping in order to ease the transition into parenthood. If you do not have an integrated support system already established, ask yourself if you have the financial means to hire support staff such as nannies or housekeepers.
A:
Get a check-up. Check your bank account. Meet with your boss. Evaluate your support system.