First, check out Girl2 in her prom dress. This picture was taken on her very last day of high school! She will graduate cum laude, with a cosmetology degree, an associates degree in science and math, and VERY close to completing Eagle Scout. I can’t manage to change my socks daily. This is why, as happy as I am for her and as proud, I feel like a slug.
I had all of these great plans for 2023. I was going to do a fair every month. I was going to complete a large painting every week, a couple of small paintings, and sketch every day.
With the exception of a couple of small watercolors, I haven’t managed to complete a single painting. I have done a small handful of sketches, but nothing near the volume I wanted to do.
So what’s wrong me? Why can’t I manage to follow through? It’s so easy to get down on myself and think about how terrible I am. But doing nothing is the norm. That is the standard that the human body wants to maintain. Inertia. A body at rest will remain at rest until acted upon by a force, right?
So the real question is what happened before that motivated me to do something? How did I manage to get up and do anything before? We typically throw around words like “discipline” and “plan” without really understanding how those words become actions.
I don’t have an answer to that. I know that routine is the best way for me to get things accomplished. If I manage to sit at a drawing table with my pens and paper, I will draw something. So I have to set the routine to have my pens and paper out, maybe at a specific time or at least convenient place every day. Like the saying goes, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” If my space is prepared and my materials available, it’s a whole lot easier for me to actually sit down and get some work done. The current state of the studio is not conducive to that effort, to say the least
I did manage to take some supplies with me to the mall while the wife and kids explored the shops. I didn’t get a whole lot of sketches in, but something is a brazillian times more than nothing, right?
here’s the thing . . . rest is the time filler . . . I’m retired & couch sit way too often when my studio is just 20 or so steps away. I may have piles of stuff on every surface but my tools & such are in there places, the desktop has its empty spot for creating . . . See there is nothing “wrong” with us, it is just the way we are. there is no blame to make, none to be had. Procrastination has many reasons, causes and effects.
I’m pretty good at keeping my schedule, but with the issues I’ve had over the last year its been harder to keep on track. Things happen, and rest is needed. You know how to eat the elephant in the room – one bite at a time.
I’m so happy Girl2 has the parents she has for they helped her reach these stars and will continue to do so.
there is nothing wrong with ya
HUGS for all y’all