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I call the image above Quilted Madness. There are 100 little squares in that piece and every single one of them is different from the others. Oh, and the overall size of the art is 4.5 inches by 4.5 inches!
Crazy?
Yes, but it served its purpose.
I detest sitting around without something to do and if you've spent much time in doctor's offices or physical therapist's offices, you know there isn't much to do except stare at gossip magazines, other patients or at the generic art on the walls.
Since wait times are a necessary evil in our society and because I've been spending far more time in these offices than I normally would due to my father's back surgery and physical therapy, I had to come up with a way to combat the dreaded staring.
Yes, I could have read a book, and yes, that would have been entertaining, it's usually not creative.
I started coming up with projects that I could stretch over several appointments where each step took only a small amount of time. This allowed me to stop in the middle without it being critical to the piece of work.
I also didn't have to worry if I would remember where I left off and what I had in mind when I did stop abruptly because my father's name was called.
These types of projects worked well to keep creativity at the forefront of my mind but without stressing myself out.
The quilt was especially challenging (more than I realized) as I had to really push myself to come up with different textures for each square. Many are similar but none are identical. Then I had to think about color. I started in the center and planned to work out to the edges, but somewhere along the way I forgot my plan.
The next thing I knew, I'd put a colored block into a section I had intended to leave white. Instead of scrapping the project, I simply made an adjustment to the layout and kept going. I still didn't stick to my plan though. By the time it was done, I had sections filled in all over the place.
I had to check and recheck to make sure I was in the right square, but it did a beautiful job of filling those long, boring minutes with something creative and fun.
Am I always successful at creating on these doctor visits?
No.
Sometimes, I needed to change it up. Art wasn't always the answer and reading didn't always get it, but between the two, I always managed to pass the time.
Another take type of project is to take a line for a walk:
I started in the lower right side of the paper with the paisley shape and I simply kept adding until I had filled most of the page. While it looks kinda zentangle-ish, it's not. It's more about drawing a line in a random pattern and then filling the spaces with shapes and pattern. It's generally not organized and rather chaotic.
I did most of the drawing during office visits and then added color all at once as that was a bit more intensive than the drawing. Painting in some of the smaller shapes would have been quite doable in the office, but the background would have provided a far bigger challenge.
Being creative with downtime can be pretty simple and easy to do if you choose the right kind of projects. These may not appeal to you. Several artists I know use these (supposably) short windows of time to challenge themselves to sketch other patients and visitors. I do that too on occasion, but I tend to like the projects that don't require as much brain power!
One of the payoffs of working during these waiting periods is improved concentration. I can focus on the art and still pay attention to what's going on around me (listening for my dad's name, dealing with distractions and questions from other curious onlookers, etc.). I find that when I'm sketching around other people now, I'm not as bother by a break in my concentration or by questions.
It also seems like my hand and eye coordination have strengthened and I know my ability to see and create patterns has improved!
Whatever appeals to you is what will work best. Knitting, crocheting, drawing, sketching, any creative endeavor works. I find keeping it simple works best for me. If I don't get back to it for a while, I can still pick up where I left off. Don't overlook those small pockets of time—you'll come to appreciate them as small gifts when you start getting into the groove of working quick.
If you do something similar, please leave a comment below with a link to your project. I'd love to see other ways of spending my time in more productive ways!
There are those days...when it seems that despite the very best of efforts, mistakes happen.
And let's face it, mistakes are going to happen. They can no more be separated from the creative process than breathing can be separated from living.
We're stuck with them...and I dare say that's a good thing!
When Mistakes Happen
During the last class at Keeton's, I heard the telltale "gasp!" quickly followed by, "Oh no!!" from the artist sitting at the front table.
When I glanced up from helping another artist, Faith* was staring down at her work with a horrified look on her face.
"I painted the strawberry juice on the table instead of on the plate!" she said.
Sure enough, it looked as though someone had been very messy ladling out the strawberries for her shortcake. Of course, they hadn't gotten a drop on the plate!
And here's why I say mistakes are the gateway to creativity—because at this point, we have three options:
- Start over. Give up, tear the page out, gesso over it, glue another piece of paper down, use acrylic paint to cover the offending gaff, or turn the page and ignore it like it never happened. Optional behaviors: wring hands, gnash teeth, wail inconsolably.
- Quit. Quit painting, quit sketching, quit trying, quit being creative. Swear off all creative endeavors. Optional behaviors: Sulking, stewing, anger, temper tantrums.
- Play. Recognizing the opportunity that's just fallen into your lap and playing! That's right, play. After all, if your other two choices are either to hide or destroy the work and the other is to quit, why not play and see what happens. You will not have lost anything if you still cover up or tear the page out. Optional behaviors: laughing, learning, thinking, smiling, embracing, experimenting, shrugging, moving on.
Starting over can be creative, but what I'm talking about is embracing the mistake and finding a way to incorporate it without giving up and beginning anew. This takes Intelligent Creativity. It requires stepping back, taking an objective look at the work, consider the tools at hands and how best to create something new or different from the detour we took from our expected outcome.
This usually requires a bit of ingenuity and letting go of expectations as to how the page was suppose to turn out.
Are Mistakes Bad?
The foregone conclusion most of us operate under is that mistakes are bad...but are they?
It's worth our time to examine that statement to see if it's true. Have you ever gotten lost on the way to a destination only to discovered a newfound place you'd never have stumbled upon if you had not gotten lost?
When I looked over Faith's page, I saw a "fix" immediately to do away with the messy strawberry juice that marred her creative effort. I suggested painting the "table top" red as if there was a table cloth. And it worked. In fact, it gave her work a strong "pop" of color and a bold, graphic look.
I made a big mistake that day as well. Take a look at the page at the top of this post and you'll see three layers of white whip cream...there were only suppose to be two! This is the page I did for class.
What would have happened if I'd thrown up my hands and quit or gnashed my teeth and threw a temper tantrum because I had too much whip cream? (Is that even possible?!) They probably would have thought I needed some kind of intervention.
Realizing I had too many layers, I decided to incorporate the area to look like an extra layer of whip cream and no one, except for the folks in the class would ever know, unless I told them.
Stop To Think
When we make mistakes, we panic and it seems our default position is usually to start over.
Instead, why not take a deep breath, calm down and figure out a way to make the unexpected change work for us by using our gift of intelligent creativity? By making a conscious decision to let go of our expectations and fear so we can embrace the opportunity to play, we increase our chances of going somewhere new, maybe even better, exponentially.
This is the gateway to creativity and the key usually comes gift-wrapped as a mistake.
What will you do with your next "gift?"
*Faith gave her approval and blessing for me to share her story on the blog.
I have found myself in an odd place here of late and I wasn't really sure how to move forward.
I wasn't overly interested in sketching and since I have 973, 974 things on my need-to-do-right-now list, motivation has been scarce. As in, none. It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while, I hit a wall or plateau and it all seems to come to a screeching halt.
The thing that usually goes first is my personal sketching. It used to terrify me when that happened. I'd freak out thinking I'd never draw, paint or create again. Time, that most benevolent teacher, has taught me that panicking doesn't help and that eventually, the desire/need/compulsion comes back.
Sometimes, it's a slow dribble that becomes a steady drip before the faucet fully flows. Other times, it's a deluge all at once. I prefer the slow dribble because the deluge has a tendency to be overwhelming and I find myself unable to pick a place to start.
What gave me a spark this time was a mother's request. In a group I play with on Facebook, a woman requested for folks to write to her two daughters as they're very, very homesick for the United States.
They are currently in Norway for a year and their journey is only in it's third month!
Are you familiar with Beatrix Potter's picture letters that she sent to her governess' children? The illustrations Beatrix created in those letters would later become the basis for her books. The thought of having received a letter like that as a child stayed with me when I read Ms. Potter's life story.
How could/would my life have been different, if at all, should I have seen someone using art in such a normal, everyday way? I dare say it may not have taken me until my mid-20's to find my path.
So when the mother asked for letters to ease the girls' homesickness, I decided to give Beatrix's approach to art a whirl. I cannot tell you how much fun I had coming up with simple illustrations!
I didn't want to stop. I sprinkled little illustrations along the sides of the letter and in place of a few words. Then I made a list of other possibilities I could doodle if the girls decide to write back to me.
Either way, creating this letter did the trick of opening me back up to the joys of creating. I think because it was something so outside of my normal round, it helped to remind me of why I love to create.
Now, if it will help to alleviate some young ladies' homesickness, it will be even better!
When you lose your way, how do you get back on track when you've misplaced your desire to create?
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| I added a house (based on an ornament I have in my studio) at the lower inside right corner. |
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| Ollie, hanging out on the back of the card |
Sometimes, it's a slow dribble that becomes a steady drip before the faucet fully flows. Other times, it's a deluge all at once. I prefer the slow dribble because the deluge has a tendency to be overwhelming and I find myself unable to pick a place to start.
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| Back of the envelope |
They are currently in Norway for a year and their journey is only in it's third month!
Are you familiar with Beatrix Potter's picture letters that she sent to her governess' children? The illustrations Beatrix created in those letters would later become the basis for her books. The thought of having received a letter like that as a child stayed with me when I read Ms. Potter's life story.
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| Front of the card |
So when the mother asked for letters to ease the girls' homesickness, I decided to give Beatrix's approach to art a whirl. I cannot tell you how much fun I had coming up with simple illustrations!
I didn't want to stop. I sprinkled little illustrations along the sides of the letter and in place of a few words. Then I made a list of other possibilities I could doodle if the girls decide to write back to me.
Either way, creating this letter did the trick of opening me back up to the joys of creating. I think because it was something so outside of my normal round, it helped to remind me of why I love to create.
Now, if it will help to alleviate some young ladies' homesickness, it will be even better!
When you lose your way, how do you get back on track when you've misplaced your desire to create?
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| Self Portrait of My Inner Critic Ink and Wash |
We get excited about a new adventure and out of no where, or so it seems, comes this voice to tell us how we're not good enough or smart enough.
It questions who we think we are to think that we could ever undertake such a feat, let alone be successful at it!
Self doubt creeps in and after a while that voice starts to say reasonable things like, "Why don't you wait until you know more, go back to school and get a degree, have more experience, let someone who is smarter than you handle it."
And we listen and we give up our adventure.
And so we stay stuck.
Not to mention frustrated.
Our inner critic has struck again.
Self doubt has killed more creative endeavors than failure ever will.
While the inner critic is simply doing its job, it gets a little overzealous sometimes. It reminds us of all the failures, mistakes, and embarrassments we have ever made in our lives.
If you're like me and my IC, then yours has plenty of ammo too.
And that's fine because that's my IC's job—to keep me safe by whatever means necessary and it has learned over time that I am not easily dissuaded from a course of action.
And it's taken a long time for me to learn how to work in tandem with my IC rather than fight with it or to just ignore it.
Most of the time, I've learned to listen when my IC starts up with its claims of imminent doom or complete mortification because on occasion, its right. My actions are about to lead me off the cliffs of stupidity.
But most of the time, my IC is just being its usual neurotic self and I go ahead with my adventure.
And gosh, what do you know? Everything turns out fine!
Inner Critics aren't the enemy unless they hold us and our endeavors hostage. Their primary tool is fear.
Learn to recognize it for what it is. It's fear that masquerades as reason, as logic, as common sense and when wielded by the ever present critic it is a killer of dreams, hopes, creative efforts and happiness.
Don't be a victim. Find neutral ground and then move forward.
Even should we fail, failure is seldom fatal.
Here's a post I've never thought to write before...
I've heard a number of people say they were "blocked" and even though they wanted to create, they just weren't able to.
You may have heard folks who write say they are block or you might have experienced being blocked yourself.
I haven't.
I've never been blocked. I've gone through periods where I didn't want to sketch, paint, draw or do anything else that required paper and paint, but I've never been blocked.
I think recognizing the lack of desire or resistance to creating in a journal is key.
Occasionally, I've allowed myself to get caught up in the "well, I should do this" or "I ought to do that," but to me that's not being blocked—that's guilt. And who better to guilt us than ourselves? For me, guilt almost NEVER works.
Perhaps my definition of being blocked is different from everyone else's.
Currently, I'm going through a period where I don't have the energy or a strong desire to sketch. Every time I pick up my journal, I feel resistant towards putting anything on the page. So, I lay it back down and walk away.
Part of my reluctance to sketch is that both of my parents have the flu and my mother actually wound up in the hospital for a few days. My father, brothers and I had to stay with her around the clock to make sure she didn't fall and she still managed to do that anyway. (She's banged and bruised but otherwise alright.)
Lots of folks sketch hospital equipment, interiors of rooms and their loved ones lying in a hospital bed in these circumstances…so far, I've not been able to bring myself to do that. That's simply not a memory I want in my sketchbook. (Hello, my name is Pollyanna.)
Rather than get upset about not wanting to sketch or not having the energy to sketch, I divert my creative energies, or what's left of them, into another form.
Instead of drawing, I cook or bak. I may do some sewing or rearrange my living room. All of these endeavors take some form of creativity, it's just that the process is not so obvious. Nor is the end result.
The other thing I know is that my need/desire/addiction to sketch, paint and create will flair again. Just like the sun will come up in the east. When it does, I'll pick up my journal like I never left off.
I believe having an unshakeable conviction that my creativity will never go away is the second important key to not being blocked.
I'm not sure, but I don't think it's possible to lose the creative streak in us…but I know a good many folks seem to think that way and I can't help but wonder if it's part of the reason for their block.
I'd also go so far as to say that it's perfectly okay to set down the journal and go off in pursuit of another creative activity. A steady diet of nothing but the same old thing gets pretty boring after a while.
Using a different approach or using a different medium can often be enough to kick the fire back up. Sometimes not.
I expect to be back to my regular journaling self in a few more days, a week at the most, but if I'm not, I'll continue to give myself permission to get over this slump.
And there's the third key—giving myself permission to feel what I feel and to move through it.
Of course, I have to be careful not to wallow too long or overindulge in the negative feelings that can accompany these bouts of not wanting to journal.
I hope these thoughts will help you navigate the minefield of guilt that often part of the busy holiday season. I also share these thoughts in the hopes that it may help someone else avoid the pain of feeling blocked when life gets a little too busy or downright overwhelming.
Be kind to yourself and be kind to others as we often have no idea what others are going through.
I've heard a number of people say they were "blocked" and even though they wanted to create, they just weren't able to.
You may have heard folks who write say they are block or you might have experienced being blocked yourself.
I haven't.
I've never been blocked. I've gone through periods where I didn't want to sketch, paint, draw or do anything else that required paper and paint, but I've never been blocked.
I think recognizing the lack of desire or resistance to creating in a journal is key.
Occasionally, I've allowed myself to get caught up in the "well, I should do this" or "I ought to do that," but to me that's not being blocked—that's guilt. And who better to guilt us than ourselves? For me, guilt almost NEVER works.
Perhaps my definition of being blocked is different from everyone else's.
Currently, I'm going through a period where I don't have the energy or a strong desire to sketch. Every time I pick up my journal, I feel resistant towards putting anything on the page. So, I lay it back down and walk away.
Part of my reluctance to sketch is that both of my parents have the flu and my mother actually wound up in the hospital for a few days. My father, brothers and I had to stay with her around the clock to make sure she didn't fall and she still managed to do that anyway. (She's banged and bruised but otherwise alright.)
Lots of folks sketch hospital equipment, interiors of rooms and their loved ones lying in a hospital bed in these circumstances…so far, I've not been able to bring myself to do that. That's simply not a memory I want in my sketchbook. (Hello, my name is Pollyanna.)
Rather than get upset about not wanting to sketch or not having the energy to sketch, I divert my creative energies, or what's left of them, into another form.
Instead of drawing, I cook or bak. I may do some sewing or rearrange my living room. All of these endeavors take some form of creativity, it's just that the process is not so obvious. Nor is the end result.
The other thing I know is that my need/desire/addiction to sketch, paint and create will flair again. Just like the sun will come up in the east. When it does, I'll pick up my journal like I never left off.
I believe having an unshakeable conviction that my creativity will never go away is the second important key to not being blocked.
I'm not sure, but I don't think it's possible to lose the creative streak in us…but I know a good many folks seem to think that way and I can't help but wonder if it's part of the reason for their block.
I'd also go so far as to say that it's perfectly okay to set down the journal and go off in pursuit of another creative activity. A steady diet of nothing but the same old thing gets pretty boring after a while.
Using a different approach or using a different medium can often be enough to kick the fire back up. Sometimes not.
I expect to be back to my regular journaling self in a few more days, a week at the most, but if I'm not, I'll continue to give myself permission to get over this slump.
And there's the third key—giving myself permission to feel what I feel and to move through it.
Of course, I have to be careful not to wallow too long or overindulge in the negative feelings that can accompany these bouts of not wanting to journal.
I hope these thoughts will help you navigate the minefield of guilt that often part of the busy holiday season. I also share these thoughts in the hopes that it may help someone else avoid the pain of feeling blocked when life gets a little too busy or downright overwhelming.
Be kind to yourself and be kind to others as we often have no idea what others are going through.
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| Check out that helmet! |
I passed this couple on my errands the other day and when I noticed his helmet, I had to smile. I may have even laughed out loud as I was so delighted!
If I could have, I would have complimented him on his creativity.
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| Bye! |
But for me, it was a reminder to embrace my creativity and to be willing to get out of the mainstream.
To be true to myself. I haven't done much of that lately. Unless you count wearing red cowboy (cowgirl?) boots.
I need to kick that up to the top of the creativity to-do list.
What have you done lately to stretch your creative wings?
If you haven't, what are you waiting for? And no, this is not a rhetorical question. I really want to know what holds you back.
For the last two posts here at Painted Thoughts, (here and here) we've been talking about what we need, RIGHT NOW, today, to be our very best. Below is a continuation of the discussion of getting FOCUSED as that was the need most folks identified as needing today…
Useless Advice
When you start talking to many folks about needing focus, they'll tell you "just do it."
And yes, it can be that simple.
Except when it comes to the human psyche and then nothing is simple.
If you've reached the age where you're holding down a job, have kids, aging parents, a mortgage, ane juggling responsibilities, then you know that simple answers are seldom easy even if they're the right ones.
Along the same lines, you may also hear:
"You just need to prioritize." Well, yes, that helps, but when you have 10 pounds of "sugar" and a 5 pound bag, it doesn't matter how you prioritize it, it's not all going to fit! What goes into the back and what stays out? Do you find another bag? Where?
"You'll have time for [____] when you're older." Maybe, maybe not. What's wrong with feeding your soul now? Especially if it makes you a happier, more content version of you TODAY?
"Well, you just need to do [____] and [____]." Hmmm, when someone starts telling you what you need to do, look at their lives. Are they living their dream? Are they walking their talk? If not, feel free to disregard their comments.
You may wonder why I'll telling you all this. I'm sure you've heard some "wonderful" advice on how to "fix" whatever is "wrong" in your life.
I'm saying this for two reasons. First, there is no magic bullet that's going to "fix" everything not working in our lives. Be it lack of focus, time or direction. Finding answers is a process and processes take time.
Second, you don't need "fixing." There's nothing "wrong with you." You're where you're suppose to be and you are good just the way you are. Recognize the different between "fix" and "improve."
I think many of us would find a whole lot more creativity in our lives if we would lose the ungodly expectations we have for ourselves of being "all that and more." We're humans not super-beings!
Okay, make that three reasons. Feel free to totally disregard any or all of this "advice" as bogus if it has no meaning for you.
Ideas, Tools and Tips
Breaking bad habits, learning to say no, giving ourselves permission, lowering our expectations, well, really all of the reasons for lack of FOCUS in the prior post and overcoming them, are a process. It takes time and patience. It takes finding what works in your life. And tools.
The following list of tools is by no means exhaustive. There are some creative people out there who have come up with great ways to get focused and stay focused. (Check the comments on the two previous posts for great book recommendations and ideas!) The list below are some of my time-tested techniques for getting on track and staying focused. Again, in no particular order:
The Brain Dump. This where I pour everything that's flying around in my brain onto a piece of paper or in a journal. It's like the inside of my head is an airport with no traffic controllers and it's absolute bedlam! Things like ideas, parts of ideas, projects, ah-ha moments, things I want to do, research, hang onto, and on and on. It can be a to-do list miles long. It can be all my gripes about a situation or my worries or whatever it is in my grey matter that is keeping me from focusing on what's important to me.
I write it down. Every bit of it. This can take a few days. I'll add to the list whenever I think of something. Then I begin to identify what I can/want to do about any items on the list. Then I try to determine an order in which to do them.
Then, rather than race off to start checking items off my list, I sit back and enjoy the quiet space I've just created in my mind. Please don't skip this step! It's important to savor the silence, to pause and recharge yourself before working your list.
Taking Action. Be it breaking a creating new habits, figuring out how to make a decision, learning that no is an answer or recreating expectations, there are steps you can take to make these things happen in your life. Brainstorm. Write down any and every way you can think of to move past the behavior that is no longer serving you. Some of your ideas will be be outrageous—include them anyway! They can provide comic relief as well as unexpected launching pads to better ideas.
Let the list sit a few days. Remember to reward yourself for taking this step of taking action! Then go back and identify what you think will work best, right now, TODAY. Write down each step (no matter how small) and post them in your journal, your calendar, in your medicine cabinet, the wall of your studio—somewhere you will see them on a regular basis (daily?) so that you don't forget them.
These are Action Steps. Make a smaller version and put it in your wallet so that you can pull it out and refer to it when you feel pressure building and your energy scattering.
Give yourself plenty of time and be patient. Hold yourself accountable to your list. If it helps, tell a close friend who "gets you" what you're doing. You may be surprised to learn they have similar challenges. Take note of forward progress and celebrate those small steps! Revisit the process each time you mark something as completed.
Involve Others. You may not know it, but I learn so very much from each of you! Sometimes, it simply that I'm not alone, but other times, you challenge me to be my best in ways I never could have anticipated. Sharing my challenges with you makes me own them and step up my game. If sharing your challenges on a blog with the world is not your cup of tea, reach out to a trusted friend or a fellow art buddy that you know and admire. It's great if you live in the same city, but email and Skype make the world a global village nowadays.
Discuss the challenges you face, be brutally honest with yourself and ask the other person to do the same. Provide the kind honesty in return. Hold each other accountable and get real with your challenges and how you intend to overcome them. Send the other person a copy of your list of Actionable Steps. Commit to making progress. Share successes and commiserate together over missteps. The artist's community is filled with warm-hearted, caring people. Reach out.
Be Honest With Yourself. Maybe you know why you don't or can't focus. Maybe you're hiding from failure. From success. From other things going on in your life. Maybe being unfocused has become a default position because it's a coping mechanism. We've all done it and we'll all probably do it again, but the key thing here is to be honest with yourself about what you're doing and why.
Then decide what you want more—to be focused or to continue to use lack of focus as a coping mechanism. No one has to know what you decide or why you're choosing a given direction, but you need to know and understand your actions by making conscious choices. Consider compromising with yourself. Try focusing on small, non-threatening projects that feed your artistic self now that won't overly tax your need to avoid focusing on the bigger picture.
Overcoming Distractions or Bargaining With Yourself. This one can be kinda fun, actually. If you fall in love with every new medium, art toy, idea, technique, or trend that comes down the internet, you're attention is scattered and you probably have a studio full of half-started projects and unused art supplies. Sound familiar? It sure does to me!
This is where I begin to bargain with myself. I'll see something new I want to try or buy and to get it, I have to complete another task first. Something like a new journal. That means I have to finish then old one first. New technique? I have to finish the last project first. My reward is the new ____________. It takes a while to get the hang of this one because who's to know if I do just one little page in that new journal with that fabulous paper?
Me.
You gotta hold yourself accountable! I use this bargaining tool as a way to finish projects, old journals and such so that I don't have quite as many UFO's in the studio. UFO = Un Finished Object. Can also be called clutter. Mind you, this only works well if you're ruthless in telling yourself "no!"
Staying Focused. When I switched from a corporate job to working for myself, my focus was no where to found. I wandered through my days with NO focus. It was crazy making. I tried calendars, schedules, both online and paper, but nothing seem to work. I tried morning pages too. Still no good. Eventually, I landed on a creativity log. Click here to read about it.
My rules were simple. I had to go into the studio every single day for at least 15 minutes and do something creative. Not read. Not clean. Not organize. Create. After 15 minutes, if I wasn't feeling it, I could leave. If I wasn't sure, I would stick around for another 15 minutes and then decide.
(Hint: Get a digital timer! It is amazing what we can get done in just 15 minutes and I'm not just talking artwork!)
After a while, it became a challenge to be able to completely fill in my creativity log. There's no reason why this idea could not be adapted to any goal you wish to pursue on a very regular basis. I assure you, it teaches you to focus and commitment!
Make A Small(ish) Decision. Can't decide what to be when you grow up? Can't decide what to do next? What to focus on? Any decision is better than NO decision with the possible exception of those that involve life-and-death possibilities. Creating rarely does. Make a decision and then honor yourself and your intentions by following through with it. Nothing big. Just little steps. Keep it simple, keep it small. Instead of committing to painting a full-sheet watercolor painting, shoot for a 5 x 7 inch painting.
Use whatever tools you need to ensure you do that, but do it.
Otherwise, you're lying to yourself and that leads to all kinds of disappointment. Decide on a length of time to focus on a new activity. If it's not working for you at the end of your timeframe, move onto the next. If you're still digging it, keep going. Keep a running list of all those things you'd like to try. Those other things on the list will wait patiently for you.
Overcoming Fear. Fear comes in many different colors, sizes and appearances. It can be hard to see, harder to recognize. It holds us hostage and a favorite tool is causing chaos so it's impossible to focus. Recognize the fear first. Understand what the fear is about. Identify ways to move forward and take the first step past it. Then another step, and another. Keep taking small steps (don't forget to celebrate). Commit to yourself, your buddy, and or your journal that you are going to face the fear by going ahead with whatever it is that you want to do!
There may be a misstep or even three. No matter. Keep going. Keep doing. And for those of you facing a critic that won't sit down and be quiet, try silencing the critic. Read more here, here and here.
Get Out Of Your Story. We star in our very own stories. We all have a story about why we can't create, can't focus, can't find the time, can't, can't, can't. We tell ourselves and anyone who may ask. The problem becomes that we've told our story to ourselves and others so convincingly that we often begin to believe it wholeheartedly and we get stuck. We forget to check and see if the story is still true and relevant today. Why, we don't even recognize it as a story—just the truth!
The next time you hear yourself telling someone your tale of woe about why you "can't" do something, do a fact check and see if it's really true. (The word "can't" is usually a tip off.) If you have that trusted partner that's helping you bust some of your bad habits and holding you accountable. Ask them to listen for your "story" and to call you on it when you start using it as an excuse rather than a reason. It's amazing how liberating it can be to be set free from an old story!
Making Changes
With any kind of behavior change, it's so, so important to stay positive, stay strong, be gentle with yourself, forgive missteps, try new approaches, find a buddy, be honest, and know that you, in all of your fallibility and imperfection are beautiful just the way you are! Remember, we're not "fixing," we're improving.
If something isn't working. Change the approach! We're not tied to any approach. Try it on for size. Give it time to work. If it doesn't move on, but keep trying!
I feel your frustrations when it comes to finding and keeping FOCUS. I hope all of this is of help.
As always, if you have a resource, an idea, something that's been helpful to you or a way you've learned FOCUS, please share it in the comments below. There has been a wealth of great ideas shared on the last two posts!
P.S. And if you've made it this far, many thanks for reading these (too) long posts!!
Useless Advice
When you start talking to many folks about needing focus, they'll tell you "just do it."
And yes, it can be that simple.
Except when it comes to the human psyche and then nothing is simple.
If you've reached the age where you're holding down a job, have kids, aging parents, a mortgage, ane juggling responsibilities, then you know that simple answers are seldom easy even if they're the right ones.
Along the same lines, you may also hear:
"You just need to prioritize." Well, yes, that helps, but when you have 10 pounds of "sugar" and a 5 pound bag, it doesn't matter how you prioritize it, it's not all going to fit! What goes into the back and what stays out? Do you find another bag? Where?
"You'll have time for [____] when you're older." Maybe, maybe not. What's wrong with feeding your soul now? Especially if it makes you a happier, more content version of you TODAY?
"Well, you just need to do [____] and [____]." Hmmm, when someone starts telling you what you need to do, look at their lives. Are they living their dream? Are they walking their talk? If not, feel free to disregard their comments.
You may wonder why I'll telling you all this. I'm sure you've heard some "wonderful" advice on how to "fix" whatever is "wrong" in your life.
I'm saying this for two reasons. First, there is no magic bullet that's going to "fix" everything not working in our lives. Be it lack of focus, time or direction. Finding answers is a process and processes take time.
Second, you don't need "fixing." There's nothing "wrong with you." You're where you're suppose to be and you are good just the way you are. Recognize the different between "fix" and "improve."
I think many of us would find a whole lot more creativity in our lives if we would lose the ungodly expectations we have for ourselves of being "all that and more." We're humans not super-beings!
Okay, make that three reasons. Feel free to totally disregard any or all of this "advice" as bogus if it has no meaning for you.
Ideas, Tools and Tips
Breaking bad habits, learning to say no, giving ourselves permission, lowering our expectations, well, really all of the reasons for lack of FOCUS in the prior post and overcoming them, are a process. It takes time and patience. It takes finding what works in your life. And tools.
The following list of tools is by no means exhaustive. There are some creative people out there who have come up with great ways to get focused and stay focused. (Check the comments on the two previous posts for great book recommendations and ideas!) The list below are some of my time-tested techniques for getting on track and staying focused. Again, in no particular order:
The Brain Dump. This where I pour everything that's flying around in my brain onto a piece of paper or in a journal. It's like the inside of my head is an airport with no traffic controllers and it's absolute bedlam! Things like ideas, parts of ideas, projects, ah-ha moments, things I want to do, research, hang onto, and on and on. It can be a to-do list miles long. It can be all my gripes about a situation or my worries or whatever it is in my grey matter that is keeping me from focusing on what's important to me.
I write it down. Every bit of it. This can take a few days. I'll add to the list whenever I think of something. Then I begin to identify what I can/want to do about any items on the list. Then I try to determine an order in which to do them.
Then, rather than race off to start checking items off my list, I sit back and enjoy the quiet space I've just created in my mind. Please don't skip this step! It's important to savor the silence, to pause and recharge yourself before working your list.
Taking Action. Be it breaking a creating new habits, figuring out how to make a decision, learning that no is an answer or recreating expectations, there are steps you can take to make these things happen in your life. Brainstorm. Write down any and every way you can think of to move past the behavior that is no longer serving you. Some of your ideas will be be outrageous—include them anyway! They can provide comic relief as well as unexpected launching pads to better ideas.
Let the list sit a few days. Remember to reward yourself for taking this step of taking action! Then go back and identify what you think will work best, right now, TODAY. Write down each step (no matter how small) and post them in your journal, your calendar, in your medicine cabinet, the wall of your studio—somewhere you will see them on a regular basis (daily?) so that you don't forget them.
These are Action Steps. Make a smaller version and put it in your wallet so that you can pull it out and refer to it when you feel pressure building and your energy scattering.
Give yourself plenty of time and be patient. Hold yourself accountable to your list. If it helps, tell a close friend who "gets you" what you're doing. You may be surprised to learn they have similar challenges. Take note of forward progress and celebrate those small steps! Revisit the process each time you mark something as completed.
Involve Others. You may not know it, but I learn so very much from each of you! Sometimes, it simply that I'm not alone, but other times, you challenge me to be my best in ways I never could have anticipated. Sharing my challenges with you makes me own them and step up my game. If sharing your challenges on a blog with the world is not your cup of tea, reach out to a trusted friend or a fellow art buddy that you know and admire. It's great if you live in the same city, but email and Skype make the world a global village nowadays.
Discuss the challenges you face, be brutally honest with yourself and ask the other person to do the same. Provide the kind honesty in return. Hold each other accountable and get real with your challenges and how you intend to overcome them. Send the other person a copy of your list of Actionable Steps. Commit to making progress. Share successes and commiserate together over missteps. The artist's community is filled with warm-hearted, caring people. Reach out.
Be Honest With Yourself. Maybe you know why you don't or can't focus. Maybe you're hiding from failure. From success. From other things going on in your life. Maybe being unfocused has become a default position because it's a coping mechanism. We've all done it and we'll all probably do it again, but the key thing here is to be honest with yourself about what you're doing and why.
Then decide what you want more—to be focused or to continue to use lack of focus as a coping mechanism. No one has to know what you decide or why you're choosing a given direction, but you need to know and understand your actions by making conscious choices. Consider compromising with yourself. Try focusing on small, non-threatening projects that feed your artistic self now that won't overly tax your need to avoid focusing on the bigger picture.
Overcoming Distractions or Bargaining With Yourself. This one can be kinda fun, actually. If you fall in love with every new medium, art toy, idea, technique, or trend that comes down the internet, you're attention is scattered and you probably have a studio full of half-started projects and unused art supplies. Sound familiar? It sure does to me!
This is where I begin to bargain with myself. I'll see something new I want to try or buy and to get it, I have to complete another task first. Something like a new journal. That means I have to finish then old one first. New technique? I have to finish the last project first. My reward is the new ____________. It takes a while to get the hang of this one because who's to know if I do just one little page in that new journal with that fabulous paper?
Me.
You gotta hold yourself accountable! I use this bargaining tool as a way to finish projects, old journals and such so that I don't have quite as many UFO's in the studio. UFO = Un Finished Object. Can also be called clutter. Mind you, this only works well if you're ruthless in telling yourself "no!"
Staying Focused. When I switched from a corporate job to working for myself, my focus was no where to found. I wandered through my days with NO focus. It was crazy making. I tried calendars, schedules, both online and paper, but nothing seem to work. I tried morning pages too. Still no good. Eventually, I landed on a creativity log. Click here to read about it.
My rules were simple. I had to go into the studio every single day for at least 15 minutes and do something creative. Not read. Not clean. Not organize. Create. After 15 minutes, if I wasn't feeling it, I could leave. If I wasn't sure, I would stick around for another 15 minutes and then decide.
(Hint: Get a digital timer! It is amazing what we can get done in just 15 minutes and I'm not just talking artwork!)
After a while, it became a challenge to be able to completely fill in my creativity log. There's no reason why this idea could not be adapted to any goal you wish to pursue on a very regular basis. I assure you, it teaches you to focus and commitment!
Make A Small(ish) Decision. Can't decide what to be when you grow up? Can't decide what to do next? What to focus on? Any decision is better than NO decision with the possible exception of those that involve life-and-death possibilities. Creating rarely does. Make a decision and then honor yourself and your intentions by following through with it. Nothing big. Just little steps. Keep it simple, keep it small. Instead of committing to painting a full-sheet watercolor painting, shoot for a 5 x 7 inch painting.
Use whatever tools you need to ensure you do that, but do it.
Otherwise, you're lying to yourself and that leads to all kinds of disappointment. Decide on a length of time to focus on a new activity. If it's not working for you at the end of your timeframe, move onto the next. If you're still digging it, keep going. Keep a running list of all those things you'd like to try. Those other things on the list will wait patiently for you.
Overcoming Fear. Fear comes in many different colors, sizes and appearances. It can be hard to see, harder to recognize. It holds us hostage and a favorite tool is causing chaos so it's impossible to focus. Recognize the fear first. Understand what the fear is about. Identify ways to move forward and take the first step past it. Then another step, and another. Keep taking small steps (don't forget to celebrate). Commit to yourself, your buddy, and or your journal that you are going to face the fear by going ahead with whatever it is that you want to do!
There may be a misstep or even three. No matter. Keep going. Keep doing. And for those of you facing a critic that won't sit down and be quiet, try silencing the critic. Read more here, here and here.
Get Out Of Your Story. We star in our very own stories. We all have a story about why we can't create, can't focus, can't find the time, can't, can't, can't. We tell ourselves and anyone who may ask. The problem becomes that we've told our story to ourselves and others so convincingly that we often begin to believe it wholeheartedly and we get stuck. We forget to check and see if the story is still true and relevant today. Why, we don't even recognize it as a story—just the truth!
The next time you hear yourself telling someone your tale of woe about why you "can't" do something, do a fact check and see if it's really true. (The word "can't" is usually a tip off.) If you have that trusted partner that's helping you bust some of your bad habits and holding you accountable. Ask them to listen for your "story" and to call you on it when you start using it as an excuse rather than a reason. It's amazing how liberating it can be to be set free from an old story!
Making Changes
With any kind of behavior change, it's so, so important to stay positive, stay strong, be gentle with yourself, forgive missteps, try new approaches, find a buddy, be honest, and know that you, in all of your fallibility and imperfection are beautiful just the way you are! Remember, we're not "fixing," we're improving.
If something isn't working. Change the approach! We're not tied to any approach. Try it on for size. Give it time to work. If it doesn't move on, but keep trying!
I feel your frustrations when it comes to finding and keeping FOCUS. I hope all of this is of help.
As always, if you have a resource, an idea, something that's been helpful to you or a way you've learned FOCUS, please share it in the comments below. There has been a wealth of great ideas shared on the last two posts!
P.S. And if you've made it this far, many thanks for reading these (too) long posts!!
My grandmother showed up at the party.
She died back in 2007.
Before you wonder if I've lost my mind, let me explain.
When we cleared my grandmother's home before she moved into an assisted living home, my aunt found a box of cards in the back of the closet. My grandmother was extremely sentimental and no one wanted to throw the cards away—they had obviously meant a lot to her. So my aunt took the box home with her. She'd planned to go through the cards and do something with them.
Like most of us with good intentions, the cards sat in the closet for many long years before those good intentions were realized.
At the party, my aunt gave a number of us a pack of cards that we had given to my grandmother over the years. In my pack, there was also a photo from our wedding and a photo of me when I was 3 or 4 years old.
But what truly captured my attention and brought tears to my eyes, was the small skate pictured above.
Some of my earliest memories were of my granny creating something.
She crocheted, she sewed, she crafted, she gardened (she could make a dead stick bloom!), she baked (her 7 layer chocolate cake was divine!) and cooked, she was always doing something and I've long suspected that my seeds of creativity were cast from watching her.
She never used expensive materials. The skate above is made from a piece of felt, a paperclip and some yarn and thread. So simple and yet so "Granny" that I would recognize it anywhere as her work.
To me, it's a priceless piece of art.
I also have some "chickens" that are made from the same material…and now I'm on a hunt to find where I put them.
Over the years, she and I dabbled in a number of different craft projects together. When she moved back to Florida from Georgia, I was amazed at the number of items she'd kept from the past of things I'd made with her or for her.
While there were tears, it was like a gift of a visit from my grandmother after these many long years of silence.
She was a such a special lady that left a huge legacy of love, craft-iness, creativity, and making do with what you had.
I wanted to preserve the moment and be able to revisit it without having to hunt down the ornament or cards, so I've created a page in my sketchbook.
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| Granny's Skate Stillman and Birn Beta bound sketchbook 5.5 x 8.5 watercolor and ink |
Many thanks to my Aunt Lala for the visit from the past and the work of going through all those cards and there were a bunch of them! Many thanks to my granny for the legacy of creativity and love.
To this day, she is fiercely missed.
____________________________
On an entirely different note, I have had to turn on the word capture feature on the blog due to some persistent spammers that refuse to take "no spam" for real. My apologies for the inconvenience!
In last week's post, I put up a sketch of a witch in honor of Halloween and invited everyone to submit their interpretation of the art. I had two wonderfully fun submissions!
The first witch I received was from Timaree Cheney from Freebird Drawing! I love the bright happy background and the way she created the Halloween title along the side.
The second witch came from Claire McFeely of Claire's Sketchbook! Notice how intense the art is with that vibrant orange background and the darker skin tones.
I love how each piece of work has such a different feeling to it.
You have both won a Stillman and Birn sketchbook! I will be in touch with all the details.
Thanks for playing—I loved seeing what you created!
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| Le Mouton Noir Bakehouse Watercolor and Ink Stillman & Birn Beta Series Sketchbook 5.5 x 8.5 Inches |
So off we went. We both took sketchbooks and cameras. By the time we found the restaurant, we were starving. Starving. We kinda got lost in our own hometown! We're blaming Google Maps...but before I digress to far...
I can assure you that sketching and painting was not at the top of my priority list by the time we arrived.
So, what's an artist to do?
Compromise.
I decided to sketch the food in pen then took out my camera and snapped a quick shot before digging in! I figured I would add color once I had convinced my stomach that my throat had not been slashed, but it didn't happen at the restaurant.
Later, when I arrived home, I was no more in the mood to paint than I was to to clean the house. And yet, I didn't want an unfinished page in my sketchbook. (The house being dirty didn't bother me. Never does and rewards don't seem to work either.)
Using compromise to finish the page didn't work because there was no reward (like getting to eat)…or was there? What could be my reward, besides a finished page?
A really, really good piece of chocolate!
You may be struggling to get back into the sketchbook habit. How can you reward yourself to create a page and finish it? What will your reward be?
The second element I incorporated was to challenge myself.
The idea of sitting down and spending an hour—or more—to finish the page held no appeal to me. Since it was a super quick sketch to begin with, I saw no reason to labor over the painting portion of the project.
To keep the quick-sketch feel of the page, I set myself a challenge to see how quickly I could paint the page. In total, I have about 25-30 minutes in the page.
Consider other ways you might challenge yourself: limit your palette to 3 colors or even one; just received new art supplies? Incorporate some of those new supplies. Use only pencil or pen. Use no pen or pencil and just paint. Limit your time. Add a piece of collage such as a patterned paper or part of the menu. The ideas are endless.
Evaluate the page becomes a matter of perspective. Is it a successful piece of art? Depends on your perspective.
In my case, I have recognizable objects. I have a record of a very fun day with gorgeous weather and a good friend. I also have a reminder of a great restaurant that I'll visit again soon. Considering I didn't want to sketch and I didn't want to paint it in the first place, I consider this a successful page.
Creativity to comes in many different strengthens and concentrations. If we focus on what we can do with what we have rather than what we can't do (for whatever reason/excuse) or what we don't have (time, interest, inspiration), we will almost always surprise ourselves with what we do.
Being creative doesn't require time, money, or inspiration. It requires doing.
I've had to push myself lately. What about you? Are you struggling too? Tell me how you're going to push yourself to be creative by simply doing. Tell me about your rewards too!
...seldom works well for me.
In a very recent (as in yesterday) conversation with an art friend, we were discussing our lack of motivation to create art at this insanely busy time of year.
I'm not even sure I would call it a lack of motivation. I think it's more of a redirection of time, talent and interest and it's deadline driven.
You see, it's not that I haven't been creating. I have, I have! Just not in my journal.
I recently purchased two new "trees" to go on either side of our front doors. I had a ball decorating them with all kinds of red and bright, acid green trims. I have also redone the wreaths that go on the doors as well.
However, when I tried to paint them....well, let's just say it became "forced fun" and it didn't go so well. It was damp outside and I had a running litany of all the things on my gotta-get'er-done list as I attempted to sketch the trees. I rushed the painting and it was taking forever for the paint to dry because of the dampness.
The result...not my finest piece of work. Do I wish it were better? Of course.
Do I wish it enough to s...l.....o.......w down enough to do a better job? Not at the moment.
Does that mean I'm slacking? Hmmm, maybe. Maybe not.
Let's take a look at the definition of creativity. Does it apply to just creating art or does it also apply to decorating the mantel, making (and decorating) adorable, delicious cookies, sewing cute stockings to be hung by the chimney with care, and wrapping each present with extra attention?
For me, it is all of the above. Well, except for the cookies. I do cakes rather than cookies.
I also find that I have ideas hitting me rapid fire—so rapid that it's hard to keep up with all those really fabulous ideas that I want to act on if I just had the time.
This is where my journal really starts coming in handy. Instead of just creating art, I capture ideas.
When I want to remember that cool snowman I saw, but instead of a red top hat, I have the idea of adding a long scarf with a blue sky cap so it would look like my cousin when he arrives for the holiday gathering, I put it in my journal!
How about that really cute holiday display I saw down in the town square that made me think about the small village I have packed away that I could use to recreate the scene on your mantel? I can sketch out a quick idea in my journal!
Sometimes, it's just words that inspire, like an idea for a greeting card or a gift tag, maybe even a gift. I write it down!
Maybe it a gorgeous play of reds and oranges with a mix of acid green that looks so stunning that I want to remember it for next year's decorating. I. Write. It. Down!
Using our journals creatively to help us capture thoughts and ideas rather than stressing over whether we're filling enough pages or the art is good enough is the true beauty of keeping a journal.
If you don't want to use your regular journal, create an idea journal and carry everywhere so that you can capture those wisps of inspiration when then happen to float by!
The idea here is to make our journals and sketchbooks work for us so that we can recognize all the fun ways we're using our creativity as well as to capture all the ideas that we have when we don't have the time to act on them.
Try keeping a creativity list and write down all the ways you've been using your talent and creative/artistic skills. You'll be amazed at how quickly the pages start to fill up when you start thinking about the various activities that require creative thought!
How are you using your journal this holiday season—are you creating art or capturing ideas?
In a very recent (as in yesterday) conversation with an art friend, we were discussing our lack of motivation to create art at this insanely busy time of year.
I'm not even sure I would call it a lack of motivation. I think it's more of a redirection of time, talent and interest and it's deadline driven.
You see, it's not that I haven't been creating. I have, I have! Just not in my journal.
 |
| Very quick sketch of my new door tree on hot press watercolor paper |
However, when I tried to paint them....well, let's just say it became "forced fun" and it didn't go so well. It was damp outside and I had a running litany of all the things on my gotta-get'er-done list as I attempted to sketch the trees. I rushed the painting and it was taking forever for the paint to dry because of the dampness.
The result...not my finest piece of work. Do I wish it were better? Of course.
Do I wish it enough to s...l.....o.......w down enough to do a better job? Not at the moment.
Does that mean I'm slacking? Hmmm, maybe. Maybe not.
Let's take a look at the definition of creativity. Does it apply to just creating art or does it also apply to decorating the mantel, making (and decorating) adorable, delicious cookies, sewing cute stockings to be hung by the chimney with care, and wrapping each present with extra attention?
For me, it is all of the above. Well, except for the cookies. I do cakes rather than cookies.
I also find that I have ideas hitting me rapid fire—so rapid that it's hard to keep up with all those really fabulous ideas that I want to act on if I just had the time.
This is where my journal really starts coming in handy. Instead of just creating art, I capture ideas.
When I want to remember that cool snowman I saw, but instead of a red top hat, I have the idea of adding a long scarf with a blue sky cap so it would look like my cousin when he arrives for the holiday gathering, I put it in my journal!
How about that really cute holiday display I saw down in the town square that made me think about the small village I have packed away that I could use to recreate the scene on your mantel? I can sketch out a quick idea in my journal!
Sometimes, it's just words that inspire, like an idea for a greeting card or a gift tag, maybe even a gift. I write it down!
Maybe it a gorgeous play of reds and oranges with a mix of acid green that looks so stunning that I want to remember it for next year's decorating. I. Write. It. Down!
Using our journals creatively to help us capture thoughts and ideas rather than stressing over whether we're filling enough pages or the art is good enough is the true beauty of keeping a journal.
 |
| The Finished Page with a little bit of ink to help add definition |
If you don't want to use your regular journal, create an idea journal and carry everywhere so that you can capture those wisps of inspiration when then happen to float by!
The idea here is to make our journals and sketchbooks work for us so that we can recognize all the fun ways we're using our creativity as well as to capture all the ideas that we have when we don't have the time to act on them.
Try keeping a creativity list and write down all the ways you've been using your talent and creative/artistic skills. You'll be amazed at how quickly the pages start to fill up when you start thinking about the various activities that require creative thought!
How are you using your journal this holiday season—are you creating art or capturing ideas?
