Day 4: Discouraged Already

I'm still working on the same project and today I almost finished it. And it's ugly. I mean UGLY. I was going for the Industrial Look. This thing is totally depressing. There are a lot of things I can do to fix it, but right now I'm just discouraged. 6:30 pm and it's already dark outside. All I want to do is go to bed.  

CREATE Day 3

I was kind of hoping to have a photo today, but that bracelet still isn't finished. It's coming along, though.

Procrastination

From the Robert Genn Letters  (with thanks to Keri Ippolito for forwarding)
http://clicks.robertgenn.com/divided-self.php 

The Divided Self (October 29, 2010) A couple of years ago a subscriber wrote, "You have really helped me with my procrastination. I apologize for taking so long to let you know." Insight like this and a lot of other great items are in the Zingers section at the back of my most recent book. The game theorist and strategist Thomas C. Schelling suggested procrastination is not a personal weakness. It's more a function of the selves within ourselves who are actually at war with one another. For example, your long-term self says you're going to paint 100 paintings and get yourself a decent gallery. Next day your short-term self cuts in and has you alphabetizing everything in the spice cupboard or cleaning the lake. It's not you, it's your "divided self" that runs you off track and amok. Interestingly, the divided self also gives powerful creative input. Putting things off may not be all that bad. Getting a second opinion is certainly part of our game. A work of art well sat on may turn out better than one completed to a hasty schedule. While experts identify university professors as the top procrastinators, artists cannot be far behind. But I'm putting off getting to the point. This letter is about "the thief of time," and how to beat him. Going by my own example, I'm an authority on procrastination. Recent studies tell us we need to get to know all our different selves. We need to make a list. FYI, here's mine: Responsible Bob. Loves-painting Bob. Hates-business Bob. (etc.) Knowing these Bobs helps Bob see when one Bob is caving in to another Bob or pushing another Bob around. Now here's the crunch: The smarter you are, the more likely you'll be to put things off. For smart folks, procrastination may be the norm. "It could very well be the most basic human impulse," says psychologist George Ainslie, the inventor of "hyperbolic discounting," the human tendency to plan practically anything as long as it's sometime well in the future and not now. By taking active steps right now, artists may flourish and stand out simply by beating the norm. Best regards, Robert PS: "You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do." --Henry Ford

Stick To It!

Here are 6 tips for keeping resolutions:

http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2010/10/trying-to-get-yourself-to-start-exercising-or-whatever-6-tips-for-sticking-to-your-resolution.html

I Voted (Create Every Day)

Does voting count as creating? I don't know, but if you don't vote then you don't get to complain. Vote or shut up. Period.

How I Did It (CREATE EVERY DAY)

I need to write a bunch of class proposals. Why make it a chore? Create Every Day is a privilege--a luxury--FUN!

I cranked up the tunes (Celtic, of course), lit the scented oil warmer (rosemary for alertness), drank coffee (mmmMMMmmm....), wore my PJs, snuggled under my (hand made recycled) denim jeans quilt, and created a wildly colorful jewelry set.   

I did it! I created...

I finished this necklace and bracelet and earrings set today. Some of the components were already assembled, but I'd been struggling with the final arrangement for a couple of weeks. I was going for a mixed media piece--something besides just beads and chain.

Create Every Day

I did it. I committed to creating something every day. I even started a couple of days early. And loads of people have decided to commit, too. There must be something in the air. Want to join us? You don't need to do anything except decide to do it.

It's Sally's fault. She sent me the article about November being Art Every Day month. Too many people think art every day means painting every day, or finishing something every day. Who says making a gorgeous, mouth-watering, golden-brown quiche isn't art? Since when do I have to finish the necklace for it to count as creating something? And will the Art Police arrest me if I write a song--or part of a song--or sing one--to create for the day?

Relax. We get to make our own rules.

But be reasonable. You don't have to sew a whole new wardrobe in 30 days, although you can if you really want to. You don't have to write your masterpiece book, either. Just take it in little bites. That's how you eat the whole elephant. Little bites.

I wrote a book about ArtCharms with Chris. Guess how. One charm at a time. Am I overstating this?

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Do I have to start on Nov. 1st?
A: Only if you decide to.

Q: Do I have to blog about it every day?
A: Only if you decide to.

Q: Does a sketch (doodle, cake, flower arrangement, closet-cleaning, letter, walk, etc.) count as creating every day?
A: Only if you decide it does.

You get the picture.     

Commitment Issues

I know it's kind of silly, but I have Commitment Issues.

November is Create Every Day Month. I'm preparing to commit to Create Every Day. Notice I still haven't actually said I committed? Yikes. Why am I hesitating? Here are a few reasons:
1. Fear of failure and its attendants
2. Fear of embarrassment
3. Laziness
4. Procrastination

Well, that's enough reasons for now. I'm going to explore these and see what's behind them.

Fear of Failure
I'm not really afraid to fail, but I sure don't like what follows: disappointment and disgust with myself. If I was as good at art as I am at self-loathing I'd be rich and famous by now. What's the solution to that? Maybe I don't want to solve it. Maybe it's not a problem but a tool. It's one of the tools I use to motivate myself. Uh, maybe it's not the best one, but it works.

I'm going to deal with this by heading into it instead of avoiding it. I hereby commit to consciously Create Every Day for the month of November. Notice I said 'consciously' create? We're all creating all the time. But I mean that I want to be mindful and choose my daily contribution.

I'll keep a list. I don't promise to blog about it every day. THAT's more than I'm willing to commit to.  

Fear of Embarrassment
So who am I going to be embarrassed in front of? I mean, if my friends read this, and they think I'm a dolt, will I be embarrassed? Yes. But more worrisome to me is the possibility that I'll miss a day, or a week, and be embarrassed about that.

I can either avoid telling my friends that I'm doing this C.E.D. thing, or I can pull up my big girl socks (you know what I mean) and Just Do It.

I'm going to do it. If you're reading this it's probably because I asked you to.
  
Laziness
What needs to be said about laziness?

I just thought of something. Sometimes I call it laziness when it's actually taking a well-earned rest. Who says I have to be doing every waking moment? When do I take time to just be? Do I get to fill the well every now and then instead of always pouring it out? I don't want to feel guilty when I read or watch TV. It makes sense to decide how much self-time I'm going to allow every day.

Procrastination
I'll think about that tomorrow.

Recovering

Yeah, I'm still recovering from Art & Soul. The finished pieces (fused glass cabochons) are all packed up and ready to send back to the artist-students who took my glass classes.

This is what it looked like when I packed it up to send to Oregon. Tools and glass are heavy and I didn't want to carry them on the plane. The boxes each ended up weighing 20 to 30 pounds!

Now it's time to start planning for next year.