evil tendencies
Cake or Death?
I've had problems with painting motivation in the past, mostly due to anxiety, depression, and other fun things that stem from PTSD. In the process of healing and getting fully back into life (and painting), I've discovered some techniques that might help those of you who are, for minor or major reasons, having a hard time starting and then finishing a painting project.
I should mention that I hate pop psychology, most often because the advice doesn't match the realities on the ground, and have tried to avoid that here. This list is what works for me despite some rather severe emotional inhibitions, so I hope this is useful as practical advice. If you folks have other techniques that you use yourself, I'd love to see them.
Rule #1 - Just start a project. Yes, I know what this sounds like, but it's hard to say it any other way. Oftentimes the momentum of just picking up my brush is enough to get me a few minutes of work - and longer, often.
Rule #2 - Eat the elephant. Sounds funny, but the question was put to my grammar professor: "How do I analyze a whole paragraph?" She replied, "The same way you eat an elephant - take small bites and chew slowly." How do I finish a complicated mini? Break it down into small parts (face, hair, etc.) and go slowly. For someone like me, who gets so overwhelmed at times, the idea that I only have to do a small section is rather calming. It'll get finished eventually!
Rule #3 - Make sure you shouldn't be washing your socks. Another professor (creative writing, this time) told us one day that we shouldn't be writing when we should be washing our socks, or vice versa. Find the time that you paint best, and do what you have to to protect this time. For me, it's about 7-9 PM, after work, after chores, and after the nieghborhood has started to get sleepy.
Rule #4 - Paint what you want. This is a creative enterprise, painting is, and that requires a certain amount of inspiration and interest in the project to get it done well. If you have a big project, but you're bored with it for the moment, maybe do a small 5-minute section on it (just to eat a few more bites of that elephant), and then switch to something that you like. My motivation became so much easier to find when I stopped feeling guilty for working on something that wasn't pressing.
Rule #5 - Make painting a priority. Most of us have very busy lives these days - we gotta pick and choose what we want, and discard things we don't want. If you really want to paint, do what you have to to make time in your life for it. This can be as simple as deciding to not go to the pub one night, or as organized as taking a traveling kit to paint while your work sends you on the road. Again, this sounds really obvious, but it came as a revelation to me, so I thought it worth mentioning.
I should mention that I hate pop psychology, most often because the advice doesn't match the realities on the ground, and have tried to avoid that here. This list is what works for me despite some rather severe emotional inhibitions, so I hope this is useful as practical advice. If you folks have other techniques that you use yourself, I'd love to see them.
Rule #1 - Just start a project. Yes, I know what this sounds like, but it's hard to say it any other way. Oftentimes the momentum of just picking up my brush is enough to get me a few minutes of work - and longer, often.
Rule #2 - Eat the elephant. Sounds funny, but the question was put to my grammar professor: "How do I analyze a whole paragraph?" She replied, "The same way you eat an elephant - take small bites and chew slowly." How do I finish a complicated mini? Break it down into small parts (face, hair, etc.) and go slowly. For someone like me, who gets so overwhelmed at times, the idea that I only have to do a small section is rather calming. It'll get finished eventually!
Rule #3 - Make sure you shouldn't be washing your socks. Another professor (creative writing, this time) told us one day that we shouldn't be writing when we should be washing our socks, or vice versa. Find the time that you paint best, and do what you have to to protect this time. For me, it's about 7-9 PM, after work, after chores, and after the nieghborhood has started to get sleepy.
Rule #4 - Paint what you want. This is a creative enterprise, painting is, and that requires a certain amount of inspiration and interest in the project to get it done well. If you have a big project, but you're bored with it for the moment, maybe do a small 5-minute section on it (just to eat a few more bites of that elephant), and then switch to something that you like. My motivation became so much easier to find when I stopped feeling guilty for working on something that wasn't pressing.
Rule #5 - Make painting a priority. Most of us have very busy lives these days - we gotta pick and choose what we want, and discard things we don't want. If you really want to paint, do what you have to to make time in your life for it. This can be as simple as deciding to not go to the pub one night, or as organized as taking a traveling kit to paint while your work sends you on the road. Again, this sounds really obvious, but it came as a revelation to me, so I thought it worth mentioning.
