Friday, December 3, 2010

What Keeps You from Painting?

I'm in the middle of a new painting and taking a break to write this. This wasn't always the case. I'm working on my fourth adult watercolor. My first one was painted last year, en plein air just to start something! I was with a friend for courage. She was absolutely new like me. The other two were painted this past August and November I believe (I'd have to check). Why does this timeline matter? To show you, if I can start - YOU can start. Hopefully you won't wait as long as me in between to get going!


So what keeps me from painting? 


Any distraction my subconscious mind will throw in front of me to keep me from my fears. 


Facebook. House cleaning. Errands. Volunteering. Letting other people's priorities becoming more important than just starting. What's yours? I do did it all the time. I won't let that happen anymore. Because now, I trick myself into starting.


See? It can work both ways too! 


You can pick up your sketch book and take it with you to appointments to pass the time. You can doodle at the dining room table. Your family will not only support you, but it might become your next favorite dinner activity! You can pick up your brushes and set them out to get them ready. You would be surprised to see where this might lead. 


So get out there and trick yourself! And report back to me.. I want to hear about it!

2 comments:

  1. Hi VP, thanks for visiting my blog, I needed the boost today. Hmmm, what holds me back from painting. Some days it is everything, even something as trivial as I need to clip and organize some coupons! Other days, nothing can stop me! I will snarl at the hubs, push my girl away and say she is a "big girl" now and she can handle whatever IT is. I will get in the studio and go until the very last possible minute. The crazy part is I don't know with any consistency when either of these moods will strike. I should be more disciplined, but until I figure that out, I'll just go with the flow.

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  2. Shari, Thanks for posting! I do the same thing with the family. I am laughing now because between the time you posted your comment and the month when I am following up - I have not painted!! True, it was the holidays and crazy New Years frenzy but (sigh). Also, I don't know if and when I can "figure" it out - just when I think I have, I have a relapse like what I have just described!

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