Friday 18 November 2016

Patience, perseverance, and just doing it

I wrote up a whole long blog post yesterday, including all about my current misfortunes with mail order deliveries (one of them contained a big dead cockroach attached to the jumper I had ordered), as well as my creative 'confusion' (I can't think of a more accurate word to describe it right now) that I'm struggling with at the moment. But I'm going to spare you all the details. The mail order issues will hopefully all be sorted soon, and as to my creative confusion, well I think we've all been there. And will be there again. For most of us, as beautiful, nourishing and rewarding making art is, it is also a constant struggle. In many different ways. It certainly is for me. The fact that I'm constantly torn between completely different styles, techniques, mediums is a never ending source of frustration. I feel that I should 'decide' on something, and stick with that. But I can't, and it can all too easily lead to me ending up not doing anything at all. But moaning about it, and boring everyone with my moaning, isn't helping either. So I'm just trying to go with it, and not think about it too much, or even better, not at all, and instead pick up whatever medium I feel like and put something down on paper. Because at the end, that's still better than not doing anything at all, right?


Another thing I need to work on is patience (a candidate for my word for 2017?). And I guess I should add perseverance to that too. At the beginning of the year, I bought a Rotring fountain pet at my local art shop. Because they didn't have the converters in stock, I bought some cartridges. And since the ink in the cartridges wasn't waterproof, I decided to make the best of that and use it with a water brush. I loved it. I played with it for a bit, and then I put it away and never picked it up again. Same with my brush pen.


So there are the two things I want to allow/remind myself to do in the following weeks and months: to do whatever I feel like, even if it's the exact opposite of what I did the day before, because that's still always better than not doing anything at all. And to thoroughly try out and experiment with different mediums, and take them out regularly. Or get rid of them if it turns out that I don't really like them.

10 comments:

  1. Doing what you like and what you really want to do is a great idea. Love all you have made, hope the confusion soon passes. Happy PPF, hugs, Valerie

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  2. Great sketches. Wish that your problems will be solved soon.
    Happy PPF ❤

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  3. You should absolutely use all sorts of media and work in all sorts of styles. How else are you supposed to work out what your style is otherwise? I love these drawings - the loose, flowing lines and great lettering.

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  4. really marvelous sketch work!! Yes, do whatever pleases you for that day. My goodness, my art goes from one medium and style to the next all the time. I happen to like doing that as it never gets dull, that's for sure:) Happy PPF!

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  5. I can relate so fully to your post. I am such a floater - or flitter with my interests. I exhaust myself, because I jump from interest to interest. There was a quote I wrote down in my journal last month - I can't find it now - but it said to find or create something beautiful every day. It doesn't say be consistent. :) Lois

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  6. Wonderful sketches and quotes. But the cockroach event made me groan aloud! How yukky to get a new item with that attached!

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  7. These sketches are wonderful. I think it is amazing how you used the ink to your advantage. Get back at it and do some more. Happy PPF

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  8. All your artwork is lovely and loose and fresh. Patience! I don't have any. I very rarely paint anything I can't finish in a day. Keep experimenting and don't beat yourself up.
    Happy PPF

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  9. All of us have these feelings at one time or another. It is how you go forward and paint the creation of your life. I think you are there. I see it in your art and the words you write. March ahead with creative gusto.

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