No Limits

There is no limit to a man, for what he will is what he can. There is
nothing impossible to him who will try.
-Alexander The Great

I Want the Day Off!

I woke up this morning a bit out of sorts. Not in a bad mood, not in a good one either. I didn't feel much like doing anything, at all. I forced myself to paint a while but not nearly as much as a typical day. I then began to attack small projects around the house that I wanted to get done but for some reason always ended up on the "do tomorrow" list. The ironic part is I don't like being bored nor idle. I want to be busy doing something. But today, that wasn't painting. It wasn't calling galleries either. I didn't want to have anything to do with the creative process or sales in any way, shape or form. To avoid doing so, I even polished my coffee table! The last time I polished my coffee table was over 4 years ago. It is not a household task that I enjoy doing but today it was better than working.

I have days like this. I'm not sure what causes them and I doubt that there is anything that I can to do eliminate or mitigate them. It is mid afternoon now and I am just now beginning to get back to my normal schedule. I still don't want to but I have nothing else to do. I can't watch daytime TV plus doing so makes me feel guilty, like I "should" be doing something. Maybe I should just take a "mental health day" and let it go. Tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to start attacking the tasks on my list, both for the art studio and the new consulting practice.

I keep reminding myself, consistent effort will get me to where I want to go. Consistently applying effort seems to be an issue. Maybe I just like to daydream. Maybe I don't have what it takes. Maybe I'm afraid of failure. Maybe I'm afraid of success. Honestly, however, I think this is a combination of impatience and avoidance of change, especially the kind of change that points me into a brand new direction.

God willing, I will have another opportunity tomorrow to try again.

Create Your Tools

The past week I was reviewing the 22nd suggestion from Bruce Mau's "Incomplete Manifesto for Growth" which states "Make your own tools. Hybridize your tools in order to build unique things. Even simple tools that are your own can yield entirely new avenues of exploration. Remember, tools amplify our capacities, so even a small tool can make a big difference." I took tools to mean anything that I can used to aide me in my tasks. A pretty general definition.

I believe that this can be a very powerful act, making and using new tools. On the making of tools, this starts the creative process. I'm making a tool that didn't exist before. Pretty simple by itself but it sets my state of mind. Whatever I create with that tool is also brand new, a original creation, not ever before attempted. It is a step forward.

Changing to new tools also have a similar benefit. By switching tools, the mind acts differently. I can be performing the same task but because it is a new tool, I expect new things. I also typical get what I expect. New is good. Change it good. Movement is good.

I think this advice slips over into other not art related aspects of my life. By making "new tools" I define how I want to life. I indirectly define myself as well. And the simple act of changing from a pencil to a pen, changing tools, changes my perceptions of what I am writing. I can't erase pen. It feels more permanent, more important. I end up treating my writing with more importance and before I know it, my writing is better and is what? More important.

In the end, I see the recommendation of creating tools or using new ones as a metaphor for stepping out of the comfort zone and experience things differently.

This week I will examine "Stand on someone’s shoulders. You can travel farther carried on the accomplishments of those who came before you. And the view is so much better."

Lather, Rinse, Repeat

This past week I examined the 21st recommendation from Bruce Mau's "Incomplete Manifesto for Growth" which states "Repeat yourself. If you like it, do it again. If you don’t like it, do it again."

As a few people know, I'm in the middle of series of 12 self portraits. They are more expressionistic than realistic. Regardless, it is lather, rinse, repeat. To keep myself from getting bored, I'll work on an abstract or "special project" to clear my mind. I am finishing up the 6th portrait by the end of this week. I believe the concept of repeating the process works.

Each of the 6 portraits are different. Some I like, some I don't. Some are more experimental in nature and some are more conservative in the approach I took. Regardless, there is a sense of sequential connection from one to the next. The portraits overall are becoming more complex in style and technique as well as expression. At first, I loathed the idea of repeating the same theme over and over again. But after doing this for 2.5 months, I am beginning to enjoy it. I can make small adjustments from one painting to the next. Over time, the adjustments add up to be major ones. I also noticed that portrait #6, the one nearing completion is a large step out from the others. As I continue the portraits, my confidence in creating them is growing. The result is I am comfortable being more expressive as well as taking more risks. I suspect I will make minor adjustment at this level for a few before the next major leap forward occurs again.

I guess that is my main take away from this suggestion. The fallout of repeating the process is not only confidence and proficiency but also the knowledge that in time, a major step forward will occur naturally and effortlessly. I also see this in other aspects of my person and professional life. This blog is a great example. This is my 60th posting. When I began blogging, I found it to be a chore. I rarely knew what I would write about and I was worried whether what I wrote was any good and would others read it. Now, I never struggle with find something to write about. I rarely edit the blog before publishing.

Another example is applying for gallery shows. Week in and week out, 5 to 10 submission go out. My submission are getting better and I'm am beginning to get responses.

Lather, rinse, repeat. I'm going to put it on a t-shirt.

This week I am looking at "Make your own tools. Hybridize your tools in order to build unique things. Even simple tools that are your own can yield entirely new avenues of exploration. Remember, tools amplify our capacities, so even a small tool can make a big difference."

Clear Confusion

Although I am only half way through the week, it has been confusing and a bit frustrating on the professional and personal fronts. I had a very difficult time painting today. I felt blocked. I am blocked. Confusion is blocking me. Okay, to me honest I'm allowing confusion to block me but I haven't found the way to jump that wall yet.

When I feel frustrated, I can continue to work. I somehow can push the feelings aside and allow my creative side out. Confusion is a different animal. It feels like a fog. It permeates into every nook and cranny on my head and heart. I feel clumsy and stumble around, feeling way. This is also how I feel when I attempt to create, clumsy, foggy. I wasn't able today to return to paintings I had started earlier. I couldn't "see" what had to be done next. So I decided to move on to new paintings.

I had some blank boards lying around, already prepared. I set it up and was already to go. I stared at the blank black board. No image emerged. No colors emerged. Nothing but static. It reminded me of when I was a kid and we use an antenna to get TV reception. Some days the picture was clear and others filled with static so that I could barely make out the picture on the TV. Today was static. Needless to say, I didn't start the new painting.

I'll try again tomorrow. I'm hoping the forecast calls for a lifting fog and a clear day.

Be Careful to Take Risks

This past week I was focusing on the latest suggestion from Bruce Mau's "Incomplete Manifesto for Growth" namely "Be careful to take risks. Time is genetic. Today is the child of yesterday and the parent of tomorrow. The work you produce today will create your future." I think this applies to nearly every aspect of my life, not just the creative side.

I recently read that most people use the incorrect definition of a goal, something that will be or will be achieved in the future. It went on to say that that isn't a goal as so much a result. The future state is the result of the goals and work we do today. Today is built on what was accomplished yesterday. Tomorrow with start off where we left off today. Therefore, day in and day out, we work little by little and over time we begin to see results. The goals are actually those smaller targets that we can accomplish today. For example, I have a goal that I will paint for at least 2 hours today, and again tomorrow and the day after that. If I hit my daily goals, I will have the results of producing the number of paintings of quality I want by the end of the month.

I also noticed two things that when I focus more on what I am doing today and not on what I want 3 months from now. First, it is harder to procrastinate. I have 5 tasks to do today. I either do them or I don't. If I don't, they are on the list tomorrow. They don't go away and they are still needed to be done if the results are going to be realized. The second thing I noticed is those grand results I want for myself are not so big and overwhelming when I break them down into smaller attainable daily tasks. With not being so overwhelming, the risks associated with the daily tasks are also not as scary. They even seem trivial at times. So simply by breaking things down and focus on today, I am able to no procrastinate and push things forward while also taking a few risks along the way. Remember, no risk, no reward.

My conclusion is that I should look everyday in my tasks for something that is a bit risky and do it. Doing so day after day will yield much larger results and give an intense sense of accomplishment. Most of all, I'll get what I want.

This week I am looking at the 21st recommendation from the "Incomplete Manifesto for Growth" which states "Repeat yourself. If you like it, do it again. If you don’t like it, do it again."