Some times you start out on something, you're all fired up, but at some point you start to bog down. Things aren't going the way you expected and it is really starting to require some effort. What do you do? Throw in the towel? Give up?
Sometimes you do need a break, you do need to walk away and clear your head before you can return with refreshed vigour.
When you are in charge of your own project, there is no boss standing behind you with the whip, urging or threatening you to go on. You're it. You know when you've put in the full effort, the 110%. You also know when you've performed under par. You might be able to convince others, you did your best, but you still have to live with you, and the results of actions.
You will only get as far as the effort you put in. Reality TV isn't reality. It is a short hour long program (less if you exclude advertisments) that shows you the choicest moments. It leaves out the drudgery, the boredom, the aches, the pains, fatigue, that, "when will I ever get there?".
Reaching your goal requires you to keep focused on what you desire and persist through the dull periods. It is not those points in time that require super human feats that usher in success. It is the patience, the persistence to continue in those flat periods of deflation after expending your energy in the big effort. In sports they refer to it as the pain barrier, the massive exertion, and then comes the elation (endorphins), but after a while that wears off and you're back to the grind.
If we set micro goals, we can find the physical and mental energy to persist. It is a matter of setting our perspectives to kick into action our natural responses. We all know the supreme efforts we can put in when faced with a deadline. But rather than waiting until the end, if set intermediate finishing lines, we can turn on our focus and energy, to persist just that bit further.
Reaching that micro goal is almost as powerful as achieving the final one. We get that hit of elation that we made it. We can then look ahead and see how much nearer we are to our final goal, because, up ahead is our next micro goal.
You can apply this to anything you are doing, your office work, a marathon or even a painting. To make it really work you you need to make your micro goals, challenging, specific, immediate and actionable.
This is how I get through tough periods with painting. A career as an artist means you are in it for the long haul. The success doesn't come over night, it is something that slowly builds. I was once told, that you are considered a young artist up until age 35. Before 45 you are an emerging artist, and thereafter you might be acclaimed as an established artist.
Why such long stretches? Because people in the art world know all too well how easy it is for people to start, but then give up when things are not progressing as they see fit. For some, art is a long term investment. They want to know that you're going to stick with what you started.
I'm in my art for me. I have already been engaged with it for some time. I have my periods of doubt, but I also have achieved some of my micro goals and there are many more ahead of me. I am in it for the long haul. What ever it takes, I'll reach standards I aspire to.
"What Ever It Takes", Leo Plaw, 24 x 30cm, oil on canvas
Leave a comment below, upvote and resteem if you like it.
More of my artwork can be found on my website. LeoPlaw.com
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look like we was on the same mood today :) and at the same moment !
I have been having similar conversations with other people today. It must be in the air. =)
Power on Nad!
Seriously @leoplaw....did you paint this? Dang!
Why are you even blogging (except to get great Steem)...you should be cruising around in a Bentley or Lambo.....that fine piece of artwork should be selling for Millions!
Thank you very much @dj123! Yes indeed, it is one of my own paintings. If you have the people with the millions, please send them my way. I do pay commissions on sales. ;-)
Ok...now we're talking @leoplaw. Will have to spread the word around. You better get a really big bag to hold that 1 Million Steem coming your way (;
I also happily accept Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dash, Monero and ZCash.
20 - 30% commission depending upon how much you raise. ;-)
Hi Leo, I just saw this link while checking out my upvoters. I'm new to Steemit (just made my 1st post) and I think I'm going to Re-Steem your post and will also UpVote you.
Will be following you, so keep up the fantastic pieces, respects! peace ✌ & 💖 love.
Cheers Joshua! =)
I commented on your post. I guess you'll find it. Enjoy connecting with the community on Steemit.
It just.... connects. To me as an artist i can not quit because art chose me and it was not me choosing the art. To me as entrepreneur running a project.... do not start if your pain threshold is low. It has to be extremely high because it is what you chose to do. Very well put Leo. If not your comment might have missed it as content discovery is chaotic here for now. I am glad i did not.
Cheers @bescouted! If we did not do the things that we do, we would not be alive.
I concur, content discovery is not optimal. I would also like to see the ability to organise the people I follow into lists and bookmark posts.
Somebody will make an application with such features i am sure.
Exactly. A lot of times when something is not looking right or I think i should just paint over it, I have to step back and look at older completed pieces and remember I pretty much felt the same way about most of them at one point of the process or another. I know I just have to keep making observations and adjustments and it will eventually come together.
Art is hard work regardless of what some people think. It takes sacrifice. It takes passion.It takes commitment.
I used to face that urge of painting over frustrating works. Now I stay with the works and see them through. I have a bit more patience now. I guess I now know how to better resolve painting issues. Indeed, having access to our older works can motivate us to push on through.
"Everybody is an artist", "Everything is art", not true, because as you rightly said, it takes, sacrifice, passion and importantly commitment. Not everybody has that.
In my interpretation, your painting is a man dancing with open arms, indicating he is holding the spirit of someone near and dear to him, who is with him in spirit. So my mind goes to the same sentiment in that Tom Petty music video, Last Dance With Mary Jane. Are you familiar?
The title takes me into a different interpretation, so I'm not sure how that fits, but either way I appreciate the painting and I admire the places it takes me in my imagination.
Maybe he's not giving upon the last dance. ;-)
Is not life a dance with spirit, one that we should not give up on?
Cheers Cabe!
Nice reply. I dig that addition! :) That's the truth.
nice work!
Thank you @kouhei-gahaku! ^_^
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