The Day After Halloween

[tourmalina]

We probably had less than ten trick-or-treaters last night. I did carve a nice pumpkin and put it out, and put my orange lights in the window. My owl/Halloween painting is still not finished but that's okay. I'm resigned to my slowness.

Comments

[blonde_blythe]

I know what ya mean about being resigned to slowness; I just keep getting slower and slower. I used to get stressed out about it, but have learned to just roll with the flow. Can't wait to see your new painting! :) We never get trick-or-treaters where I live.

[tourmalina]

Yeah, what can ya do, LOL?! At first I was a little disappointed that my Halloween-themed painting wasn't finished on time, but now I'm okay with it.

I'm not as enthusiastic about trick-or-treaters as I used to be. I don't mind them, but I'm not bummed if there aren't a lot of them. Our dogs get too noisy with their barking anyway. So, even if we didn't get any, I'd be okay with it.

[blonde_blythe]

I can only create when I'm in the right frame of mind--what about you? If I try to force myself to paint it just doesn't work, and I usually end up causing more harm than good.

[tourmalina]

I have to motivate myself in various ways sometimes. I put in a DVD to watch, and if I don't have a painting in front of me to work on, I just move a pencil or pen around on a blank sheet of paper. The physical act of making marks often ignites some creative spark in me. If need be, I'll eat or drink things for further brain stimulation. I'm convinced I have ADD, but was never diagnosed as a child.

[blonde_blythe]

I often wonder if I have ADD as well. Now that I'm post-menopausal, I really have a hard time concentrating on a painting (or anything else) for any length of time, and I get really anxious, so I have to stop and do something else. Not being able to paint for very long, and taking so long to produce new art bashes my self-esteem, and it's a vicious cycle. Right now, I'm working on a sketch of the Wizard of Oz. I have wanted to do a painting of this for a long time, and I am first sketching out the characters before I attempt putting it on canvas. I like your motivation technique of moving a pencil around on paper. I'll have to try that. :)