Tonight I drew from a couple page of George Bridgman’s book Guide to Drawing From Life. I only spent a half hour on my drawing tonight because I really wanted to work on some programming for work. But, the rest of this post will be rather personal as I will be facing hard facts about my situation.
I feel that in order to move forward I need to look at my current situation realistically, analyze the issues, make a plan to correct the problems and then carry out that plan. I’m not alone in my situation though, there are many artists out there having the same issues I’m having. Hopefully I can help them as well.
Fact: I’m unmotivated
The fact is that I’m currently unmotivated. I know what I need to do, but I just don’t do it. I sit down to drawn and hope that I will work for over an hour but by the time 30 minutes are up I more relieved than anything to put down the pen or pencil and move on to something else.
Fact: I have a negative attitude
My current location is not helping. My wife and I don’t like where we’re living currently and the football team of kids upstairs banging around daily is not helping. I’m letting my surroundings effect my attitude too much.
Fact: I need passion
I need to find something that I’m passionate about and paint it or draw it. I keep shooting down every idea I have for subject matter that may ignite my passion. I worry about putting my heart into something that 99% of the public will think it weird or stupid.
Fact: Half an hour a day is not good enough
These last few weeks of very short drawing sessions are just not good enough and I will never reach my goal by only drawing a half hour a day. I have learned that almost all successful people have one thing in common, hard work, and long hours at it.
Solutions / Plan
Have you ever gotten facts about a very negative situation, like climate change, without any information about what you can do to help? I have, many times, and it sucks. So, I’m not going to do that here. I’m going to outline some solutions and plans to rectify my negative situation.
How do I get motivated
I’ve been motivated in the past by watching Youtube videos. Also by looking at other artwork from wonderful artists, or going to museums and galleries. Basically, what I’m seeing that motivates me the most to do artwork is being part of the art world. Seeing whats out there, thinking about it and maybe even trying it myself.
So my plan to help motivate me is to get more involved with the art world. I should set aside some time before I do my daily artwork to watch a video or peruse my collection of art.
How to be positive
This is a tough one. I’m not really sure how to change my negativity around. But, if I were to critique my situation much like I would another artists painting I wouldn’t just focus on the bad parts of the painting, I would also surround the negative with positive. In every painting, similar to every situation, there is always something positive. I need to search for the good things and give them as much light as the bad. So I’ll try that now.
I love the freedom that my job affords me, I work at home and I don’t have to spend a ton of time commuting every day so I can spend more time on what I love. This is good considering there is nothing interesting about Beaverton Oregon. But the best thing of all is my wife. She smart, beautiful and fixes my meals daily. Hell, I can’t think of anything more perfect and wonderful in my life than her, she outshines any negative thought I may have. For me she is the sun, in more ways that one.
Finding something to be passionate about
Ok I tough the last one was tough… I was wrong. I have been trying to work on this problem for months. Every now and then I will get passionate about something in particular. Like my elevating the mundane series where I painted a bunch of balled up paper balls. I don’t want to repeat anything over and over again but I know that the only way to master something is repetition.
I really enjoy drawing from the figure in life drawing, but when it comes to drawing from photos I’m much much less excited. Unfortunately I can’t have a life drawing class every day. The more I think about it the more I realize that everything that I have ever been motivated enough about to paint over and over has always been from life. So, maybe that’s it, I need to focus on life and no matter what it is. If I want to paint it or draw it then don’t worry about anyone’s opinion, just do it.
How to work longer on art daily
Honestly I think the items I laid out above will take care of this one. If I’m motivated, positive and passionate about something then I know for a fact that I will spend most of the day on it. Heck! for the past two weeks I’ve spent most of my day on a work project that has all these qualities so I know it works.
Yes, I ramble, but it helps me. Maybe it will help you also. Thanks for reading.
Chris–I think you are tremendously talented and I love your small oils of ordinary items found in the household. You are so accomplished at getting the details, textures and colors very true to life. Sometimes it seems you give up too soon…like the red pear and fig. What you thought was a failure, I thought was great but unfinished. I often wonder if you just get bored. Maybe you should cut yourself some slack and give yourself permission to have fun with your paints and drawings …even if they’re not as perfect as you’d like. BTW, I check your blog every day and you are one of my favorites!
Thanks Lynn! One bad thing about being a self taught artist is that I have to be the student and the teacher all in one. I have to be critical of my work to keep pushing my boundaries and hopefully getting “better”. Of course “better” is very subjective, there are many works of mine that I hate but others love.
Your right about one thing though, I do give up too soon many times. Maybe I can push my boundaries more by sticking with something that isn’t working until I figure out how to make it work.
Thanks for Reading Lynn