Puttin' in the Time

Several of you are joining in with the 20 hour challenge, that is, setting an hour goal per week and striving to meet it. We are keeping track very casually on the American Artists forum.

What I have learned from puttin' in the time, is that it frees me from avoiding work that is too big, too tall, just too much to fit into the time I have available. RAther than worrying about what the priority should be, I have found that the hours take care of the priorities themselves. It's time...not rearranging a to-do list...that really matters.

It also helped me to see what are the black holes my valuable, precious time gets lost in. Trading carving a new print for arguing online with some egomaniac know it all? Trading working on a colored pencil portrait to watch a Seinfeld episode that I know every word of? I've done it!

Inertia is a powerful thing!

I am taking a vacation from my personal art challenge for the next 6 weeks or so to work on some house projects I've been longing to get to. These are all HUGE in my mind...making new curtains, organizing closets, restoring some windows, etc. But what I have learned from the 20 hour challenge is the size of the project doesn't matter, I just have to put in the time.

A hill looks huge until you start walking up it. Then you look back and see how every step, every minute, gets you there. Don't over analyze it. Don't avoid it until you feel you have the optimum opportunity to tackle it. Just put in the time.

I'm still going to do my art for the next 6 weeks. But on "summer mode". But what I'm determined NOT to do is waste my time with activities that don't result in anything and NOT to let that procrastination because it just seems too much to overwhelm me.

I'll let you know how I make out! Meanwhile, PLEASE. Examine what wastes your valuable time and keeps you from reaching YOUR goals, whether art goals or otherwise. Let's move ahead together!

I'm American Artist, Robin Zebley. My pet portrait site is http://robinzebley.com. My other blog, enjoyed by artists and non artists, is http://ArtAndAnimals.blogspot.com. Thanks for visiting and I hope you'll comment! I love to hear what other artists have to say!