Smiling Through it

 Recently I had a gig where I performed at Spring Creek Retirement Community and part of my agenda was to draw for the residence in the memory care facility. Needless to say, the old timers in that wing were suffering from dementia and some of the cases were pretty severe. However they were all receptive and friendly even if some were a tad confused as to what I was actually doing but once  I showed them the finished product they were delighted.

Not a Painter but a Draw-er

 I'm not a painter and I prefer to not to paint. Although I have some experience in painting, I don't take to it very well.  I'm a draw-er which matches my creative philosophy and is more suited to my talents but on rare occasions someone will ask me to do something in the painting realm and I reluctantly agree.

Recently, I was asked to paint the logo for a newly opened store in La Centera, Cinco Ranch, called Cultivar on the wall behind the register and above is a quick time lapse of the process.

Showing Up

Scale things down to make them easier to do. In his book The Now Habit by Dr. Neil Fiore, he suggests to look at a task which appears large and arduous in increments by thinking from the concept of "just start it". 

For example: reading thirty books a year starts as reading one page a day. Going for a run means putting on your running shoes walking out the door, locking it, then turning around and going back inside. Doing so is the inception of becoming the person that reads thirty books a year or runs two miles a day. 

There is a story of a man who lost over 100 pounds in a year and it started by him getting into his workout clothes, driving to the gym, doing one exercise then going back home. It seems silly but what he was doing was becoming the person who showed up at the gym five days a week and worked out for 45 minutes.

A habit has to be established before it can be optimized. If you can't go to the gym for 5 minutes then you don't have a chance of being a person who stays for 45 minutes.  

 

Discovery

 

Ten Reasons Why We Fail: #4 Fail to Network

In the profession of illustrating and visual arts there is much alone time which is customarily the way I prefer it. This is not uncommon among most people in a creative field and in fact, I find it difficult to allow others to influence my work as I'm somewhat possessive about it. However, as time passes I realize more and more how counter-productive that habit is. I have single-handily undermined my own success because of my hesitancy to reach out and connect with those who can help. Creating beneficial relationships hinges on the ability to meet others and connect with them in meaningful ways. 

 

Ten Reasons Why We Fail: Reason 2

In continuing my remarks about a recent Mark Manson article I read on ten reasons why we fail, the second reason listed is that we fail because we're not persistent enough. Most of us give up on something way too soon. Not only that, it involves consistent habits and showing up everyday and the failure to do so can involve the dreaded "P" word: procrastination.

In the book The Now Habit by Neil Fiore, he tells the story of one woman's lesson on battling procrastination. Laura was a science teacher working on her masters degree and she was great about starting things but seemed to falter in finishing a project. She was also an avid runner and trained for a marathon but on the day of race she was well prepared except for the last six miles which is known as the wall when the runner's body is screaming for nutrition and demanding rest. It was during this period in the run when she found herself saying something that later helped her get beyond her procrastination and on to finishing her research project. 

"I'm in pain" she said "it hurts to run, it hurts to walk, it hurts to stand here and it would hurt to lie down. Regardless of what I do, it hurts so I might as well finish the race and get it over with as soon as possible."

She realized it takes work to procrastinate and it takes work to face our fear of finishing. There is really no escape from some form of work. Why not choose the work that's going to reap the most benefits?

 

Ten Reasons Why We Fail: Reason 1

Recently, my attention was grabbed by an online article written by Mark Manson on why people fail. There is a constant struggle with many, myself included, surrounding the mystery as to why success seems to be a common characteristic of some while it eludes others. I found Manson's particular take on it interesting. 

One reason may be that people are afraid to stand out from the crowd. We may have a particular talent or level of interest in something that may be different from the commonly accepted dogma but by pursuing and indulging in it, we may disrupt the relationships we have with others or even disturb our own comfort levels. 

It's also possible that these self-conceptions are related to weak boundaries or lack of confidence in one's own ideals or desires.