Posted by Lindenblüte on October 11, 2006, at 8:37:45
In reply to Re: Trying to Finish Things » Jost, posted by Phillipa on October 6, 2006, at 21:57:37
Hi Jost,
I'm sorry that this work has taken on such a chore-like character.Are there certain parts of drawing that you like better than others? like maybe the hair, or the fingernails? or doing the rough outlines, or working with a particular set of tools?
Maybe you can make it a goal to start with the most onerous task at the beginning of the session- get started on that, and it you're not in a groove after, say, 10 minutes, to switch to something else. Whenever you complete a subsection, reward yourself by either a) working on the parts that are your favorites, like the hands or b) taking a walk through crunchy leaves or drinking a cup of tea while staring out the window.
Right now, I'm in a part of my diss. work that is usually my favorite part. It's frustrating, but can be incredibly rewarding. Data analysis- after I find all the errors in data entry, and get my spreadsheets and my analysis scripts in shape, well, I can start playing around, and making graphs and charts and stuff. It's awfully satisfying. I love the moment of EUREKA! when you find out that your main hypothesis fell flat on it's face, but that the data are telling a much more interesting story instead. I love that paradigm shift.
Do you listen to music when you work? I find that this helps keep my mood more stable, and keeps my neurons happy, since so many of them are neglected when I'm crunching numbers in a spreadsheet.
Retail therapy- Maybe you should take a walk to a nice boutique and find one really special piece- like a unique hand-knit lambswool sweater. Something that you know you will treasure for a decade or more. Something that will be cozy and comfy and precious. If it costs 200 dollars, You can think of THAT as your reward for finishing up this set of drawings.
Don't be so hard on yourself- it's okay to have to start over sometimes. Just make sure that the critic in your head is the sensible Jost that gives good advice to Linden, not the BigD that tells you all kinds of pernicious nasty lies.
happy wedesday to you, Jost. Set realistic goals, and recognize when you're done for a bit. you can always come back and finish up a few spots here and there. Go for the big outlines, the little stuff will happen on its own.
-Li
poster:Lindenblüte
thread:692233
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/esteem/20060921/msgs/693788.html