Time to stop procrastinating. Here’s how.

I will watch this video tomorrow

I discovered a long time ago...shopping for art supplies, surfing art videos & actually doing art are all just very different hobbies.

"I have spent many days stringing and unstringing my instrument while the song I came to sing remains unsung." - Rabindranath Tagore

My problem is not only procrastination but also guilt and resistance. Guilt for the things I should be doing; like cleaning house, cooking dinner, spending time with the hubs. All this after working at a job all day. Resistance because, well, the guilt.

Oh man, the endless watching videos and the art supply shopping it triggers is a DISEASE!! And i have to fight so hard to use stuff and not hoard it, too.

I was told years ago to "break" the page. Facing that blank pristine surface can be hard, so "spoil " it first. Smudge it, fold it, scribble and erase. Go through that brand new sketch book and "ruin" it with some random squiggles, or preserve that first pristine page for your "perfect" piece so you can "mess up" the rest.

About a week ago I understood the reason why I was procrastinating: I had a very good streak of working on my watercolors every day for a while and then I suddenly stopped, because my mindset changed. I went from enjoying the process because it was my time to play and experiment with colors, to taking it seriously. I bought a few books and wanted to go through every lesson to learn all the techniques and make perfect paintings and beautiful art journals. I was also looking at the journey to become a better artist and it looked so daunting and long. I was comparing myself with professional artists and I was feeling down. I was also creating a schedule in my mind to work on it every day, like an obligation. Suddenly it was a chore, not play, so it was not fun anymore. But then I read a comment on Reddit about how this is all a mindset. So I have decided to change my mindset. I just love to play with colors, this is my time to play. I don't want to reach for success in art, I just want to enjoy the process. So I'm back to play, and while my first layer of a cactus that I am painting dries, here I am listening to your video on procrastination. Perfect timing! Thank you!!

Definitely my life story here.... I dream about the art I want to do and I watch artists constantly. Procrastination is fear for me. Fear of failure...

Actually started my first ever sketchbook this morning at age 34. Just a crude pen drawing of a box with a hinged lid, but it pretty much looks like the actual object (to my surprise).

YT needs to stop recommending me these motivational videos just before bed

"The monkey is going to get quieter the more you create. Each piece of art, no matter how small, is a victory over that voice. Embrace your imperfections. Embrace the learning process." - Danny Gregory (2024). This quote is in my commonplace book now. It resonates with me. I like meditating, so "quieting the mind" is something I know of. You showed me a course of action I never thought of and I am so grateful for your video 💜

"I GET TO paint/draw" is such a good mindset change, thank you!❤

My Daddy was a perfectionist. I didn’t realize how much of this had engrained on me and how much is tied to procrastination. Ty for food for thought💕

Wow, this guy is voicing my inner thoughts out loud! Time to get out the sketchbook and actually do something, instead of just counting my pencils. Thank you for this.

0:57 – reason why you procrastinate 1:50 - Recognize procrastination for what it is 2:09 – Set up a small specific kind of goal 3:14 – Acknowledge the struggle 3:52 – the illusion of productivity 4:53 – Set small, achievable goals 5:54 – Limit distractions 6:43 – Give yourself a break and embrace imperfection 7:58 – Be accountable 9:36 – Make it a routine and habit 10:44 – Shift your mindset from “I should create” to “I get to create”; turn “being creative” from a chore to a reward 11:27 – how joyful creating can be; remember the joy of creating 12:12 – Be good to you; be kind to yourself; celebrate your streak

Good advice - thank you! Have you heard this…. What do we want ? Procrastination! When do we want it? Next week !

My sister had so many GREAT ideas for everything! She had notebooks on the podcast she was going to do. Bought all the things—great mike, NPR book on how to do a podcast, wrote notes on her first episode. She had an idea for an AMAZING book of linked poems to tell a story about rural new englanders. I found her notes that she was going to finish it in 2016, and then 2018, and then 2019. Maybe during the pandemic! It would be a great pandemic project. She got four poems done. In 2022, she was in a serious car accident and became a quadriplegic. No longer able to write with her hands, she had to learn to “write” with assistive technology, and it was very, very rough going. Then, all of a sudden, at the beginning of this May, she was diagnosed with cancer. Three weeks later, she was gone. You never know what’s around the corner. Life doesn’t go on forever. We all learned a huge lesson from what happened to her. Whatever it is you want to do—Do. It. Now.

I feel that sometimes it’s a fear of being interrupted.

I finally started a doodle journal in March. The idea was to just doodle one page a day. I gave myself permission for it to not be perfect. Some days it’s just a random doodle that takes 5 minutes. Some days it’s a full on sketch that I get lost in for 3 hours. It’s been fun.

Perfectionism kills my motivation. I get a certain way into a painting and become fearful of ruining it. There’s no back/undo button, can’t save drafts! 😂 Yes, you can paint over it or even wet it and scrape it off, which I’ve done ✅✅ but still. I have to talk myself through pushing forward, past the mental obstacles. And I remind myself there’s only one real way to fail: by quitting 😉