“Therapy”
linocut
by Warren Criswell
“Sea Peace 1”
oil painting
by Jean Fournier
Untitled
original painting
by Victoria
“Convergence”
oil painting
by Lynn Arbor
“F is for Fish”
mixed-media illustration
by Max Elliott
“Mountview Pathways Abstraction No.3”
original painting
by Jeri Lynn Ing
Lost Dream digital painting by Brad Michael Moore, Dallas, TX, USA |
Archived Comments
Enjoy the past comments below for The sweet joy of lists…
Dear Robert, Good Lord, I guess the older you get the list of 1000 things to do before you die gets shorter. Making lists is just navel gazing for obsessive compulsives. I actually use to keep a day finder. Leather bound thing that was supposably “my life”. Phone numbers, bills, receipts, endless lists of things I had to see and do, doodles, a pen and even coupons for A and W hamburgers (Im rolling my eyes as I write this). The events of the day would be check off, scratched out or hi-lighted. If I actually did everything on my list, I would deem that day a success! Sadly, I always seemed to not get something done, was obsessively late and was forever searching for my forgotten and beloved book. I couldn’t do or commit to anything until I checked the book. All the list making was all quite ridiculous. Then I turned 40. I cared less about not only what people thought of me, but also my waste size and did I have it all together. I seem to have let go of it all, all that “organization”. I have a routine and I am happy. I have a simpler life, I am never late. Anything really crucial I seem to remember. If I have appointments, like the dentist, he seems to send me a reminder card. My phone rings far less and I just enjoy my life much more. The painting I do is never under a dead line and I enjoy my work more than ever. Then again, that is just me. John Ferrie
Shortest poem (by Charles Ghigna) titled “I” “Why?” Scholars argue that “Fleas” (Adam/had ’em.) was first written by Paul Engle, Ogden Nash or Shel Silverstein. I grew up believing it was Ogden Nash. But some claim “On the Antiquity of Microbes” is by Strickland Gillilan. And then there is Muhammad Ali’s untitled poem delivered during a Harvard graduation speech, “Me. Wheee!”
Amen to the list……….. I love the list, ever changing with accomplishments along the way.
Well, Gene Kelly once told a younger dancer in rehearsal “Do it better”. I think that is a list unto itself. (it also pre-supposes that the other dancer knew what “better” was. So I suppose we could say: 1. Understand “better”. 2. Do it. Referring back to a previous post, the late great Kate Hepburn said “Please yourself. Then at least you’re sure somebody’s pleased”. Add your own yankee drawl.
It seems like almost everyone has a list or a number of different lists. Some people that have collected lists have them published. A search on the web comes up with over 54,000 books related to lists. Now that is a lot of lists.
I’ve found lists to be helpful when my ADD mind can’t think what to do next. But the making of lists is poison to a procrastinator like me. It’s seductive to sit down and write everything you should be getting done under the illusion that making a list is progress by itself. So my list is, 1: “Do it!”
Your writer’s #8 could be the beginning and end of every artist’s “list.” Thereafter, the rest will take care of themselves. The only thing lists are good for is pre-travel checklists and the grocery store. If you have to remind yourself continually of those positive things …. geez.
Yeah I love lists! I make mine in the evening ready for an early start the next day. A tiny example: 1. Hoover and tidy 2. Change sheets and wash them 3. Clean the windows What I invariably do the next morning is: 1. Get up, have coffee 2. Peep round studio door just to check on current progress 3. Decide to just finish off that bit… 4. 4 hours later, go get more coffe, see list. Decide might as well ignore it and continue. The list jobs aren’t vital and it wouldn’t do to lose the flow now it’s flowing…!
Heard this list from a friend. It works for me in pretty much all situations: 1) Show up 2) Do your best
I’m in the chronic list-maker’s club. In fact, lists are my last tenuous grasp on sanity. I posted this short one in my Gallery when I opened a few years ago: 1. Be nice. 2. Do the right thing. 3. Give it some punch.
Your letters make me realize there are hundreds like me out there, striving. Have never done anything I really like – feel so humble when I go round exhibits. But must tell you that having you pop up in my computer gives me the feeling of really conversing with you – and solving problems! Thank you!
I’ve read Faith’s list for today. I don’t agree with #5. A painting may be a poor one, but I always ask myself, “Can this painting be saved?” Like all of us there is something redeemable to be salvaged from the original creation. The work can be put aside and pulled out later to be resurrected into something better. The painting my begin as a 2′ x 3′ work and end up a bookmark or becoming a part of the bigger picture as a piece of a collage; it may need cutting and pruning away of the undesirable, however you choose to use what is good, it is still a work to be looked at, reflected upon and enjoyed.
One of my favorite lists is my PACKING LIST. Whenever I plan a trip, I pull up a past list that I have stored in MY DOCUMENTS. Then I edit it according to destination, weather, and other circumstances of the trip. It makes packing a whole lot easier. That said, I am in my fourth day of NOT making a DAILY TO DO LIST. I am doing this as a spiritual practice. It has resulted in a bit of anxiety, but so far, I have not forgotten or neglected anything that needed to be done. When the week is up, I will be right back to my DAILY TO DO LIST!
I’m wondering what one should do if #4 applies? What’s next? 4. Be honest with yourself. If you are no good, accept it. If the work you are doing is no good, accept it.
Lists make my life simpler and I love them. When I read your letter I immediately started to form a list incorporating brevity entitled Why We Should Have Lists and came up with the following: 1) Accountability (I will admit I have added things to a list that are already accomplished just for the satisfaction of checking it off as finished.) Sioux Falls, SD
I date my watercolors on the back and keep the bad ones to remind me that I did get better and how long it took. The paintings that I damaged trying to repair bad choices, I shredded- a fitting end. I am fond of writing lists when I have so much to do that I am wasting time trying to envision an action plan. Write it down, number in order of importance and scratch off as you eliminate the most important.
When I am especially stressed, I find I make a list of the lists I need to make. (I got list making from my father and have since passed it on to one of my two offspring.)
On Vizinczey #6 I understand you can’t worship London/ New York/ Paris or perhaps to paraphrase the “salon” or even the art establishment, but I believe that Renoir said something like, we ultimately need the Salon. (I’ll note that he and the other Impressionists in their later years largely became the Salon.) Not worshiping I understand, but also following Renoir, I believe you must respect and work with the Salon. Which then makes Vizinczey #9 (work to please thyself) and Vizinczey #10 work (be hard to please), but depending on what pleases you, you may have more work and expense (those expensive habits) to market your work – while not being vein and not modest.
Frankly I am in favour of shorter lists. 10 is too long, even for highly intelligent creatives like ourselves. Three should cover it: 1. Work regularly. 2. Do the best work you can. 3. Be true to yourself. or if you want to reduce the list to one, do what David Hockney did when he started out, and paint these four large letters on the wall – WORK
1. Get up 2. Start writing your list for today 3. Begin working on your list 4. Get distracted 5. Do something else
My favorite is John Ruskin’s list, which consisted of one word engraved on a sign on his desk: “Today” Pcrichards23@aol.com
1 Get up 2 Read Robert’s writing 3 Go to studio 4 Go back to bed
I agree with you about the list making. At times, they can be quite helpful and other times the shortest list may do… refer to: Occam’s razor (or Ockham’s razor[1]), is the meta-theoretical principle that “entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity” and the conclusion thereof, that the simplest solution is usually the correct one. my list 1. Listen to my heart.
1 Take boys to pre-dawn hockey 2 Take cat to vet 3 Take boys to school 4 Groceries 5 Tires rotated on Toyota 10.30 6 Dentist 1.15 7 Pick up boys 8 Boys to violin 9 Pick up cat 4 pm 10 Cook dinner 11 Check homework (Science project) 12 Get George to look at towel racks online 13 Paint
the watercolor painters list: 1. coffee on the left 2. water on the right
Thank you for your artistic inspiration. Lists tho, while helping to discipline our daily lives and help us to prioritise they don’t help with artist expression.
Quit reading lists. Paint.
Lose the lists. It’s all about being creative.
Some of this sounds like folks need lists just to get up in the morning. Really? Beyond working every single day in my studio- I am an events creator. That can be a house/studio party or a gallery installation/show opening. Only when it comes down to the last few weeks before an event do I start to make lists. Well before that the clock in my head reminds me to stay focused on creating as alarms will go off as I get closer to my deadline. The day of the event- I was finished yesterday. Only the few last minute things that need to get taken care of at the last minute are on a list. I’ve occasionally tried to work/interact with people who never get their shit together until it’s too late. Once I see that behavior pattern I never work with them again. EVER.
I agree with Susan – Paint & NO excuses !!
Mary Pyche, Look at your work and ask yourself how can you improve it. What are the strengths and weaknesses. Ignore other peoples advice and consider what is important to you. Then you can search the web and bookstores for technical advice. Overcome one weakness at a time and give it your best. Figure out your strengths and play to them. FWIW
1 Do something. 2 Don’t humor bores or boors. 3 Let others worry about their own expectations. 4 Don’t be constrained by history, instructions, or lists. 5 Show up when there are no lines.
I find that lists are useful for tasks, but not really for life. I have lists (grocery lists, errand lists, chore lists, BD reminders, etc), but those morph regularly, depending on what needs doing when, how empty my larder is, when I’m going to town, etc. I adapt them readily, as needed. They are just reminders. Life done by lists does not appeal to me. Those get into the realm of values and the priorities of life. If those needs lists, then someone is in trouble. I paint everyday as long as nothing gets in the way. Some days I can’t paint. That’s ok. It’s not a permanent condition. I finished a series (at least I think it is finished) just before your post about doing 100 little quickies in a month or so. That seemed to meet a need of mine. So I am approximately half-way. It took me a while to remember to be four years old, but I think I finally caught on. And your observation about starting tight and progressively loosening up looks to be on the mark. I am having fun, and finding out some things at the same time. Thanks.
1 look around. 2 see what needs doing. 3 do it. 4 repeat.
The saddest list I just read has “Paint” last on the list. That’s putting one’s Self last.
I`d like to add my own list to this already rich collection : 1. Stop thinking (unless absolutely necessary) 2. Cancel cable 3. With the time left over,create lots of silence in yourself
The main problem with lists and listmakers is they don’t follow through or the list is more important than the doing whats on your list. Making a list for lists sake is time ill spent. “Just do it” is the familiar slogan. Lots to be said there.
Tiger Woods made a list and said “just do it.”
I agreed with Linda’s List… Red Deer Dentist
I did that for 32 years and it was great !!!! But then I woke up… and now I paint and eat and sleep and travel and, and, and, and life is great in a different way… Please try it!!!