Too much stuff!

So many “good things” vie for my attention too… I try to protect my time to paint and leave enough time and energy to attend to other duties – difficult with chronic pain. To help myself, I ask the question “what would be the BEST use of my time/energy?” Sadly for the housework and paper pushing, I NEED to paint. Even if all I can do is 30 minutes in the studio, it’s worth it!

I agree, we all get out what we put in. Some of us want/need more out of it than other artists do. There are the seasons of life that take us to various things also. We do need time to fuel the juices and contemplate then go to the easel. I am often processing an idea in my head long before I put a brush to canvas and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. I have a stack of magazines too and sometimes I read them but only if I remember to tuck one in my bag for when I have to sit in a waiting room.

I heard once that the best way to get more creative is to get OFF THE INTERNET! We see all these posers at artisan coffee houses in their hipster glasses and headphones, wired into their computers doing incredibly important computer work and surfing. Maybe because I am dyslexic and never really cared for reading, but I rarely buy publications. I don’t subscribe to booklets, articles or newspapers. I don’t want people to send me proposals, nor will I read more than a paragraph of an article someone sends me. What defines me is being an artist. And while it is important to see as much work, good, bad, famous or indifferent, the best thing to do is work. It has taken me 51 years to accept, but we artists are given a gift. There is something inside of us that we have to communicate through our work. It is a lifelong study and a voyage riddled with rejections and advice from people who claim to no better. There can also be incredible highs and moments where it all seems worthwhile. But to be ruled by cluttered papers and endless collections of readings that must be gotten to, can turn a career as an artist to that of just a hobby. John Ferrie

Your advice always comes exactly when I need it. Thank you.

Paper is clutter and I fight clutter as much as I can. Clutter is anything that forms a rat’s nest and it breeds depression freely. I have the luxury of living in a town so small, we are not eligible for home mail delivery. When I go to pick up my mail, I toss anything I don’t need in the circular file before I live the post office. To further sort this out, I have all my bills come to my email box. This sorts out the art stuff from the random stuff. I only subscribe to one magazine in my medium. I have stopped, at least for a while, buying any books or subscribing to any more magazines so that I can hear my own creative voice. I’m still working a day job that requires a great deal of concentration. I don’t try to paint on days I am working the other, less interesting job and I don’t paint past 3 p.m. the night before I have to go to that job. I have chances at over time, but I tend to refuse if I’m hard at painting because I don’t want to mix my two work “lives” because it causes mind clutter. Magazines, books, online articles, blogs, etc. may improve your artwork, but in the end, the best way to improve your work is by doing as much of it as you can. If you are lacking direction for a piece or in general, if you are finding that painting bores you and you procrastinate getting down to business, that is the time to peruse your books and magazines to refresh your passion, then put them away and get down to work.

3 years ago I cancelled my several magazine subscriptions and just let them run out. The very reason stated , “whats the use everyone is so good etc ” was a silent distraction. My work and public career has benefited by being more focused, and my life perhaps more dull (I don’t do much else) but the work is flourishing wonderfully, and the knowledge of creating quietly is nourishing. The other big distraction is people in the industry , gallery owners, Art organizations, juries, and friends telling you constantly what to paint, what might sell, what they want to or think they can sell. I do take criticism from a fellow artist who I respect and trust. The nature of being a creative personality is more solitary than corporate. Too many artists, organizations, clubs etc articles vieing for their own $$$ agenda is like trying to herd a bunch of cats. When cats are pretty solitary.

Magazines are just temporary stuff, Robert. They don’t do anything in my life but take up space and time. So with that said I restrict those kinds of things to late in the evening before bedtime. If I find something of value to me I tear that out and put in a binder. The remains of the magazine goes in the recycle bin. Time spent is generally less than an hour and it does not interfere with my creative time. Sometimes, but not often, I get some inspiration from temporary literature.

In spite of all the unnecessary printed nonsense, the massive internet and this letter’s critiques, I must say that besides art, the basis of our civilization is still black type on white paper.

I was the person who kept forty years of National Geographic and Smithsonian. One day I realized I never went back to read or look at them. If there is one blessing of the computer age it is that those articles can be accessed from magazine Internet archives. Rather than keep the whole magazine if there was one article that was particularly worthwhile I tore it out and kept it in a file. Eventually I quit even that. I keep magazines (four subscriptions and none are art magazines) only until the next month issue arrives. I dislike adding to landfills but at least paper breaks down faster than any other trash I generate. Regardless of quality magazines are not great literature worthy of a book; they are periodicals. As such it is easier to consider them destined for the trash can. Time is a whole other issue. One can get totally bogged down in trying to keep current in the art market. Magazines are great for advance notice of shows and competitions but don’t get too caught up in it. I will occasionally pick up one at a gallery or the newstand. Read the articles and absorb the images, learn from them, and toss them. How is keeping any of that helping me paint? It isn’t. Those who fight the paperwork battle usually never had a plan to deal with it in the first place. I can’t praise a home office enough. Every piece of correspondence has its appointed place with a system for timely management. I learned this way back in the Air Force: “Handle each piece of paper one time.” After the bill is paid, file it for one month then toss it when the new one comes in. And something else that frees up my time … that’s hubby’s job and he does it much better than I ever did.

You rang a lot of bells today!

I just returned from a trip to a lovely location, with a desire to reorganize my studio. Your words are timely for me to clean up my act, discard magazines, and visual clutter. HOWEVER, your beautiful description of where you are writing from in Shanghai sent me floating right by your side! That paragraph made my day and reminded me of all the motivation available when you are looking at your life from a new and beautiful perspective, one that speaks to your soul. Thank you.

By the way, if you can’t bring yourself to throw your magazines away pull off your address label and take them to your local hospital waiting rooms. You just might kindle a spark of interest in art that someone might not have cultivated.

As an artist who has multiple practices [studio/community/public/education], I have discovered the value of showing up. I am writing a memoir that re-searches all of these things that may be valuable for the field of arts-based community development. I work at my studio on the laptop on MWF from 7-9ish. On the advice of a mentor, I show up and just write, I limit my expectations of output, I stop at 9 and start again at 7 on the next writing day. I don’t listen to the voices that say ‘who are you to be doing this?’ or ‘others have already said/done/finished this’. I am amazed at how freeing this is….I don’t feel guilty, I do feel productive. I have been doing it almost a year and probably have another year to go before editors, publishers etc., but it’s happening! It’s no longer about I might or I could or I should. I had a contractor once who helped me build a house. He said, “If you go to work every day, eventually you get done.” Thanks, Don. Your words have meaning and purpose to me. You are the voice of the muse.

The story of individual progress is largely one of moving from the business of being entertained to the business of entertaining yourself. Blessed are those whose main entertainment is their work. Lived without TV for 7 years didn’t miss a minute!

Chinese newspapers are not “printed in Mandarin and Cantonese” inasmuch as the Chinese writing is the same for all spoken Chinese, which is the beauty of traveling through China if you know how to write it and find yourself in a region where one of the multiple dialects is spoken and you don’t know it. Write what you want in Chinese, and it will always be understood. I even have Chinese and Japanese friends who at times resort to writing a concept to better understand it, as Japanese has borrowed many Chinese characters and still uses them for more abstract concepts.

I would like to add: Do not read or check email/facebook in the morning, set aside a specific time to read your magazines, after working at the easel, or when you hit a “lack of energy” wall. I find that I can spend 1-2 hrs in the morning on the computer and loose any desire to go to the studio.

I only take one art publication now and do take time to explore my own ideas. I am reviewing all of my old sketchbooks and finding ways to reinvent those images!It is great fun as well as rewarding.

Mr Ed Kissane and I must have the same problem. I know what I would like to paint, but there always seems to be something else I have to do. Thank you for your suggestions. I will try to make them work for me

Maybe applicable to writing, as well?

I’ve managed to relegate my magazines to the bathroom; but I find the internet terribly consuming. I think I’ve become addicted.

Esoterica: Could traveling far and wide be an avoidance tactic for a famous painter? Could seeing the world be the equal to reading too many art magazines? Just wondering.

Poverty drove me to cancel subscriptions. At times I have thought, OK just one! No news of the art world except exhibits we can actually see. However the paper still piles up, but I can say most of it is for teaching & marketing. Live in the work of your own making, not that of others. Does this mean that I need to toss out my Goya, Picasso & Rivera????? If so, the price of success is too high.

I just helped a 93 year old woman move into assisted living. It was my job to shred all of the mail and get rid of all of the magazines and catalogs. It took me about 30 hours. Now I throw out the junk mail at my house every day.

My adult daughter informed me that I was a paper hoarder. “You have paper every where – you always have” she told me. I am always busy painting but “someday” I will get to it. Now with my daughter words ringing in my head I am trashing away… I still keep the good stuff though but hopefully the stack will get smaller and smaller….

Wonderful inspiring email letters like yours are my avoidance. All day I’ve been trying to get everything done so I could play with some mineral spirits and oil pastels, my latest passion. But now it’s time to go to bed. Tomorrow I will start with oil pastels. My IPAD will have to wait in it’s rightful slot on my priority list. Thanks for waking me up before another day goes by.

In Chongqing we can not get Wikipedia or Facebook, but we can get Painter Keys site. Thankyou for letting us see possibilities. China still poor country but getting better (too much working) so we will painting soon I think.

Another drop of clarity and sense from you (as well as another atmosphere rendered in just a few words). I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy and appreciate your letters, and how they challenge me and inspire my progress. With my sincere thanks for your wisdom and humour (and love to your Airedale, Dorothy!).

Oh you’ve struck such a chord here, you’ve been looking in my studio window! … I’m going to save your thoughts below and make them my mantra …. I really enjoy your newsletters, thank you for making them available to the wider world, even here on the beautiful wild West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand.

This was a very helpful letter. I battle with myself in a way I can t really describe. I observe other artists’ work is a reflection of themselves and I cringe at my own efforts of failure or perhaps not seeing myself in my work. My upbringing was of a strict nature, and there was a definite right or wrong, and being a people pleaser all my life, it is difficult to switch that button off. I have often just created, and not knowing where its going, I do ceramics as well as oil-painting. I paint impressionistic and I enjoy being free and un-comformed. There are certain rules, for sure, and am listening to others.

My daily ritual is to paint a playing card sized watercolor of something I am grateful for. I make a frothy espresso and sit at the same little table in my kitchen. I focus on whatever is current and positive. Even on my busiest days I get my little dose of meditative painting. I post in on my blog (and I am very grateful for the ease of my Iphone and the cloud!) I am going to 365! I am very grateful for your wonderful words of inspiration.

Does this include reading your offerings? Paperwork, magazines and half finished paintings mount up. Emails are another time consumer. Wanting to keep information is my downfall. I also think not being so ambitious sometimes works since I have so many things I want to do that I feel I don’t get much done but others think me industrious. Life is too short and other people are important too. Enjoy your meditative moments.

Many good thoughts there, and true, except the one about learning to multi-task & multi-track – this instinctively seems wrong, as multitasking IS how we end up trying to read everything, do everything, create everything, with nothing actually getting done much besides possibly reorganizing all the task lists. I think that your readership is probably largely women, and women are automatic multi-taskers who really need to learn more focus, the way guys do. Telling us to multi-task is not going to help us. We need to UNmulti-task. Starting work on something before we’re fully awake, is a good one. I’ve done this (not enough) and find that I can really immerse myself in a project much better that way. It’s also true at the other end of the day after all other things are done, that I can focus better on one thing. Multi-tasking is more of the avoidance thing in spades. Attempting to accomplish everything at once. Put on a pot of stew, load the washer, check the emails, feed the critter, clean the brushes, make a call while washing dishes and brushes, and maybe oh maybe sit down and actually paint something for an hour! Oh, wait, I didn’t set the still-life up yet. Can’t paint a thing or the flower bouquet I was going to paint is 3 days old and needs freshening up. Or, durn, the light is fading, need to wait til tomorrow. Stir the stew, load in dryer, walk the critter, answer the phone? C’est la vie!

It’s not art magazines for me. I WISH!!! It is stacks and stacks and endless stacks of erroneous bills (call the phone company to have them remove extra charges), car title registrations to fill out, gallery inventories to log, prospect list to call on, deposits to log in Quickbooks, call to Quickbooks to get QB online functioning, write and send out the newsletter with new paintings, call around to find new power steering pump that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, send updates to webmaster, take pictures of the new mini dishes for the website…. it goes on and on. These are things that really HAVE to be done, and I don’t know how to avoid them. I have tried pomodoros, todoist, nozbe…. these help, but it seems in this “paperless” society there is about triple the amount of paper to work through. Where can I find a secretary??? I tried a few, but they ended up pushing the paper around on their desk. What to do?

I am packing right now to go help a friend in a difficult spot of their life. I fully understand why the Impressionists wanted to find a place of seclusion, but “no person is a island”. To paint about life you have to live it.

Just finished reading “Identical Twins,” and it resonates on several levels. In the interest of space, I’ll focus on one idea: I’ve been tossing around the idea of getting some giclees made. Will I make any money? Is it worth the bother? Will it increase the value of the originals? What are your thoughts? Thanks. B

Could I come today to Canad with you? Nice place I think and I work hard and join in your country.

For Cecelia Cox… I love to do still life. the more realistic the better. I am often told… if you wanted THAT why didn’t you just take a picture of it… Do you ever hear that too.

Got rid of all my magazine subscriptions years ago and do not miss them. There is plenty to read without them, and they no longer clutter my space.

Oh gosh…it’s been ages since I have subscribed to any art magazines. That’s been eliminated as a time waster and upsetter together with lot of other similar stuff…and I still can’t achieve 40% of your list: Begin work before you’re fully awake. I have to drive car to the office before I am fully awake. Fall in love with your daily work habits. Most of the unloved daily habits unfortunately have no solutions yet. Alternate energetic activity with relaxation and calm. This can happen only on weekends. Live in the work of your own making, not that of others. What can I say…salt on the wound. What’s bugging me now is that attempts to learn something new throws me off with my regular painting, with effect that appear as avoidance, although I know it can’t be it. Immersing yourself in a learning process is a truly worthwhile activity. The problem is that immediately after, my regular process feels broken. I feel like a cave man trying to figure out how to paint with a stick. It takes a long and frustrating time period to absorb knowledge and as I am getting older this seems to be getting worse.

Currently the only art magazine I subscribe to covers business issues for artists. I find to be very helpful so I will continue with it. As for art books, I can’t imagine life without them. They feed my imagination, inspire me and are a rich source of information for me. I consider them essential for continually expanding my knowledge base. Far from leading me to imitate the work of other artists, they serve as springboards to experimentation in the studio and my ongoing self development. Browsing through them while curled up in my comfy easy chair is something I very much look forward to at the end of the day. Give up my beloved art books? No way!!!

While I read all your weekly letters, this one really hit home for me. I am that person who is always reading art magazines (subscribe to 4 mags), always ordering new books on art, always searching Pinterest for inspiring art etc etc etc. instead of JUST MAKING MY ART. So I’ve completely reframed my studio work ethic. I am now in my studio working hard on a schedule that has me clocking in well in excess of 40 hours/week, not answering phones, not checking email until after 3 pm & just focused on creating art with no distractions. I will let you know how this is works out for me in a couple of months or so !

Last May I was in the quiet beautiful garden with my husband. We were there the minute it opened… The sun was shining through the walls and the Urn and Vase openings, casting shadows of long ago ghosts… We were almost alone in the garden except for the workers… It was almost like a religious feeling.. and it was somewhere that I had wanted to visit for many years.. Enjoy your wonderful time in that special place… Also, be sure to visit the tea house next to it. The lovely lady will make you your own tea!