September 2015..Day 7 (Inside the Idea) Painting Challenge

Inside the Idea

It's already one week into the 30 day painting challenge and I've got myself working on a much smaller scale. For me, it's more fun to work large, but I like the idea of using a lot of color within the confines of a 3x3" format. Double challenge for today.
                                                        

Detail of watercolor on YUPO

September 2015..Day 6 (Where This Leads) Painting Challenge

Where This Leads

Day 6 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.
Fun exploring what colors do when they sit so close together. Also, using different tools to create all kinds of effects.  Head over to Leslie's blog to see what themes the other painters are using in their work.

September 2015..Day 5 (The Only Place to Be is Here) Painting Challenge

The Only Place to Be is Here

Day 5 of the 30 day painting challenge.    It's been fun looking at all the paintings people have uploaded to Leslie Saeta's blog. Have a peek at what people are doing today.

September 2015..Day 4 (Falling Into Place) Painting Challenge

Falling Into Place

Day 4 of Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.
It's been fun working with these watercolors and playing with different techniques. Letting go of needing it to look a certain way opens up the possibilities of creating more variation and texture in the surfaces.

Creating New Habits

Staying on Track

It feels great to be making progress on developing new habits (exercising more, eating healthier, carving out more time for doing creative work, better self care, etc), but what can you do to keep yourself on track? When New Year's rolls around, I avoid making annual resolutions. These lists are often too long and are things I THINK I want, rather than what is really important and doable. It gets tough to get everything on the list done and then discouragement can set in and throw everything (including inspiration) off.

Things you can do to stay on track

• Keep going with the micro steps

• Record your progress

• Attach the emerging habit to an existing one. This makes it easier to remember and lets you slide it into a time slot where you can actually do it. The more days you continue in this way, the sooner it will fit seamlessly into your existing routines.

• On accountability..some people like having another person (Accountability Buddy) who will keep them on track. If this works for you, go with it. Have a friend or family member check in with you on your progress. 

• Another option is to be accountable to yourself. I look in the mirror and tell myself ways the new habit will be very useful and helpful to me...and that I can count on myself to follow through.

Tomorrow, what to do when you forget or don't have time to do your new habit.

September 2015..Day 3 (This House of Mine) Painting Challenge

This House of Mine

Day 3 of  Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge . Someone asked me recently how I name my paintings or sculptures. For me, it's not a matter of selecting a title, more like sitting and waiting until the work reveals it to me. I listen to music as I paint, sometimes the same song on repeat, for hours.  It gets me into a space where all thought stops and the work just unfolds. Check out Leslie's blog and have a look at the work of the other artists participating (over 1000 artists).

On Creating New Habits in the month of September

So far, we've looked at ways of making new habits doable; posting the short list of the desired habits; breaking it down into doable chunks; taking micro steps; and making a visual reminder of your progress.

Today, the focus is on WHEN do I do my new habit?

It comes down to considering your own style and finding a time to maximize the possibility of success by looking at your natural body rhythms.

I'd describe myself as an Early Bird. I get up at 5 am and mornings are when I am at my best in regards to energy levels, the ability to focus, the amount of clarity I have, and the momentum to get things done. I have discovered the need to take advantage of this as I practically shut off by 1 pm.

Not surprising. As a first grader, I brought a rug to school (it was on the list of required school supplies) and took daily naps after lunch. I loved that as those daily naps were a continuation of what I did at home. I slept so soundly each day at school, the teacher had difficulty waking me, getting my little body off that rug and back to work. I was definitely not functioning at optimal levels in the afternoons.

Other people pick up momentum as the day progresses and feel at their most energetic in the afternoons or evenings.Pick your best time to boost the chances of the habit sticking.

How to Optimize the Integration of your new habit

• Choose a time you feel is optimal for energy levels and inspiration

• Attach your new habit to an existing one. This keeps the momentum going and avoids the trap of thinking you need a big chunk of time outside your routines to add the new thing. (Do the 5 minutes of yoga after morning tea, take that short walk after dinner, set aside the 10 minutes to read after finishing the dishes).

• Keep it short in the beginning and slowly increase the time you do it over the course of the month.

• Mark it down that you completed it. Remember to look at your face in the mirror at the end of the day and tell yourself you added that new habit.

September 2015..Day 2 (Untitled #2) Painting Challenge

Untitled #2  Mixed Media

Day 2 of Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.
For this month's challenge, I'm playing with mixed media and focusing on abstracts. I believe she  has over 1000 participants so head over to her blog to see what others are painting this month.

Creating New Habits   Day 2

Sometimes looking at creating a new habit seems overwhelming due to a number of factors. For me, this has included things like:

1. How do I make it doable?
2. When do I do it?
3. How do I stay on track?
4. What if I forget or don't have time?

 I think about all of these as I look at what I'd like to change over the course of a new month. Today's focus is on Making It Doable. Some factors to consider might include: 

• Posting the short list you made someplace you'll see it throughout the day. It will act as a gentle reminder that these things are IMPORTANT, meaningful and will fit into your day.

• Break it down into doable chunks. The will be spread out over the course of a month, so start small 

• Actually begin by taking Micro Steps. My resistance to exercise comes from a voice telling me I need to do other things first (often it is for other people) and that I'll get to it later. Even with the good intentions, it sometimes doesn't feel like the procrastination it really is.

• Create a visual reminder that you did that step. I put an "e" on my calendar.

• Each morning, look in the mirror and tell yourself you will take that one step. At the end of the day, you can look at yourself again, smile and say you did it.

• What micro steps can you make today to move closer to your new habit?

September 2015..Day 1 (The Way There) Painting Challenge

The Way There

Rabbit, Rabbit! I remembered to say it before my feet hit the floor this morning. What a relief! Now I am opening myself up to new opportunities for good fortune in the coming month. Do you have any little rituals you perform you believe will bring good luck?

Fresh Start/ New Habits

Many of us create "to do" lists in one form or another to keep track of everything to ensure it is all completed on time. It helps provide clarity when the growing list is in printed form rather than floating around in our minds, where it is easily forgotten from one second to the next.

I see each new month as a fresh start with new habits I'd like to create. Occasionally, I've chosen too many projects and tasks to do in a month's time and then feel disappointed when I hadn't been able to tick everything on the list. This month will be for focusing on creating a couple of new habits.

Creating a Month of New Habits

• Choose a couple of new habits you'd like to develop.

• Make a very short list and pick something you feel is important and will create positive change

• Imagine yourself at the end of the month, happy that you've made progress toward creating this change.

• That's it for today's first step.

My list for this month:

1. Participate in the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge (doing watercolors each day for the month)
2. Write a bit each day on developing new habits
3. Exercise
4. Make an animated film (something I used to do, miss and want to do again, but have been procrastinating)

 What new habits are you wanting to create?