“SHOULD” SHOULD BE SHOT

One big “should” that should be killed and buried forever, is “you should finish a painting before you start another.”

You might be stuck with a painting because you cannot “jump” to the solution, but need to go through a different learning curve to gain the skills and knowledge needed for the particular problem you are facing. So carry on working on another painting, and another, and even yet another. The time will come when you’ll see the solution to the old problem and can finish that painting you got stuck with.

Another ridiculous “should” is “you should have everything in order before you get to paint/create/craft”.

If you think you should clean the house and wash the dishes before you paint, you might never paint (like you might never go on a diet if you always put it off until Monday.)

A good bit of advice I once read in an art magazine is to do some art before you even brush your teeth in the morning. Okay, you might do that, but you might not even grab a cup of coffee, nor make the bed just yet – just get stuck into some irresistible project that keeps whispering in your ear or something you worked on right up to going to bed the night before.

Some days, this might be the only time you get for art. Even if you are a full-time artist, many days just break over you like a huge wave and pull you along with the demands, interruptions and impositions of life. If you get to spend only five minutes on your art right at the start of the day, you’ll feel that at least you did that bit towards your creative dreams and desires while life is having its way with you the rest of the day.