The Art of Living by Making Art

Jewellery inspired by nature and made by hand.
How I make it, why I make it, the challenges I face and the successes that come my way.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Procrastination

Procrastination - the bane of the self-employed artist's life. I actually think I'm fairly diligent at my work but the dreaded procrastination can strike at any time. In fact it usually strikes when I have a deadline approaching, strange that. Some of my favourite ways to procrastinate are: reading murder mysteries, doodling, making another cup of tea, having a 'quick' look in my garden to see if anything bloomed, imagining what I would do if I won a million dollars...

I've been thinking of how I could harness the procrastinating tendency and turn it into something at least a little bit useful. I think it is impossible to eradicate it altogether (and would we want to?) but what if it was re-directed slightly.

For instance, if I'm working on a difficult piece and I don't want to get started in the morning, I'll tell myself that I don't have to work on it but that I do have to go into the studio, put on my apron and do something. Nine times out of ten if I do that I will actually start working on it. It seems that if I take that first step of putting on the apron everything else falls into place. If I'm stopping for a cup of tea that seems to go on and on, I find that if I take my tea back to the studio I will return to work. It is considered a safety hazard to drink tea in the jewellery studio but I find that once I get back there the half drunk tea just sits forgotten. If I have been out of the studio most of the day I often think it isn't worth starting anything when I return. But then again if I tell myself to just go in the studio and sweep the floor or something that takes a few minutes, chances are some other job will catch my eye and I will have spent the 'wasted' hour doing some much needed studio chores.

I'm sure you have your own ways to procrastinate, I'd love to hear them, and yours ways of fighting it!

4 comments:

  1. I like these earrings. I also procrastinate.

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  2. Hi Anna, I've just awarded you the Circle of Friends Award :) see my blog for details.

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  3. I procrastinated last night and I have a deadline (a show on Saturday/Sunday). I cleaned house and went to bed early. I woke up at 6:45 with new ideas I simply must try. I am not a morning person at all. It's been years since I woke up that early spontaneously.

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  4. See how procrastination can get the houesework done!

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