Musings
Musings Do Something. Many of us, including myself, have been guilty of focusing on the talents and gifts given to others instead of using the ones, to the best of our ability, that have been given us. How much time do you spend on things that you want to improve? There has been an extraordinary amount of talk given to the subject of motivation and goal setting, most of which comes down to this: set goals and make a plan to attain them. The goals need to be realistic. Be sure to set in front of yourself those things you believe you will stick to. I must say this again: be realistic! People often say, "I am going to do such and such 30 minutes a day." After setting this goal, try to see yourself six months later. Is it likely you will still be on this plan, or will you have written it off by then? Maybe 10 minutes is the reality for you. Something is better than nothing! A Nobel Peace Prize winner once said that in devoting ten minutes of diligent study a day, a person, after a certain amount of time, will be considered an expert in this area and will know a considerable amount more of the subject or craft studied. Can you agree that a small amount of time is better than your present condition (of no time) concerning your ambitions in life? A pastor friend says we are all born original masterpieces and die cheap imitations because we limit ourselves in the area of our aspirations. Although we may have a desire to paint, we are composed of more than just that. We all have three arenas in which I believe goal setting is important: spiritual, physical and mental. Physical. I determined about five years ago that I needed to do something daily that was physical. I didn't compete athletically any more, but my physical condition is still important. I set a goal for running—not 5 miles, not one hour, not 35 minutes—those are someone else's idea of the "minimum requirements." I set a goal that I knew I could accomplish for years to come. I started running 20 minutes a session, every other day—10 minutes out and 10 minutes back. My mental picture assured me I could attain this even years down the road. "Run ten minutes," I said to myself, "then run back." The results are still of benefit to me. I still run 20 minutes everyday. I only miss an average of about 25 runs a year. You see, I knew my 20 minute goal was something attainable for me. These 20 minutes has become something I now value and I miss it when I don't run. Spiritual. Beginning just before 6:00 am, I commit to my spiritual goal. I pray daily to a living God on behalf of my family, and for divine intervention for my life. I want to be a positive contribution to each and every person in the family. That takes commitment; commitment in time and focus. Every one of us knows when someone's "not there" even though they're standing right in front of us. Love and loyalty are decisions, and there are direct results when these qualities are put into action. Bible study and prayer is crucial to my personal growth. Mental. In painting, I have discovered there are things, that when fully grasped, advance a painter to new levels of execution and confidence. A few common threads of understanding that have been passed down from generations of painters are: • 4 Value Planes • Edges • Composition • 5 Types of Light • Color Harmony • Drawing • The value of an object as it relates to another object. The importance of study outdoors for the plein air painter is essential. Artists often think they need to begin and finish a painting on location. In fact, if they could expend all of their faculties and energy toward learning to understand the key elements of the scene, they would grow more quickly as a painter. They could stop trying to "solve problems" or "finish" a painting in the same way they have always done, destroying the key information in the process. The key information, if recorded with an honest eye, can lift our mind to new levels. There is an understanding that is developed when preconceived ideas are set aside and good practice is allowed to become the focus. There is an old saying "perfect practice makes perfect." Paint with purpose and intent. Make one decision based on another, and that based on the scene at hand. If we can record colors, values, and shapes as they relate to one another, we will see profound growth in our ability to paint any subject. I have heard on numerous occasions that people would love to paint "if I just had time." Don't use this as an excuse! I really advanced as a painter when I was "distracted" by another job. I taught in the public school and coached two sports. Athletics took up most of the time on the weekends, but I painted. I want to take away your excuse by giving you one simple truth: we all have the same amount of time at our disposal. How we use that time is very important! Consider this. . . We all have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you sleep 9.5 hours a night, you have approximately 100 hours a week to invest. In one year, then, you have approximately 5,200 waking hours at your disposal. If you were to spend 3 hours each week painting or drawing (30 minutes, 6 times a week or 1 hour, 3 times a week) in a year, you would be spending 156 total hours of the 5,200 waking hours you have available. 156 hours spent painting or drawing plus the 3,536 hours for your sleep equals a total of 8,736 hours. This isn't a lot of painting time, but it is something. Something is better than nothing. Here's a helpful philosophy for life: I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. That that I can do, I ought to do. That that I ought to do, by God's grace, I shall do. Let's refer back to the Nobel Peace Prize winner's idea of 10 minutes of "diligent study" and put it into practice. Have your materials and "stuff" set out in a designated place to avoid the wasted setup and cleanup time. Commit to YOUR goal. This may be one of the most difficult things you will do. You will encounter failures, but I believe it is how you handle the hardships (and disappointments) in life that truly determine your character as a person. Without a challenge you will not grow in anything. If you can commit to a goal, no matter how small, then you can work to attain it. You will see results. These goals need time commitments. Write them down. Tell a couple of your friends of your new decisions. This helps in the area of accountability. Remember, you are only one but, you are one—you can't do everything, but you can do something.