Hi!
"Better Than A Bowl" is coming along nicely.
I managed to give it some attention after the Christmas hustle-bustle calmed down a bit.
There is now some rich color and texture in the background and cloth, and the chickadee is blocked in.
Still miles to go, so I'm going to change gears now and share a little jewel of wisdom with you.
I truly hope you are enjoying this sweet spot between holidays. I've always thought of it as a time of quiet reflection and renewal.
I confess that I did not always use that time wisely...until,...well,..
I'll get to that.
If you can relate to the following, then you'll understand the value this last week of December holds for people who like to plan ahead.
You see, although I enjoy the quiet between Christmas and New Years, I sometimes get a little blue. When that happens, my natural tendency is to recall all the things that did not go as I'd hoped...
..a painting that flopped, a strained relationship with another artist, a gallery rejection email (well, several actually), a socially awkward moment in a very important interview.
That last one could haunt me still..if I let it.
And that's just the professional artist component of my life. That scrapheap of negative emotion also includes struggles within my personal/physical/spiritual life...and yes, they're all connected.
As you might guess, that negative pattern can send a person into a vortex of professional despair and self-punishment if not reigned in. It wastes precious time and energy that could be invested more usefully and joyfully.
It's why I hate New Years resolutions. I used to break them in less time than it took to write them, and then get swallowed up in yet another wave of self-pity.
So instead, I turn to God for wisdom, and seek out useful tools.
Enter the 3Ws.
The 3Ws reflection I've used for the last few years is modeled after an extraordinary oil painter from New Zealand; Andrew Tischler.
Here's how that works in 3 very easy and eye-opening steps, 'case you're curious. Each is followed with a small sample from my own 3W reflection.
1
Divide a piece of paper into three columns. Label the first column,
"What went well?" and list everything you can think of that had some sort of happy outcome.
Sample: "What Went Well?"
I finally got gallery representation, created over 100 works of art, sold 37 paintings (and counting), received an invitation for a solo show, and was featured in an interview Podcast with the Professional Artist Association.
2
Label the second column. "What Went Wrong?" and jot down things that didn't go so well, anything from small setbacks to total disasters.
Sample: "What Went Wrong?"
I was physically unable to do any large commercial mural projects (=lost income opportunity).
I said something careless that cost me the respect and friendship of a fellow artist (just being real here).
I froze up for a hot moment during the podcast because I didn't know the answer to a question any business owner should know.
I made a terrible mess of a painting during a public challenge.
3
Label the last column, "What If?" This is where you get to turn those pesky soul-crushing items from column 2 into opportunities to grow.
Sample: "What If?"
What if I shift my focus from painting murals to teaching younger artists how to start their own mural painting business? Or teach artists how to craft their unique story withOUT AI?
What if I reach out to my artist friend and tell her how much I value her friendship. Even if she doesn't forgive me, I will have done what I could to restore our friendship.
What if the next time I am asked an uncomfortable question, I answer simply that I am not prepared to answer that at this time.
What if I do the experimentation before the publicized demonstration and stick to what I know works during.
So you see how this works? I stop kicking myself backward and ask my 'what if' questions to help me move forward.
And every- single- time, I find two things; More went right than went wrong, and most of what went wrong is fixable.
Looking forward...
I hope you found this end of year exercise useful. By the time I write again, it will be Day 4 of the Strada Easel Challenge. Big plans for that! I'll be posting my planning calendar on Instagram and Facebook this Monday.
Merry Christmas, and may the coming year be filled with birdsong!
Jan
P.S. If you have ever thought of participating in a painting challenge, read my blog post titled:
"Painting Challenges: What's in it for the artist?"
P.P.S There's still time to enter the January 2025 Strada Easel Challenge. Go HERE for the information.
