the Challenge of Commitment

I, like most of you, have a life in the non-artistic world. In that life, I go to the dentist and my day job, or take care of kids, do the laundry, go shopping and spend time with friends and do other liesure activities.  I also spend time doing things that come up which demand my immediate attention. The question is, what should really demand immediate attention? What should be so important that I should put aside my art to persue some other end? Granted, there are events such as illness that force one to either take a child to a doctor or take yourself to bed to heal what ails you but, that is not everyday so what else am I allowing to pull me from my goal? Oh yes, it is, I who allows it. Make no  mistakes about it! I am making the decision to allow the interceder to lure me from my goal. It is also my own doing when I don't say "no" to those who ask for my time. How can I get to  a goal if I  agree to assist people who are trying to get their own goal. Sure it is wonderful to help, but where do I draw the line?

 

I think it is not just the saying " no"to them. I believe it is about saying "yes" to me. What a wonderful thing to say yes to yourself and give yourself the permission to reach for what you want. At any given time, I might have four or five images in my mind that I need to put on paper  and always several unfinished pieces waiting patiently for my return. If I committed  myself to not giving away the precious time I have, these pieces would get accomplished

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It would feel like moving forward. So the moral of this blog is, if you never have enough time for art, giving away your time, will not get you any closer. So protect your time like you would protect a finished piece of artwork. Don't be seduced by those who ask for your time. Be seduced by your art, your muse and the creative flow. Honor it and it will honor you.