I haven’t posted much this week on the social media side and it’s very easy to fall out of a routine. There’s some saying (perhaps from the Power of Habit book by Charles Duhigg) that habits take time to form, involving a cue, routine, and then reward. What I had set up was the realizing of the day of the week (cue), paint/draw something and post it (routine), and the likes and approval from followers (reward).

But what happens when it falls apart?

It is almost like the reverse of quitting smoking, that saying, “Quitting smoking is easy, I’ve quit 1,000 times.” So here, it’s the impact of every small action being meaningful to build up a fantastic routine.

A few paintings remain unfinished. I like seeing my projects completed and eventually, I get the motivation to at least try to finish it. Once you get started, it’s easy to continue.

So it’s the set up of the place to paint. It’s keeping the table clear to invite a space to work. It’s easy to announce the first will. It’s easy for me to do one big clean to make my desk open and everything is perfect to start.

But it’s the follow through that is hard.

One by one, a wire, a pen, some paper, everything builds up, and that space is gone. The motivation dissipates. Then, I have the projects unfinished, like abandoned children sitting on the ground.

While I would love to say it is because I didn’t have time this week, I actually think it’s a forgetting of how enjoyable it is to paint, and once I get down to it, I will remember the joy of seeing a vision come to light. What I produce may not live up to the standards of what is in my head, but it’s a start.