Personal Investment

My last post talked about what I'd like to do, creating stuff, and as I sit here thinking about stuff I'd like to do and working things out in my head, I'm also thinking about the things I could and should be doing as well.  On some level I can force myself to work, but on another, I can't exactly force my creative intent to unfurl before and within me.  My muse can be elusive, or perhaps hard to communicate with at times.

Something I've been rather conscious of lately is spending time drawing/creating.  I try to spend at least a few hours every evening drawing(usually), or at least working on something or toward something.  Even if all I end up doing is a sketch, at least I'm working towards something, practicing, doing.  Sometimes I can be a little afraid to even start because I know that the final result will fall short of what I hoped it could be.  It's not that my goals themselves are entirely unrealistic, but I often lack certain tools and skills which make them realistically attainable.

Just because I can't make something that's perfect, doesn't mean I shouldn't try.

This is somewhat important for me to remind myself of, because it's only through all of my attempts and "failures" that I've come to understand how I can improve and practice doing so.  I'm not an amazing artist, despite the fact that I've had a lot of time to develop, but it's also been a slow and half-hearted development for the majority of that time, because I was A) afraid to even try, and B) couldn't believe that I could truly reach a point that I wasn't pathetic.  This second part makes both parts into a self-fulfilling belief, or however you want to think of that concept.

I suppose I can't feel too bad about not doing a ton of "work" on Christmas, and I also did draw stuff for the last week or so pretty consistently, perhaps I'm being somewhat hard on myself.  I've already learned that if I make too many excuses for myself then I won't accomplish what I hope to, but I've also learned that setting realistic goals and respecting yourself and your own needs are important things to keep in mind.

So as my holiday message and a thought as we close out a calendar year- I encourage you to respect yourself and your needs, discover the person you want to be, and make realistic goals which guide you to that person.

Happy Holidays Everypony,
Alturiigo