Just do It!

Perhaps NIKE was not targeting the endorphin seeking professional athletes when they advertised their line of gym attire with the slogan, Just Do It, but instead an audience of exercising procrastinators. In university, my husband would spend hours hanging around the library guarded by his volumes of text books under the guise of the pursuit of academia. Yeah…right! I knew back then he was the ultimate procrastinator in essay writing. There is nothing quite as daunting as a waiting pair of sneakers, white page, or in the artists’ world, a blank canvas. Why do I procrastinate; is it a fear of failure? Or fear of success? Or both? If the painting is an epic failure, I’ve lost confidence. If the painting is ‘successful’, then my expectations for a follow up painting increase.

Artists often struggle with ‘getting into the mindset’, and have perfected the art of procrastination. Many argue that they are waiting for their muse to appear. This in itself could be procrastination at its finest. Other's go to great lengths in the planning process. There is a fine line between a well-developed thought out plan in approaching a painting and the ultimate art of procrastination. Although every artist has their own painting process, they know that once they start their painting, they are committed and there is no turning back.  It's terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.
 
So whatever your reasons are for procrastinating writing that overdue email (or blog), cleaning  up the basement, or starting that art project; believe in yourself and the possibilities, then just do it. ‘Excuses’ are just that! Who knows where your initiative will take you? It could be the beginning of a great adventure. Failure isn’t about not succeeding; it’s not starting it in the first place. After all, you never make the shots you don’t take.  And I would never finish a painting that I didn’t start.