TRY Doing Positively, Absolutely Nothing At All!

It's KJ again and I want to start out this time 'round with a confession:

I am not very good at resting, taking breaks, laying around, or being even remotely lazy.

I can SAY I'm going to take a break at 3:00 to watch Guiding Light, and I can even flop out on the couch at 3:00 to watch Guiding Light, but by the first commercial break, my feet are itching to get up and DO SOMETHING.  And by 3:20, what I'm doing is kind of, sort of, halfway listening to Guiding Light while back to work on one project or another.

Now, I get up at 5:00 a.m. the vast majority of mornings and work until my eyes literally feel like they're going to jump out of my head and roll across the floor in protest, until I'm almost too physically tired to clean my paintbrushes and put them away -- and even then my main reason for calling it a day is that I know if I get anymore tired, I'm not going to be able to do my best work anymore, and that's not fair to me, the paintings I'm working on, or the people who the painting will go home with.   

Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking: Whine on, artist-girl, it's not like you're out digging ditches in the hot sun all day long!

The truth is, I work so hard, because I love what I do, and I don't want to ever have to go back to doing anything else.  I would rather work around the clock than to have to one day give it up and go back to being an "officemonkey" (my word for legal assistant, which is what I used to be, in what seems like a past life).  And honestly, there are so many ideas swirling around in my head, so many projects I want to complete, so many new things to try -- it just never seems like there are enough hours in the day and it seems such a shame to waste even one second of one minute of one of those hours!

But Thursday night, I was watching the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy...and during every commercial, I was jumping up and working on the computer to work on my website.  And I thought: This is just ridiculous!

Now, don't get me wrong:  Being productive is a GOOD thing.  I got my website completely redone Thursday and I'm so proud of it (psst...shameless plug...it's here if you want to take a peek!), BUT we all need a day off here and there...or even an HOUR off.

Are you like me?  I bet you are...life is BUSY and full and the to-do lists get really long.

SO, what I want you to try this week is taking the weekend, or the day, or whatever you can manage OFF. OFF from everything.  For whatever block of time you can manage, clear your schedule, clear your head of doubts and fears, and I-need-tos...and just chill out.  Read a book, or lie down and daydream.  Go for a long walk or veg and watch and entire movie without getting up to check your e-mail (you know you do it!).  Whatever is "relaxing" for you, even if you ARE better than me at "being lazy", even if you relax regularly, reserve some time this weekend just for yourself, just to be unbusy.

My two year old niece, Kaylee, is staying with me this weekend, so other than typing this post, I plan to do NO work, and instead, play with her and lay around and watch PLENTY of the Sprout channel...without getting up to check my e-mails!

The painting at the top of this post is titled "All Packed Up With No Place To Go", which I thought was fitting, since it's my last time to host Try Day this month, so I'm sort of figuratively packing up (though I do have a place to go -- you can find me regularly at The Adventures of KJ & The Dreamy Giraffe)...and because the little suitcase girl looks so serene...positively, absolutely doing nothing at all!

It's been so much fun this month and I hope you guys have enjoyed it as much as I have!  Keep trying...'cause as they say...you don't know 'til you try!

Dream on,

KJ

P.S.  The realistic portraits I mentioned last week, that I was so afraid to do, aren't finished yet, but once I started, I found that it was a lot easier than I'd ever dreamed it could be!  So, one final lesson: DON'T let things intimidate you.  Just begin -- that's the best way to conquer a thing that seems impossible -- take the first step!

Comments

[Sharon]

This is not a problem to me. :) I can sit for hours doing nothing if I let myself. I have reached the point that I don't feel as good or have the energy to be in constant movement. I have to make myself do housework, chores, errands, etc. My favorite thing to do besides writing or art is either sleeping or sitting with a cup of coffee staring out the window daydreaming. I'm not lazy. A lot of stuff that I used to think had to be done just isn't important to me anymore. I think it's called getting old. :)

[Ninotchka]

I do the exact same thing. IF I watch TV, I'm up at every commercial break doing *something.*

I just wanted to say that I ADORE your art. Thanks for sharing it with us!