DAY 5- 30 Paintings in 30 Days

It's been exhilarating keeping up with this 30 day challenge so far and here are a few days of work below. Painting on demand for hours each day can get tiring but it is so satisfying to keep at it, even if I don't always like the results. My aim isn't to end up with 30 paintings to sell, although that would be terrific. I just don't think it's realistic. I did this challenge to have more fun in the studio, try new things (such as playing with texture and palette knives more often) and to develop more consistent work habits.

This week I've relearned it's easier to not get distracted when I have a focused goal for a specified time period. This has been my schedule since I began. I wake up, read a Bible devotion with a cup of tea and breakfast, go for a 45 minute hike on the gorgeous Conejo trails behind my house and then go right up to my studio to work for 4-5 hours. Typically I work on a novel I'm writing this year for an hour or two before my walk and then start painting but this week, I've saved that for the end of my day. I find it relaxing. Attending to emails, doing tons of dishes and laundry, making fancy meals, gardening daily, other housework and many other daily distractions have taken a backseat and I can relax in this, knowing the challenge will end in 25 more days. I've also asked my family to help out more which also helps, since I really prefer things neat!

I am already feeling like the typical daily distractions that I sometimes find a nuisance are more manageable because I am learning which ones to ignore because they don't matter to me in the long run. I'm attempting to avoid time busters and make better time management decisions. Happy creating!