I'm a procrastinator…I admit it. A perpetual postponer, a putter offer, a prolonger. It's my nature. Sometimes, I break free from this norm and get things done early. When I do, I celebrate. I think to myself “I can do this all the time!” This might last a few days, maybe a week. But then, I am right back to putting things off again.
So, what have I been prolonging in the first three months of 2017? Well, quite a few things that might be associated with a new year…
TAXES - I'm sure you can relate...most people can. Last year, I was actually done with all my tax preparation by Jan 15th. Yep, you heard right...Jan 15th! I even posted it on Facebook…I was the envy of all my Facebook friends. But then again, last year at this time, I was just getting to know the art community here in the Pacific Northwest. Translation … I didn't have much going on. This year (in my defense), I’m in 2 galleries, I have 3 art commissions I’m working on, a show in May, and 2 community boards I am part of. So, I have put off working on my taxes. (Please don’t tell my husband.) But I am going to finish them this week ... really, I am.
ENEWS - It's March, and I am finally sending you an email. I have been perpetually thinking about it, and I even tried to write it a couple of times … but to no avail. I had lots of excuses ... I was busy ... I was sick ... I felt like I really didn’t have anything interesting to say ... I didn't have enough completed new art to show ... I didn't know how to start. Well, I finally put all those excuses behind me, I have some completed new art now, and you be the judge on whether this is interesting!
EXERCISE- No explanation needed.
GROCERY SHOPPING– Between this and unloading the dishwasher, I don’t know which one I put off more. You’d think that by the time you are my age, you’d realize that you need to eat food (preferably meals) every day. But if you looked at our cupboards, you would never know. To show you how bad it has gotten, here is the fridge grocery list that my husband filled in. I think this says it all!
I don’t want to bore you with the rest of my really long list of things I am procrastinating ... cleaning my office, setting up garage storage ... just to name a couple. I think you get the picture. And I don’t want to leave you thinking I don’t do anything. I do actually get things done. I've been working on some really really big art that's really really outside my comfort zone. It's nearly done, and when it is, I'll show you the finish project. But you can see it coming to life on Facebook now.
Meanwhile, I can show some art that I have I have been working on that I mentioned above...
Commissions are some of my favorite projects to work on. I feel lucky when I get to know collectors and work with them on art that many times they have wanted for years. I just completed and delivered the two commissions above. Both are triptychs with a topographic earthy feel -- warm copper, red, and rust hues. mountain streams will go above the fire place in the central gathering space of the home in Camas, Washington, while early morning crop circles will grace the outside entrance of the art filled home in Battle Ground, Washington. I'll post pictures of the installed art in a future blog.
I've also been preparing for my upcoming show! It's a little bit of a different approach, and a very personal topic for me.
So, while I have put off making progress on many things this year, I've definitely been working hard on others. I hope you've enjoyed my my musings on procrastination...and maybe it's made you feel better about your own postponing! And I hope you've enjoyed hearing some of the things I have been spending my time on.
Thank you again for following and supporting my art journey. It's great to have you along!
Angela
find my art at these galleries...Art on Broadway Gallery 12570 SW Broadway St, Beaverton, OR
Attic Gallery 421 NE Cedar St, Camas, WA
contact me directly . . . at Angela@AngelaRidgway.com
follow me . . . on my website at www.AngelaRidgway.com on Facebook & Instagram sign up for my newsletter here