Setting the bar low

[teslac0ils]

I've spent most of my adult life struggling to actually DO most creative hobbies that interest me. Drawing, writing, even just reading substantially. I joined a book club a few years ago and I struggled to even finish the 1 book a month and form thoughts on it- and there wasn't really that much going on in my life otherwise. Just basic life stuff. I went to work, I made dinner, I went for walks and worked out, scrolled shit on the internet, and slept. Working out, at least, was a habit I didn't struggle with ever since I heard some great workout advice attributed to Terry Crews: just show up at the gym, and if you build that habit of just BEING there, you will eventually work out. Set a low bar with basically no obstacle to clear, and it will never kill your motivation: it's a great little trick that works even with no gym membership and a more diverse workout routine. Just sit down on the yoga mat, just drive to the archery range, etc. It was the one good habit I was great at being consistent about, but I was still unable to carry that over to spending the rest of my free time how I'd like.

Then, last year I took on a little project of reading Chuck Tingle stories. Low commitment every day, just read a short story that will take me 15 minutes, tops, to read, and make a little post about it. It was something deliberately easy and enjoyable, but I surprised myself by just committing to that little thing as hard as I did. I noticed connections and themes in the stories. Literature was always one of my worst subjects in school, but I found myself just... tackling some literary analysis by virtue of just needing to think of things to say about the stories, and reading them with the knowledge that I would want to say something about them. Months into the project, I thought of the workout advice that had unlocked my ability to keep that habit so consistently. I had figured out how to "just show up" to active, engaged reading. I struggled less in my book club, I had an easier time thinking about what I would say about the books we read.

Could I make myself draw? I used to draw a lot, when I was younger, and I missed it but couldn't just make myself. (Several times over the years, I tried opening request threads on forums. I tried signing up for Artfight a few years. I always spent a day or two REALLY INTO IT with the intention to work hard on whatever I had started, then fizzling out.) Last year gave me new knowledge about myself, though. I decided to commit to something small. Draw one bug every day. Give it a minimum of commitment similar to what I gave the Chuck Tingle stories. At the start, I thought it would amount to a lot of small simple drawings, but it would be something just to form the habit. I've surprised myself again. I thought a majority of what I drew would be the most minimal pencil and pen sketches, but I've surprised myself again. About a quarter of what I've drawn has been minimal pencil/pen sketches, not the 70% I was expecting. Once I arrive at drawing... I want to spend more time there.

I feel like I've unlocked something. I wish I had figured it out sooner. I don't need to set a high bar for myself. If I set one that's easy to clear, then it will motivate me instead of blocking my path. If I'm not doing something I want to, I just need to figure out the basic step of showing up. I can just trust myself to do things incrementally from there. I can stick with it- I have proven that to myself now. I don't have to commit to knocking out something grand all at once.

Comments

[cicerothewriter]

I need to follow your example. I'm cursed with perfectionism, and I just need to learn that I can just show up (mentally or physically) without a plan and just do the thing.

[teslac0ils]

Yes!!! It really was life-changing for me to realize. A little bit here and there can add up to accomplishing a lot. I hope you also end up surprising yourself with how much can happen when you just focus on getting to the place where you do the thing!

[yuuago]

I'm so glad it's all working out. Making the goal super small really does help!

I've been really enjoying your bug drawings btw.

[teslac0ils]

It's crazy how well it works for how simple it is. I think I'm finally training my brain into thinking of making art as just another normal activity that can be picked up at any time, not some sort of thing that has to be guided by a specific inspiration/goal or agonized over until it's perfect the way some people talk about it. (I mean, no offense to people who have that experience and talk about it in those Serious Business terms- especially people who do it for a living- but I know I'm not the only casual hobbyist who has been given some expectations of creativity that they don't really connect with due to talk like that.)

I'm glad you're liking the bug drawings, I'm having a good time drawing them \o/