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  • #380937
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Lily:

    Accountable! I was wondering what specifically you mean by getting distracted. For example, today you drew for about 2 hours, then made lunch and then “became more distracted”- distracted how, specifically: what did you think/ feel,  do and not do?

    anita

    #380967
    Lily
    Participant

    Dear anita,

    the main source of distraction is the internet. Often I scroll or watch videos for hours, not feeling happy with myself but still it is hard to stop. What do I think or feel? Hard to say, maybe it is dread to start the task I have to do. Drawing is harder than watching a video. Sometimes I also want to do so many things, have so many ideas that I have a hard time deciding what to do then I end up doing nothing. Then I feel bad about myself for wasting time.

    Yesterday it would not even been so hard to continue on my project. The composition was already for the most part ready in my head, the colors were already chosen. So I didnot even have to think so hard, still I distracted myself. My therapist sometimes asked me: what is the source of this? Why am I not “allowing” myself to be successful? (something like that)

    Often I also work on the less important projects that we shouldn’t spend so much time on. I do spend lots of time on them, too much time! Maybe because they are easier to do, as they don’t have to be perfect, finished projects. Maybe I still want to make everything perfect. Recently I came to the conclusion that this is very ineffective.

    Maybe it is also because I am spending too much time alone and my life is not balanced. My therapist once said that if I spend more time with friends, I will also get more of my illustration work done. (her theory)

    Today I actually did work on one of my collages after work. So that was good. Let’s see if I can do some more now.

    Tomorrow I should definitely be able to finish it. But I also want to go for a walk or something.

    Until then!

    #380983
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Lily:

    Accountable!

    “maybe it is dread to start the task I have to do”- yes, I think that dread/ anxiety is behind you postponing tasks that you are anxious about doing imperfectly, and distracting yourself by watching videos for hours. I don’t think that there is a self-sabotaging intent, consciously or subconsciously (“My therapist sometimes asked me: ..Why am I not ‘allowing’ myself to be successful?), behind your habit of distracting. It is a habit by now, and that’s why even though you are unhappy about distracting, “still it is hard to stop”- habits are indeed hard to stop.

    “I also  work on the less important projects.. because they are easier to do, as they don’t have to be perfect, finished projects. Maybe I still want to make everything perfect”- the compulsion to perform tasks perfectly is making you anxious, and to lessen your anxiety- you  distract.

    Following a few hot sunny days, it is cloudy and chilly here today. Good night, Lily!

    anita

    #381085
    Lily
    Participant

    Dear anita,

    you are right, it is a habit. I don’t know about self-sabotage. When my therapist brought that up, I did not fully understand. According to psychology today it is “Behavior is said to be selfsabotaging when it creates problems in daily life and interferes with long-standing goals.”. This applies to the behaviour of procrastination. But I don’t know…

    Maybe because my thoughts can become overwhelming, I then decide to distract myself. But this doesn’t make me happy and I want to change.

    Recently, I feel like I am getting a bit better though. Maybe I am just imagining it. Today I worked on my collage and I felt so happy with myself. Also, when I look at finished projects, I often feel satisfied with myself (sometimes I of course think that I can improve this or that). The worst part is often starting, then I am questioning myself and comparing myself to others. For example, when I started to study, I looked at other students work and felt inferior. Some had a very realistic style, others were more abstract. There were few with a more naive style like me. But this is me and when I stay true to myself, I feel the most happy and content with myself. I am feeling in tune with my true nature like today.

    Even though the day did not start so well. I hadn’t slept very much, feeling stressed from work (I feel overwhelmed and insecure about the social interactions there and embarrassed). But then I cleaned up and made progress with my collage.

    Tomorrow I want to work more on my collage booklet and go out into nature.

    Here it is also going to rain soon, according to wheather predictions. In the last days it was more warm and sunny though. Today I even wore a summer dress.

    Good day and night, anita!

    #381087
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Lily:

    Accountable! Distracting is known to be a way to lessen anxiety- there are distractions that lessen the anxiety short term but overall harm the distractors (ex.: using powerful illegal drugs), there are distractions that are less harmful, but waste the distractor’s time (ex.: watching videos for hours when needing to complete a project), and there are healthy distractions that help the distractor (ex. taking a half an hour brisk walk when feeling stressed). Healthy distractions are taught as part of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

    Watching hours of video is self sabotaging behavior when it prevents you from completing projects on time, but like I wrote to you yesterday: I don’t think that there is a self-sabotaging intent in your behavior, that you are trying to prevent yourself from succeeding in life. As I see it, it is only about lessening your anxiety, and it is a habit.

    So good to read that you sometimes feel: “happy with myself” and “satisfied with myself”- I wish you more and more of these experiences. I hope you have a better sleep tonight, Lily, good night!

    anita

    #381124
    Lily
    Participant

    Dear anita,

    I think I understand better this time, that you men distracting myself is a habit that I do without the intention to self-sabotage.

    Also, I think I have quite a few positive distractions: going for a walk, cooking, dancing.

    At the moment I am a bit tired, so I won’t write too much. Today I was happier with myself and also slept better. In the morning I went running and then I spent most of the day with my projects. I finished one collage. In the evening I went for another walk.

    Overall I am satisfied with myself today. Tomorrow I will go towork. When I’m back, I should do yoga to de-stress and also draw. Good night, anita!

    #381125
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Lily:

    Accountable! Walking, cooking and dancing are definitely positive distractions. Good to read that you were happier with yourself today and that you slept better, and that overall you are satisfied with yourself today!! Good night and sleep well, Lily!

    anita

    #381156
    Lily
    Participant

    Dear anita,

    thank you for always reading my posts.

    Today it was a busy day at work, but I felt like I didn’t handle it too badly. But I am tired now. Tomorrow I will start a new collage.

    Until tomorrow!

    #381160
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Lily:

    Accountable! And you are welcome. Good to read that you handled a busy day at work not too badly. I hope you enjoy your new collage project tomorrow, try to be okay with it being done imperfectly.. so such thing as perfection in art, I think. Good night, Lily!

    anita

    #381196
    Lily
    Participant

    Dear anita,

    in the morning I went running, then to therapy. When I tlked about wanting to meet others to draw together, my therapist suggested that I could start it by myself. I am always hesistant when it comes to taking action, but maybe it would be a good thing to try… I still have to think about all the things we talked about.

    Then in the afteroon I started my collage (it is not a new project, but part o a booklet of collages). It is not finished yet, but I have made progress. You are right that there is no real perfection in a way and I always liked the freedom of it. At the same time, there are certain crierias that you use to determine if an artwork is good or bad, like composition or use of color. But actually I often like art that is not perfect and for example hyperrealistic artworks can be a bit boring for me.

    Tomorrow is another work day, but maybe afterwards I can work on my collage again. Or it would also be nice to go for a walk.

    Good night/day!

    #381197
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Lily:

    Accountable! It’s a new collage in a booklet of collages, I see. About art, criteria and imperfection: imperfection is allowed, even necessary.. as long as certain criteria are met. I suppose you have to be so well-practiced that you are in the habit of satisfying the criteria, and therefore relaxed enough to let your imperfection run through you and out into your art, do I understand correctly? Good night, and a good day at work tomorrow!

    anita

    #381242
    Lily
    Participant

    Dear anita,

    sorry if I sounded a bit pretentious.And I also think I did not explain so well. What I meant is that I guess you could determine certain things. For example if anatomy is wrong or perspective is wrong, but on the other hand in art you are allowed to break the rules too. But sometimes you also can see that something like anatomy for example just doesn’t work and that the artist needs to practice more.

    Myself, I am not too well-versed in anatomy and some things as well and can still improve. But it is also not the most important thing for me. I like drawings that just evoke some feeling in me, that tell a story and where I can see the passion of the artist. I don’t care too much for perfect anatomy. Maybe it is just a question of taste.

    I don’t know, the most important thing for me is to create and express myself and improve myself. I like the freedom that art can give you, there is not such a big risk of failing. Why do I still feel so much anxiety though???

    Sorry, I don’t know if this makes any sense. The best thing is to just draw and not think too much (I still often do).

    At work it was a busy day again. I have decided to take tomorrow off, because my hand and around the elbow it hurts a bit since some days and I feel worried. So I want to spend some time in nature.

    Until next time!

    #381246
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Lily:

    Accountable! I suppose Picasso is proof that artists are allowed to  break the rules, particularly in regard to human anatomy.

    “sorry if I sounded a bit pretentious”- your inner critic said that, I didn’t!

    “I don’t know, the most important thing for me is to create and express myself and improve myself. I like the freedom that art can give you, there is not such a big risk of failing. Why do I still feel so much anxiety though???”- because your inner critic is hurting your creativity/ self-expression.

    Good thing you are taking a day off tomorrow and I hope you spend more time in nature. The stinging nettles on my walk are getting close to 2 meters tall. Remember when I couldn’t even detect them?

    anita

     

    #381270
    Lily
    Participant

    Dear anita,

    you are right, Picasso did not stay to true to human anatomy 😀

    Yes, you did not say that I was pretentious, sometimes I just worry that I might sound like that. It is likely that my inner critic is often responsible for my procrastination.

    Today was a very nice day. I decided to go to the sea by train! It was the perfect weather for that: sunny and warm. The water was also warm and I swam and dived for a while and did some underwater handstands… It must have looked ridiculous but it was fun. Then I also read at the beach for a while and ate some fruit salad and potato salad I had prepared. And I even ate icecream. The best part was a long walk at the beach. I walked along the sandbank and collected some shells. The only thing that could have made it better was going there with someone. But my roommates already said that we might go to the sea together one day.

    Oh yes the nettles! Yes, it seems not so long ago that they were starting to grow. So far I did not spend so much time collecting herbs this year, but maybe next weekend I will collect elder flowers! I want to dedicate a little time to spend in nature every week from now on.

    Have a good day!

    #381273
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Lily:

    Accountable! What an lovely way to spend a day off work, I smiled as I read your description, especially doing underwater handstands- I don’t think I ever watched that done. Good night, Lily!

    anita

Viewing 15 posts - 241 through 255 (of 292 total)

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