The perfect is the enemy of the good.
-Voltaire
A wise friend told me this at work years ago. She and I both had a tendency to spend too much time on projects, trying to get them just the way we wanted them, instead of focusing on what was actually needed. Some things are worth giving your all, burning the midnight oil and pushing yourself harder. Other things, most things, really, just need to be done well enough, fit for purpose and, most importantly, done.
I often find myself waiting for the perfect block of time to do something. I can put off starting until I have every little detail worked out. I find it tough to do a little bit here and there, when I can. Am I alone in this? I think not.
Monday was a big date on my calendar. Two classes were starting, Misty Mawn's Full Circle and Carla Sonheim's Year of the Fairy Tale. I wanted to be ready, and hit the ground running. This is all part of taking my artwork more seriously (but not too seriously, I promise). So, the studio...
I love small space living. Even my dream houses qualify as small spaces, but our London apartment is a definite fit. It takes some work though, and I am a long way from mastering it. And so we have the studio/bedroom/junkroom. My feelings about it are complicated, and I won't go into that today. Monday's success was that I cleaned up enough to be able to work in there, without waiting for the magical day when it is perfect, what ever that means.
And I was able to start my mandala for Misty's class, that you see above. It needs more work, but I was able to draw and paint until the natural light went, and it felt so damn good.