It seems we all have ideas/projects that get started but not finished. My only aim with the 100day project this year was to get past day 19 which I stopped at the last time I tried. The thought of getting to day 100 was far too much for me. I got to day 21 this year before "life things" got in the way. I have a new project now - fill the last few blank pages in my book, that's five more pages to fill. I didn't fail the 100day project I achieved a quarter of the project set to my own time scale! Keep up with the writing.
That definitely seems like an achievement in my book Sheralyn. Good luck with those last five pages of your book. It will feel so good when it's finished and full!
Really interesting and thoughtful post Gina. I hope you do continue with regular posts as i always find interesting nuggets and thoughts in it, but you've got to do what feels right for you. I wonder if your top secret outing to London is related to the one I'm making next week.? Time will tell
Thank you Juliet. I have no plans to stop at the moment as I enjoy the process of writing even though it always takes much longer than I think. I'm not sure it's a secret where I went which was to see a heat of 'Portrait Artist of the Year' being filmed but I can't say anything about it until it airs in the autumn. Great experience though and I would definitely do it again given the chance.
All of these time bound projects have limitations, they also have a habit (for me) of serving a purpose and once I find that purpose I disconnect. I therefore start all these things with no real expectation of finishing. This time it’s taken 33 days of experimenting and exploring weaves, that exploration has led to me the beginnings of work on a large scale. So rather than describing this as a failure I see this disconnection as an accomplishment.
I absolutely agree Claire and in every case when we we take on such challenges or projects we need to understand why we are doing them. I think that your 33 days of exploring weaves definitely sounds like an accomplishment
I think this all sounds perfectly normal, no failing anything here! I'm a month 'late' on doing something that nobody asked for but I had a bee in my bonnet about making. Now the moment has passed I don’t want to do it anymore, except now I’ve promised it…failure? Wasted time starting something that's just created mess with no result? Or part of my protracted process, to be continued at some point in the future, when I’ve scratched the itch on something else in the meantime? I keep going with things like my #100dayproject by asking myself "why" - as long as I still have a why, and I’m interested, I’ll keep going. As soon as I don’t have a why, I’ll drop it like I do most things, eventually, and move on!
Everything we start and don't finish is part of our learning process and development. I think I stopped my 100 day project for the exact same reason you are continuing... I asked myself why and I didn't have an answer! As long as we keep moving and stay interested in something that's all that is important!
We are so good at imposing deadlines on ourselves and then feeling we are failing when we don’t meet them! I never take part in things like 100 day projects now as I know I only get a short way in and it distracts me from art I want to make if I am doing a theme. I too am feeling to pull for gardening and a sunny sofa with a book, but all that variety feeds into our art doesn’t it! 😊
It sounds like you are keeping up very well to me, Gina. I'm the worst one for starting projects then moving on to something else and I used to think of it as giving up but it's not, there are just so many things to do! Nothing ever turns out right if I try to do something my heart is not really engaged in. Please don't think you won't missed, I know sometimes it's easy to get a bit despondent when it seems no-one is listening. I got a bit down on myself yesterday as I can't get my head around Notes, nobody ever seems to see mine and then I look at others and they have hundreds of likes. But then I reminded myself I started this to have fun and to write for my own enjoyment, if anyone likes what I read that's a bonus and I don't want to get wrapped up in the numbers game. I do get it though, the deadline thing, at the moment it's keeping me quite focused but I did read the other day that the tendency is for everyone to start out very enthusiastically on here then after six months they begin to burn out which I can fully understand. It sounds like you have plenty to do at the moment at the allotment and if the weather's nice it's so much nicer to be outdoors than stuck in front of your laptop so do whatever makes you happy! x PS. I also read recently that short posts are getting more engagement than long ones so maybe every now and then just a couple of paragraphs is enough, who knows, Gina. Enjoy your Easter Sunday, have a wonderful stress free day, enjoy that Easter egg hunt. x
You make so many good points here Lindsey and we definitely need to be enjoying whatever we choose to do... life is too short to do anything else. My problem (if it is a problem) is I want to do so many things but right now outside beckons. I wouldn't let yourself get down about Notes... I'm not even sure what it is or what it's supposed to do and on the very few occasions I've used it I don't think it has any engagement. I'm determined not to let Substack become another social media platform where I'm comparing 'likes' or 'follower' numbers. For me it is a place where I can write and if others enjoy reading what I write it is a bonus. Also I think we tend to forget that other people are busy. We've had a hectic weekend and I've read other Substacks, including yours, but just haven't got around to responding this week. I hope your Easter weekend has been good. The grandchildren were very excited about their egg hunt!
Thank you Jenny. Definitely don't feel guilty... I didn't even begin to mention all the bags of half finished quilts I have lurking in the back of cupboards! x
It seems we all have ideas/projects that get started but not finished. My only aim with the 100day project this year was to get past day 19 which I stopped at the last time I tried. The thought of getting to day 100 was far too much for me. I got to day 21 this year before "life things" got in the way. I have a new project now - fill the last few blank pages in my book, that's five more pages to fill. I didn't fail the 100day project I achieved a quarter of the project set to my own time scale! Keep up with the writing.
That definitely seems like an achievement in my book Sheralyn. Good luck with those last five pages of your book. It will feel so good when it's finished and full!
Really interesting and thoughtful post Gina. I hope you do continue with regular posts as i always find interesting nuggets and thoughts in it, but you've got to do what feels right for you. I wonder if your top secret outing to London is related to the one I'm making next week.? Time will tell
Thank you Juliet. I have no plans to stop at the moment as I enjoy the process of writing even though it always takes much longer than I think. I'm not sure it's a secret where I went which was to see a heat of 'Portrait Artist of the Year' being filmed but I can't say anything about it until it airs in the autumn. Great experience though and I would definitely do it again given the chance.
Aah….yes……!! Those UFO’s
A topic for next week maybe!
All of these time bound projects have limitations, they also have a habit (for me) of serving a purpose and once I find that purpose I disconnect. I therefore start all these things with no real expectation of finishing. This time it’s taken 33 days of experimenting and exploring weaves, that exploration has led to me the beginnings of work on a large scale. So rather than describing this as a failure I see this disconnection as an accomplishment.
I absolutely agree Claire and in every case when we we take on such challenges or projects we need to understand why we are doing them. I think that your 33 days of exploring weaves definitely sounds like an accomplishment
I think this all sounds perfectly normal, no failing anything here! I'm a month 'late' on doing something that nobody asked for but I had a bee in my bonnet about making. Now the moment has passed I don’t want to do it anymore, except now I’ve promised it…failure? Wasted time starting something that's just created mess with no result? Or part of my protracted process, to be continued at some point in the future, when I’ve scratched the itch on something else in the meantime? I keep going with things like my #100dayproject by asking myself "why" - as long as I still have a why, and I’m interested, I’ll keep going. As soon as I don’t have a why, I’ll drop it like I do most things, eventually, and move on!
Everything we start and don't finish is part of our learning process and development. I think I stopped my 100 day project for the exact same reason you are continuing... I asked myself why and I didn't have an answer! As long as we keep moving and stay interested in something that's all that is important!
We are so good at imposing deadlines on ourselves and then feeling we are failing when we don’t meet them! I never take part in things like 100 day projects now as I know I only get a short way in and it distracts me from art I want to make if I am doing a theme. I too am feeling to pull for gardening and a sunny sofa with a book, but all that variety feeds into our art doesn’t it! 😊
Totally agree... whether reading, gardening, or knitting I'm always thinking about art! And I'm definitely not missing the 100 day project
It sounds like you are keeping up very well to me, Gina. I'm the worst one for starting projects then moving on to something else and I used to think of it as giving up but it's not, there are just so many things to do! Nothing ever turns out right if I try to do something my heart is not really engaged in. Please don't think you won't missed, I know sometimes it's easy to get a bit despondent when it seems no-one is listening. I got a bit down on myself yesterday as I can't get my head around Notes, nobody ever seems to see mine and then I look at others and they have hundreds of likes. But then I reminded myself I started this to have fun and to write for my own enjoyment, if anyone likes what I read that's a bonus and I don't want to get wrapped up in the numbers game. I do get it though, the deadline thing, at the moment it's keeping me quite focused but I did read the other day that the tendency is for everyone to start out very enthusiastically on here then after six months they begin to burn out which I can fully understand. It sounds like you have plenty to do at the moment at the allotment and if the weather's nice it's so much nicer to be outdoors than stuck in front of your laptop so do whatever makes you happy! x PS. I also read recently that short posts are getting more engagement than long ones so maybe every now and then just a couple of paragraphs is enough, who knows, Gina. Enjoy your Easter Sunday, have a wonderful stress free day, enjoy that Easter egg hunt. x
You make so many good points here Lindsey and we definitely need to be enjoying whatever we choose to do... life is too short to do anything else. My problem (if it is a problem) is I want to do so many things but right now outside beckons. I wouldn't let yourself get down about Notes... I'm not even sure what it is or what it's supposed to do and on the very few occasions I've used it I don't think it has any engagement. I'm determined not to let Substack become another social media platform where I'm comparing 'likes' or 'follower' numbers. For me it is a place where I can write and if others enjoy reading what I write it is a bonus. Also I think we tend to forget that other people are busy. We've had a hectic weekend and I've read other Substacks, including yours, but just haven't got around to responding this week. I hope your Easter weekend has been good. The grandchildren were very excited about their egg hunt!
A very enjoyable read Gina and very true. I don’t feel so guilty now! xx
Thank you Jenny. Definitely don't feel guilty... I didn't even begin to mention all the bags of half finished quilts I have lurking in the back of cupboards! x
Happy Easter Gina, a pleasure to read your piece as always. You have been busy and creative in so many ways.
Best wishes Yvonne
Thank you Yvonne! I'm never short of things to keep me busy that's for sure! Happy Easter!
Gina, thank you for your newsletter. I look forward to reading it every Sunday.
Please know someone is listening!
Thank you.
Vivienne
Thank you Viv, that is so kind and definitely makes it all worthwhile.