Lessons from Art: Persistence and the "Suck"

Art has taught and continues to teach me SO many lessons! One of the biggest lessons is the importance of persistence.

I used to tell myself that I was a good started but a terrible finisher. 

Let me explain.

I am a master at generating ideas - and I am pretty skilled at starting the implementation process. But, in the past, when things got hard - or when it was no longer "fun", I would get discouraged, put on the brakes and screech to a halt.

It’s hard to keep on keeping on. ...Especially when the task becomes challenging or is no longer fun.

But because of art, I realized that I do have the skills to be a good finisher. Art has taught me to persist.
 
When I am creating art, there is a time, with every single piece – EVERY SINGLE PIECE – that I hate what I am creating and I want to pitch it into the trash can. 

But, guess what??!!... I found that if I persist and continue on - Sometimes after taking a break – other times after redoing parts – that almost always, I end up creating something amazing!
 
I learned that EVERY THING – even things that we love – SUCK at times. The "suck" is just part of the process. And, I found that if I dramatize the "suck" – then the "suck" becomes suckier.

So when the "suck" arrives I try to simply notice it and not to make it bigger than it needs to be. I tell myself “Ok…we are here, at the 'suck'. It’s temporary. And, all it really is, is just a problem to solve. I’ve got this.”

For me, learning to push past the "suck" is how I came to understand the value of persistence.

What are your thoughts about PERSISTENCE?
​I would love to hear in the comments below.

Make it a HAPPY Day!

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