I thrive on routine. I thrive on shaking up my routine. How can these two statements be compatible? Perhaps an example or two is the best explanation.
Routine?
Here are a few of my routines:
- Start my day by writing two morning pages;
- Breakfast of a soft boiled egg on toast or oatmeal accompanied by fruit;
- Attend a yoga class Monday through Friday;
- Devote Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to creating in my studio;
- Handle art business on Wednesday; and
- Run errands and pay bills on Friday.
The scary thing is I could double or triple that list with all my routines and regularly scheduled events. Many people would find this boring. Not me. I find it comfortable, reassuring AND it frees my brain to drift, since I don’t have to make frequent decisions of what to do during the day. The basic structure of my days is solid.
Not So Routine
However, to keep things from getting boring I do add new routines. I also set and work towards new goals. Two compatible goals I’ve added to 2020 are:
- #saqa100days;
- Use Instagram; and
- Cohasset Open Studios
Last summer there was a general call for artists to post a daily art work on Instagram for 100 days. SAQA encouraged its members to participate. I didn’t join in. My excuse was the timing wasn’t right. Then SAQA reissued the challenge to start up on February 1 of this year. It occurred to me that the timing wasn’t right, BUT also, that I would never have 100 days in a row when I could both make and post art. So, I committed this time. I will simply extend the deadline the number of days I need to accommodate for the days I miss due to travel.
Instagram eludes me. Time to get over that mental road block. Nothing like posting daily to help cement the process in my brain. I’m also working on branding my Instagram and Facebook accounts by posting theme based images and surrounding those images with a black border. My Instagram address, if you are curious is: gwynedtrefethen .
Do you see how I have combined my latest goals? Each project is doing double or triple duty. Love it when I achieve this.
How are changing things up this year?
I am linking up with Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Fridays.
I’ve just experienced a change in routine — with the closing of the store-front of the local yarn/craft business I wherein I worked part-time (2 days a week most of the year, 1 day a week in summer). The shop has gone into an on-line and on-wheels (pop-up) iteration, with no staff required. So…your post about routines — and adapting them — gives me food for thought. Thanks!
Oh, Margaret, I know how much you enjoy working with yarn. A part time job in a yarn/craft store sounds like it was a wonderful way to earn some pin money, have some social interaction, and share what you love. This latest change will take some creative thinking. It is one to thing to shake up your own routine. Quite another to have it shaken up by outside forces.
I admire y0ur tenacity and organization. It certainly works for you. I do admire those star fish and the way you have them arranged. I, too, can’t figure out Instagram and use Facebook only occasionally.
I have been unable to leave comments on anyone’s blog for some strange reason. I just had two go thru on other blogs, so hope that this one works, too.
Norma, I have just about giving up posting on Nina Marie’s site because I find the hurdles to respond to other people’s posts stretches my patience. Between the proving I’m not robot with tiny pictures where I have to find the motorcycle, traffic light, crosswalk or bus, or Google that constantly rejects my ID and password, it just isn’t worth it. It all has to do with making the site secure from robots and spammers. My site does require me to approve comments. I ALWAYS approve yours.
Instagram is relatively easy IF you take regular high quality photos and use a device with IOS. I do neither. I scan my work into my iMAC, edit the scanned image in Photoshop Elements, then “trick” my iMAC into thinking it is an iPhone, log into my Instagram account and post. This is why I won’t post when away from home. I can say now that I have 15 daily posts under my belt, it is becoming natural vs. cumbersome.
I had fun playing with starfish. Must have tried at least 20 arrangements. The trick was to not get them forming lines and clumps.
I too am more grounded when I have a schedule/plan/to-do list. Not that it’s always followed exactly but it’s comforting to me in some strange way. I admire anyone who commits to a 100 days of anything. Thought I try to structure my life…..there always seems to be something that disrupts it….if I added 100 repetitive requirement, I’d probably have a nervous breakdown! Interesting mention of tricking your Mac into thinking it’s an iPhone….I’ve never figured that out and therefore I’ve strayed from using Instagram because I find it so darn awkward to post from my iPhone. Guess technology is leaving me behind!
I too am more grounded when I have a schedule/plan/to-do list. Not that it’s always followed exactly but it’s comforting to me in some strange way. I admire anyone who commits to a 100 days of anything. Thought I try to structure my life…..there always seems to be something that disrupts it….if I added 100 repetitive requirement, I’d probably have a nervous breakdown! Interesting mention of tricking your Mac into thinking it’s an iPhone….I’ve never figured that out and therefore I’ve strayed from using Instagram because I find it so darn awkward to post from my iPhone. Guess technology is leaving me behind!
One last try before I type my message all over again…….when I try to post it….I get an error message saying I already ‘said that’….but clearly it’s not on your list of comments. If this goes through then I rewrite my original comment, if I can even remember it…ha, ha.
Mary, your message came through. I’m sorry you are having trouble. Wish I knew how to circumvent it for you. I do have to approve a comment before it is visible. This way robots, spammers and hate mongers spread false or upsetting comments. Unfortunately, those few bad apples have made things diabolically difficult for the rest of us. Thanks for your perseverance.
I have just about giving up posting on Nina Marie’s site because I find the hurdles to respond to other people’s posts stretches my patience. Between the proving I’m not robot with tiny pictures where I have to find the motorcycle, traffic light, crosswalk or bus, or Google that constantly rejects my ID and password, it just isn’t worth it. It all has to do with making the site secure from robots and spammers. My site does require me to approve comments. I ALWAYS approve yours.