Thanks so much Donna!
I think your idea of finding a time of day that works best for YOU is a great idea! It’s easy to get get caught up in feeling we “should” be working at x-time of day. I know some artists that work late at night. I also know some that work in the wee hours of the morning. And even though these aren’t traditiaonl “working” times, this is the time it works for those artists. So yes, find your time. Then mark it in the calendar. You don’t need to commit to a lot of time. The main thing is to stick to a commitment of time, no matter how small, and then feel the incredible satisfaction of sticking to that commitment!

Thanks for the compliment Kyle.

And thank you too for sharing your experience. I think what you describe around the conundrum of the pandemic offering up available time to paint and then not actually doing anything and feeling stressed from not taking action is common to many many people. I know that the pandemic has also offered up a pall of anxiety, a simmering that lives just below the surface, quiet enough to not be felt daily in a conscious way. But make no mistake, it’s there! And this affects us everyday as we live through this time. Add to that other world problems and our own personal problems and it’s no wonder we’re a bit of a jelly!

So congratulations to you for realising what was going an and just taking a break. Sometimes that IS the best thing to do. And I am delighted that because of your courage to step away, you are now back in your studio doing pleasurable and fabulous work!! And oh gawd, we never want our art to feel like a chore. Preparing canvases, maybe, but not the actual work of creating!!

But responding to your main point, I have difficulty forcing myself to paint. It was one of the reasons I was not productive during the start of the pandemic isolation period. I saw all this available time and felt I MUST take advantage of it and work, work, work.

I got fed up with the pressure I was putting on myself, and I just stopped doing anything for a while. Eventually, I felt the desire to get back into the studio, and since then, I have done some of my best work. It’s the difference between wanting to work, and forcing myself to work. Painting became a pleasure again, not a chore.

Thank you thank you THANK YOU!!! I love the idea of a novella 😀

And I forgot to mention that I absolutely love these paintings of yours from the challenge- especially the gallery series which are almost a novella in pastel with all the different personalities and paintings.

Hah hah and YAY!! And how awesome that you have painted for 34 days consecutively – that’s something to take time to celebrate Marsha!!
I’m glad that you are surrendering to the tug 😀 GO GIRL!!

Thanks Judi. It was so great to see you in the Challenge and yes, I remember that illness took you away. And that’s life and its effect on art-making….

I’m glad you mentioned not having thumbnails or any preparations. I think having a sketchbook full of thumbnails is HUGELY beneficial as you don’t have to spend time working things out on the days you actually need to be producing a painting! And gosh yes, it’s definitely exhilarating and exhausting at the same time!

And it’s what comes after the Challenge that I’ve turned my attention to as so many of us can drop off the art-making wagon following the intensity of the Challenge.

Good for you taking a break from pastel. It’s always a good thing I think to get into another medium once in a while, and certainly most of the lessons from IGNITE! will be applicable.

And how lovely that you’ve found a fellow IGNITEr to swap paintings with 😀