When I started this blog, back in May 2009, I had already designed and published my own Website, but hadn’t added any new paintings in over three years. Frankly, I am a woman of many vicissitudes which keeps me from focusing on any one project for very long. I have achieved a level of proficiency with all sorts of creative projects, from bookbinding to quilting to dressmaking and tailoring to recycling fur coats into teddy bears, to soft sculpture to…well, you get the picture. But the two creative outlets that I always come back to are watercoloring and writing. Problem is, I veer toward perfectionism, and if a project (for whatever reason) begins to overwhelm me, I set it aside and have trouble coming back to it. Consequently, I had many paintings waiting for completion.
When I started to research the how-to's of writing and publishing, I became aware of blogging; it occurred to me that this might be a way to motivate myself to finish some projects. I visited many artists’ blogs and realized two things: They made me feel insecure about my work (Oh my gosh—look at all those credentials that I lack), and they rarely showed the progression of their work, which is something I’ve always enjoyed about instructional books.
Posting my work serves a two-fold purpose for me. First, if I post the beginning of a project, (even if no one is really watching, but especially if I think a few people might notice) I know I am more likely to see it to completion. Second, it makes me more comfortable with putting my work out there. As a bonus, I'm building my portfolio for that day when I get brave enough to walk into some gallery and say, “I'd like to show you my work.” Of course, Todd will be standing behind me—he can be very persuasive.
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