Unfinished work part 2/2

When taking your time is better that just finishing quickly

androginous good time

Last time in the liquid marvellous instalment I showed you some drawings I started and then left in a folder, too afraid to approach them, too tired to take the right decisions about where they’re supposed to go.

There were so many I had to split them in two.

psychedelic rider

There’s an upside to unfinished work. A gasp of pleasure when I rediscover them is the most satisfying part, but also allowing work to take its time generally turns things in my favour. After not seeing them for a while, those sketches make more sense, or transform from scary to approachable. In the meantime I’ve experimented with other pieces, even ones intentionally silly to keep the stress at a minimum. Coming back shows me that learning has happened in the intervening time, that I’ve climbed another step towards the subjective mastery I’m aiming at.

Maybe distance reduces the pressure I put on myself initially and I can tackle all those unknowns without care; emotional involvement is much smaller and so experimentation is easier.

dancing under the red superimposed planet

This is a concept I know in my head, but I’ve never articulated it until now and I’m a bit astonished by it. The simplest realisations take time and when they arrive I’m ashamed I hadn’t figured them out sooner. But I keep being reminded that the human condition is a slow fumbling, humbling experience.

I’m going to try to use this strategy of slow work and breaks to allow the work to become new again. Hopefully it will help me deal with the pressure of a certain creative piece, be it visual art or writing. Writing is definitely harder though.

Without further ado, here are a few more works in progress.

surreal coffee break

Thank you for getting to the end of this offering. My work is and will always be AI free. If you like, share and subscribe you’ll make me happy and help me continue writing and drawing.

Here are some words about the creative practice that doesn’t give me anxiety.

And here’s what I was doing last June.