Cut Yourself Some Slack

“Green Beans”
I should really paint less complicated subjects for these 6×6″ pieces. (painted with my right hand)

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/444740

It’s good to set goals, to strive, to push yourself. Sometimes it’s good to go an extra 10 reps, to walk an extra block, or to complete a painting a day.

But sometimes life pushes back and you need to take a break. Having two surgeries in one year takes it’s toll on a body. The recovery of surgery on my left shoulder, my dominant hand, is going a little rougher than the right shoulder did.

I was feeling bad that things weren’t getting done. But this isn’t a time to beat myself up; this is the time to take care of myself. So if the floor doesn’t get swept, and a painting doesn’t get finished every day, I’m going to cut myself some slack—let it go.

I found I can do other things, like at 3 A.M. when I can’t sleep because of the pain I listen to interviews of artists on my iPhone, Podcasts at the Savvy Painter (http://savvypainter.com/series/artists/). Or, since iPhone has voice recording, I can record my blog so I don’t have to type this all with one finger.

So as everyone might start gearing up for the upcoming holidays I may take a nap and as The Beatles would say, “Let it be”.