This blog post is a reminder to myself as much as it is a message to you. Hang. In. There.
Just hang in there, man.
As I go through yet another stage of what I assume is a mid-life crisis, I have to constantly talk myself out of listening to the vitriolic, self-loathing voice in my head telling me to quit everything and go take a nap.
SNAP OUT OF IT, JEFF!
The painting metaphor I laid out a while back is still valid. In that post I admitted that it is quite normal for all of my paintings to look god-awful in the middle stages. Sometimes before and after the middle stages too. And even though I know it is a process, that there are steps to follow and that it will all work out in the end, I still manage to convince myself otherwise. It’s like I don’t know what to do with myself if I’m not stressing out about it.
Which is stupid because I’m tired of the stress!
So just hang in there and it will get better. Eventually. Stay the course. Follow the steps. Do all of the things.
Just to illustrate this point, here is a live portrait I did recently. For most of the three hours it took to paint, it was just a dark, muddy mess. Despite the immense panic in trying to make sense of it, during the last twenty minutes or so I managed to turn it into a halfway respectable picture. In fact, the more I look at it now, the more pride I feel in having actually done it.
I didn’t quit! Trust me, I wanted to quit. I really did. But I didn’t. I just hung in there. So that’s a win.
Acrylic on canvas panel, 9×12
©2023 Jeff Lung
Do you have any tricks for getting through rough patches in your life? Please share your knowledge in the comments!
You are going to be successful, give it time. We are proud of your work and the fact that you don’t give up. !!!
Thx for the encouragement. Now to plow along.
You are way to hard in yourself but I completely understand. As I looked at your painting I first thought Wow! You may think your niche is pens but your niche could be this too!! And then secondly I thought this looks just like Ferd. And then I saw your title! 🙌
Hot dog! Well it puts a smile on my face to read that. Thanks for sharing, Patti! Much appreciated!
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