Retreat to Move Forward

So, here we are. It's nearly the end of August and I hit an eight week speed bump. Part of it (a BIG part of it) was being overloaded at work but I think I was also getting totally burned out. The break gave me a chance to step back and take a fresh look at it.

Here is what I learned:

1. I was going about it totally backwards
   The whole purpose of this was to push through a hundred paintings, move quick and not let perfection get in the way of progress. Honestly, the first 20 should have been train wrecks and I should have blown through them in a few weeks. Instead, almost from day one, I locked down and tired to make these "good" and worth selling.
   
   
2. I forgot I did not know how to paint
   That may sound crazy but it is the truth. I assumed I could decide to do this, pick up a brush, and they would just appear. I do not know how to paint. That is why I am doing this. It's OK if they suck. I am learning. And apparently I am starting to sound like Stuart Smalley here. Moving on.
   
   
3. I was afraid of what people were going to think
   I generally have an approval problem and thought if I started posting junk paintings people would think that I (rightly so, McFly) did not know how to paint. So I would torture myself and beat them into submission. The problem is, this is supposed to be fun and a learning experience. You may like them, you may hate them. I do need to not worry about that and focus on getting better.

So there you go. I started back last week and should be posting new ones this week. I'm probably not going to be selling them (maybe so) but we're going to start really clipping along. I'm still committed to getting to 100 by December 31 and with some changes I can do it. Because I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!

Title is lifted from the wonderful 30 Rock episode.