Managing overwhelm and creating a habit

Make it simple

As well as writing, I like drawing.

I’ve been wrestling with my creative style for as long as I can remember. Luckily brilliant people like

Katiedraws (and writes)

,

Helen Stephens

and Tania Willis exist, and through their Good Ship Illustration courses, I’m finding my way.

Video by video, exercise by exercise, pep talk by pep talk, I get a little comfier with what feels like me, and what doesn’t.

I know I will get clearer and more confident the more I practice, but so often I get mightily overwhelmed by choice. What should I draw? Should I paint, collage or use my iPad? Shall I pick up a brush, pencil or scissors? Should I go big or small? Should I use colour? Which colour? Which yellow?

Eurgh. I freeze. And I create nothing.

Habits are established when the thing you want to do, is easy to do.

So, to make creating easier for me, I am reducing the number of decisions I need to make when I sit down to draw. I need to make it simple.

So I’m starting a project called Little Life Lessons. I’m going to…

• Draw small things that remind me to look after my mental health

• Draw on my iPad

• Draw with a dry ink brush

• Draw using just black and white

• Share them with this community

That way I’ll be looking after my mental health and drawing. Two birds, one stone.

And yes yes, the nattering perfectionist in my head says “You’re still working things out, wait until your style is spot on and your drawings are immaculate.” But I’m trying to drown out that voice with another one, a voice of a rational optimist, that says “that will never happen, start today”.

So, first up…

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Little Life Lesson 1 : Take Naps

My dog Vera naps on and off, all day. In the sitting room, on the stairs, outside. She is a great reminder that regular rest is important, and that I too should take small pauses here and there.

Some people say they can’t nap because they so hate that groggy feeling when they wake up. My way around this is to prepare a snack before I go to sleep and leave it in arms reach for when I wake. A biscuit, a piece of fruit, a few squares of chocolate. Anything to get rid of the sleepy taste in my mouth and that will give me an instant sugar hit. If it works for angry toddlers, it can work for us all.