Creating Habits

[gianmaria]

Hi everybody.
While still waiting for a diagnosis, I thought this post might be of interest for many of you.
—
Muddy Colors is a wonderful blog authored by about a dozen of Visual artists (mostly illustrators). One of the main purposes of the site is so inspire and help buddying artists. Besides some technical tutorials, they cover a number of topics which have to do with time and “asset” management, like how to prepare for interviews, how to build good working practices, how to take care of your physique (artists can be quite sedentary) and so on. Sometime they are heavy on the “work hard… or else!” kind of pep talk. I remember reading something along the lines of “Every day you don’t practice and don’t improve to succeed, someone else will get closer to your current skill level”.
Motivational for some, but to a “professional procrastinator” such as myself, a threat like that can sort almost the completely opposite effect than it was meant to.

Fortunately other posts are more balanced, like the one linked here:

http://muddycolors.blogspot.be/2014/09/habit-forming.html

There are a lot of ADDers among artists (many are not even aware of it, I think) and this stuff helps a lot…

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[Scattybird]

Thanks for this – the blogger sounds like many of us. Focus in bursts! I might have a look at the book and see if it’s useful.

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[ancientgeek]

Hollywood is also known as ADHD city, while Silicon Gulch is known Autism city. ADHD can be an asset if managed properly with knowledge. See the Canadian films “ADD and Loving IT” and “ADD and Mastering It”. My ADHD allowed me to retire comfortably at 55. My professions are software development and software engineering. If there was a software problem in my company (Boeing) that nobody could solve, they gave it to me. Hyper-focus can be a wonderful thing; but, must be managed if you want to keep your family. I’ve been married to the same, incredibly tolerant, woman for 48 years (and counting).

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[ancientgeek]

Wanted to add that I am a concious and voluntary OCD. Habits allow for a lot of autopilot down the road of life. I am over 70 years old and speak from experience. I protect my effective habits like a mother bear protects her cubs.

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[Author]

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