When to Quit
Part 3 on dealing with procrastination in art.
When to Quit
We are coached to persevere, to work through problems. Inspirational quotes fuel us for an hour or two, but at some point we have to weigh the cost of the time spent figuring something out against just starting over with new ideas.
No one wants to be a quitter. We want to fight, to overcome. The struggle is what strengthens us - a chick against the egg, a butterfly against the cocoon, a son against bitterness, a daughter against expectations - all are made better by continuing to struggle against the things that seemingly restrict us.
I want to keep every painting and have the original purpose shine through in glorious layers, velvet ridges and colorful shapes - translations of a language that I’m learning.
But most times, I am just not poet enough to call out the beauty.
Many of my efforts end up lacking the luster, vibrance, and fullness of the vision. Calling forth physicality from the ether is a translation process, and I am a poor translator, a poor conductor of the richness found when plundering the depths of my inner man.
How do I know when it is time to quit?
We have limited resources. Limited panels to paint on, limited time in the day, limited time before a deadline, limited focus, limited patience with external forces, and limited abilities. Therefore, I need to think through the following things in order to make a decision:
Am I too close?Â
I need to be completely objective about the work. What follows depends on my truthfulness with myself - no time for emotional attachments. If I lose the ability to see the physical product apart from the intellectual and emotional parts, then I need to (at the very least) stop working. I may just set it aside for a while and return (like I mentioned in the previous post on procrastination), but distance is needed in any case. Distance and dispassion. Our minds and our hearts can lead us far astray if they are not masterfully coordinated with skill. Few of us have this mastery. Â
Is the end product worth it?
I need to know if what I’m struggling with will provide the payoff that I want if I keep pouring energy into it. If the payoff isn’t really good - if I only break even in quality and satisfaction - then I need to scale back. I need to move on from the energy suck. Perhaps a smaller painting or shorter writing would fit better. Brevity solves a lot of problems. DO GOOD WORK, but match energy with the return.
If the payoff is negligible - scale back or quit.
I feel like a concrete example here would help. I have a big show coming up. I can submit up to 6 works but must submit 3 larger works. Because of the limitations mentioned earlier, I need to pour a LOT of time and energy into my 3 main pieces while maintaining good quality in the smaller 3 pieces. Knowing that the 6 pieces cannot get equal time, I spend quite a lot of time choosing what images can be done in a weekend and what images need a month. They will all be the best I can do, but they do not all get the same attention. As I said, brevity solves a lot of problems. Plus, I may not even be able to complete 3 smaller ones. I may only get to 1 or 2. I may have to quit the idea of 6 so that the 3 main works can be their best.Â
Next - Is the love gone?Â
When I look at my work, I know if it has the energy of skill and truth within it. It can be felt. If it is easier and easier to ignore, consider moving on. Life is short. Not everything is a lesson in perseverance. Sometimes we just start out with passion and realize that it was just a fling. It would have been better as a short story, a poem, even, and not a novel. It would have been a better 6x10 instead of a 24x42.
If the love is gone - quit. Â
Am I at Peace?
Has the work negatively impacted my peace - my sleep, my patience, my mood? If so, step away or quit. We are more than our work. We are all trying to use material things to reach for the timeless immaterial, the vapor of the breath of God. Â
So, these are the things I think of when contemplating quitting a work.
Quitting can be good and productive. It can move us toward the path we need to be on instead of the one we were infatuated with. Quitting can help reveal our true love, straighten our priorities, and give us peace.
See my work at SethTummins.com