June 6, 2023

Patience is a form of action

Sometimes, for some ideas, now is not the right time, but it’s not always obvious. Sometimes, we’re not in the right headspace, or our lives are full of things that need more attention. Sometimes, we don’t have the artistic skill to execute what we can see in our minds. Sometimes, we don’t have the right people to collaborate with at the time. Sometimes, now is not the right time.

For some ideas, just like a good sourdough, time is an ingredient. Even though it can feel like we’re slacking off, or being lazy, or just not ‘pushing on’. The difficult bit is interrogating where our inaction comes from. Is it fear? Self doubt? I’m not good enough? No one will like this? I can’t afford to take the risk? Or, does our inaction simply come because the world, or ourselves, aren’t ready for it yet.

Being patient can feel very much like procrastination or fear, but the sources are different. And, ‘waiting’ for something feels like we’re not doing anything. But, as Auguste Rodin (the sculptor of The Thinker) so wisely said, Patience is a form of action.

Other observations
March 3, 2026

The ancestors are speaking

What might we be able to tell ourselves and listen for in order to provoke more positive energy and action in our art practice?

February 24, 2026

Can I do this?

Where does the motivation for beginning mark making come from? Why would I even try in the first place?

February 17, 2026

Visibility and confidence

How might we become less reliant on other people’s reaction to our work and the confidence to make more of it?

February 10, 2026

Proof of existence

Why do I feel compelled to share my work with anyone at all? Isn’t it enough just to make it for me?

February 3, 2026

Something beyond raw materials

Some work, like some meals, stand out more than others. So what’s on the plate or canvas that goes beyond ingredients or paint?

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