Daily Practice
Painting’s not important. The important thing is keeping busy. — Grandma Moses The summer has been good to me, because at long last I’ve made a daily practice of painting. It was a goal I set for myself two years ago, then discarded like an unwanted penny. It took an art retreat in late June, during which I painted four days in a row for nearly eight hours a day, to show me that a daily practice is powerful. How stupid of me to think it would be anything but! Psychologists would sympathize, however, because they know that you only understand the power of a daily practice after you put it in place. No matter your passion, a daily practice is about getting stuff done . You can chase after a passion, sure; but, if you’re not getting stuff done, you’re chasing something less than a passion—an abiding interest, maybe; or a hobby or fantasy—and your not chasing very hard. The work you produce through a daily practice distinguishes real passion. Ironically, the work you produce ...