The First Mile

As the sun rises, you check off your first two items in preparation for your big race: 1. Appropriate gear: running shoes and a light-weight tank top and short shorts 2. Stretches. Then, you start to mentally prepare for the race ahead. In the 5K race (3.1 miles) which is a typical cross-country course, you begin to think about your tactics for competing in the race. With your art job or assignment you begin to think about the stages it will take to complete your project. What are the tactics of runners that will help you win/finish your art project successfully?

Frame Of Mind.
There are always good ways to run your race and bad ways to run it. You want to consider your options before you put your foot on the start line. I was always a slow runner. I am naturally contemplative. I like to think a lot. I was never the fast one, but I always finished the race running. I won a couple of ribbons in competitions, but mostly I just ran. That was because I could focus on the finish line.



Run In Stretches.
What I recommend is what I learned from those cross country days--consider the race as a whole. You need to keep your legs moving and your mind on the race. You need to consider each mile completed as a separate achievement. Gradually increase your speed as you go. Do not become stagnant in your competition. Eventually push yourself to your top speed at the end.

The Long-Distance Commitment.
What I do not recommend is darting off the start line at 100 yard dash speed. I know runners from my cross country years in high school who completely missed the point of running a race. They completely overlooked the fact that foot races are a long-distance commitment. When the gun goes off they would sprint off the line for the first mile. Often these guys were more fit than me. They were often taller and thinner. In my opinion, better equipped than myself to run these long distances. These "jack rabbits" as we called them may have put a good scare on the competition, initially, but then they burned out quick. What good is that in a long distance race?

Conclusion.
Consider your art project as a long-distance race. Some may in fact be very short term in the scope of your life, but art is a discipline like any other sport. I am recommending that you look at your project in stages or in stretches. Think through and prioritize your process in a plan (a later post). You want to keep your project moving. Consider the pace that you need to keep to be strong in every stretch of the race. There will be times that you can relax your pace, but there will also be times to surge ahead. The best tact that I have learned is to pick short goals and to seek to surpass them quickly. You are in a race, so you can't slow down. Keep this in mind as you figure out how to win your prize for finishing your art project.

Stretch

I can't emphasize the importance of stretching enough. In a road race you know the race won't go well if you start to cramp up or if your muscles start hurting. When you take that extra time to prepare it makes all the difference in how you run the race.

Prepare To Create Your Best Work.
Creating art is not any different than a sport in this respect. Without the right tools you may never make the best art you could. Not everyone is right for that tool. But then there is the comfort level with that tool or process. You have to use it to be good at it.

Stretching Is Learning.
That tool and process is ink and inking. I have practiced it for more than 10 years. It obviously did not come naturally. My initial understanding of inking was with a ball point pen. Some of the stretching that had to be done was to figure out what the tool was used for. I had to figure out which tools work best for different kinds of looks. I have to practice using that skill every chance I get. As I stretch myself I learn more potential and learn more of what I don't know about it.

Conclusion.
Take at least 15 minutes a day before you start your serious project to stretch your ability. With inking I start with blue line pencil drawings of all different kinds of objects, people, different lighting situations, and compositions. Then, I practice all the different techniques and styles I like. Some pieces come out exquisitely, most do not. Think of skills that you want to learn and for it. I know you will improve if you just stretch!

Short Shorts

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? 

Run in such a way as to get the prize. -I Corinthians 9:24 (NIV)

Creating art is like running a race. Like all sports running requires practise, practise, practise! You also have to have the right gear (running shoes, shorts, light shirt, etc...), stretch, think tactically, prepare for your competitors and the course, know when to refresh, think about your finish, and fueling your imagination to win.

Skimpies.
In high school cross country we had to wear the most embarrassing uniforms of all the sports teams. They had to be a couple of decades out of date by the time my class got to wear this badge of honor. As a low profile sport, my high school felt little need to invest in any new trendy uniforms. We wore what we called skimpies. You can guess why they got that name.

Flying.
We all hated these uniforms, but you know what? There came a time when I would not trade those shorts in for anything else. After several years of running during the hot hot summers in Indiana, I was grateful for this less restricting apparel. And their came a time that I longed for the school year so that I could once again feel as if I were flying. Any dedicated runner would know what I am talking about.

Dedicated.
Try as you might, without the right gear making visual art can be hard. If you paint in oil, cheap paint may make it difficult create the atmosphere that you long for. If you are a photographer, the wrong lighting in your studio could mess with your photos and your exposure will come out wrong. Or if your a cartoonist like myself, your inking brushes could cause difficulty in creating the sharp yet varied line you want to make.The truth is that dedicated people will do what it takes to become excellent at their skills or profession.

Conclusion.

Do your best work! Don't skimp on the supplies. You may go through a practise period that you can justify cheaper material, but eventually you will want to reach for a higher level and improve your skill.  You're a creative person after all and if you can't justify the extra dollars and cents to prove to yourself and everybody else that you're worth it, then you might want to consider a new profession or hobby. So, consider the gear that will make your art soar and hone your craft with that. I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

A Big Forest

To reinforce my last post about detours and distractions I have story to tell about being lost in the forest, click here if you missed it: Road Work Ahead. Enjoy!

The Path To Uncertainty.

I am not sure of my reasoning. It was obviously flawed at that point. In  the summer of 2005, I had been navigating the camp's property  as a counselor and teacher for several months. Though, navigating and knowing your way true are two different things. I had been a poor navigator even up to then. I was notorious for getting my campers lost. Familiarity with landmarks and general direction were my only working tools. When I discovered my error it was too late! My daylight was running short. So, I fumbled along an unfamiliar ridge for a period of time. The crazy thing about dark forests in Southern Ohio is the indefinite altitudes and the rocky death at the bottom. Even a survivalist familiar with the area can be caught off guard by a random drop into a gorge if they lose their way. The supposed path I thought I was on had dissipated into the ambiguous forest floor. I could be heading further toward central camp or away from it. At that time I had to make decisive choices or end up using my night time survival techniques. I feared the worst, so I kept moving. What do you do when you miss a turn? I thought back to where the bad decisions started.

Disaster Was Imminent.

The trouble started when I realized I couldn't cool off until it got real late at night, so I acquired permission from the camp director to rest in the group cabin. The trouble compounded when my mind was still racing with worry and anxiety about my duties as a camp counselor. Guilt plus shame and being sick do not work together. I chose to deliver supplies to my campers out near one of the caves in the big camp forest. I knew the trails to the spot where the campers were at. That much was clear. But I reasoned that I could take a quicker way back. Thinking that I knew where I was going,  I took a turn in the wrong direction just after I left the campers. My confidence in spite of my condition was amazing. Disaster was imminent.

Unfamiliar Territory.

Shortly after leaving the campers the forest ran out. I hit a large grassy hill. It had numerous ruts that I found as I descended the steep hill. The going was difficult. If I didn't fall down the hill altogether, I was sure to sprain my ankle. These ruts were ingeniously cloaked in shoulder high grass. The new realization of being lost hit me: Where was I? Was it familiar? Knowing the general parameters of the grounds led me to this conclusion: The property I had stumbled upon was perhaps nearer to the Eastern corner. Finishing the grassy hill, I found that it was next to a road. As I came to the road I couldn't remember passing this way for sure in past camp trips. Most of the houses along any given road in the Southern hills of  Ohio looked the same. Even so, I continued on the road and came to the conclusion that I couldn't know for sure which direction was the right direction.

Getting Back To Camp.

Obviously, I was weary. I was lost and had no means of communication. So I did what I had to do. I figured that if I could get information from one of the locals I could get home alright before the sun had set. This was problematic, because you did not know if anyone would be home or if they would trust you or worse if they would cause you harm. I chanced it, because I had no choice in the matter. I knocked on the door of what looked like a trailer displaced from its park. A child answered the door. I asked to speak with an adult. As I expected that they were stand-offish, I explained what camp I was from and that I was lost. The father did oblige in telling me the roads that might get me back. So I was on my way in said direction.  After walking in the recommended direction, dehydrated, doubts clouded my mind. I trekked up steep hills and around sharp turns, until I finally found the cross road mentioned. This road was familiar and I knew where to go from there. As I arrived back at the camp I figured that maybe others had missed me, but I was wrong. My joy was in the arrival. I was so glad to get back and be in my bed. My anxiety had done little, but get me in trouble.

Conclusion.
Anxiety is a poor guide and illness is a poor excuse. It was a miracle that I made it out of that forest alive and relatively intact. It was an adventure, but it remains as a story that reminds me of how my bad judgment can get me in trouble. We often don't want to admit when we are wrong. And we often don't want to admit that we got ourselves into our own messes. Detours created by other people are difficult, but ones set up by our own stubbornness can be deadly. So it is important that we always remember that there is a way out of the forest.

Road Work Ahead

The other night I tried desperately to escape from downtown. It seemed that every exit was blocked. Every effort proved fruitless because of road work, an accident, or the normal insecure/inattentive driver.

On the road as in life, we are not alone. We sometimes make it difficult for one another. The sight of neon orange cones or flashing lights even stun some people like deer in headlights. What do we do with these distractions and unplanned detours?

Considering the rabbit trails in my life, I have compiled a short list of how to deal with this road work. I have used these from time-to-time to deal with my own problem areas. I believe they have made my life more productive. After reading this you will probably have some to add this list. I would like to hear what you have to say on the matter.

Rest Up For Trials Ahead.
You will experience curve balls. The best preparation is a sharp mind and a soft heart. This is only possible if you are whole and rested. You can refer back to my post on rest to read more on what I have to say about the topic, click here: Rest: The Secret Ingredient For Success.

Put Blame To Death.
Throwing people under the bus purposefully or accidentally, because life isn't going well solves no one's problems. Test your heart for your motivations. However, if someone is at fault for problems in your life, demand justice. But remember that more important than justice is mercy. Allow justice to take its proper course and then move on. This is a way of putting blame to death as well.



Keep Your Eyes On The Road.
Sometimes fear on our part can cause unintended accidents. As I see others fall behind or get hit, I defer to God's will through prayer. I pray for those who were unfortunate enough to participate in the accident. Then I look ahead, because there is nothing that I can do. Usually, the medics and police have already arrived. With exception to rare moments, where this is not the case, I'd recommend keeping our eyes on the goal ahead.

 Detours Often Mean Discovery.
I have a tendency to get mad when I am rerouted. Nothing is as painful as this random inconvenience. I have goals of my own after all. Who has the right to throw my day off?

But yet, when I am sent on a detour I break from my comfort zone. I am open to discovering new ways to accomplish my goals. When you understand what the barriers are there for, you can joyfully work in a limited palette. A little while back I posted about how that process is used through watercolor, click here for that post: Royal Colors.

The Destination Won't Change.
After you have gone out of your way because your plans were smashed by a situation you can't control there is a tendency to feel completely defeated. But I have learned this lesson over the long haul. My personal comic book project that has been detoured, sidetracked, and put in limbo for reasons I can't explain or remember now over 5 years many times. Every time I get a chance I pick it up again and go at it. The goal never changed. It was still waiting for me at the end of my distraction period. Foremost, I learned how readily and easily I get distracted. Then, I started learning how to curb and commercialize on those distractions (another post in the future).

My advice: Keep your goal in mind as you navigate your new circumstances. Unless you feel as if you should stop or pursue a different goal during this time, you should move forward even if it seems as if you are going in the opposite direction.

Conclusion.
Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy on the road to our goals. Sometimes things happen to us and we can't explain it. The best we can do most of the time is to move forward as often as possible. Be optimistic that you will finish what was started. As long as it is a path that honors God, I'd encourage you to continue on. Chances are God wants you to finish and finish well, too.