Best Advice I Ever Got

Many years ago, I decided to paint a landscape for Jeremy for Valentine's Day.

Now, I'm a leetle bit of a of a perfectionist, and I don't take kindly to abstract art, which is usually what I end up producing. You want a lighthouse? I will give you a vertical black and white blob that may or may not be a lighthouse, or it could be a killer whale dancing on the pier in sheer joy. I'll let you decide.

Anyway, we were living with Mom and Dad at the time, so Mom was privy to my artistic attempts (which is intimidating on many levels...Mom is a particularly excellent artist).

As I sat at my desk trying really hard not to scream, slash the canvas and toss my brushes into the air, Mom said to me, "Just remember: it's supposed to be fun. Just have fun."

I held the terrified brushes in my hand and slowly lowered them onto the desk, where they wheezed and quietly passed out.

"Have fun..."

And I did. The completed project wasn't perfect. It wasn't abstract, or realist, or cubist, or any specifically respectable painting form. It was Daraist. And that was okay because Jeremy loved it. And I loved it.

Because I did it for Jeremy, and it wasn't tainted by my perfectionist anxiety.

I think about this every time I start a new project.

Like right now...

Emily persuaded me to do NANOWRIMO again this year. The first year was so hard and stressful. I wanted the book to be perfect. I wanted it to be a certain type of book. I wanted it to be awesome. And I ended up hating the whole thing and I didn't write for months after, I was so burned out.

This time, I am sticking with more Daraist...or Darantasy...or Dariction...Anyway...

And I'm having fun.

Just have fun. It's the best advice I ever got.

Thanks, Mom!