art, to do list, writing

Do you jot down to-do lists and follow through?

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Do you or don’t you? I go in spurts. When I get too lazy, I bring out my small notebook (with gilded edges, no less!) and jot down about five things I need to do daily. My list usually contains these items:

Make art, write or edit chapters, pack etsy orders, clean something.

Art: I usually have something half finished, so it’s easy to choose what to do, but there are days when I have no ideas, and I have to drag myself into the studio. On such days, I might start something like making a clay body for a chicken–nothing too elaborate.

Clearing a list makes you feel good.

I feel compelled to follow through if I make a list. When I don’t, it’s easy to blow things off, and the day goes by without any progress, making me feel bored and ungrounded. I also feel guilty if I don’t progress, especially with my art.

Sometimes it’s okay to blow things off and go out for fresh views and new inspiration. There’s a distinct difference between blowing things off and feeling as if your well is empty. Ignoring your impulses to create is detrimental to your “feel good” that day. I love to create, but I don’t want to be an art-aholic in the studio.

‘Tis a fine line to walk.

Due to my list-making, I had a productive week. I’ve been sculpting goddesses on shells lately and made more angel shrines. Christmas is coming, and I’ve been selling a lot of angels lately.

The angels below are slightly different designs compared to my old ones. I still have a few of the older designs left on etsy.

I also created a couple of paintings. I went back to my work in 2005 to see what Christmas motifs I had used. Back in the day, I painted Americana folk art. I decided to revisit that style and came up with a new and better(?) version. The first painting is current, and the other is from 2005. It was a lot of fun!

I forgot to make a bunch of Christmas things to sell this year. Time has gone by so quickly, and I can’t seem to get a handle on it.

As far as writing goes, I just put up my second mystery, TO DIE FOR, for pre-order on Kindle. It’s free on Kindle Unlimited. I had a lot of fun writing this story. Mysteries are tricky as you have to embed clues and hold back lots of info to keep the suspense up. I’m working on number three now, RENDEZVOUS WITH DEATH. It’ll be a while before it comes out.

The last thing on my list is “clean something.” I often fail in that department since I hate cleaning, but I don’t want to live like a pig.

With three cats, it’s hard to keep any surfaces clean. They have a monopoly on the house… You can find lots of pictures of them on my Instagram feed. My handle there is @greeneearth. Mama Sassy and her six-month-old kittens, Elfie and Pixie. They are all tuxedos, and the kittens are almost identical. Anyway, I feel good if I clean one countertop or dust some shelves. Better than nothing, right?

Have a happy and productive week!

Lots of love,

Maria

4 thoughts on “Do you jot down to-do lists and follow through?”

  1. Haha, I can totally relate to not being able to keep as clean a house as I’d like thanks to a pet.

    And yes, I do write down lists just to keep myself on track. I usually only finish half of what’s on the list, but at least it keeps the next task in mind, acting as a compass of sorts.

  2. I love lists. I am retired and busy as ever. I made me a project list for the year, with routine things, ie garden, sewing for family; I used old envelope backs and labeled 12 of them, Jan. Feb, Mar. etc. Then when I get things done, mark it off. If there is something important, I put it on a “remember” list for the next year. I am fairly relaxed about it.
    A book that has been a recent inspiration to me is: “Make Your Bed”, little things that can change your life and maybe the world.
    by Admiral Wm H. McRaven (USN-Retired). The crux is that if you only get one thing done for the day, at least you made your bed, because life does get in the way of lists and schedules. Maria thank you for all your pearls of wisdom and beautiful art. Blessings to you and your family.

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