‘Something that helps me persist through the day-to-day frustrations of putting in effort with no visible payoff—I keep a notecard on my desk that says, “Suspend Judgment.” As in, hold off on deciding whether any given bout of effort is paying off or making a difference.
‘… leaving my sense of what I’ve gotten out of my efforts up in the air, awaiting more context, information, or time. Because the effects of effort tend to reveal themselves imperceptibly, over weeks, months, or years.’
Billy Oppenheimer, “Imperceptible Progress“
Don’t keep every drawing, painting, sketch, scribble but don’t be too fast tossing them into the paper recycling bin either. They’re all steps on the path to where we are today.
Keep the physical piece, don’t reduce it to a photo, which eliminates texture and scale. Write notes on the back if you have thoughts on the piece, alongside the date; it gives perspective later. Speak to yourself about your art in the same way you would encouraging a friend.
the suspend judgement on your art post is a brilliant reminder – my brain plays games with me so i will use any device to trick it back -i am just making a sign to put up on my wall. thank you.