Art & Soul Reloaded-A-Long Week 4

This is the fourth week of the series Art & Soul Reloaded-A-Long. For the introduction of this series, see here.

In this 4th week of Pam Grout’s Art & Soul Reloaded, we are going to kick another procrastination technique to the curb.

It’s one I’ve been guilty of many times.

Whenever I decide I’d like to try out a new art or craft, instead of just jumping in, I use this procrastinating method. I check out classes at the local craft store. I watch YouTube video after video. I scour the internet for the “right” way to do it.

Now, certainly there’s a time and place for classes and instructional videos. But if an idea enters into your mind, it’s not going to remain there patiently forever while you figure out the correct way of moving forward.

The longer your inspiration sits there unattended, the staler it will become. By the time you eventually get to it, it may not be new, exciting, and ready to burst out of your mind into being. It will become meh.

So, I know you’ve been thinking of trying out something new lately. Don’t let it sit there.

Perhaps you’ve been wanting to learn to play that piano that’s been collecting dust in your office. Or you want to learn to knit, but there are oh-so-many types of fibers and needles to learn about.

Or you want to write. So you read book after book, blog post after blog post, Medium article after article. All provide helpful suggestions on how to start writing, how to improve, how to beat writer’s block.

And how much have you written? None.

This happened to me. I’m not saying NOT to read these immensely helpful items. What I am saying, is to write before or even in conjunction with reading the books, articles and posts.

This goes for all ideas that have created a niche inside your brain. Sit down at the piano and tap a few keys; see how it feels. Grab some knitting needles and whatever wool you have lying around and throw on a few stitches.

Maybe it won’t be “right” or “correct.” Or maybe you will invent a new way of doing something.

Ideas are like living things; they aren’t content with sitting around, bored. They buzz around the mind trying to punch their way out and become your creations.

So let’s give them what they want, shall we?

This week’s activity is to create a 3-D object out a sheet of paper. Yes, origami. I’m kind of partial to those Japanese cranes, but the internet and library are bursting with ideas for animals, flowers, trees and many other creations.

Again, maybe origami isn’t your thing, but stretching your imagination and working those creative muscles IS your thing.

Share what your creation is in the comments!