Thursday Habits

Thursday is my day to open the door to creative thinking and doing; I've reverted to an earlier phase of my life, before painting and art school, when I was internally driven to Make Things, and they were varied and creative. But I'm also a different person now - as Grandma Earth Teacher I am led to make things that are a gift to the Earth in some way, sustainable, and with a message. 

Also, I need to prepare for the next week of Grandma Camps, with themes, projects, and field trips.

Agenda: 

1. Read "Tiny Habits"

2. Review and update my watercolor habit

3. Camp preparedness

4. Projects for the week

1. Read "Tiny Habits":

I'm reading this book by BJ Fogg (2020), with the subtitle of "The Small Changes That Change Everything". This is the scripting process introduced in Sweet Spot, expanded on.

Chapter Three is Ability; Easy Does It, all about choosing the tiniest thing. Motivation is unreliable, but ability is dependable. The first step in designing simple steps is to discover what exactly is making this behavior hard to do: Do I have enough time?, enough money? Am I physically able? Do I have enough mental or creative energy? Does it fit into my routine? This is the ability chain. 

And the last question is, How can I make this behavior easier to do? 3 ways to choose from: 

1. Increase my skill - research, practice, take a class...
2. Gather tools and resources - a coach, a video, special supplies...
3. Make the behavior radically tiny -  Choose a starter step (fill the water containers) or scale back (test one new color).

2. Review and update my watercolor habit:

My aspiration is to finish a watercolor painting.

Golden behaviors:

• Make coffee-making a cue.
• Have an exciting project in mind, and a photo.
• List out possible experimental steps
• List out all preparations; have supplies ready
• Fill containers with clean water
• Look through my watercolor books for inspiration.

The problems to solve: Not enough creative energy + no routine.

What's working: The "make coffee" and "announce I'm going to the studio" is great.

What to add: I need tools and supplies prepared in advance. I need better paper (or aqua boards?), and small acrylic pens for details. I need a list of experiments and small steps to try.

Here's my plan: I want to fit one tiny exploration of watercolor into every day.

12:00:  

1. Make a cup of coffee, and fill a clean container with water. 
2. While coffee drips, gather my art notebook and review my "tiny steps". List some possible simple next steps (Test all my yellows, or work on my drawing.) 
3. Announce "I'm going to the studio for a bit."
4. Sit and look through watercolor books.
5. Decide on a single, simple step to take and take it. 
6. Finish by setting up and preparing supplies for tomorrow: Wash brushes, choose paper, and add notes to my art notebook. 

3. Camp preparedness:

The theme next week is a fairy garden + maybe a nature model. Ideas:

• Draw a fairy garden
• Clear a spot in the front yard and gather bits and pieces
• Visit Grays for mosses and plants
• Make clay bridges and caves (for model and fairy garden)
• Paint a new model board and spread clay for trees

Preparations: Th: Fairy books + new Fimo; F: Search ideas (how to make a model river?); Sat: Choose a location; M: Gather bits and pieces, set out supplies

4. Projects for the week:

My goals for Grandma Earth Artist is 

photos and project samples for nature-culture, painting explorations, and home beautification projects. This week:

• Th: Watercolor bird - practice skills - tree bark
• F: Watercolor bird - practice skills - paint pen details
• Sat: Fix work pants with a patch
• Sun: Work on yellow butterfly
• M: Watercolor butterflies to hang - photos of steps

Preparations: Th: OR Art - get supplies; List some tiny steps; F: Set up work space better; Sat: prep for butterfly hangers - rice paper and inks

Doing the smallest thing is a great way to make courageous creative work less frightening; also finding the "minimum effective dose", the amount of work that keeps me challenged and joyful, and if I keep at it will get me to the finish line on time.