More (my) Perspective Matters: Where to Start

In my previous post, (my) Perspective Matters, I shared that I struggle with what attracts my attention.  My focus can change quickly and I need to protect my positive mindset for better results in the art studio...and in every area of life.  I have been able to list ten tips for making this happen.  How do I go about being in a great frame of mind for creating art?  It's not easy.  I fight myself with great avoidance tactics.  So remember, I'm not saying I've got it all under control.  Further down in the post, I've had a little fun with cropping my artworks for an unusual perspective.  You can compare with the larger view of the same artwork.  I hope you'll find a new idea or rethink how you can adjust methods that are already familiar.  Please, give me suggestions of your own by commenting; we can all use more ideas to make this work better.

1.  Limit exposure to the news.

It's important to be aware of what's going on in the world around us.  It's too easy to be pulled in deeper and get depressed over events out of my control.  News can quickly bring me down...

2.  Screen my feed on Facebook.

...and other social media.  Filter out who is just one negative share after another.  The food we eat is important; what we allow in through our other senses is the just as important.

3.  Spend time in the Bible.

Take it or leave it, based on your own decision.  How do you take time to refocus?  How are you able to regroup and refresh your mind?  This is my own discipline; I try to stick to it on a regular basis.  For me, it forms a better framework for sifting through the rest of the day.  Ten minutes can change the day for the better!

4.  Choose music playlists carefully.

What am I listening to throughout my day?  Music influences are a biggie for me!  Maybe you prefer quiet.  Stick with what works best for you.  Be aware of it so you can make it your routine.  I am moved and inspired by music.  I switch styles and stations often but I still need them to affect me in a positive way.  George Winston is a great instrumental/piano choice.  Brian Crain is another great choice for instrumental/piano.  Pandora has plenty to choose from with nature sounds incorporated as well.  The type of music is chosen by how seriously I am focusing...at times I just need something instrumental so I'm not distracted by lyrics.

(My) Perspective Matters: The Effects on an Artist

Whether you consider yourself an artist or not, I'm sure you can relate.

Early spring has begun to arrive here in northern Montana.  It's not a picture perfect lush green yet.  That kind of spring has not arrived yet.  On Sunday, as we drove to church for Easter service, my son spotted a robin.  A few nights ago, as I was about to drift off to sleep, I heard the geese honking as they flew over our neighborhood.  While outside on a warmer day, last week I spotted the tulips leaves, just green tips of a few inches, starting their way up from the ground.  Strawberry leaves are coming back to life, among the dead leaves, pine cones, and twigs.  The green onions that remained in the raised garden beds have kept their square foot home in the soil.  Their stalks are turning green again, reminding me it won't be so long before planting will begin again.  Before I show those views to you, stick with me a bit longer...

We've had such a limited amount of snow in the past five months.  It's definitely reason to feel apprehensive about the coming months.  The summer of 2015 quickly turned troubling with the lack of moisture.  Before we realized it, we had a hard wildfire season.  Smoke-filled haze and ash on flat surfaces was such a disappointing end to summer activities.

We still need moisture in some form.  Whether it be gentle rains or (typical for our spring) wet, heavy snow this time of year would be very welcome.  It's easy to become discouraged when we base our hope on what we can see or understand.  Human perspective is surely flawed!  And I'm included.  Tuesday morning I noticed garbage strewn along the ground near a dumpster in a nearby alley.  That was what my eye noticed, glancing out of the corner of my eye.  With my two teens in the car, we headed out for an orthodontic appointment.

In the back recesses of my mind, I was disappointed at the sight.  The cause could be cats, dogs, wind, etc.  It wasn't an enjoyable sight.  Now, I took the photo today...and maybe there was more garbage lying around then, I'm not sure.  That is beside the point.  Just hang on and see where I'm going with this...

I was fixated on the sight for a moment - caught up in it.  

Does that ever happen with you?  In can easily turn into a negative thought pattern.

Now there's another view I've studied in passing - the lilac bush in a neighbor's yard.  I'm usually driving into the alley, approaching our garage entrance.  There on the bush, the tiniest buds, just bundles of leaves - not that they are recognizable at this early stage.  But I know what they are from past experience.  Now on first glance, it's not all that exciting.  But wait...

Do you notice what happens as you draw closer?  Looking more intently, focused, it all changes to something so mesmerizing.  The effect is much different than with a quick glance.