Focus on One Thing, or Many? – Part II

A while back, I wrote a blog post about if it were better to focus on just one type of art, one technique and get really super good at it, or if it were better to focus on a number of different ones. I don't have much of a choice but to do the many, as my mind is scattered over so many different techniques and my attention span is short. I see these artists who work on the same series of paintings over and over again, making little changes here and there (like the blue dog). Sometimes I envy them. They know what they want to do, they have their inspiration and they're doing it!

I, on the other hand, usually can't plan more than a few days in advance. I never know what is coming up, never know what processes I will be working on over the next week. I guess it fits me. I think if I planned my whole month out, I would be bored before I even got started. Take this past week. At the beginning of it, it was pretty clear that I would be glass blowing, working on a new project to see if I could get it created to the client's liking. Then my crucible kiln wasn't firing like it was supposed to - wouldn't get hot enough. Can't blow glass if my kilns aren't hot enough, so I called the manufacturer and ordered new parts. I was told it would be a number of days. OK. So I switched gears completely to finishing putting together a QuickTime movie to send out to potential clients to market our artwork. Talk about completely different mindset! I thought I would be out in the hotshop, working with molten glass with music blaring. Instead, I was seated at my computer, gently nudging frames of a movie to fit the same little piece of music, over and over and over again. But what I didn't know was happening, is that the glass blowing part of my brain was still working - figuring out the steps that would be needed to create this new piece, so now when I go back to it this coming week (after I've now fixed my kiln), I'll have a whole lot less trial and error getting the new shape correct. Lots less wasted time, lots less wasted glass. AND I got the marketing movie done too! The way I figure it is that is isn't that I'm focusing on one thing or many - I have my focus, as always, and it is "creating." Peace, Joy