Here's my first painting for the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge 

So last night I  was so excited for today that I stayed up until just past midnight gathering all sorts of new content for some fresh new paintings!  Yet today was one of those days.  Right now it's 10:30 p.m. and I m sitting here still dressed in my workout gear.  Never did get to the gym today.  I did however, clean my house and studio (which took much longer than I thought), and chatted with the housecleaning service owner so I can actually spend more time in the studio this year!  Yes, that's right.  I'm getting a cleaning service 2x a month because I'm done with waiting for painting!  Priorities already!  And yes, you're right.  I cleaned for the cleaning guy.

Why didn't I work out, then go right into painting?  Why did I have to have everything just right before allowing myself to indulge in my passion?  I don't know.  But it felt really good to have a clean house and studio.  Was it perfectionism?  Was it procrastination?  Perhaps.  But I told myself to chill and just get to it.  It was 3:30 p.m.  The light would fade soon.  Yet the new techniques I was trying to employ and the new subject matter caused me to go slower than I wanted to.  I learned a ton through my mistakes, but in the end just didn't like the painting.  Frusrated but fearless, I pitched that painting, grabbed new paper and started again, this time painting with my usual style... and very quickly now!  Tomorrow my goal, though, is to do something different.  Again.  Fingers crossed.