Shelley Noble wrote on Friday, 30. July 2010 at 22:11:

Thoughtful post, Jessica. As long as we are actually moving our project forward, inwardly or outwardly, I think it's a healthy attitude you are adopting.

Of course, you are younger. The clock ticking more loudly at my age looms larger in the mix.

Do you want to suspend the Progress Bar site idea given your new approach?

Jessica Koppe wrote on Saturday, 31. July 2010 at 07:49:

Shelley, hi!
I'm not sure if this attitude depends on my age, I was just lucky to find it out early... I think there are things we do for ourselves (like I do with the Orpheus film), and there are things we do for others or in a team. It's always good to reflect on what you really want and why you're doing things. I had to remember that.

I don't think that deadlines are evil in general. They're very helpful to measure things which is important if other people are involved (or their money). I just want to free this film from unnessecary pressure and expectations which slows me down and hinders my progress.

I asked myself yesterday if theprogressbar.org is still important to me, and the answer is yes. Because it's mainly about progress, and sometimes progress needs pressure and deadlines. It's about helping others, and growing as an artist (or whatever people do). Deadlines (or rather say goals) are one way to stay in focus.

Shelley Noble wrote on Tuesday, 3. August 2010 at 10:29:

hi! I was too brief initially. I wasn't implying your taking the pressure off (a superb idea by the way!) was related to your age. My mistake. I was only thinking about why I would be feeling too much urgency to do that myself. And the only answer I could see was that my being older might be giving a greater pressing need to make it happen faster.

I fully agree with your philosophy however and also understand the wisdom in savoring the process of creating these works.

I'm glad we can continue to build the Progress Bar. I could sure use it myself right now. I have a rather large backlog of images and posts to share and no fast easy way to organize it all. I'm thinking of trying to use the Ravelry site to accomplish it, in the meanwhile.

michael wrote on Saturday, 25. September 2010 at 15:20:

I think a deadline, timers, progress bars etc. can be a good help for focusing - but as always too much of a good thing can turn it into something bad.

I planned to take a walk on a daily basis, take picures (photography) and publish them (on a blog / flickr....). The idea was good, but then loads of stuff kicked in like getting under serious pressure in learning for an examn, having to look for a new apartment and work. Mostly at the same time.
Concerning the walks and photography I made it for about ten days, but it became really exhausting. So I must find another way to execute this idea.



Where was I ? Ah, yes:


Timing and deadlines and timers and stuff. Time is relative and one time it flies and the other time it is nearly at the point of running backwards. Finding a well balanced schedule is surely a hard task and the results more or less evolve (like in evolving) over time - I guess.

Finding what one really wants takes time and to get more and more precise about goals need to take the trial and error road as well I guess.

Working with timers to get "stuff done" for paid jobs is very different to working on stuff that expresses innermost ... well ... "facts" many ways might lead to the goal: as every artform has its limits one might seem more suitable that the other to achieve certain effects. Your work on your own personal project is a work-in-progress - as you work on it I evolves, might change, needs time...

Conclusion: I think that timers, schedules, etc. are a help in focusing, getting certain tasks done and such - but not in developing. "Getting stuff done" in means of chunks of work, like "I'll need about three hours to paint this rooms. Add about 4 hours to get all the furniture out of it and about two hours to clean afterwards. Give me a whole day" instead of "In the near future I should paint this room... I guess". Decicious about colour(s) for painting can be also made while using a timer, but this can become a bit awkward (I guess).

So here my guesses. All the best for your awsome project.

michael wrote on Saturday, 25. September 2010 at 15:23:

Oh - and the painting is... something else !

Jessica wrote on Saturday, 25. September 2010 at 21:36:

Michael, thank you for sharing your thoughts! – And welcome back! I think we mainly agree so I won't add something new here.

For the records: I did the painting during my scholarship in Vienna... ;)