The clock is ticking and with each fragmented thought I wondered, am I ready? From the moment the exhibition dates were locked in, my mind has been in a loop of nervous noise. I am the black and white static scrabblings across the tv screen, racing choatically as it interrupts the broadcasting. The confident, joyful productivity in the studio suddenly changed to frantic panic. I began questioning whether any of my paintings were exhibit ready afterall. I tweeked, started new paintings, wondered how many more I could complete and bounced from one random thought to another in a distracted flurry. As I rushed around in the studio I found myself frustrated that I needed to spend time on promotion. I mean hey, no point having an exhibition if people don’t know its happening, right? Right! And yet here I was worrying about the time marketing was taking away from studio time. Focusing my energy on the wrong things at that moment had me tangled in my own bad decisions. There I was ignoring the fact I had a conhesive body of work already. The very reason I was able to book the exhibition in the first place! Breathe Susie, Breathe…. you’ve got this!! Take a moment. Take a step back and look at the big picture. The paintings are complete.
Pressure and deadlines certainly can drive organisation and productivity, but too much just results in panic and fruitless inaction. Racing the clock to squeeze more in was not the answer. Trusting I already had every painting I needed for this exhibit was the lesson and to believe in myself and my art. It’s been quietly sitting, waiting for my signature, hooks and wires so it’s gallery and buyer ready. With 3 weeks to go, I don’t need to race the clock, I need to breathe in the joy and wonder of living this creative dream. Tune out the static and broadcast my event.
Susie Sotiropoulos 