Obsessions that grow

I’m sitting here wondering if an obsession can become a project. Or maybe good projects always start as obsessions. I suppose it’s pretty redundant and as familiar as the “chicken or the egg” question. Still, I don’t want to write off my thoughts like that. Well, unless it’s those thoughts that no-one should waste more than a passing glimpse on.

My conclusion is that very few things in life really need a profound beginning; especially nothing as silly as the crossover of robots and birds.

I’m sipping my seccond cup of coffee of the day and looking at this finished piece. I’m marvelling at the sheer number of hours this took. A quick sketch is so rarely a quick sketch. I have this flaw, you see. I’m a perfectionist and not in the way that most people mention at job interviews – it really affects the way I work on the things I enjoy and I kind of hate it. This isn’t a unique or life-stopping flaw by any means, so don’t get me wrong in what I’m saying. And don’t misunderstand, either: It isn’t a good thing. It’s a common garden-variety myth that perfectionism isn’t a real flaw.

Enough dwelling. I’m desperately trying to avoid talking in clichés but sometimes it’s just so unavoidable. And for the record I deleted and rewrote the next sentence about ten times. This tells me it’s not worth being read. The point I want to make is there’s only one way to keep going forward and that’s to know that whatever lies behind wasn’t good enough to finish on.

I printed this piece out on a laser printer. While I don’t really know why I did this, it’s fun to hold the thing in my hands. Different to a good quality print and obviously unlike a physical painting, but just a reminder that what I see on the screen is as real as anything else. If you work digitally you should try it – maybe you won’t get the same smile on your face that I do, but just in case… try it.