A Case for Taking Breaks with Lisa Daria Kennedy
The idea of a whole day standing over the easel may sound appealing... but not to Lisa Daria Kennedy, Ep.62.
Kennedy knows that if she works on a painting (of any size, large or small) for a long, uninterrupted period of time, she will ruin it. So she takes a different approach.
Even if she has all day to dedicate to painting, she won’t. Instead, she makes herself take breaks every hour.
Her small, daily work takes about an hour total. (Not a coincidence.) But when she’s working on larger pieces, she’ll still pace herself in hour increments.
Put it to Practice:
If you find yourself overworking paintings or often getting frustrated mid process, do a time check. It may be less about that you’re doing and more that you just need a break.
Paintings have momentum but sometimes you’ll find that you make choices because you’re tired or just trying to finish. Neither of those are good reasons to choose this value or that color.
Breaks give you a fresh perspective.
Try several painting sessions in a row where you set a timer for an hour and then pause when it rings.
Maybe the answer to your art troubles is that you're an artist who could benefit from taking breaks more often in your process. (Side note: This is what a bunch of #20for20 participants learned about how they work too.)