A profoundly disturbing thought
to anyone consistently bored by consistency:

"...if the pleasure of change be too often repeated, it ceases to be delightful, for then change itself becomes monotonous...."

John Ruskin, On Art and Life, 1886

One great thing about being an art teacher is that monotony is NOT an option-- the kids make sure of that. Their daily momentum is a continual pushing of personal boundaries. This definitely keeps me inspired and motivated as I move through different media, creating lesson exemplars (which most of these artworks are).

Photography sometimes feels hard to wean myself from-- I enjoy the intense presence needed to be really "on" with a camera, and the instant resolution of experiments that come with a clicked shutter. At least until I get into the darkoorm, photos often feel like short-term sprints.

It can be very intimidating to, for instance, stay with a painting, to stay present with each stroke, in the moment and away from frozen preconceptions or fears of limits. But it is a beautiful feeling when I put aside my own impatience and let the artwork pace itself-- even if it's one that doesn't come together quickly.

It helps me to think of each stroke as its own photograph, with all of the intensity a photograph requires. When I'm really into shooting, I can usually only stay in the zone for a few hours or rolls before I exhaust my openness to what I find. Its the same thing with pacing a painting-- push when able, let it go when not. It makes that long journey much less daunting.