Feeling the pressure to start something new in the New Year? Creatives feel that pressure all the time because new project ideas are exhilarating and seductive whenever we have them. I always have a crush on a bevy of possibilities, don’t you?
When Katrina Orta asked the burning question, “What long-term project are you working on in 2023?” I know that I have several going already and I began to consider what I have done in the past to help me keep on keeping on. I hope you will brainstorm with me and share what sustains your long-term commitment to projects that seem to go on forever.
Project Selection:
Before I can ever get to the long-term middle or sing hallelujah at the glorious end, I must honestly consider if my new love is Long-Term-Worthy.
Am I in love? Am I passionate about either the concept, the process, or the outcome? I am not sure it has to be all three. No project is perfect, but I need to have a meaningful attachment. Am I challenged and intrigued?
Am I willing to sacrifice for this new relationship? (You know something must give when you are tangled up in a love affair.) People are going to talk. Do I have the physical requirements to hang in there?
Is this a one-night stand or is it time to bring it home and introduce it to the family?
Creatives are bombarded with fabulous ideas all the time but before I can commit to writing a novel, making an intricate fiber art piece or revamping my hell-hole studio, I have to consider whether I am willing to both give it a go, or be willing to fail to finish. Both outcomes will teach me how to succeed the next time.
What criteria do you use for long-term project selection?
Next in this Series: Stuck in the Middle With You