Off-Topic Tuesday

Off-Topic Tuesday

Every Tuesday is Prince Spaghetti—I mean, Off-Topic Tuesday.  I got the idea from a friend of mine on Livejournal, and he always has something interesting to say on his Off Topic Thursday.  I know it's kind of odd to start a brand new blog with something off-topic, but until I finish re-reading “It's Like This, Cat” I won't have much to say!

So this week, we'll talk about unfinished projects.  Hopefully, this blog won't be one of those things that falls by the wayside.

I have so many ideas, concepts, half-finished, half-started, and abandoned before they even started projects it would make your head spin.  If there were an Unfinished Project Graveyard, it would be right here, in my mind.  Partly, I blame my (undiagnosed) ADD.  I get an idea, it sounds cool for a week (or a few days, or five minutes) then I decide that I'd rather use what little free time I have playing Fallout 3 or World of Warcraft.  Before I know it, the creative urge has fled, and I'm back at square one.

Mostly, however, it's because I have never mastered the art of Doing It For Myself.  There's something in me that yearns for approval and attention.  I want to know that my work—and by extension, myself—is worthy.  Of course, we all know that this doesn't really work.  You have to find yourself and your efforts worthy before anyone else will.  I have an entire libraries worth of stories, half finished stories, and ideas that will never see the light of day because of this.

Several times, I've thought to take drawing lessons and improve my skills and become an awesome artist who can do her own fan art.  Then I think of all the hard work and practice and (probably years worth) of sucky early attempts and I feel overwhelmed and give up before I get started.

It's ever been thus with me, for reasons I've never quite understood.  I expect a lot of it is impatience, that feeling of “But I don't want to go throw a stage where my art looks like my cat ate colored pencils then barfed on the page!  I want to be awesome now!”  It's frustrating, because I tried teaching myself to draw 5 years ago, made the mistake of putting my efforts on Livejournal, couldn't take critique, and stopped.  If I'd have kept going, I would have 5 years of practice, and be so much better with it.

What things could you be better at doing, had you not given up too soon?  What holds you back from getting better?  What unfinished projects do you have lurking around?