The Unfinished Business Bucket

February 6, 2008 by acrawley63 4 Comments

As I continue to work on clearing the clutter, I noticed that I had a number of unfinished projects laying about my studio.  I’m sure I’m not the first artist to develop this notorious habit.

There are pieces of art that I started in a workshop and never finished.  A project that cracked during the curing process that I thought I could fix.  An idea that seemed good when I started it but it didn’t quite turn out the way I imagined.

I don’t know why I hang-on to these pieces but I do.  I hang onto them thinking I’ll finish them someday.  In reality they take up valuable table space and I find myself simply moving them from one place to another in my studio.

I suppose I could toss them out.  For some reason that isn’t an option I’m able to accept.

Until now.

As part of my effort to get clear and get through the clutter, I created the Unfinished Business Bucket or UBB.  In this bucket I have placed these numerous projects.  The bits and pieces and scrum that have laid unfinished, undesired, unwanted.

And to myself I have given a challenge.  Once a week, or thereabouts, I will pull a piece from the Unfinished Business Bucket and make a determination: To Finish It, To Re-invent It, or To Dump It.

I don’t expect this to be easy.  There must be some pack-rat, can’t waste, I’ll find a use for it someday spirit in my past who causes this to happen.

Whatever it is I want to confront it and use it to my benefit.  I look at this as another exercise in creativity.  Perhaps by clearing out the old, I can make way for new ideas and inspiration.

Or perhaps I’ll just end up with a really clear, clean studio.