Seems strange but it is true.... Here's how...
Each day that includes some time dedicated to painting is a good day for me. I find I have greater peace of mind, a more positive outlook, better energy, greater productivity and more patience on days when get to paint.
The good news is, in this season of life, I can paint any day I wish to! Even if that means scratching out a small watercolor or pastel painting from imagination, with no preparation or planning, for just a few minutes.
This is great because there are a lot of activities and things I enjoy – too many to list but the few at the top of the list involve spending time with family and friends who have their own varied interests too. So opportunities to engage in brief painting sessions in between other important things makes for a rich tapestry of things to engage in and look forward to.
Sometimes I like to run thought experiments related to different aspect of life. Thought experiments involve using your imagination to examine abstract concepts in a playful manner.
The best thought experiments challenge our beliefs and offer fresh perspectives on how the world operates by presenting hypothetical situations. These hypothetical situations are often constructed in extremes so we can see how certain ideas might play out — all without suffering any real-world repercussions.
The ideal day thought experiment is a technique that involves visualizing and thinking about a perfect day without limitations. Some studies suggest that this type of visualization can help reduce stress and anxiety. Here are some steps to perform the ideal day thought experiment:
Imagine being anywhere you want to be
Imagine doing whatever you want to do
Imagine being with anyone you would like
Incorporate each sense into the perfect day
It may take some time but if you run this thought experiment a few times, take some notes and then try to live out your ideal day you can learn a lot of extremely valuable insights by taking some simple steps in the form of a super-simple post op evaluation.
After the perfect day, you can evaluate it by writing down the three best and three worst things you did that day. This can help you identify what you need to do going forward.
There have been many nights where insomnia has crept in, and this thought experiment has helped me get back to sleep and planted seeds for creative activities in the days and weeks to come. It even has influenced longer-term thinking and led to many great things.
My ideal day involves a variety of things including time with my wife, kids, family, friends, exercising, etc. One additional thing that always seems to pop up during this experiment is the notion of taking a hike, finding a scene that resonates with me and painting it on site en plein air.
The season of life I find myself in now allows me to do this from time to time and I am grateful for it.
Nowadays much of my plein air works are the result of one of these hike & paint sessions. I’ve been able to live stream some of these sessions which offers some different perspective to the experience of hiking and painting. Here are just a few of them…
Plein Air Painting Demo plus a hike along Pocono Creek
Plein Air Painting Demo The Big Bend on Broadhead Creek
Live Stream Plein Air Painting Demo Using Casein
All this, at least directionally has stemmed from the The ideal day thought experiment. Once the seed was planted it has taken some time to figure out how to make it happen but this small but important ingredient in my own personal ideal day is within reach.
Maybe you can give it a try and see how it works for you? …the thought experiment or a hike and paint… or maybe both!
Cheers!
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