The Tell Tale Fridge

Gesture (Photo by Artist)

If your painting area is in or near your kitchen, imagine this:

 You have been wrestling for a while about what to paint.  No subject seems quite right.  Finally a germ of an idea begins to materialize.  The idea grows in your mind.  It still isn’t just what you were wishing for, but it’s better than nothing.  You collect your materials: paints, brushes, mediums.  Now before your easel with tools in hand you ponder where to lay the first stroke. 

 And still you ponder the first stroke.  You stare blankly wondering why you can’t begin.  Then you notice that you are not alone.  Off to the side it’s the refrigerator, and he is sending you messages.  “Come over here”, he taunts, “I have a treat for you”.  As you casually glance over in his direction, he looks away.  He is so sly.  You know he’s fishing.  He’ll set the hook and just reel you in.  But you don’t take the bait.  You renew your focus on the work at hand.  Minutes go by.

Unwillingly, your thoughts return to the refrigerator.  Anxiety becomes frustration and frustration produces weariness.  “Maybe just a peek,” you murmur.  Slowly you saunter over to the fridge.  As you pull the handle, he gloats at winning.  You pretend not to notice.   Even worse, after rummaging through the shelves you find nothing good inside.  Heck, you didn’t really even want anything in the first place.  You’ve been had! 

This might not be too bad if it was a one-time occurrence, but it kept happening to me over and over again.  It was like I was in an Edgar Allen Poe novel:  “The Tell Tale Fridge”. 

But honestly, was it really the fridge?  No.  Was it really the munchies?  No.  Was it me just trying to avoid rolling up my sleeves and getting to work?  Yes.  Am I really good at letting distractions get in my way?  Yes.  But, little by little the distractions have been slowly subsiding.  It takes focus and finding something that I really want (not just like) to work on. 

I have a sneaking suspicion that I am not alone in this.  I wonder how many others allow distractions to reel them in and away from their work.

The scene of the crime