Let’s not be too quick to dismiss procrastination. It can actually serve a useful purpose. I once learned from a friend in historic preservation that procrastination was one of his most valuable tools in saving landmark structures from demolition. By slowing, distracting, and avoiding demolition, his organization had the time to gather the resources needed to save and restore important structures. Nincompoop that I was, I had previously thought of procrastination as just doing nothing or avoiding doing anything. But it turns out that it can be a very active and intense activity.
I think about this every time a project is stalled in my workshop. Over the past months, my work has become more multi-media and less traditional woodcarving. It’s still firmly anchored in my 19th-century maritime roots, but I’ve adapted more of it into my contemporary practice.
But each step along the way, I find myself pausing, procrastinating, before I pick up the carving tools. The project is still on the computer. It will be a three-dimensional carved diorama of the clipper Dreadnaught. I’ll utilize many of the techniques I used on my carving “ Reefing Sail Before the Blow,”
but Dreadnaught is heaving in heavy seas and is a square rigger. All this means that the carving technique will differ for sails and hull. The hull needs perspective added because she sails on the starboard quarter approaching us. All this requires thought, and not just a flick of the wrist as I carve in a bit of detail.
Procrastination – a very useful tool – never do today what you can put off for tomorrow!
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I love the irony of this line, “Let’s not be too quick to dismiss procrastination” whether you meant it or not. But I’m with you. Forcing something because you think you “should be doing” it is a really bad stragedy.
Actually, I didn’t think of it, until you mentioned it. But yeah, doing something just because “you should be” is not a gret idea.