(11/8) Daily Practice

Last Week Total: 91, 592 dots

Practice 24: Monday (11/2)

3,625 dots - 20 min

Before today, I really only had one stradegy for bringing my mind back to the counting of the dots.  I would stop everything, take a breath, then go back to the dots.  That would momentarily work, and then a new thought would come to disturb my concentration again.  I realized I need an ongoing "breath-like" exercise to couple with the dot counting.  So, I've started staring directly at the tip of the pen as it makes its marks.  I've found that my mind stays more on the counting when I have a stronger visual to pay attention to. 

Practice 25: Tuesday (11/3)

3,600 dots - 20 min

Two odd things happened today.  1.) I had trouble physically dotting the paper.  I would often do the motion but then pen wouldn't be literally touching the drawing.  Which would frustrate me since then I'd have to really press down on the paper--leaving a bigger mark than I intended.  2.) for whatever reason, this frustration recalled back a memory of an Aunt and Uncle I haven't seen for a long time.  The two things have no correlation.  I was never frustrated with them.  Their house kept coming into my mind.  I wonder why it took this exercise to make me recall that. 

Practice 26:  Friday (11/6)

3550 dots - 20 min

I've realized that I'm not really using my fingers, or even my hand, to physically make these dots.  These two components only hold the pen still.  It's a slight movement by my wrist.  I try dotting with my fingers or my hand for a few hundred, but it continuously throws off my rhythm.  If the movement isn't smooth, it's easier to lose count of the dots... especially when your mind drifts every 2 or 3 seconds.  

Practice 27: Saturday (11/7)  

3,644 dots - 20 min

I think I'm starting to get too wrapped up in the movement behind physically making the dots.  I've started to become more aware of the tiring sensation in my right wrist and hand.  I can feel anxiety in my fingertips.  The dots start turning into globs from how hard I'm trying to force my hand down, or they become slashes when my wrist twitches under the strain of perfecting the same movement.  I think it's worthy to note that these things have did not become aware to me until this late in the practice process.

Practice 28: Sunday (11/8)

3,435 dots - 20 min

I've sort of finalized my "goal" for this daily practice--since I'm such a "product" minded person.  I acknowledged the fact that I need to have some sort of conclusion to this project, and simply ending it because the course is over doesn't really seem for this particular piece.  Instead, I've realized that this piece can NEVER be done.  I could dot this for the next 5 years... and I would probably still find a few sections that I would want to rework.  I could never be a pointalist artist.  I would never be satisfied!  Therefore, I've satisfied by desire for a product be realizing that there can never be a product.   

Total Dots: 109,446