How Using A Timer Steamrolls Resistance To Drawing

The writer Steven Pressfield described resistance as a force of nature that will do anything to get in the way and prevent you from doing meaningful work. It’s like the terminator or alien, you just can’t reason with it.

But what if a simple little timer could help you to battle this powerful force?

Let’s look at three ways using a timer will help you to sitting down and drawing.

1. It’s only five minutes
2. I don’t know what to draw
3. You’ll have actually drawn something

1. It’s only five minutes

Sometimes it’s the thought of having to sit down for an hour, or thirty minutes or whatever that puts us off in the first place. We just don’t have the time, or we don’t want to stay at the blank canvas of doom for that length of time. However, with the timer you only have to sit down for five minutes. Then you can get up. Of course you can set it for longer than five minutes, but keep it short at first.

2. I don’t know what to draw

Don’t even start thinking ab0ut drawing, instead doodle. Whatever comes to mind, start doodling it. Don’t look for something witty or funny, or try to draw realistic forms, simply doodle. Once you’ve got started doodling you may find that ideas come to mind or that you’ve started to do more complex drawing.

3. You’ll have actually drawn something

After the timer has gone off, you’ll have actually drawn something. You may think that it’s only a doodle, but it’s more than you’d drawn before starting. You may not realise it, but this will give you a little boost,mpart of you now knows that you’re completed something. And if you’ve done it once, you can do it again.

Summary

So grab your phone, or an egg time if you want to go old-school and let’s give it a try. Here are the three points again as a reminder.

1. It’s only five minutes
2. I don’t know what to draw
3. You’ll have actually drawn something