Max's (2024) NaMoPaiMo, part one

Today is the last day of NaMoPaiMo. I usually spend the entire day at my computer, cheering on the last minute finishers, consoling those who don't quite make it and helping everyone with the post event "paperwork". Unfortunately, this year I forgot to ask for the day off, so of course, I'm working. I'll be around later this evening, but in the meantime, blog readers can enjoy this three part photostory by Christine Sutcliffe that so perfectly captures the essence of NaMoPaiMo. Here's part one.

Max Does NaMoPaiMo 2024 - Photostory! 

by Christine Stucliffe

I actually shot this photostory last year, but procrastinated to a ridiculous degree in doing the actual writing part, so here we are a whole year later and I'm still finishing it last minute!

Anyway, here's when Max reeeeeally struggled to get started with her NaMo pony...

For the last several years, February had been the time to paint ponies. NaMoPaiMo, the model horse community challenge to paint a horse start to finish during the month had been a great motivator, and Max had completed it every year since its inception.

Even if she often didn’t feel like painting for months at a time, she always knew that come February the inspiration would flow and the shelves would gradually fill up with freshly completed customs as she absorbed the enthusiasm and expertise of the community sharing their own work and progress.

There was no pressure to paint in the meantime, so in the months following the last event, she and Juno went out on walks…

…visited museums…

…spent far too much money at IKEA…

…attended a friend's wedding…

…and even managed to get away for a holiday at the seaside.

The year was rounded off by a nice quiet Christmas together spent munching on far too much cheese and chocolates with no pressure to do much of anything other than relax and beat each other at Scrabble.

By the time February rolled around Max wasn’t worried. 

She’d picked a model and a colour - bay, something nice and simple she didn’t need to think too much about. The desire to paint would come quickly as it always did when NaMo began, and besides, even if it didn’t, she’d painted plenty of bays before so it wouldn’t be too difficult to do even if she wasn't really in the mood. That was the theory anyway.

As the challenge began she admired the ambitious few who managed to complete their models within the first few days and knew she really ought to start on her chosen model. She just wasn't feeling it yet.

It was fine though, she had the whole month to work in - loads of time.

While Juno had already got stuck into her own watercolour painting at the other side of their shared craft room, Max browsed her Pinterest board of colour references, scrolled aimlessly through Instagram and did just about everything but start painting.

‘Wasn’t this supposed to start this month?’ Juno asked, a few days into February. ‘Last year you had most of it done by now, you were so focused.’

‘Yeah, I know,' Max nodded. Those were the days.

'I paint pretty quickly when I'm 'in the zone' so I don't need to start immediately, I just need to be in the right mood to paint, that's all. You're an artist too, you know what it's like. 'When inspiration strikes' and all that.'

Juno did know, the pile of half finished canvases stacked up in a corner of the room spoke volumes.

'I’ll get started soon. I’ve got plenty of time.’

Days passed, then weeks.

What was once plenty of time soon became 'not as much ' and then 'very little' and still, Max hadn't started yet. She just couldn't pinpoint why.

'Don't you have that model painting contest on this month?' Nadia asked during one of their regular weekend coffee and cake hangouts.

'Oh yeah.' Kirsty exclaimed, 'Juno said you were doing some kind of project thingy but you hadn't done it yet. What's that all about?'

Max groaned. 'Oh don't you two start! I'll get round to it, I'm just not in the mood quite yet.'

Nadia rolled her eyes and chuckled. 'Well you better hurry up, February's a short month and it's almost halfway gone by now!'

Max knew she was right, time was passing quickly, but her resolve was failing - she wanted to paint, but just getting started wasn't as easy as it should have been.

She went on yet more walks, took more photos - did everything but start her horse. Procrastinating was much easier than actually committing to the project after all. Instead she perused her shelves and tried to work out where said horse would fit...you know, when she was actually painted.

Could today be the day? Was the painting ready to begin?

Nope, but research still counts, right?

'Still nothing?' Juno asked, 'You've been sitting there for hours and I can feel the frustration from here.'

‘I’m just not feeling it this year’ said Max. ‘It’s like, I want to paint, but I just can’t summon up the motivation for it and I don't want to force things and then mess it up because I'm trying too hard.’

'Yeah, I get that sometimes with my art' said Juno.

'Sometimes a piece just isn't speaking to you and you have to set it aside for a while, but other times you just need to start and everything suddenly kicks into gear. It doesn't always work that way, sadly. Still, you've got time, it's on til the end of the month, right?'

'Yeah, I've got tons of time, it'll be fine.' said Max. 'It's not a competition after all, there's no pressure really.'

'Only the pressure you put on yourself!' Juno said airily.

Max snorted. 'You know me too well, I'm my own worst enemy at times like this.'

'Yep, but that's why you've got me here to sort you out in times of crisis.'

'Something I'm forever grateful for!'

To be continued.