Where I first heard of “70-20-10” eludes me, I know I did not come up with it though it reflects reality for those of us who create: 70% of what we sketch, paint or create will be mediocre or average, 20% will be just crap, junk, and 10% will be truly wonderful. Expecting everything we do to be amazing is a surefire set-up for frustration and disappointment. Even the great Monet wrote a letter in his mid-forties that he could not produce anything of value and wondered if he should just give up painting, a sentiment frequently shared by Van Gough. Yet we persist through the crap and the mediocre for the thrill of the 10%, the secret is to find satisfaction in the process of all the art we produce, not in the “likes” we get on Instagram; though I do like the likes.

Robert Ringer had what he called “The sustaining of a positive mental attitude by the assumption of a negative result.” His world was business not art but it applies to artists as well. He observed that the majority of the endeavors we embark on fall short so we should not be shocked and dismayed when that happens, we should not allow the things that do not work out to ruin our day, because life tells us that this is what will happen more often than not – sounds a lot like the 70-20-10. This is not pessimism, it is accepting reality. Ringer also says that “if we don’t use reality to our advantage it will always work against us.” He is emphatic that we must do everything possible to bring success. I must give every sketch, even a 5 minute quickie, my best. Yet when it does not produce a masterpiece move on and look forward to the next piece.

Here are a few of my endeavors this week, I will leave the evaluation of 70-20-10 up to others. What I do know is that I enjoyed the week and that is what matters.

First Café Louvre in Edmonds.

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Then a couple from right here on Harbour Pointe:

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The area around Bow-Edison is always good for a sketch

Then of course for me no week would be complete without a memory or two of France. I did this for Tricia, Travels Through My Lens, check out her blog this week.

I hope you are getting out more. Wherever your travels take you take a sketchbook along and capture a bit of it, send me pic, I would love to see them.