Procrastination & Art Form: Exploration & Discovery of a Life Parody

Procrastination is a nemesis of the graphically strong and the humbly meek. Acting without care or purpose to the naked spirit, looming both in dimly lit shadows and brilliant rays of light, slithering like a snail crossing a sidewalk and zipping faster than 4:30 traffic, its surge is always present. Bearing a mask of familiarity and friendship in times of great need and the unforgiving nature of a stalwartly foe when all seems right its essence is a great paradox, an obscurity of time eternal.

Art is generally defined as ‘that which is pleasing from the observer’s point of view.” The Free Dictionary by Farflex first definition for art is; “Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature,” although there are nine total definitions listed. Using this source we discover art form is; “An activity or a piece of artistic work that can be regarded as a medium of artistic expression.” For the inquisitive mind a more in depth study surely may cause one to ponder much, would be to gander at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy found here. A touch of their 2007 treatise is the following excerpt:

“The definition of art is controversial in contemporary philosophy. Whether art can be defined has also been a matter of controversy. The philosophical usefulness of a definition of art has also been debated.”

We all have an idea what procrastination is. It is not getting what ever done because we did such and such instead. Or, we decided this didn’t have to be done, because this was more important instead. Some toss out “you were being lazy,” even though you did do something instead. An action was taken, an action did occur, physics can explain the application of motion, force, power, etc., but whatever originally was going to be done, did not. So, someone labels us 'procrastinator.'

A Google search on “procrastination” reveals 14,900,000 hits in 0.13 seconds. WOW! And, we're not talking about World of Warcraft. Since this internet article will be published at HubPages a search for “procrastination + hubpages” was completed. There were 513,000 hits in 0.35 seconds. The top three Google hits for procrastination are:

1. Procrastination - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia “in psychology, procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of low-priority, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time. ...”

2. Procrastination — Writing Center “Procrastination and perfectionism often go hand in hand. Perfectionists tend to procrastinate because they expect so much of themselves, and they are scared ...”

3. Procrastination | Psychology Today “Everyone procrastinate sometimes, but 20 percent of people are true procrastinators. They consistently avoid difficult tasks and deliberately look for distractions, ...”

OK, we have an understanding of Art / Art Form. We have an understanding of procrastination. Now, you are asking what this other weird, odd word is. Well, it is something most writer’s do from time to time. Actually quite common in its simplest form, but within social psychology it is a common practice for Symbolic Interactionists. It may be simple or it can become quite complex. The definition from Wikipedia; (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoethnography) is below:

“Autoethnography is a form of autobiographical personal narrative that explores the writer's experience of life. The term was originally defined as "insider ethnography".^[1] It differs fundamentally from ethnography--a qualitative research method in which a researcher uses participant observation and interviews in order to gain a deeper understanding of a group's culture—in that autoethnography focuses on the writer's subjective experience rather than the beliefs and practices of others. Autoethnography is now becoming more widely used (though controversial) in performance studies, the sociology of new media, novels, journalism, communication, and applied fields such as management studies.

Whew! A mouthful!

Autoethnography is a Writer’s Tool. Used many times helping to formulate the many components of both fictional and non-fiction, writers use this form of study.

OK, all three of the explanations provided above apply to me. Reading the articles I was amazed and bewildered. The first article hit is a Wikipedia definition. A great overall article presented from the psychological perspective. My recommendation is to read it for information not spending much time at first. Go back if you wish.

However, the Psychology Today article hit the heart. I pondered if being one of the 20%. What about you? It is a very short article only two paragraphs, which is great for the procrastinator. But, there are many links to articles by professionals in the field of psychology. And there are blogs too. I will be returning at a later time to explore – myself. The main points are:

• Procrastinators avoid difficult tasks

• Procrastinators deliberately look for distractions

• Procrastinators reflect difficulty to regulate emotions

• Common to procrastinators is the statement “I perform better under pressure”

• Procrastinators are made not born

• It is possible to overcome procrastination

The most attractive to me is the writing Center article from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which is a handout. It states, “ This handout will help you understand why you procrastinate and offer strategies and to combat this common writer's ailment.” Continuing through the article causes are given, but since I am procrastinating NOW, look farther below where the contents with links (Source: UNC College of Arts & Sciences Writing Center) are provided. These are awesome for the writer.

Procrastination is an art form for me. Also, it lay somewhere between being paradoxical and that odd place known as the Twilight Zone. Questions come to mind when I determine if I am procrastinating. Am I entering depression is always first. Solving that mystery with my mood charts, current diet, med compliance, and social factors I can emphatically say ‘No’ this round.

OK, then is it a lazy day feeling? The sun is out, slightly overcast, so not too hot and the garden is beautiful right now. Hummingbirds are playfully feeding on the Sage and California ‘Ghostly Red’ Fuscia. That ornery Western Scrub Jay is squawking “wake up, wake up,” even though I know he has plenty of peanuts for the week ahead. Football will echo through my home as I do the chores keeping me ready for a thrilling, exciting, breaking play. But, nope, it’s not really that.

Or, is it the realization you may have bit off more than you can chew and then made a sound decision not to do something. Maybe in the work setting it is a form of a passive aggressive action in defiance of authority or objectification. Maybe simply that someone was just rude – payback is a bitch, so an assignment is procrastinated. But, this is at my home, no authority figures, live happily, and the only pressure is going to work at 5PM.

Procrastinating is an art form I have learned, though I’m not sure whom my teacher is. Maybe it is another nemesis I know well. Or, maybe unlike what some psychologist say it is just a fact of life – prioritizing. A system of values comes into play. Where we dance with procrastination and what tune offers food for thought – work, home, different social settings, etc. I think the greatest struggle for me at the moment of writing this would be the swapping of a higher ranking priority for a lower ranking priority (what could be higher than writing a hub?).

Below is an example of a Mind Mapping process I went through. There is also a chart I sought knowledge from. Typing words as fast as possible while ignoring spelling on a subject for brain storming (Source UNC College of Arts & Sciences Writing Centery) is another linear method to reach understanding. Writing serves this purpose too. I have tried these and arrived with this internet article – hub. I guess I reprioritized to satisfy the increasing anxiety of procrastinating planned activities of importance or rationalized. Freud calls that a defense mechanism . He and his daughter Anna expounded upon them. The most common can be found with this article from Psychology Fitness.

My parting words are I really am not sure how I got here. No, not here – here (smile). Once I realized I was procrastinating I was uneasy – anxious. My defense mechanisms were intellectualization, rationalization, and then sublimation (see chart at Psychology Fitness above) by writing this hub. Starting out as a self exploration of procrastination, since I had anger, which is the roommate of fear, I attempted an autoethnographic view.

Lesson Plan On Procrastination by glassvisage, a member of the Hubpages Elite, wrote an interesting article for teaching this as a lesson. It opens with, “Procrastination - one of the banes of a student's existence. It's a plague that can lead to lower scores, confusion, and discouragement... and unfortunately, many students fall to this and practice it frequently. Therefore, a lesson plan on the topic can be beneficial to middle and high school students.”

The Primary Causes of Procrastination and How to Overcome It is a very in depth article covering a wide array of causes and helps. Written by SecondsofEternity it is a sole contribution, although it is very thorough. There are several really good videos used to enhance the quest for understanding and knowledge. Opening with “For many individuals, procrastination is a long term habit and seemingly inescapable personality trait,” the journey begins for the reader.

How to Stop Procrastinating – Seven Steps to Success opens with ,“One of the most valuable skills in life, work, and school is the ability to meet deadlines and accomplish tasks in a timely manner. Winning the battle against procrastination may seem a daunting, even unachievable goal, but anyone can do it.” Contributed by Hubb Pages Staff member Maddie Rudd leaves the curious and the procrastinator with this final thought, “If you're a procrastinator, you have so much to gain by using these tips to change your habits. Apply what you've read here, step by step, and see the results; not only will you use your time more efficiently and reap the rewards of meeting deadlines and achieving goals-your self esteem will dramatically increase, with the knowledge that you can, indeed, succeed.

An alternative view is from Seafarer Mama. Viewing it as a positive energy force she entices the seeker of the force of procrastination with this, “it's amazing how much we can get done when we're procrastinating. When we attempt to throw our energy toward something we would rather not be doing, just to get it done, that energy seems to subconsciously search out new directions for expression.” Her hub – 10 Ways to Both Procrastinate and Accomplish Something at the Same Time is a relief in a sense. Seeing it as a contributing power rather than one of taking away the reader is given a different sense hope.

4seazons puts a humorous eye on procrastinating. Sharing she procrastinated joining hubpages for two years, finally joining 7 months ago, her first contribution is this hub, The Danger of Procrastination. In her article she says “I have often heard elderly people reminisce about what they regretted not getting done or accomplished in their lifetime.” Could that alone be the antithesis for procrastination. This article is a good read and offers some good solutions to a noteworthy dilemma.

I made a list for the day. Not very long either. The last thing on it says “take a nap before going to work.” So, there is a reward for doing the six items.

1. Laundry
2. Clean Kitchen
3. Fix Toilet
4. Straighten Office
5. Take out trash / Bag up recyclable cans & bottles for Regine
6. Do the Numbers / Budget Planning
7. Rest – Nap time before work
8. Work

Procrastination – Source: UNC Writing Center handout

Contents

What this handout is about

Introduction

• Is there hope?

Why we do it

• Because we are afraid.
• Because we expect ourselves to be perfect.
• Because we don't like our writing.
• Because we're too busy.
• Because it works.

What to do about it

• Take an inventory.
• How do you procrastinate?
• Create a productive environment.
• Challenge your myths.
• Break it down.
• Get a new attitude.
• Ask for help.
• Get unblocked.
• Make yourself accountable.
• Leave your work out.
• Work on improving your writing when you don't have a deadline.
• Evaluate your writing's strengths and weaknesses.
• Hone your proofreading and editing skills.
• Learn how to tell time.
• Make an unschedule.
• Set a time limit.
• Be realistic about how long it takes you to write.

Parting thoughts

Works consulted