Procrastinate : Delay or postpone action; put off doing something.
Hibernate : Remain inactive or indoors for an extended period
(Meaning based on English Oxford dictionary)
Animals hibernate in winter time to rest from activity and conserve energy in order to survive.
Do man hibernate? I do. I remember a time when I took some off days from my hectic work life to simply sleep and rest and eat at home. My aim was to rest physically and mentally away from the heavy demand of my workload in order to restore energy to prepare for more challenges ahead.
Hibernation is for survival, Procrastination is a form of escapism.
When I get stuck at conception of ideas for my next painting, I usually choose to walk away from my canvas & paints and indulge myself in other things like watch a movie or listen to a sermon from unconventional preacher…clean my house… etc so I get the subject matter out of my mind though my heart is still ‘cooking’ the thoughts/ideas. This process is incubation (to keep them warm and bring them to birth) not the same as hibernation.
I do hibernate in-between finishing a painting and starting a new one when I want to adopt a total new approach to my painting style. I would like to do something I have not done before or have not done for a long time…travel to a new country…paint my wall green… dye my hair red…(etc …..??!!). Pamper yourself in a brand new experience by putting your mind totally away from painting i.e. putting my painting to sleep. But there is a high chance I may not pick up painting ever again if the hibernation period were to last too long. If prolonged hibernation suits you, it is time to consider other calling/vocation other than painting.
If you are thinking of changing a new career path, hibernation will be a necessary process to allow the authenticity within you to emerge… find your purpose driven life.
Tirosh Journey 