“I remember a backdrop of a brick wall I painted for a play. I painted each red brick in by hand. Afterwards it occurred to me that I could have just painted the whole thing red and put in the white lines.”

—Joe Brainard

Early on in your career, you do the same. Not knowing any better, you start by painting every individual brick. Over time you find ways to become more efficient and save yourself time. Other times, especially later in your career once you’re set in your ways and caught in the fever of your work, you immediately hack away without taking a step back.

Sometimes painting brick by brick means doing the work you shouldn’t be focusing on, while painting the white lines means hiring someone to do that for you.

Let this serve as a reminder to pause for a moment. Take some time to look at the brick wall you’re painting and ask yourself, “Should I be painting each brick by hand or can I simply put in the white lines?”