Continuing with January’s theme of “hunkering down” & “laying low” this winter, there’s not much happening in my studio …yet. I’m definitely out of my routine in my everyday life which means creatively, there’s no way I feel inspired to do anything in the studio. After weeks of a sick baby, sleepless nights, the coldest winter ever so far here in STL and 22 days of no sun, it’s hard to keep my mood elevated and “happy” this winter.
We also recently had a health scare with out littlest guy, which just this week he has been cleared of possible hydrocephalus (“water in the brain”). I didn’t realize how heavily that weighed on me these past 5 weeks until the doctor called yesterday evening to say all is well. I am so unbelievably grateful, as I was gearing myself up for this new curve ball that life was apparently going to throw us because of course my husband and I would do whatever it took for our baby boy. But that would’ve been a very different life, and perhaps even a more limited lifestyle as he would not have been encouraged to be as active.
But today is a bright new day (even though it’s the 3rd day in a row of rain and clouds), I finally feel energized and so incredibly grateful. We can now just tease him that he has a large head (which our entire family is known for, especially father’s side) but I would take the teasing for the rest of this life any day then the serious diagnosis from a couple days ago. Thank you Universe! So grateful.
These things happen to all of us. I love when others open up about their personal lives and it’s difficult for me because I do feel protective of my family and normally private. But we all have our up’s and down’s. And we all are going through something. Being compassionate to ourselves is #1. I have not felt like doing any painting for weeks now. Sometimes life happens to us and that’s ok. I have to trust my own process because it takes energy to create, that’s a simple fact. And without that inspired energy, it becomes something else on my “to do” list that I inevitably stress out about.
I admire artists actually who “get to do” art for their living and that’s when talking about showing up to the studio is a real practice even if you don’t feel like it, it’s part of the daily routine. You have to show up then. Even when it’s not what you feel like doing.
But it also can translate into “work,” and since I already have a full time job and am raising a young family, art to me right now in my life should not feel like work. Some day I will love to transition into some parts of my job actually producing more art - what a fantastic opportunity! But for now, I have to trust my own intuition and process and know that very, very soon, I’ll feel like taking up the brush again.
What is exciting is that I have a couple commissions that I am going to be working on and will be excited to share my process throughout the next several weeks. I have a commission that I need to complete (which I’m almost finished with) and can’t wait to share that process, the idea and inspiration and the final product.
I also am anticipating the 100 Day Project which usually launches every spring each year sometime in April. I love participating in this project online through Instagram because it does jump-start the creative process. So if you
Finally, I am tinkering around with the idea of offering a “Spring Cleaning SALE” of my artwork to encourage the idea of “out with the old in with the new!” I have some older original artwork that I would love to find homes for instead of hanging out in storage. So I hope to launch that sometime next month.
There’s several ideas percolating and I sincerely love the incubation process. The possibilities are endless and I know I’m close to working in the studio when I start to visualize the possibilities of different projects in my head and feeling that excitement feeling which will eventually keep bubbling up until finally, I have to get it out! It’s inevitable.
And now that everyone in our family is healthy, happy and in their routines at school, work, and home, I finally feel like I can breathe a bit, hunker down, do some projects around the house that have been a couple years overdue, and clean out the studio. Looking forward to spring even though we still have a bit more to go here.