Sometimes, life goes sideways and throws me off my trolley. Last year I moved out of a studio/gallery (YES Is A Feeling). Most supplies, canvas, etc., went into my storage unit and I was able to have a small setup in our apartment, certainly not optimal, but I was able to work on some smaller works. HOWEVER, this was not conducive to creativity so, blaming my muse for not doing her job, I became somewhat artist blocked. I also began to feel a titch jealous of other more prolific and dedicated artists because I was just NOT feeling up to it. And that is not a nice feeling because I love and adore my fellow artists and how they inspire me. This period of time stretched on throughout the winter until I was able to find another affordable and comfortable studio, BUT am still not back to my previous level of creativity. That feeling of having an idea for a painting and then getting to work fleshing it out, that's just not there lately. I've taken to working on small 4x4 canvases and reworking old artwork just to keep putting paint on something, anything. I even picked up an old embroidery kit and fiddled with that for about 10 minutes.
I am trying not to be discouraged, truly. I also try to remember if I've had other periods of inactivity in the past and, yes, there were definitely times. So I am armed with hope that I will be sitting staring out the window and have that flash of an idea for a painting, get out my sketch pad and get to work! I like to sketch out a rough draft and then I transfer the image to canvas with carbon paper. And then get out the color. I know that day will come, I'm counting on it. This is what I love and what I live for. Well, that and food of course but that's another tale to tell.
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