Here's the nudge you've been waiting on. Go ahead. Give yourself a little break today.
My daily and weekly to-do lists run off the page; I'm sure most of yours do, too. I so seldom decide to clear some time in my afternoon for a slowdown, but I knew when I woke this morning that it was just what I needed to rejuvenate my artistic well.
For an hour or two, I'll continue to play with my photos and maybe start some poetry or prose, too. And perhaps read or listen to music.
Even if you can only squeeze in twenty minutes and you schedule it in for tomorrow or a weekday or an evening after work or at 4 am before work, give yourself the gift of a pause to daydream, create, nap, listen to music, reflect, take a walk, take up space.
You, too, deserve an unexpected respite. 🥳 #artistslife #artistslifeforme #createeveryday #rejuvenate
Indispensable: New Doodle Art and Flash Essay 😃
I don’t often publish musings or unpublished essays in my blog, so I thought it’d be fun to sit down, write one, and share it tonight. Ta-da. 💐
Indispensable
I’ve begun to sort through clothes and such for donation a half an hour here and there, a half bag at a time, low-key and gradual.
I’m very grateful to have more than I need. It’s meaningful to inventory and also to pare back and then pare back again. To make room and space. To share. As I’m sorting, I imagine the new uses and happiness the items will bring others as I fold and accumulate things in the donation bags as well as the money it’ll bring the thrift store and their charities. A few things had a random pull or hole or stain and went into the circular file/garbage. I also have found some sweaters and dresses I forgot all about and haven’t worn in a few years, so they feel new to me and ready for another season of enjoyment. I call the latter “shopping in my own closet,” and it’s a great way to save money and time.
The process of sorting is, much like the rest of life, figuring out what is essential—what lights us up inside—and what we’re tired of and ready to change or switch out for a while.
I’ve also been reading a new book about sketching and so my mind is in the mood for seeing older or ordinary things with fresh eyes, like the beautiful shape of the dish-liquid bottle. Suddenly, walking into the room, I saw the bottle outline anew and took a half-hour break to break out my new watercolor pencils that I’ve had in my tote bag of art supplies for almost three months but not used before now. I’ve used dish soap since I was a kid and literally never thought about the shape of the bottle until drawing this sketch. My hand-drawn bottle shape turned out a bit different (read: uneven) than the uniformly graceful curve of the original bottle, but there’s authenticity in that, so instead of scrapping it, I ran with it.
Also, the word “indispensable” is one that makes me sweat before I write or type it, because I’ve misspelled it for years. I looked it up about five times before doodling it with the marker and misspelled it when I first typed this paragraph. It’s a tricky word, with several different vowels and the –able ending instead of the –ible. My brain wants to insist it’s an –ible. I have to slow down or doublecheck. Much like the process of sorting, it has something to show me, something worthwhile I get to learn again and again at my own pace and little by little, like most worthwhile things.
So, I almost chose another word for my sketch, but then I pushed through it (and checked it a few more times, just in case), using the word after all. Sometimes, it’s worth persevering, and other times, not so much and it’s okay to sort it out and do something else. You’ll know as you go; do what works best for you in your art and in your life.
Inspiration Station: Quote & One Week in✍️
We’re officially about a week into 2023.
New Year’s Day (and January in general) can be a bit of a rollercoaster🎢—fresh starts and anticipation for the next months, yes, but also tinged with bittersweet memories of false starts from the past months and years.
So often at this time of the year, the expectation is for absolute change and immediate results, which can create a lot of pressure and self-judgment. It’s really easy to be hard on ourselves when we put in the work for a few days or weeks, and yet there feels like no forward momentum anywhere in sight.
So often we think setbacks only happen to us, when setbacks are normal, and annoying, unexpected obstructions are part of the journey for everyone. Much of life as an artist and as a sensitive person is unknown and out of our control; let’s gift ourselves kindness, a deep breath, and permission to adjust or detour as we need to.
Goals and dreams are allowed to evolve, stretch, and grow as we, too, grow. Just one teeny-tiny start in the direction of our writing and personal goals can set us up well, especially if we approach goals with flexibility and knowing there’ll be speed bumps. The path might not happen as we thought it would (I’m continually surprised), but it will still be meaningful and worthwhile to keep practicing our art and to keep striving.
Let’s keep our self-talk positive and supportive, as we would for a friend. I tend to forget this one, so I’m reminding myself here. 😁
For today, focus on just one slight step. Follow with another on another day. Onward! 🌞👍
"Take a Break" Word-Art Doodle ✍️
I haven’t shared one of my doodles in a while, and this rushed season seemed like the perfect time to post this one.
Whether it’s a fifteen-minute tea or coffee break; an hour with a book; a week off from work; or an afternoon of baking, or streaming movies, or catching a nap, or writing, I hope you also put a thing (or ten) on pause to savor a little break. You deserve it!
Here’s my initial doodle (using pencil and fine-line black pen) from my sketch pad. Yep, I also used crayons on this one. You’ll notice some pencil marks here and there that I didn’t erase well enough (oopsy!) and that the curve of my T and my second line’s k got some extra ink that was inadvertent. Handmade things are perfectly imperfect this way. 😁
Then, I scanned the initial doodle, cropped it, and experimented with adding filters for the background and the doodle itself.
Blog Tour: "How to Self-Motivate" 💡
The next stop on the Blog Tour is an article I had the joy of writing for Mari L. McCarthy’s CreateWriteNow.
Today’s article is all about self-motivation in your writing life, a topic particularly apt during this hectic holiday season. Enjoy! Clickety-click.
Also check out Mari’s wonderful books, such as Mindset Medicine and Journaling Power, along with motivating courses, beautiful music, and inspiring journaling podcast and videos.
