My Creative Life 5-22-15

So.  Yeah.  I haven’t written here much lately.  I haven’t written much ANYWHERE lately.

And I know that I usually start of with some excuse about why I haven’t written.  But if you’ll notice, I’ve shifted the focus from My ‘Writing’ Life to My ‘Creative’ Life.  Because while I haven’t written lately, I’ve been arting like a crazy bitch.  (Which is accurate.  Bipolar is good for creativity, bad for everything else.)

So instead of stressing myself out with schedules and timesheets and beating myself up for not having a fully fleshed-out, edited novel in time for Dragon*Con, I’ve been doing things like sketching and painting, and obsessively joining collaborative art projects.  Yeah, again, bipolar thing.  I haven’t managed to join more than I can complete, but it’s really close.  And I’ve been hunched over the coffee table, doing things like drawing/painting/gluing seed faeries and things of that nature.

Art project in progress 1
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Art project in progress 1

I had forgotten how much I missed visual arts.

Granted, it’s easy for me to burn myself out on visual arts as easily as I do with writing, but I think there were other reasons I got away from it.  First, I left it so long ago to pursue graphic design.  That turned out badly, and after I struggled for 18 or so months to get a graphic design job after graduation, I was just burnt out on visual arts alltogether.  Second, art is something I always shared with my father.  When he passed, I had a lot of anger.  It took me several years to get over some of the rockier parts of our relationship, and I think that helped kill my enthusiasm for anything I associated with him.  I’m better now.

Art project in progress 2
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Art project in progress 2

And I’m arting again.  Mostly watercolors, but I’m obsessed with drawing too.  I’ve been going through my hoarde of art supplies from 7 or 8 years ago, and I’ve been discovering all sorts of goodies from a time when money wasn’t so scarce.  I had considered throwing everything away, but I’m really glad I didn’t.

It’s been great for my focus and my sense of well-being, but terrible for my back.

Creative chaos
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