Following some blogs, I've realized that as artists, we share some common ground....
the need for TIME to make our work, the feeling that we don't have enough TIME to create all the work that we want, that TIME is going to escape us or get the better of us, and that in these economic TIMEs, we have chosen a path as artists, a path that is steady in it's journey for us, but nonetheless one that holds no guarantees. So let's ponder this 'TIME'. As I sit here pondering where I want to start my day...a watercolor, some sketches, journaling, full throttle into some oil paintings, maybe finish a few of those encaustics....I am already worried about the time that has escaped me today, the extra two hours I spent in bed because of a headache, the time I need to spend getting groceries today, the time I am losing towards my artwork and the time that I will be able to spend on my artwork....AHHH! It's overwhelming!
Let's pull in those reins and remember this: disregard those hands on the clock, for the time being. If we make even one piece of art a day, for even five minutes, it is a step closer. And then maybe the next day, we spend thirty minutes, and then two hours, and then a whole day....it's a habit like any other: so easy to start, so hard to break. Time is really on our side if we truly think about it. When I paint, I am not even thinking of time...it just happens. Sometimes it slows down and sometimes it speeds by, but giving myself to my art, I simply don't notice the time. I certainly don't compare the work I made with the time I spent on it....that could get us all in trouble. And back to these economic times...I willingly left a secure, full time job back in August, to pursue my artwork because in order to do so, I needed more TIME! And it was a bold and scary move, not knowing how my bills would be paid, but I was giving myself the gift of time to pursue my reality: being an artist. Yes, of course it is with fear, doubt and skepticism that I wonder, 'will I be able to make it?, will my work sell?'....so far, I gauge my time on a month to month basis, and so far, so good....yeah, I do supplement with a few ultra part time gigs; but I look at the state our of nation, people losing jobs and so much more, and yet I think, 'what an AMAZING TIME to be an artist, to stay at home and paint!'
