Altered Book: A Circus Act by Gayle PritchardAfter being away for a week, and without internet access, I feel overwhelmed with 'tasks.' Does that ever happen to you? It's unusual in this day and age to not be online. It reminded me of how much easier it used to be to keep track of paperwork and other such tasks. I could allot one day a week, then ignore until the following week what was still on that list. No more!
This week I hit the ground running, as I prepare for an onslaught of visitors this weekend. As I have written previously, in my priorities list, family comes first. This weekend is no exception. The house cleaning had been put off and put off, but this seemed a good week to tackle it, since I have two guest rooms to prepare. Shopping takes up more time than it used to, as I travel to several stores to find what I need at the right price.
My new in-laws will be here for dinner Friday night for the first time. On Saturday, the family women gather at my house to make preparations for a baby shower on Sunday. The shower is to celebrate the impending birth of my third grandchild, so it will be a festive affair. In preparation, I painted ladybugs last night, the theme of the party. The ladybug quilt I am making will have to wait until June, but will be ready by the time the baby comes.
Truths, oil pastel painting and collage by Gayle PritchardTo tell you the truth, I love the activity. I love making things with my hands, thinking up ideas for the baby shower, preparing the house for guests. I weeded the front garden on Monday, and remembered how much I have missed playing with my plants.
All of these activities, 'tasks,' make me feel alive and engaged. Yes, I need to get back to my studio. Sometimes, though, time away helps me gain perspective, and makes the work I do seem less like a task, as I remember to find my passion again.
We ALL juggle now, and I---like you---wish I could be away from the infernal machine, but when I am, I go nuts. (or nuttier!)
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard to balance everything and I have often wondered how much more can be squeezed out of artists, both creatively and from the aspect of the internet. At what point does the art suffer....a rhetorical question to say the least.
Like you, my family comes first, but sometimes that studio sure sings a beautiful siren song.....
Have a good time with all your people coming in!
I guess in the end it's about trying to figure out a balance that works. I know, in my instance, that I have given up some things by having fammily needs as a priority. This stands in huge contrast to some artists, take Picasso, for example, who never made the same choice we are making. I am driven to create, so I do it, and am quite unhappy when I do not. That ends up being a force unto itself.
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