There is a process that occurs both in the physical space and in the mind/heart of the artist. It's a preparation phase as I move through the tasks of transitioning back to creating on a regular basis. There are sure to be bumps in the road; there always are in some way.
November was a month of cleaning, decluttering, organizing, and rearranging the layout for its use. I moved my plants indoors and am having a go at growing herbs, lettuce, and spinach. My painting table is now back to my previous location, more centered which is better for staying warm on frigid winter days.
I made some tough decisions on use of storage space and sent a lot to give away boxes. I found it very difficult to let miscellaneous stuff go but had to balance the need to be less anxious in the space. My watercolor supplies must be more important than scrapbooking pages and books I will never use!
I am still cleaning and organizing but the projects are smaller and more specific to art processes. My overwhelm in what needs to be done nearly got the best of me just before Thanksgiving. I listed out the tasks to be tackled. Then with my planner open and a highlighter pen to block off time each day, I began to write in the tasks. Soon, I was able to cross off tasks left and right AND I found they took much less time than expected.
I am painting throughout this whole month and feeling so much more in my creative groove now. There were days it did not feel like my creative self would reach the level I knew before summer arrived. I know from previous experience that I need to continue showing up and doing the creative work for this to all come back to me. And I am finding myself so full of energy and anticipation for what is to come. So I know fantastic things are to come!
-Christy
