A collection of stories, thoughts and good vibes from my back porch

I just came off a one week vacation from painting. It was not intentional, but this week, I had a lot of other things to do that took priority over being in the studio. For one thing, I need some rest - I've been going at a pretty fast pace sine I retired from a job 7 weeks ago. I've completed 25 paintings in that time, and I write daily. I realized last week that if I continue to do that, I'll run out of supplies and burn myself out. So I took a break. 

I was productive at my job because I had a routine. I had a daily plan, and I took the time to make lists and time-block. I never had a rigid schedule, but if I didn't organize myself, I found I was only going from one thing to the next, procrastinating, and soon the 'important' things became 'urgent' things. And then I was just putting out fires and catching up. And again, I was putting off important things and not making time to do what I enjoyed the most - interacting with people. Engaging. Teaching. Learning. All of which I am free to do when the most important things of the day are taken care of first.

So I took time this week to time-block my month. There are certain things I must do each day. I need time to write and meditate. I need time to eat. I need time to walk the dogs and get exercise. I need to for marketing, networking, rotating paintings, and staying in contact with galleries. And I need time to paint. There are those important things I must do - setting appointments, returning emails, organizing my taxes (this time of year), and cleaning my studio so I have working space. I have to make sure those little things are done so I have time to take care of the things I really want and like to do. 

So as artists, if we take care of the things that need to be done first, we have the time and freedom to be creative and pursue our passion. And when we have that freedom, it shows in our work. Our work is what touches others at a deep level. I think we are obligated, not only to others, but to ourselves, to give our best. 

My mission is to bring compassion, encouragement, and acceptance into others' lives through my art, writing, and everyday living. To learn something every day, and to teach someone something every day. And if nothing else, to be the reason someone smiles. We reach others at a very deep level with art. It's the little things that cause big things to fail. Take care of the little things first.