I almost wasn’t going to post anything this week. I’ve been dragging my heels, writing wise, over the past few days because of a whole bunch of life stuff that took up a lot of time. This means I have had little energy to sit down in front of the computer to put anything into type. But when I can’t write the best thing to do is dive into my sketchbook to get the creative juices going, so this morning I joined a couple of friends on zoom for a bit of sketchbook practice.
For a while now, I’ve been kicking a novella around my writing desk in the hopes that its missing piece would make itself known. Despite beta readers telling me they enjoyed it, there has always been something not quite right about it. Something that nagged me. Something that made me feel uncomfortable about saying ‘It’s done!’ Every so often I have taken it out, dusted it off and had another crack at it but still that something eluded me, until yesterday.
I have always considered myself pretty polyamorous when it comes to art media. Paints, pastels, markers, charcoal, pencils, ink: I have loved them all. I even flirt with a bit of collage from time to time. But I have never felt a particularly strong affection for one over the others…until now.
It’s not always easy being consistent with blogging. I should know. I look back over the past year of this blog and see very large gaps in between posts at times. This is something I am now trying to remedy by sticking to a consistent schedule and making sure that I use whatever time I have to work on the three elements that need to come together to create one post. Because it’s not just about writing the thing. It’s also about presenting the thing.
I like to run. It’s the one form of exercise that I consistently return to after falling off the taking-care-of-my-health wagon for the umpteenth time. I do not run fast. I do not take part in races (anymore) and my maximum distance is 15km. But I do really like to run. A couple of days ago, as I was plodding along in kilometre six of a ten kilometre trail, it suddenly occurred to me that running is a lot like writing or making art.
In five hundred years, when future humans look back at our period of history, what will be left to show of what our daily lives are like?
In today’s digital world, being creative in any form can lead you down a rabbit hole of possibilities when it comes to trying to get your work in front of an audience. With artists like Austin Kleon telling us to ‘Show Your Work!’ and other successful creative types banging on about the importance of getting your stuff out there, regardless of whether or not it’s ‘perfect’ in your eyes it’s hard to know where to start? And how much do you need to show? And which tools do you use to do it? And what is it going to cost?
Last Friday I received an invitation from a friend in my weekly art group to join in Emma Carlisle’s 3rd Patreon birthday bash. This was a lovely suprise! I’ve followed Emma Carlisle for a while because I love her illustrative style and the way she presents her process. So, on Friday evening I sat at my desk, my Zoom app open and ready to go, and my trusty drawing kit close at hand. It’s been a while since I’ve done any sketching, so I was looking forward to seeing what we would do.
Things are afoot in the manse. Mother has been keeping odd hours and rearranging the furniture. Strangers come and go at odd times of the day, and a four-legged fiend haunts my dreams… what does it all mean?
Productivity gurus are right about one thing: systems do help. Making small adjustments over time does lead to the better results when it comes to making positive changes in your life (thank you James Clear and your Atomic Habits). However, systems are only as good as your willingness to follow them.