Ok I'll admit it, I've been getting lazy lately. In just about everything - school, work, relationships, my own health/well-being, this blog (obviously) and my art. I don't know if its because of some changes happening in my life and the shift in my priorities, the fact that i have been working 20+ hours a week on a full class schedule, midterms/papers/projects, the winter blues, or whatever, but I've been exhausted and definitely not as invested in my own work the way I usually am.
Well, luckily for me I'm about halfway through spring break, and because I've decided to do my own personal stay-cation in the glamorous Columbus, Ohio, I've had plenty of time to get my act together and get stuff done. Or more accurately, slowly get one thing accomplished each day and then hate myself at night for not being more productive. But hey - its a start...and I've only watched ONE season of a show on Netflix, so that's got to count for something, right?
As I'm starting to slow down and have more time to really invest myself in work, (instead of writing papers at the last minute or cramming for 9am exams during my 4am work shifts) I'm realizing that what I'm really lacking in my art is patience. Sometimes I get so frustrated with myself when what I produce comes out much sloppier than what I had pictured in my mind, and I don't get why I can't do it when I've done it before. I can blame it on the medium, "accidentally using the wrong kind of brush", or just declare myself "not good enough", but then I look at the work I've done in the past that had accomplished what I had set out to do, and I realize the difference between the successes and the failures is in the level of care, attention and patience that I give the piece. I know what you're thinking - duh, Trina, the more focused you are and the more time you spend, the better it will look. Well, you would be surprised how easy it is to forget that when your professors expect you to push out A-plus work in under 3 hours. I've gotten really used to multitasking too, and thats probably not awesome for the quality of the art either.
So my goal for the rest of the week will be to focus on one thing at a time, and be patient with myself. This can probably apply to everything in my life, not just my art-making. Slowing down and allowing myself to take as much time as I need to is what will get through the rest of this semester, back on my feet after a break-up and hopefully bring me peace with myself and in my health.
Also helping, have been the Avett Brothers, because when don't they help? Even though its not quite February Seven anymore, the lyrics in this song have been running through my head a lot lately, and I think they sort of apply here, so I'll just leave you all with that.
Well, luckily for me I'm about halfway through spring break, and because I've decided to do my own personal stay-cation in the glamorous Columbus, Ohio, I've had plenty of time to get my act together and get stuff done. Or more accurately, slowly get one thing accomplished each day and then hate myself at night for not being more productive. But hey - its a start...and I've only watched ONE season of a show on Netflix, so that's got to count for something, right?
As I'm starting to slow down and have more time to really invest myself in work, (instead of writing papers at the last minute or cramming for 9am exams during my 4am work shifts) I'm realizing that what I'm really lacking in my art is patience. Sometimes I get so frustrated with myself when what I produce comes out much sloppier than what I had pictured in my mind, and I don't get why I can't do it when I've done it before. I can blame it on the medium, "accidentally using the wrong kind of brush", or just declare myself "not good enough", but then I look at the work I've done in the past that had accomplished what I had set out to do, and I realize the difference between the successes and the failures is in the level of care, attention and patience that I give the piece. I know what you're thinking - duh, Trina, the more focused you are and the more time you spend, the better it will look. Well, you would be surprised how easy it is to forget that when your professors expect you to push out A-plus work in under 3 hours. I've gotten really used to multitasking too, and thats probably not awesome for the quality of the art either.
So my goal for the rest of the week will be to focus on one thing at a time, and be patient with myself. This can probably apply to everything in my life, not just my art-making. Slowing down and allowing myself to take as much time as I need to is what will get through the rest of this semester, back on my feet after a break-up and hopefully bring me peace with myself and in my health.
Also helping, have been the Avett Brothers, because when don't they help? Even though its not quite February Seven anymore, the lyrics in this song have been running through my head a lot lately, and I think they sort of apply here, so I'll just leave you all with that.
