With the fall season well upon us, I’m reminded of the cyclical nature of my own inner calendar. As I watch the earth go through her changes, I am fiercely aware of my struggle to remain consistent with my painting schedule and other healthy habits (like exercise!).
Shorter days with less light challenge my productivity into shorter spans of time. And while there is an abundance of beauty in autumn, for me it is a bittersweet season. For I am a spring-summer soul, loving the generous daylight hours, lazy beach days, lush green landscape and blooming flower gardens. Fall’s cooler air has me bundled in sweaters and the darker evenings cause me to crave earlier bedtimes.
Being consistent has its rewards, whether we are talking exercise, healthy eating or positive work habits.
As a professional artist, all too often I cringe a little when I hear the advice “as a serious artist, you should paint every day, even if it’s for a short period of time.”
Well, I’m worn out from beating myself up over my failure to make this happen on a regular basis. Don’t get me wrong, I wholeheartedly agree that a daily momentum builds skills, helps sustain enthusiasm and keeps those fears of “beginning again” at bay.
But I’m realizing that I need to make peace with the fact that my lifestyle and obligations make a daily painting practice next to impossible. I need to find a way of working that works FOR me. Meditation teacher Jeff Warren says, “What works is what works for YOU.”
I’ve discovered that my art practice varies with the seasons. Like a squirrel gathering nuts, fall finds me busy in my studio with maintenance projects, like varnishing paintings, updating spreadsheets and keeping my website current. I may take a class and work on a few paintings. Winters find me at our home in Tucson, and this has become my most productive season of the year. With fewer interruptions and less social and family obligations, I spend a good part of most days busy in my desert studio, often playing music and podcasts to keep me company. In these winter months I tend to make up at least in part for lost time in other seasons. Yay!
Coming back east in the springtime always means a big transition for me. Spending time with family after missing them like crazy comes first and foremost, and getting our home back in shape for the spring and summer months takes a lot of energy. I usually need a couple of weeks to get settled in and back to my art. Summer usually means some travel and spending time at the beach where I have a small studio. This space is perfect for watercolor painting and small mixed media collages, but not so perfect for large acrylic canvases.
During the 30 years while I had my design business, my time and energy was spread pretty thin.
Since selling my company in 2019, I’ve been fortunate to have not only creative freedom, but the freedom of how I choose to spend my time. As a new grandmother, I’m enjoying one day each week with my grandsons. Can’t ignore self-care, which for me means going for walks on most mornings, and I am finally able to tend a small flower garden! Simple pleasures.
Being an artist is not a choice for me. It’s a way of life. I am always working on my art, whether I’m painting in my studio every day or not. My art practice may be far from consistent, but it IS consistent with my values, and that works perfectly for me.
On a daily basis, my life may look out of balance, but from a bird’s eye view, I’m creating a life I love.