Even if you are not an Artist You need time to connect with something else that grounds you and feeds you in some way. In my mind it just makes for better humans.
"... the sketchbook, which is like a walled garden for your brain." I love this, both the thought itself and the image. Which, now that I think of it, might be a good one to draw.
I’ve gotten back into drawing comic strips and found the PERFECT way to make them however much I want without missing out on hanging with the family.
I’m thorough collecting ideas for strips and do the hard thinking whenever it occurs to me and I’m alone. So I’ve got this queue of sketched out strips to work through. So then when I’m in the living room with everyone I can just draw the comics in procreate on my iPad, while chatting and watching stuff with them.
I used to be isolated to my desk before, bless the progress of technology.
Absolutely! Now I understand why I get a bit antsy when on vacation. I'm away from my art, although having a wonderful time exploring new places, there's always felt like something's missing. Now I know. Next trip, not wanted to lug art supplies, I'll focus on photos, maybe choose a subject, like signs and flyers, or doors, or alleys, I'll see what sparks that feeling of "oh yeah, this is good."
I find my life and art flow better when I follow nature's seasons and step out of clock time as much as possible in this clock obsessed world we live in (Why do both the stove and microwave above it have clocks? And why are they always out of sync??). Everything suddenly made sense to me when I realized the creative parts of myself have different needs when it's dark at 4pm vs the seemingly never ending daylight of summer. Katherine May's book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times is a frequent reread of mine.
I have a couple small projects going that I can pick up and put down as needed. They give me breathing space. Some like knitting I can do in the company of others who don’t mind. Other projects give me solitude and respite from the must-do’s so I can recharge.
Oh my god. Your interview with Beth Pickens! Me too... suffering because I’m an artist who is also a doctor and my doc practice has taken over my life. Made me miserable but I’m quitting very soon. It will save my life, literally. I just attended an art workshop in Marrakech and boy it floored me. It’s going to take a bit of retraining to get back to my art. Oh yeah, I dance too.
So here I am reading a pile of Substack posts first thing in the morning when I should be starting the day with some kind of creative practice - new art, new words. Karl Jung used to draw a colorful mandala every morning. Time now for me to get out my journal and my colored pencils -- thanks for the reminder, Austin!
THANK YOU for this post, life has intervened recently and I am totally off my game and my art has suffered. You have gently nudged and reminded me to get back on my practice as a gift to myself and a responsibility to me. Thank you again. Happy Holidays Austin:)
This comes just in time for me! I switched from full time music to hobbyist in the past few years. So I've spent a lot of this year tinkering with what the MVP — minimal viable practice — looks like for someone who does a lot of dabbling in instruments and art materials. I'm going to hold on to that advice — "Find the one-armed, half-brained, miniature version of what you do."
A phrase that's stuck with me is "How long is a piece of string?" Like you've said, it doesn't take too much to actually get that fulfillment from a practice! I realized doodling in a sketchbook and formless improvising on guitar is really all I need in a day. A line on the page is art as much as a single note of music can be! A big relief that it doesn't take a whole musical recital or a detailed, rendered piece to fill the well!
Waking up at 5am. Reading. Writing on my Diary. It has kept me quite functional for most of the days. It is impressive how much difference it does if I can't do it. This quote fits well with it:
"Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it" from Richard Whately
Oh I wish I'd found this space decades ago ==but better late then never. This is turning into an unexpectedly difficult holiday season. Things that are far from my control. Having a practical set of suggestions to actually pratice for not only my benifit but the benifit of those around me is wonderful.
Another good post. Thank you. I have a couple things that help me. One is what Wendy Mac calls Morning Drawings. They are similar to Morning Pages. Do them in the morning, early. Wendy suggests to set a timer for ten minutes, draw, and stop when the timer goes off. Another things that helps a lot is Susan O'Malley's "Art Before Dishes." I live alone, so I can get away with that. I look into the kitchen (visible from the living room), Oh, it's time to make some art.
In reference to the holidays, last year I came across a post by Rebecca Cooper. One of her suggestions was to make a list of one to three words you want to keep in the front of your mind, words that embody the feelings you'd like to create for yourself during the holidays. Let these words guide your actions and decisions. Last year the words I chose were simplicity, economy, intimacy. They worked well then. Am using them again this year. She also said the one word formula to a simple, joy-filled holiday is "no."
Even if you are not an Artist You need time to connect with something else that grounds you and feeds you in some way. In my mind it just makes for better humans.
"... the sketchbook, which is like a walled garden for your brain." I love this, both the thought itself and the image. Which, now that I think of it, might be a good one to draw.
I’ve gotten back into drawing comic strips and found the PERFECT way to make them however much I want without missing out on hanging with the family.
I’m thorough collecting ideas for strips and do the hard thinking whenever it occurs to me and I’m alone. So I’ve got this queue of sketched out strips to work through. So then when I’m in the living room with everyone I can just draw the comics in procreate on my iPad, while chatting and watching stuff with them.
I used to be isolated to my desk before, bless the progress of technology.
I have so often copped out on my writing practice at the holidays! It’s always the wrong decision. Not this year after reading this post! TY!
Amen to making space for self at all costs- much easier said than done, nevertheless, essential. Thanks for the reminder, Austin 🙏
Absolutely! Now I understand why I get a bit antsy when on vacation. I'm away from my art, although having a wonderful time exploring new places, there's always felt like something's missing. Now I know. Next trip, not wanted to lug art supplies, I'll focus on photos, maybe choose a subject, like signs and flyers, or doors, or alleys, I'll see what sparks that feeling of "oh yeah, this is good."
I find my life and art flow better when I follow nature's seasons and step out of clock time as much as possible in this clock obsessed world we live in (Why do both the stove and microwave above it have clocks? And why are they always out of sync??). Everything suddenly made sense to me when I realized the creative parts of myself have different needs when it's dark at 4pm vs the seemingly never ending daylight of summer. Katherine May's book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times is a frequent reread of mine.
I have a couple small projects going that I can pick up and put down as needed. They give me breathing space. Some like knitting I can do in the company of others who don’t mind. Other projects give me solitude and respite from the must-do’s so I can recharge.
Oh my god. Your interview with Beth Pickens! Me too... suffering because I’m an artist who is also a doctor and my doc practice has taken over my life. Made me miserable but I’m quitting very soon. It will save my life, literally. I just attended an art workshop in Marrakech and boy it floored me. It’s going to take a bit of retraining to get back to my art. Oh yeah, I dance too.
Bye
Vickie
So here I am reading a pile of Substack posts first thing in the morning when I should be starting the day with some kind of creative practice - new art, new words. Karl Jung used to draw a colorful mandala every morning. Time now for me to get out my journal and my colored pencils -- thanks for the reminder, Austin!
THANK YOU for this post, life has intervened recently and I am totally off my game and my art has suffered. You have gently nudged and reminded me to get back on my practice as a gift to myself and a responsibility to me. Thank you again. Happy Holidays Austin:)
I really love that Beth Pickens book. So helpful and supportive, along with being so practical.
This comes just in time for me! I switched from full time music to hobbyist in the past few years. So I've spent a lot of this year tinkering with what the MVP — minimal viable practice — looks like for someone who does a lot of dabbling in instruments and art materials. I'm going to hold on to that advice — "Find the one-armed, half-brained, miniature version of what you do."
A phrase that's stuck with me is "How long is a piece of string?" Like you've said, it doesn't take too much to actually get that fulfillment from a practice! I realized doodling in a sketchbook and formless improvising on guitar is really all I need in a day. A line on the page is art as much as a single note of music can be! A big relief that it doesn't take a whole musical recital or a detailed, rendered piece to fill the well!
I like this phrase, Minimum Viable Practice!
Waking up at 5am. Reading. Writing on my Diary. It has kept me quite functional for most of the days. It is impressive how much difference it does if I can't do it. This quote fits well with it:
"Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it" from Richard Whately
Great line!
Oh I wish I'd found this space decades ago ==but better late then never. This is turning into an unexpectedly difficult holiday season. Things that are far from my control. Having a practical set of suggestions to actually pratice for not only my benifit but the benifit of those around me is wonderful.
Thank you! This is a wonderful space/community
Glad you’re here. Hang in there! :)
Another good post. Thank you. I have a couple things that help me. One is what Wendy Mac calls Morning Drawings. They are similar to Morning Pages. Do them in the morning, early. Wendy suggests to set a timer for ten minutes, draw, and stop when the timer goes off. Another things that helps a lot is Susan O'Malley's "Art Before Dishes." I live alone, so I can get away with that. I look into the kitchen (visible from the living room), Oh, it's time to make some art.
In reference to the holidays, last year I came across a post by Rebecca Cooper. One of her suggestions was to make a list of one to three words you want to keep in the front of your mind, words that embody the feelings you'd like to create for yourself during the holidays. Let these words guide your actions and decisions. Last year the words I chose were simplicity, economy, intimacy. They worked well then. Am using them again this year. She also said the one word formula to a simple, joy-filled holiday is "no."
Make NO!vember every month haha