Since I arrived here in Colorado, I have felt a need to reinvent different facets of my life, because some parts of the “old” me seem irrelevant now. One of these facets is my creative life, my art. For a long time I have felt stale as an artist, an illustrator, a designer. No doubt this had a lot to do with my previous job where I had no creativity, no personal gratification, and in fact no genuine relationship with my co-workers.
Now that I am free (a long, drawn-out process, because I still did some projects for them when I arrived here), I feel like a clean slate, with a brand new, inspiring environment. Trouble is, I haven’t really settled down completely as of yet; we still have tons of boxes to unpack and organize, specifically in my new studio, which will double as the guest bedroom. My drafting table is in pieces, all my creative supplies are in boxes ambiguously labeled “OFFICE,” “STUDIO” and “GUEST BEDROOM,” and we are awaiting new furnishings–a bed, matress set, pillows–to arrive and complete our guest accomodations.
I am becoming impatient. I want to dive into some new project, I want to paint my new environment, I want to try my hand at oils, I want to be a productive little hummingbird of an artist. I want to reinvent my web site, my blog, my image. Perhaps not reinvent–but adapt it all to my new place.
It would also be nice to make inspired, handmade gifts for my friends and family. I don’t even think I can make my own holiday cards this year. I need to start sending them out, like, NOW, but I have no place to make them. I feel like a cheater when I don’t make my own cards.
I also would like it if I could snap my fingers a la Mary Poppins and have it all fall into place lickety-split, with no further box opening, unloading and breaking down left to do. I have an accute sense of overwhelm every time I spot another box I haven’t been through yet. I thought I threw out so much stuff before we left–how could there be so much stuff left?
It will all fall into place as long as we keep at it, the settling in. Procrastination may be hard to fight with so many distractions, but we do have guests coming near Christmas, so there’s the deadline. It will be over soon.
