Studio Weekend

Wild Women Reception 2005

Ahhhh….a successful studio day. I worked all weekend on a couple of pieces for my upcoming Wild Woman Annual art show in June. I had started one of the pieces almost 3 months ago, but I got frustrated, so I left it sitting in pieces on a shelf. I would walk by it almost everyday, but it did not speak to me, it was not ready to be birthed. Somehow yesterday, it shouted, "I am ready! Let’s get going!", so I pulled it off the shelf and finished it today in almost 2 hours.  The second piece I created this weekend, came together in two days and I already have an idea for the third. I won’t be showing the pieces quite yet. I will reveal them the day of the Wild Woman reception, June 8th.

I have an interesting process and some of you might relate, so I thought I would share it with you. It has taken me some time to come to terms with it, as I used to sit in judgment of it. I am…a simmerer. What does that mean? I have to let my art simmer in the pot for awhile, until it is pretty much boiling over. That usually means that before shows I am crunching toward the deadlines. As a coach, you would think I would be better at spacing things out, to give myself more time. I have tried it, but honestly, it doesn’t work for me. So there you have it, true confessions.

The important thing is that we recognize our particular "style," so we don’t beat ourselves up and let the gremlins get in the way. Gremlins love any opportunity to do the happy dance, so ask yourself today, "What is my style? How do I get my best work done?"  I have many friends who create art on a daily basis. dancer Twyla Tharp is one of those women. She has a created a rigid discipline to sustain her momentum. She discusses her process in her book The Creative Habit. It is a great book and her concept will work for some of us…but not all of us.

Off for a bike ride in the glorious spring sunshine.

WRITE IT: Take some time today to reflect on your own creative process. How do you get your best work done? Are you a daily studio artist, or a simmering artist like me? Be honest, that way you can see what your the patterns of you’re natural ebb and flow. Please share your comments, I would love to hear them.