Okay, I am coping. Some movement I attribute to working these items below.
Like exercise, you have to force it then it feels good.
(Okay, me and exercise, in theory only.)
Maybe some is the answer to prayers, a shift in consciousness.
Perhaps some is the collective sighing a sigh of relief.
Gratitude.
Mind you, I didn’t want to do it, and now am sorry I stopped,
as I used to write gratitude daily and it works. I am forcing myself to do this again.
I do have many things for which I am grateful.
My husband — and that I am not walking through this alone,
which many people are, and that would be lonely and frightening.
My cats, who make me laugh with their antics. Never a dull moment.
A job. I may sometimes hate it but I am grateful for it.
My Buddhist practice… Having a spiritual practice supports me in so many ways.
Sometimes, I simply do “it” for the ones I love.
Whatever “it” is, like keeping a good frame of mind in the studio to help bolster Mitchell.
If I am drowning then of course I tell him, but keeping things positive for him is a way to keep things positive for me. This also applies to cooking good meals,
and saying thank you when he brings me coffee in the mornings.
Celebrating memories.
In past, I have not paid attention to Facebook offering up memories, but these days I am looking at the memories as many are positive. It reminded me that I have to take the time to remember good times, silly stuff, and crate celebration. Luckily, all I have to do is look up on my wall. Mitchell and friends send me things, and these cheer me.
Friends.
I shared my struggles on Facebook and here and have many public and private responses… knowing that others are struggling is comforting, even if I wish they were not.
My blogging buddies are the best, and art buddies.
I have a few friends from high school days, and that is nice too.
Ritual.
I’ve been creating ritual for so long I forget to talk about it…
but it is so important to our lives.
I work with the phases of the moon, building and releasing — as I publish this we are going into the Dark of the Moon, a releasing period.
And there are daily rituals around the cats, our work days, and divination.
Is this something you all might be interested in?
Forcing myself to sketch. Anything.
Hardest one yet, but doing this over the weekend when I didn’t want sketch, it helped.
And shockingly, I am pleased with what I posted this week, a pleasant surprise!
What works for you?
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“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!
©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back to dkatiepowellart.
Unwinding Stuck
I don’t remember the last time I was stuck like this… weeks on end. I was looking for images for something I am writing and went back through a few journals and cannot believe the difference between pre-2020 and post-2020. I’d like to blame it on Covid but there is more.
Looking deeply, using all my words, I became overly cautious, lazy, critical, worried… I stopped sketching. Part of this was exhaustion from the stress in our business due to Covid issues*, but I am also depressed. I sleep like I did when I was a teen, and I feel hopeless.
Always risky to share journal entries, but this is important. I went back to some earlier journals and Natalie Goldberg’s books on writing… and applied it to art.
Creativity is creativity, after all.
I identified — and that was easy — that the iffiness of income is stressful. We have enough work in the business but clients are paying sluggishly, and that is difficult. Also, the stress in the business due to Covid is handling procedures, and also difficulty in finding materials. So many people have gone out of business, or if not, are on limited schedules so that we have to time calling them for orders. The former also adds to our stress — when a great business goes away then you can’t help but look at what could happen in your own. I think if we were younger it would have less impact but the hours added to our days just to try to stay on schedule is considerable and the best clients understand and then there are the others that simply add to our stress as our schedules have radically changed.
Setting all this aside, I moved to my personal issues with creativity,
writing through then, asking questions of myself then answering.
Writing it all down was the best thing I could do.
And through it all, I had to keep remembering to breathe, breath deeply, breathe often. Are you aware when you hold your breath to steel against whatever is coming?
Breath-work is the way out of that anxiety-producing activity.
“I am too old now…”
Wow that one runs through my head constantly!
Maybe some is this is for good reason — I am exhausted and feel old and worn out!
In the end I don’t think this has anything to do with how other’s perceive me but it is about being tired and lack of time… When you are young taking a year out is not as big a deal as when you are in your sixties…
Still, if it is a perceived lack of time then why am I not using all my spare minutes?
Depression. Again, I asked, “Why?” and listened, writing.
“I’ll never sell anything.” Crap.
That is about the massive rejection I’ve had, and so that is a hard one to fight. I actually have been turned down constantly for anything art related. Not so architecture or writing.
I have a goal of moving to augment our living with my artwork, but it seems futile.
Okay, I will work on this little ditty that runs through my head.
I took a break and sketched a bit and will share that later. Then…
This came up as I was sketching: “Am I an artist or am I a teacher?”
Yes I can be both but where is my interest?
Teaching, it has always been teaching, with art/writing coming a close second.
I am never tired when teaching, and this is probably why I keep a blog.
I also can paint or write for hours without tiring, and am eager to return to it.
This is all a good start and btw, writing this down instead of having it swirl in my head is a step toward climbing out of this hole in which I am sinking!
*Note: we do not have Covid…
and…
One of my great pleasures is writing with Chesapeake Pen Company’s pens.
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com
“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!
Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook, Fineline Masking Fluid,
Chesapeake Driftwood pen with stub nib and Robert Oster Turquoise ink,
Chesapeake Seaglass pen with architect nib nib and Robert Oster Forest Green ink,
Chesapeake Oyster pen with architect nib nib and Robert Oster Australian Opal Grey ink.
©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back to dkatiepowellart.
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I teach architectural sketching,
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