Processing

I was recently talking to a dear artist friend and lamenting about what a slug I have been. I just haven't had the desire, energy or motivation to create and was feeling really down about it. It seemed to me that the more I "didn't" the more guilt came tumbling down on my shoulders. That weight added more distress to my inability to create. I don't think it was an artists block as there have been tons of ideas running through my head. I was just in a slump - I didn't want to move. I would have been perfectly content sleeping all day and most likely would have if our birds, cats and dog didn't need attention - not to mention doing for the other half. (He doesn't do well on a diet of fruit and vegetables - he needs that "man" food! Not to mention clean clothes....I digress) During the course of our conversation I told her I just had been doing nothing - she paused and then said, No, Laura you are working - you are doing a most important part of being an artist...... you are processing. I giggled at her statement and thought - yes, that's a good way to explain my lack of ambition lately - I'm not being a slug - I'm processing! I didn't think about it too much more until a few days later when my "adopted" mom said - honey I just don't know how you manage to keep everything in your head - you think and think and think and then it all comes out on fabric! In the instant of that statement I realized my dear artist friend was right - I just hadn't looked at my method of creating through another's eyes. I have been working, I've been processing ideas, designs, materials, what is to come next. And when the time is right, when all has percolated and I have an understanding it will all spill out for the world to see. I have a much better outlook after that realization.  Perhaps we all need to give ourselves permission to process and not be so hard on our "not doing".


The photo really doesn't have anything to do with my post - I just like to see pictures in people's posts! This piece, Grove, is a recent small work that is now available at the Copper Shade Tree Gallery in Round Top, TX.