Dry Spell

What to do when one hits a dry spell? I keep hitting them these days, but not because I don't want to be in my studio working.  It's more like life keeps pushing and pulling me in other directions.  I suspect I'm not the only one.  In an ideal art-centered world, making art would come first and everything else would just magically fall into place.  Mine, though, isn't an ideal art-centered world. It's a hurry-and-keep-up-with-everything-you-have-to-do sort of place, instead.

Looking at paintings I've done helps me realize I'll have time to dip that deeply again

This weekend was taken up with family, church and household duties.  Actually, family, church and home are my priorities, those are the things that matter most to me so they logically should take the front seat on the crazy bus ride that is my life. That said, when there is no time for creativity, I tend to get more stressed. How to balance everything is a big quest in my life. In most lives these days, don't you think?

These bright cacti paintings are from a period of time where I had time to grow fast.  I'll get that chance again, I just have to be patient till that happens.

I wish I had a formula to share, a list that would clear it all up and make it easy to stay balanced and reduce the stresses we live with.  I don't.  I do know this- there are dry spells where time is short and personal time is lean.  Then, along will come a period of creative fatness, a window where everything goes smoothly and there is time for all that has to be done.  If it weren't for the lean times, would I recognize the fat ones?  Probably not, so I'll keep up the best I can till things settle down and then enjoy the easy days more because of it.  Hmm, maybe I do have a formula, after all.

Thanks for stopping by! Alice