I often wonder if my son inherited his easily distracted nature from me. A cat walking by or the sight of something shiny is often all it takes to get him off task. What's my excuse? There's that magazine that came in the mail that I started to put with all of the others, realizing I hadn't read it and looking through it instead of putting it away. Time wasted. I see the cat barfed on the carpet. Again. Gotta clean that up. Someone put their dirty dishes on the counter instead of in the dishwasher. Pick that up, see that salt is spilled around the stove, clean that up, see the trash is full, take it out, pass by the litter box...do they do anything other than barf and poop? Clean that up. Uh oh, it's nearing 5:00 and I haven't got anything planned for dinner (because I hate cooking), so now it's time for a quick trip to the store. On and on and on come and go the distractions and excuses and the wasted time.
The call to be creative has quieted in my head and that worries me. Does the urge to be creative wane as the act of being creative becomes less often exercised? How do I get motivated to be creative again? Is creativity akin to playing an instrument, so that the more I practice the better I get and the more ideas flow?
Next week family arrives to celebrate Christmas with us, visiting our new home for the first time. I've spent days trying to get better organized and tidy so that they see the house, not the contents. While putting things in their proper place (or just trying to figure out that proper place) and tidying up, I stumbled on a tiny object that my cyber mentor and friend made for me, and it got me thinking about the choices I make in terms of how I spend my time. In response to my frustration with a damaged snoot on one of my sculpted faces, Debbie told me about an epoxy clay I could use to mend said snoot. She sent me a bit to try, in addition to this little sculpture about the size of a dime, two faces made of the two colors, as a demonstration piece. I treasure this little piece of art and have it at my work desk as a reminder that even something as small as offering a bit of information can be done creatively and something can be created in a short amount of time. How I wish I had her talent and creative soul! Inspiration strikes again.
Now to do something with that inspiration.
It's time to put the plan I've blithered on about into action. Make something. Schedule art time. Pick up a piece of clay and start a new art doll. Bind a quilt. Do something. Make something.
In an effort to do and not just talk, I'm cancelling plans to attend a party tonight. When people ask me what I do, I want to be able to say I'm an artist, not a time-wasting wanna be. Gotta go get my hands dirty. Gotta channel the spirit of Debbie.
