dear darlington:

It's been a rollercoaster of a journey so far and it's only been two weeks (to the day) without a day job...I'm still trying to figure out a natural way of working in my studio...for years I've had small pockets of time, usually late in the evening to crank out work so I'm used to working with limited time and churning out as much work as I can in that block of time.  With long stretches of time my mind wanders, I seem to get less done...it's proven a challenge (which makes no sense, I admit....wow, Steph you have more time than ever to create and yet you feel like you're creating less)

Realistically, I've made a lot of work in the last two weeks, perhaps when you compare it to my larger pockets of time, it just seems like less.  I made 32 mini pieces for the annual "Mini show" that opens this Friday at Art Bar...I'm proud of these pieces and excited to make more.

I have seven larger pieces in progress at the moment...staring me down (or up) from my studio floor.

Emotionally and Mentally, I'm still adjusting.  I'm what some might call (correctly) a workaholic.  It's weird enough to just have one job at a time but I've never had 4 days a week to myself...Never.  I'm appreciating things more.  Afternoon walks.  Making myself breakfast (lunch, and dinner as well).  What little money I do have, I appreciate & save and make plans for...I see more of my husband and get to hear a lot more of his music, even had time to make his latest concert poster which in the past I've often been too busy to help out with...or he hasn't thought to ask because I haven't been around...

I keep running into two extremes...I wake up and feel confident, ready for the challenges ahead.  This feeling usually is a result of having recently sold some art or booked a show.

OR I wake up feeling a bit frightened, overwhelmed, on the brink of a panic attack. This is usually caused by days or even mere hours going by having sold no art and made no contacts and being left to wonder if I'm making the right decision after all.

I've decided to take those good moments & run with them, pack them away in my brain and my heart as encouragement when I face those harder times which I have decided to take on as challenges...after all, if it was all so easy I wouldn't want to do it to begin with.

So here's to a new month of making it without a timecard to punch...I'll let you know how it goes.