Making Art your priority

...and "La vida es corta"

Epiphany..Read my calendar the other day . The non religious take is , (according to the Cambridge dictionary ) “A moment when you suddenly understand , or suddenly become conscious of , something that is very important to you.”

I would not label it a New Years Resolution but the word epiphany works .

How can I appreciate my time and participate fully in life daily ?

It feels extra meaningful to me these days. I am on the cusp of 70 years old -which by the way feels so much different than even 65 . Why do I often take time for granted in this precious life? Always looking ahead in anticipation of the next interesting event.

The future is officially clipped and I must consider it now in a condensed form .I have been in denial of this evidence for some time now.

Why not offer myself art time before “things that should get done” prioritize enjoyable nurturing activity over “shoulds”

I am fairly adept at focusing on art before dishes, dusting or floor cleaning for example. Or art before exercise.

How can I make my precious time work for me.

There is also reading, writing and movement . Blessed sleep to factor in.

Eating food I enjoy and that is also healthy for me. Drinking more water.

Time well spent with kindred spirits. Giving back .

And there is Art -which offers great fulfillment and joy. While making art as my professional side hustle I recognised the satisfaction it gave me as a comforting contrast to my giving profession. Hustle was the operative word however -and making art for sale involved much more than the creation itself.

Now there doesn’t have to be an either or - Both approaches to creativity are possible.

Without hustle.

So what is preventing me from realizing my priorities ? From making art after all my responsibilities are taken care of ?(this can be endless!)

My phone

My distractible personality

not always prioritizing joyful art making over other activities/responsibilities

What I have started to do so far ..

I have researched dumb (simple ) phones and although attractive in many ways I found the cost prohibitive (perhaps this will change with heightened public awareness and time). Many don’t have the connectivity I require with long distance calls .

For now I have decided to take off apps which promoted scrolling and distraction-I will monitor to see if it makes a difference in my time for other pursuits, focus -and mood! (so far after 3 days it feels so much lighter!)

So I am saying goodbye to my main App distractions on my phone - News, Pinterest, Youtube , Instagram and Facebook (which I hadn’t been posting on much for art -but definitely crept sneakily into following others and activism ). I have left email on for now as it fits into my communication category

In my hand it is oh so convenient- and if the temptation is removed then I am starting from a healthier place

Also the phone does not belong in my bedroom and can be safely stored in another room unless I make a call -or am receiving one. My excuse has been I need to check the time (I don’t )

Do I need to replace my morning routine? (I’m an early riser and first one up!)

Yes indeed .

I am checking my email and perhaps the weather ( I am Canadian lol) on the phone .

I have a journal I write in sporadically -now daily.

I always have a book on the go..

I like to make art in the daylight and currently its too dark for me first thing in the morning -but I can write down or simply think about process and ideas .

I can stretch my body into the day and have an early breakfast.

My computer still exists for catching up on other things but it is static and I notice I utilize it much differently. I don’t need to carry around with me the information the smart phone spits out at me 24/7. the computer is my tool for connectivity,knowledge , and art related business

-but my hope is my phone will once again be my phone.

Have you considered changing up your relationship to your Smartphone?

Do you feel you can remain informed if you're not tuned in to your apps or current events?

A thoughtful post from Jen Shaw (nee Christie)

Analog thoughts

I am enjoying meaningful on and offline line pursuits like :

My Artist Jetpack group for make-alongs and group meetups

Artists who offer online draws to participate in

Sketching with our local group live once monthly

and of course Writing newsletters in Substack !

There is also an English expression in the Spanish language I must have tattooed on my body one day soon . “La vida es corta” or ..life is short.

How are you maximizing your time for your artist self? Are you easily distracted?

Working on a few sketches from a live draw offered by The Picturebook Studio with Illustrator/artist Holly Surplice ..It was a relaxing timed drawing session of wild animals from the UK and some interesting background information about each creature !

Definitely..time well spent! :-)

Thank you for reading ageless artist

Heather

You can take a look at my art here my web page and shop

and if you are interested in becoming involved in our community of ageless artists online

.. the jet pack artist club is where you can join us for meet ups, projects and makealongs .

Also Get your artist jetpack on is always free to subscribe to.. A newsletter dedicated to the working ageless artist .