So how’m I doing in my quest to re-invent my life, follow my evolving Blisses and create the life I really, really want?
The week started with a podcast interview, ramped up to a singing gig on Thursday (my first with my ukulele!), and wrapped up with art-making, a party filled with music-making, and finally girls’ night out to see Eat, Pray, Love.
Considering that the life I really, really want is one in which I’m regularly creating, making art and music, and spending time with friends (among other things), I’d say I’m doing pretty well this week!
Add to this the discovery of an excellent new auto shop just around the corner (and much less expensive than the dealer), and hot dang, life is good!
Still, I got hit this week by a couple of days of blues and blahs, and a post by Dave Navarro on Why You Need to Abandon Your Rescue Fantasy was just what the doctor ordered.
The curse of the rescue fantasy
You know that fantasy that a sudden windfall will magically disappear your debt? Or that your art/music/writing will be magically “discovered” and catapult you to fame and fortune? Or that you’ll win the lottery (even though you never buy a ticket) and all your money woes will be forever gone?
I confess, I’m as tempted as the next person by the lure of such rescue fantasies. Face it, life is hard, and sometimes you just want it to be magically made easy.
The problem is, dwelling on rescue fantasies keeps you immobile, and that stuckness provides very fertile soil for blues and blahs to settle in.
The solution: accepting responsibility
Awhile back I made a piece of art to address this victim trap, and to remind myself that I am:
However, I’m also as susceptible as the next person to drifting off track, and this week I had to face the fact that for several weeks I hadn’t been making art (except for clients, which is a different animal entirely).
Not making new art has been making me feel loser-ish and downright cranky. It was high time for a course adjustment.
Inspiration from corners both concrete and virtual
Thankfully, right at the height of my loser-ish cranky feeling this week, I stopped for tea at my friend Amy & Joe’s house, the walls of which are graced by Joe’s fabulous, fun and whimsical paintings. “Oh yeah,” I thought, “now I remember: I want to do that!”
Just a day or two later I discovered two cool websites, Scoutie Girl, an outside-the-box manual for creative living & mindful spending, and Creative Thursday, home of artist/illustrator Marisa Haedike, who (among other things) has a line of totally adorable daily paintings she’s been creating since 2006.
Wham! That was all the inspiration I needed to pull out one of the canvases I bought months ago and finally crack open some languishing tubes of paint.
And you know what? Even though I’m not utterly delighted with what emerged, I am utterly delighted with the experience I had creating it. And that’s what really matters.
I’ve been wanting to paint on canvas for ages, and can’t wait to play some more! (I’m this close to committing to making a daily painting, like Marisa of Creative Thursday… but not quite. Stay tuned…)
Juices are flowing again, and my Blisses back in sight.
For now.
