R O U N D . H E R E
The winter holiday break is over for another year, and just like last year, we jammed as much as we possibly could into the two weeks while trying to balance the need for rest and reset to be ready for an already busy term three.
There were many highlights, but some of my fav’s were heading out to the hills where we cooked sausages on the fire and made damper twists (complete with lashings of melted butter and golden syrup!), seeing two of the terrible trio enjoy themselves at a Roller Disco put on by the local PCYC, visiting the National Museum in Canberra and seeing the Feared and Revered Exhibition. (I highly recommend seeing that exhibition before it ends in August!) and catching up with some friends, kid-free, one night!
This means that I totally forgot that I was recording an artist date video for you – I was having too much fun!
But truly this is a blessing because I know that if I had recorded it during our holidays it wouldn’t be a calm relaxing painting video. I would bet everything I own that the minute I hit record the cat would go psycho, the neighbours would start mowing, grinding or some other noisy thing and the terrible trio would live up to their nickname and fight.
Now that school’s back, I have time to paint in peace, so my artist date video is still on my agenda and ready for my next email.
So instead I thought today, I would answer a beautiful question from Stacey G
She asks:
‘Kirst, I have a question for you! I was wondering do you create art every day?’
Thanks for asking this question, Stacey!
When I first started my creative exploration, I would create something every day. This was for two reasons.
- Because I wanted to make my creativity a habit, so I would schedule it in my diary like an appointment.(The way my brain works is ‘if it isn’t scheduled, it isn’t done’.)
- Because I wanted to draw something other than stick figures, so I knew I had to practice drawing. (However, as I tell my customers who say they can’t draw anything but stick figures – someone made mint designing stick figure stickers!)
By the way – what I made every day was rarely a fully finished painting. It may have been a quick sketch, a sewing project, some craft or doodling project, or a little drawing in my journal. I wasn’t in the studio painting all day – I definitely didn’t have time for that with three kids under four and a half! 😜
I would squeeze my art into smaller time chunks – before the kids woke up, when they went for a nap, watched a movie, or when they went to bed.
Now I still don’t get to create for five hours in the studio every day! 🥲
I have to compromise – generally, on a good week, I will spend two or three days a week working on the admin and marketing side of the biz and other projects on the go (like my book and the wee beasties) and will spend the other days painting.
I have a sketchbook in the car and on the coffee table in the lounge room, in my handbag, so when I pick up the kids from school or dance, I may do a little sketch, and while I am binging a show in the evening, I will look through stock photo websites or Pinterest and sketch in my book.
And while I don’t create every day anymore, I have a sketchbook or notebook with me where ever I go, so if inspiration does strike, I can quickly sketch it down. (And if I don’t have a notebook, I will pull up my notes app, and describe the idea in as much detail as I can!)
I hope this answers your question Stacey G – thank you so much for asking.
IF YOU HAVE A CREATIVE, ART, OR LIFE QUESTION FOR ME? ASK AWAY HERE
