I just celebrated my birthday recently. It got me thinking about the idea that you embark upon a new year on your birthday. It’s the perfect mid year point to take a look at how I’m doing, what I’m doing, and to make adjustments and changes. It’s an acceptable time for new beginnings like a highly personal New Year. For me, I haven’t spent as much time as I’d like on my art. The reasons are threefold: I’m busy baking, I’m in summer mode, and because my schedule is inconsistent right now, I’ve been spending too much time on my phone.
So, I’ve been making little changes in my day to carve out time for sitting at my studio desk and just keeping my hands busy doing something analog. I revisited some collages on watercolor paper that I started awhile ago, made a card for a relative’s birthday, and even tried flower pounding on paper, which was very easy and satisfying. Often, I will wake up earlier than necessary to spend some time writing or poking around my plants rather than immediately turning to my phone.
If I’ve learned one important lesson over the years, it’s that art is actually practice. It takes time getting into the habit of making and the only way to do it is to actually do it! It also means that the getting back into it isn’t pretty. It’s not a time for masterpieces, or great breakthroughs. It’s like starting to run again after a break. Your body has to gradually get used to doing increased amounts of mileage before running a marathon. Your mind has to become reaccustomed to hearing itself loud and clear, unchallenged by podcasts and emails and Instagram. I’m writing this down as a reminder to myself, that it’s good and healthy to begin again, that it takes time and strife, that things will be rough in the beginning. But ultimately, I’ll be happy to be back in the habit and it’ll feel as easy as it used to.
Emily: I have for ages celebrated a new year on my August birthday and wished others a happy new year on theirs. Am interested in flower pounding as I have some pansies I have nurtured along in a flower box in the shade. They are deserving.