distractions and excuses

so this blog is suppose to be documenting what it is i have been doing in my studio and art practice this year. to be honest for the last three weeks or so i haven't even been to my studio. ok, so i have been to drop off some glass or a new shelf, but i haven't actually been in there to do any work or get anywhere in my ideas or art work. all i have been doing is blowing glass once a week on a friday afternoon making fancy cane and glass tumblers. i am getting better technically and i am going to keep doing this in the hot shop for the rest of the year. my glass tumbler collection will be very big by then and i should be pretty good and fancy cane by then. i have already come up with a few things i think look pretty cool and when i finally get around to taking a photo of them i will post them on the blog. but i have not been spending time in the studio, only paying my rent for the space and feeling a bit guilty about my lack of discipline with my work.

so that is what i haven't been doing, so what have i been doing? well i have been enjoying the beautiful days of autumn. i have been having beers after blowing glass on fridays and hanging out with friends. i have been sewing and made my friend a birthday present (i will blog about after i have given it to her tomorrow). i have been reading and thinking about what it is i want to make. i have been trying to make myself draw and get inspired but so far without any luck. i have been trying to research other areas and visiting the state art gallery. i have been for bike rides and walks in the bush and on the beach at the ocean. so i haven't been lazy i am just trying to figure out what to do next in my work.

in the meantime i also have many other things keeping my preoccupied like my want to learn to garden here in this dry hot place, and looking into joining a local community garden, procratinating on the project i gave myself to learn to play the piano accordion, sewing my own clothing, (so far only jumpers, button up shirts, skirts and a simple dress), wanting to start making a new quilt, and finally there is work.

i only work for 30 hours a week and i do this in 3 days but somehow i am still short of time. my job is good and i enjoy it but it does take up lots of energy and space in my brain. i basically organise how a studio runs and do lots of the behind the scenes stuff, paperwork, organising and dealing with lots of people. all good but by the end of the day or week i just don't have the time to do my own stuff. i am finally able to relate to when i was young and my folks would come home from work and not want to do anything. i thought they were crazy just working and resting, i was always doing something and up until a year ago kept that same energy up but now perhaps i am just getting older but i don't have that energy anymore. i realise that my job is important to me and and it takes up a lot of my time and energy. and then there is my practice that also takes a lot of time and energy and then there is life which also takes lots of time and energy and i guess i am just learning how to try and enjoy it all and find balance.

so at the end of this i know i will get there in my pracitice it is just going to take longer than it used it. and i know i will get into my studio eventually.....