The Art of Making Art

Okay, so obviously there was only ONE PERSON who actually got the message I was trying to throw out there. And she is an absolute master of marketing, so maybe I'll switch tracks here and talk about the art of making art. Wow, something completely different.

There is an inherent drive inside of me that dictates to me that I must create art. Okay, that's a little strong. I must ATTEMPT to create art, because we all know that not everything always turns out for the best. However, I just don't understand people who say, "Oh, I just didn't feel like it today" like you have a choice in the matter. I can understand being too tired, too sick, too busy with that major annoyance called Life. But really?? You didn't feel like it? If I had my way, I would spend every day in the studio, for 10-12 hours, because I have that much stuff on my Someday list. You know, Someday I'm going to try (insert new medium/technique/subject matter here). There are so many things I want to do concerning art, and I'm getting very afraid that I won't live long enough to do them all. Maybe it's due to the fact that I chose the wife/mother/artist way of life, and there are not enough hours to do everything the way I feel they should be done. Unrealistic? Probably, but that's what I deal with. So how to fix it? I try to schedule my time in the studio when I am least likely to be interrupted. The other times, I'm planning, networking, marketing (there's that Gorilla again) or mentally preparing to paint while I'm folding laundry, making dinner or (ugh) cleaning. So what is the perfect balance? I don't know, I'm still trying to find it. Do I have regrets about the life path I chose?? Not for a minute. I wouldn't change anything at all. I am just where I'm supposed to be, and any challenges are lessons that I need to learn. So what I'm saying is, there is an art to making art, and if it came too easily I suppose there would be no joy in it. When I do get a stretch of time in the studio, I can feel myself slipping into the zone, and I don't have to think about anything but the brush in my hand, and that is a beautiful thing. So, if you are an artist, you have this voice in your head that says "Go, paint, create, and make your world better just for today", and sometimes, in spite of dust bunnies and wet towels on the floor, you go and make art.