Challenges of Starting Something New
11:20a.m. Saturday, May 20, 2023
I am currently sitting on the bed of the room in the apartment that I am living in this summer. I am subletting in a friend’s apartment, and it is my first summer away from home! I am only an hour away, but living completely on my own is something pretty new and exciting!
With this new change and start to the summer, I wanted to spend the beginning reflecting on the academic year and setting goals for the upcoming months. Part of this process included looking over all of my old notes and journal entries and running into a few old sketches:
(Digitally collaged ink sketches from my journal)
One of my biggest goals has been to start a new body of work and really challenge myself to take creative risks and push to create some sort of innovative technique that hasn’t been done before.
Though I have been in this apartment for nearly a week and a half, I have not once sat down to create anything for myself.
What’s strange is that I know I’m not scared to make a mistake with my work, but I have shied away from actually taking the time to create something new. Instead, I have been continuing on commissions or taking notes on LinkedIn Learning videos which seem more important in my head.
This battle has felt the same as tying to get a toddler to go to bed:
“I feel like I don’t know what subject or content I feel inspired to paint…”
This is total BS because I have a whole list of art ideas I have yet to experiment with.
I know that the ideas will come once I just start for goodness sake!
“I really should get my commissions done first…”
Or, you can schedule set time to do both!
When I was reflecting from my journal, it is crazy to think just how many thoughts I have each minute of each day, and how only a fraction of them end up expressed on the page in some sort of way. With so many thoughts, hopefully I can focus them and take the time to finally win this mental war.
Here’s what I am up to:
I am interning at a community art gallery that showcases local, contemporary artwork.
I started another job at a chocolate shop!
I am running my first marathon in one week from tomorrow!
Planning my second annual Pop-Up in the Longmeadow Shops that will take place on August 3rd. Mark your calendar!
Finding time for solo trips to meet new artists and share my work as much as I can!
Continuing to grow my business and share what I love to do with you all!
Journal entries/blogs here on my website
Thank you for reading my mind, and I hope you enjoyed this little journal entry into a fraction of today’s countless thoughts.
