Five Hours of Painting

Well I painted for five hours today (and I'd like to give a shout out to Wes who brought me coffee at the studio in the Art Building this morning).  After all the work I can't say that I'm done, but I can say that I've taken a big load of the pressure off myself for the projects that will be due next week.

In celebration I made a postcard today for the Postcard Project.  I haven't made many postcards this term because my school workload has been pretty heavy, and honestly something that I do for my personal enjoyment has to take a backseat to something that I'm being marked on.  It's the hard cold reality of the student's life.

You know, I hate having to justify myself.  I've felt self-concious about posting about the postcard project ever since someone complained about not getting their card yet on on of my public spaces.  The truth is that the cards are free, and I'm doing my best to make them.  But part of me felt bad about not getting them out every week like I did last year.  Another part has been astonished that someone would complain about having to wait to get something that is a free gift of original art.  It's interesting how our society is one that has turned into one that is totally abosrbed into the cult of instant gratification.  Some things take time.  My mom used to tell me that anything worth having is worth waiting for (which may explain why I didn't get married until I was 32).  So I've stopped feeling bad about that, and as soon as I stopped feeling bad about it I was able to get so much more work done, including the new postcard.

It is another lesson I have had to learn the hard way.  I can't spend my life living to the ideas of what other people think I should be doing. I have to set my own priorities, and do what I feel is the most important.  OK, so as a student my professors have a lot of say over what is important on any given week.  That is true. But I decided to go back to school, and that is really important to me.  So that is my priority.

I have one more week of classes.  I'm very excited to start my summer break (spring/summer... since there is still snow in the back yard!)  I'll get back to the blog, to making art, to going out into the mountains with the kids, and all the stuff that I love.

I refilled the bird feeders this afternoon and felt the sun on my face, and could feel that knot of busy-ness start to unwind a bit.  I have really loved this term at the University, and I'm excited to go back in the fall, but for now, I'm really looking forward to my break and all the things I'll get to do for my own enjoyment.

Heck - I might even be able to make my garden grow this year.