Part of being an artist is experimentation.  We get ideas, usually at two or three AM, we try remembering what they were,  and then we try to duplicate the idea.  This can be a colossal failure, or can morph into something great!

This morning I wasn’t feeling particularly  sketchy, but I had some ideas I wanted to explore. This brought me to spraying rocks through rice paper.  NOT very successfully, I might add!  That turned into taking black paint and putting a design on them.  This idea I’m still working on.  Finally in desperation for some kind of creativity, I put bug stickers on them that were left over from an art day with my three year old grandson Nolan.  Even though it looks like a three year old worked on them, at least they are finished!

Feeling not particularly creatively satisfied with what I have just worked on, I decided to work on some greeting cards I needed for some friend’s upcoming  birthdays.  This was more gratifying, but this must be an off day because I feel so undeceive.  My artistic side is in hiding!  The cards are ok, but not fabulous as in the past.  This I attribute to not having gotten together with my artsie fartsie friends! (Artsie Fartsie – Technical Art Term)

It seems when we collaborate with our artist friends, when we share creative energy, and work through ideas we flourish as artists.  I belong to a couple of groups that meet once a month, but in between, I feel sometimes like I take a nose dive.  I hit the creative wall, and am unable to cultivate any ideas.  Even the ideas I thought were too good to be true two weeks ago I can’t seem to move on.  Is this a problem with all artists, or am I the only one that runs out of energy?  Is this the time that we are supposed to recharge our creative batteries, be gentle with ourselves, & lay in a hammock with an ice tea?

Today must be a day of reflection, and ideas, maybe a little construction of greeting cards, but most of all, a day to be lazy, lay in a hammock in the shade with a big glass of peach ice tea!