Balance. All my life I’ve sought this elusive state.
I don’t mean mentally (ok, perhaps sometimes I mean mentally), I mean balance in being. Balance in how I spend my days: achieving an amount of everything required in order to feel nourished and whole in my life.
For someone that has a bit of an “all or nothing” approach to the activities I choose to pursue, I think I’m remarkably level headed in a general sense. Well I would say that wouldn’t I?!
I’m ruminating on my balancing act, as I often have enormous guilt over my single mindedness when I’m creating art, which is most days. Chores, cooking, and family life often take a back seat.
On a practical level, my husband is made of stellar stuff: he cooks, he cleans, he supports the household and me so I can pursue my ambition. All whilst holding down a successful career of his own! I often wonder how he achieves this balance. He gets stuff done, and seems to be able to switch effortlessly between tasks, and domestic life. I’ve asked him, of course. He doesn’t really know, he just does what needs doing.
Whereas I find it a terrible wrench to leave a painting and disrupt my flow to cook a meal or walk the dog.
This last week has been more balanced than usual, and it’s been lovely. Sunny days with family, walks in unfamiliar places.
Yet as Monday comes around I know the minute I step into my groove, the cycle will begin again – the flow of my creative life will carry me far from shore. Like an unsuspecting tourist bobbing around in an inflatable on unfamiliar currents, I’ll eventually look up and have no idea how I drifted so far from the beach!
I really enjoyed reading this especially because it re-sounded within me a few things. I am not fortunate to have a husband that cooks or cleans but he is the bread-earner, I am grateful for that. By the way I realized that you are one of those artists out there than is recognizable by your style and your palette. I wonder if I have a recognizable palette, interesting concept, I now am going to do some research. I truly enjoyed discovering your slide-show at the bottom in which I can view them closer-up. Is this a constant on each post? I just might do a slide-show. Once again, lovely post. 😀
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Hello Margaret! I really do appreciate my hubby – I find I spend quite a bit of time being frustrated with myself. I think as I’m getting older too, my brain won’t switch as spritely from task to task! It’s interesting your comment about style and palette – and I’m kinda reassured to hear that (thank you), as I do jump around a lot with mediums and approaches. And I think you too also have a style. Do you Instagram at all? The grid style layout is fantastic at seeing your work at a glance, and I think you’d be surprised how cohesive different pieces look together.
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I have heard of Instagram but that is as far as I know! Be more than reassured it is a good thing, a wonderful thing to have a recognizable palette and style. I see too many people out there trying on other artists’ way of painting or the colors they use because simply they are looking over at their field of poppies and wanting that field and not looking at their own field of let’s say….daffodils! 🙂
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I pressed send to soon! Also, the slide show is on my blog permanently I think. Somehow I found a place where you could add it (sidebar I think, in customise Theme) – it’s a widget!
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ah! okay…..a permanent but being a widget. I know how to do that. I just might emulate you 🙂
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Wow that sounds wonderful! I’m going to get my husband to read this lol.
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Wow that sounds wonderful! I’m going to get my husband to read this lol.
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Ha! And oh no!
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hehe….I might try but I think my husband is too set in that mud of his own thinking!
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Oh no ladies I do not want to cause international marriage disharmony!
Really it’s me that’s the weird one being caught up in my own head – I’m sure my husband would rather being playing golf than wondering if he’s got to cook tea again!
And let me know if you need any more help with the widget slideshow thing!
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That’s what I’m thinking too 😉
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I enjoyed reading this post Vicki! If I could I would stay in my studio until I can’t stand any longer. Alas, I have a 13 year old to care for(wouldn’t trade him for anything) and a husband who actually wants to spend time with me,imagine that :). Oh well, I do understand what you mean about staying in your head too much. It is where I live and I have to remind myself often there are other things I need to do. Your paintings are lovely!!!
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Hey Willena! Ah you’re so kind! I just wish I was better at being present. One of the issues for me is working from home, whilst lovely, also means there are no delineated times…. When I went out to work I was much more focussed on family when at home. Still, it’s about adapting, being grateful, and just stepping back and making sure I’m doing my bit too!
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