Removing the Friction

 Lengthy…but I do eventually have a point!

I’ve been in a bit of an artistic slump/life transition stage for what seems like forever. If you have been following my Instagram/Facebook page for a while (all 200ish of you….LOL) then you know that my postings have been nonexistent over the last few months.

Moving into retirement, trying to figure out what life looks like on the other side of 65, and wrapping my head around ALL the stuff that is way beyond my control yet daily impacts my life has really kind of tossed a big old monkey wrench into my life.

I would love to say that I’ve got it all figured out, but since lying is a sin…and it is soooooooo clear that I no longer have a clue what is going on in the world anymore, I am embracing the concept of just breathing through the cray cray.

I am gradually trying to get over myself and just pick up a pencil (or pastel, or paintbrush) and just do something…anything, just do it!!!!

I have taken a few positive steps to ease back into my creative flow.

I was telling a sweet friend of mine who has been walking with me through all of my whining and complaining of late. I shared with her the concept of removing the friction. I wish I could take credit for this simple concept but somebody way smarter than me came up with it and I wish I could thank them.

I am all about removing the friction. The reality is that I am basically a very lazy person. If the path to create something seems too hard or too complicated then I will build up all kinds of reasons, or simply refuse to step over the stumbling blocks in favor of doing nothing. Sad but TRUE!

I took a small step today to reestablish “removing the friction” in my process.

I have shared with several times about my drawing station I have set up in the living room. You can scroll through my feed to see pictures of my little drawing station if you are thus inclined.

Well, I hate to admit this, but in an effort to be completely transparent I will share when my grandchildren visit the house I have to put my little turntable with all my pencils, pens, etc. away. It is simply too much of a temptation for little fingers, not to mention a little dangerous for the littles who want to put everything in their moth. When the Grands come over the drawing station needs to be put away. The last time they came over it got put away and sadly in my current state of malaise I let the overwhelming-ness of my life take over and I never got it back out.

Well, one small step last achieved last night and my drawing station is sitting by the table next to me as I type this out. I actually did a small value study last night whilst watching television, and no I’m not going to post a picture of it because I’m horrible rusty…

Moving on to step two…

My husband got a new laptop last year, and I inherited his old laptop, an upgrade for me from my ancient laptop. My ancient laptop had been gathering dust in the junk room and I thought, what did I have to loose. I took it up to my studio to see if I could get it up and running.

All I really needed it to do is connect to the internet and my Bluetooth speaker so that I can access YouTube (the laptop is so old and the internal speakers no longer work) and my various art accounts I follow.

After a few minutes of running the old computer though a few software updates and looking for some charging cords I have my old laptop set up and ready to go.

I have removed the friction.

I don’t have to take my good laptop upstairs every time I want to go up to my studio.

It may seem like a very simple thing, but it was a HUGE stumbling block for me.

Removing the friction is a good thing and for me it is one of the most important realities of my life.

 

Life is complicated enough…removing the rough edges, removing the friction to make things a bit easier…well for me that is a HUGE bonus and one that I am trying to re-remember.

If you have read all the way though this…then God bless you!

Let me know how you stay connected to your creative process.

What works for you?

How do you keep those creative juices flowing?

How do you remover the stumbling blocks from your process when you hit a wall?

Y’all take care and with some prayer and maybe a dose of inspiration I’ll have something to post soon….

 

Blessings

R