Yesterday I saw a friend in the self-service lane at Woolworths, and as we quickly caught up, while trying to make sure the machine didn’t beep at us too much for not putting our groceries in the bags quickly enough, I realised that there were only three days left of January.
This kind of blew my mind because a) I couldn’t tell you what day it was and b) I thought we still had three weeks left not days!
Life in the studio has been quiet. 2024 left me feeling drained – physically, mentally, spiritually and creatively. I was like our local Wyangla Dam at the end of the 2010’s drought – left with only three per cent of capacity.
I remember sitting down at some point in December to paint something. I didn’t have a plan; I just knew that I needed to paint, yet there were no ideas. I couldn’t even draw a line on the page.
I had nothing left to give. I remember crying that day.
So after some intense reflection and thought, I realised that part of the reason I was so burnt out was that I really neglected my own self-care, so worried about everything and everyone else I forgot the first rule – making sure I put my oxygen mask on first.
In an effort not to totally drain the Dam, I decided not to pressure myself into painting, or writing or even worrying about posting to my socials for a couple of weeks.
Instead, I pottered in the studio and the house; I tended to my very neglected indoor jungle, I decluttered small areas at a time (like how many water bottles do we actually need?), I cleaned out my closet, I dusted for the first time in possibly eight months, and I started slowly planning out this year.
And slowly, I have felt the sparks of creativity starting to stir, the ideas are starting to flow and I am craving uninterrupted painting time.
I have felt the urge to paint a little smaller, to create whimsical scenes, and also to paint on huge canvases and make a small, limited number, collage collection.
So this week, in between the back-to-school preparations, and hunkering down during the intense end-of-January heat, I have pulled out my watercolours, inspired to make some small dreamy moonscapes.
They are fun, short and playful sessions, something that I have missed terribly without even realising it was missing from my life. And I think I need to incorporate more play in my practice this year and I hope you enjoy the results!
How was the start of your year? Slow and filled with small steps or leaping into the fray and starting with a bang?
