So many small things, and a couple of large ones, too, went awry. But I still had an underlying awareness of peacefulness and acceptance. And I got up and started over today. So far everything has gone well. And we were even able to laugh about the quantity of misfortune we encountered yesterday.
I really helps me to talk to my husband, David, each morning. Instead of trying to be perfect in all things, we have been trying to focus on a particular aspect of our lives and do whatever it takes to find success there. Today's goal is to not say anything negative about anyone.
I am reminded for some reason today that all systems are constantly in a state of flux. Stasis is a rarity. Everything is always either getting better or worse. This is true of relationships, finances, even creativity. So, I am hoping that today will be an upswing kind of day.
I have also been considering the axiom that there is nothing new under the sun. This is a disturbing notion for an artist. We all have those moments when we become stagnated. I sometimes refer to this condition as having forgotten how to paint. The feeling of frustration is that intense! But there are also times when I have so many ideas that I have to keep a journal so they don't wither for lack of attention.
Steve Jobs says, "Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things."
I can definitely appreciate this mindset. Most mornings I start my day with a little visual exploration. This may involve looking at magazines, Pinterest, Open Culture's website... I trust my process and know that I will eventually find something that draws my interest intensely. It may be an idea for a new series, a thematic approach, a new technique. I just know that I am happiest when I have a lot of stuff bouncing around in my brain!
For example, I have been working on a series of brightly colored flapper portraits. This was inspired by a prohibition era party that was recently thrown at the hotel where I live. But it was also influenced by a modern, highly saturated color style that I have been experimenting with. I sold the first two flappers to a member of the hotel's management team, and this resulted in me being commissioned to paint four very large portraits that will hang permanently in the hotel's ballroom. Then I sold the third one to a former client. Here are the first four flappers. The last one should be finished later today.
I am also working on a trio of new paintings for my building's elevator. When we first moved into the building, there were some empty frames hanging on the walls of the elevator. So, naturally, I had to fill them. I made some colorful text portraits from Breakfast at Tiffany's, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Gone with the Wind. Admittedly this is an example of shameless self promotion. But I also like to do things that are unexpected. And it definitely brought some spots of color to the elevator.
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Enough pondering for now. I am off to paint. And I will close with this:
"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning."--J. B. Priestley