Sunday, July 28, 2013

catching my breath...

hello everyone!
How have you all been?

 I feel like i've been running a bit of a race lately,
so when i finally sat at the art table last night,
this is what i first painted.
I see a race theme... do you?
i've been busy with the new 9 to 5 job,
and much of my spare time seems to be spent
with driving my teenage son everywhere
(he's getting his license soon... YAY!),
with a father who is still adjusting to life without mom,
with family visits
and reading
and cleaning the house & making meals
and evening walks
and the occasional night out with friends.

...oh, and pondering life's big questions. 
i'm working at a job that i am grateful for,
but one that is making me realize
how much of an artist i really am
and how i will never fit in the 9 to 5 world.

At least not comfortably nor while keeping my sanity. :-)

I have a very low tolerance for bullshit
and there seems to be a lot of it in the business world today.
so i will continue to look at the stars,
thank you very much
and keep my focus on things that really matter to me.
i am reading a wonderful book called THE MEMORY PALACE
(by Mira Bartok)...

I love stories about people who have been through hell and back,
and still, choose to be good people,
and create good lives for themselves
and share their stories
so that others may not feel so alone.
There is a sentence in the book that jumped out at me:

"I know she's worried about me but i want her to understand
that William's and my creative projects mean more to me
than a pension plan or a brand-new car."

I could have spoken these words... :-)
So it felt very good to sit at the art table last night...
 acrylic paint on paper... with added pencil marks. 
 oh, and look! She added dots! Surprise! ;-)
 they sort of became abstract flowers eventually...
 but then i saw smiles and eyes... 
Yeah, i see smiles and eyes.  (do you?)

Maybe i need to get away from the 9 to 5 job
sooner than i think.
(giggle...)

Thank you to those who have sent me notes
to say hi and tell me you miss my art.
Made me feel all warm & fuzzy inside. :-)

Here's a little video that always makes me happy...
Wishing it does the same for you.

Thanks for being here.
xox


18 comments:

  1. Yes, I have missed you and your beautiful dots :).
    Stay inspired!

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  2. Welcome, welcome, welcome Back! I have missed you!! I love when you pop up here in blogland, but I know how life stuff gets in the way and busyness takes over... I read and reread this post, because I too have a lower and lower tolerance for the crap NYS and the federal gov't have dumped on educators and children...and feel sick when I have ten months of 9 to 5 filled with nasty people and blame, and no time to really focus on what makes me alive. Summer.....aaah, I am trying to recover. Create. Art. Write. Breathe. Release.. Take care of my Mom. Your post is great and I just love your paint and pencil and white dots of wonderfulness. Yes, I do see a smile and eyes! ~ kath

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  3. Hey stranger :D

    Slowly dragging myself back to blogland, and chuffed to find the first blog to be read is yours :)

    Loved the video clip too

    x

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  4. Love your art work. I will be back and follow. I like to get fresh ideas.

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  5. I think that creative people are creative at all times, 24 hours full time, but sometimes the time to develop that creativity is cruel,
    but, I also believe that at that time, inside of them is brewing something creative, (though you are in a 9 to 5), as if you were sleeping, your head is working on what you will do in the next day. in the tedious work, your head (in the depths of it) is creating
    Obviously, one would like the day last 30 hours, and these 30 hours are ours, for ourselves, without interruption. maybe there should be a community of creative people, isolated from the world. :)) (Everyone would want to live there)Ha Ha!
    Nice to see you again Pauline!!!

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  6. I sent you something after I read this!! So glad to see you back here, glad you gave us a bit your beautiful words and art!! I hope you still work on your little book...I promise to be the first to buy one!!

    I'm glad you are enjoying your summer a bit...oh boy do I know about the driving thing...but hey that's what good moms do!!

    I didn't think I would be doing it 11 years longer than I had to though...

    I hope your dads doing okay. Has he joined a seniors center yet?

    Take care dear lady...and thanks for sharing...can't wait to see more of you in the fall or whenever you can get here!

    Hugs Giggles

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  7. Ah yes, those 9-5 jobs can be killers, but I find focusing on my away time and making the most of it helps. Love your art and thank you for sharing the great video. Good to have you back.

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  8. awesome post! love your blog and creations..glad I got here from PPF!

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  9. I just loved the video. Thank you!

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  10. I've missed you...so glad you're back!!!

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  11. So many powerful colors and shapes:) many things to look at. Stay inspired!
    -Niina

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  12. LOVE that video - definitely made me smile! So good to see you back here. The corporate world is hard - I was immersed in it for too many years - much calmer in my heart taking care of my family. We don't always have those choices though, do we?
    Love your dots and keep looking at your stars!

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  13. I've been the same! Working and more working. No time for my own art, unfortunately. But glad that I had a commission for a logo:) That worked out great. I love what you said about the bullshit. I'm getting to be like that too. Its just out of control sometimes! I love how you tell it like it is. I love your art and the image up top is amazing! Fran T / We Three xoxo

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  14. lovely video and a wonderful quote. I have been a self employed gardener all my life, and a scared artist and singer. But I have always felt like one of the luckiest people on earth as I have no fear of poverty and no need for riches in order to be happy. I appreciate that this is made easier for me because I have no children, but that was a choice also. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, art, frustrations, and inspirations, it's comforting.

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  15. what a lovely cheery post! Gorgeous patterns and paintings, and fabulous colour. I found you through CED

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  16. It's so, so wonderful to see you Pauline!! And your gorgeous work, and your cheerful dots, and your racing lanes, and your smiling eyes. Yep, the 9-5 includes a lot of BS and very little time for art and the things that are important to you. It's a balance that is never quite struck for many of us. But you're a wise woman, you're figuring it out and, hopefully, some of the rest of us are too! Miss you my friend. Take good care. xoxo

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  17. beautiful drawings and doodles.
    love that quirky plant on the blue background. very pretty

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  18. I can definitely see the smiles and the eyes. The 9-5 can definitely be hard on someone who is creative and sees the world through different eyes. I know I fought many losing battles with the school system but the ones that I won were very sweet! I am so glad that you took the time to create and to share your work with us.

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