The bloom of the azaleas in the background is over now
“Artists are dramatic. Art is dramatic. If we artists are not making artistic drama we make personal drama. We tilt at imaginary windmills and demand center stage.” This is how Week 9 in Walking in This World begins. Discovering a Sense of Camaraderie says, “Keep the drama on the stage.” The author suggests that we need to focus our attention on our relationships and the difficulty that normal people present to us wacky artists. (Wacky is my word.) Normal in the sense that they have a regular job and we’re doodling and playing with paint all day. (Not me at all.) Wink-Wink.
I guess some artists can get all antsy and up in their own head that we’re not normal people because we don’t have a 9 to 5 desk job making regular money, we’re special after all, we create a drama. Artists can get more nervous and turn on relationships and it’s not reality based drama. If we don’t get to make our art regularly we make trouble. At least we’re still creative, but it’s not helpful creativity! It’s an interesting concept!
While reading I take notes like this: “Is this chapter talking to me?” I’ve been painting fairly regularly with the help of The Artist’s Way courses, but haven’t in a couple of weeks. Life happens, things get thrown out of order and art doesn’t happen. Yes, I’ve tried to stay with it in a way, but not painting. It’s strange that coincidentally there’ve been weeks of drama floating around. Nothing important, just stupid things. So I’m reading this chapter, but I don’t think it’s really about me. I’m not all that interested in causing drama or trouble. I’m a nice, quiet girl. I read this on page 201:
“As a rule of thumb, artists should repeat this mantra: Sudden problems in my life usually indicate a need to work on my art.”
I’m not a person who likes to be teased and joked about with sideways glances, however good-spirited. Being a straight, honest, level person, I like a good joke like anyone, but not if it’s a back handed compliment with a smirk on the side, however playfully done. The Mr. loves doing this and not just to me. He’s done it to his mother, brothers, etc. and he thinks he’s funny. They laugh. I get confused. I want an apology. He says it’s a joke, I don’t think he’s funny. Now he’s mad and I’m center stage! Ugh!
Finding myself alone during the weekend, The Mr. went fishing, Son #2 feeling sick and in bed, I went to my studio and started playing with my beads. No, I didn’t paint. Hours flew by as I moved the beads together making patterns, admiring the different colors, manipulated colored wire by wrapping large stones. How can I explain how much better I felt after spending that time with myself?
“Artists become snappish when they need to make art. Instead of making art, we make trouble-and we make it because we are bingeing emotionally on NOT making art…We need to go full steam ahead and when we don’t we tend to blow off steam by venting inappropriateluy about any number of imaginary ills…our aches and pains becoming the world’s pain in the neck.”
I don’t think I’m snappish and I’m no trouble maker, but I don’t want to be messed with either. I’m just reacting to a stimulus that my personality doesn’t agree with. By reading this chapter I figured that maybe I just have to keep making art so I can more easily deflect the dopey stuff that comes at me. Process, baby!
Will this be my painting spot for today?
