avoiding the studio and not knowing why.
As a result of being home so much, and working from home it means that my circle of friends base is small. Add on to that the fact that I moved "outside" the city (it's amazing how much difference 20-30 minutes can make) and I find that I don't get together with some of my friends as often as I'd like.
People always pictures artists and writers cloistered away in their studios working away frantically on their art/craft. In reality, for me at least, when I haven't had enough socializing my creativity withers up and hides from me. It forces me out of my and into a rut/funk. The only thing that remedies this is some good fun friend time!
This is not to say that my family "in home" does not offer socializing, it's just that I sometimes need the connection with other creatives in order to get myself into the swing of things again.
After a summer lacking in much creativity, I had a girls' weekend this past weekend. We had a wonderful time! I was able to try kayaking for the first time. (Honey, I mentioned I need a kayak, right?) We played games. Balderdash really gets the brain going despite any cocktails that might be involved! I came home and the very next day was ready for studio time again, it was wonderful!
So if you find you're in a rut, maybe you need a little company, some fun and some adventure!
I'm the same as you. I am naturally a loner. Add to that a plethora of food allergies and even going out to dinner is not an option. I've set up monthly happy hours with different small groups of friends. It gets me out of the house and away from the fabric a couple of times a month. It's a nice break.
ReplyDeleteGood advice! As an artist working at home it's easy to start thinking that we don't need to socialize. But having a healthy balance and variety in our lives is what feeds our creativity.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh at first I thought you were writing about me. I can so relate to your post. I hadn't thought about my non-creative moods in this way and yet it makes total sense to me. Now I'll know what to do!
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