PREMIO MEME AWARD

I want to thank my dear friend, Michele Lynch, for the Premio Meme Award she's bestowed upon me. Michele and I have been supporting each other in our artistic endeavors for many, many years now. We take turns nudging each other back onto the path, during those times one of us veers off into the bushes, or gets lost in the maze of eBay, Etsy, struggling to keep enough product made, struggles with lack of inspiration, or too much of it, and not enough time, and whatever else comes up while we try to balance the artistic life with "regular" life.

So I'm supposed to tell 7 things people might not know about me. Since this is the third time I've been asked to do that by someone, it's getting a bit more challenging. OK, here goes:

1. I'm a pretty big fan of U2, who will play Vegas October 23. :o( Did I plan to see them this year before this job and move came up? YUP Are they touring anywhere in the state of MO? NOPE. Am I bummed? YUP.

2. I've had an airbrush, complete with compressor, for going on two years - and I've never used it! Partly because I had visions of inadvertently spray painting the walls and carpet of the lovely new house I was renting - something I didn't think the owner would appreciate! Though Michele keeps trying to get it through my silly head that this is an airbrush, not a FIRE HOSE, and nothing like that is likely to happen. ;o) I think I'm finally ready to try it!

3. I used to have a horse I called Shane when I was younger.

4. I compulsively collect gorgeous dog figurines.

5. I absolutely LOVE hummingbirds! I've always adored them. But during a time when I was going through a lot of heartbreak in my personal life - my dad was dying, my marriage was falling apart - hummingbirds became a symbol between me and God/the Universe, that I wasn't alone.

6. I like to create with words as well as art materials.

7. I am a hopeless romantic.

Now I'm supposed to give this award to 7 other bloggers and ask them to answer these questions, but I need to give that some thought, so I'll edit this later.

FRUSTRATION FRIDAY - BACK TO BASICS

Well, not like frustration is limited to Fridays for me―wouldn't that be nice―but it fits today. Today I'm feeling the importance of having a designated work space something fierce. I've been feeling it ever since we moved into this house a couple months ago, but I guess it's especially thick today.

I'm just remembering how much having or not having a designated place to work on your art, to keep all―or at least, most―of your art supplies in, a place where your work is not in the way of your family members, and they're not in the way of your work, makes an impact on feeling free to create your art.

Ah in comes frustration, my old nemesis. And frustration always makes it so much harder to want to create at all.

It's a basic need all artists or wannabe artists share. A place set aside for them to create. And I'm currently without one. Which means when I want to create, I have to dig through boxes to find my stuff, which is scattered here, there, and everywhere, pull it all together, then try to find somewhere I can set it all up, at least temporarily, so I can create, at least for a little while, until I have to move it all out of my family's way. UGH. It's all just so draining, and exhausting, I find myself not wanting to bother. Frustration wins again. But only temporarily.

I finally took a small 3-drawer storage cart I have, a ceramic tile, and I started sculpting a Super Sculpey Yorkshire Terrier, right there on the top of that cart. Less than ideal, but better than nothing. The need to create won out over the frustration of trying to do so.

But I see that I'm going to HAVE to set up a work space soon, and the only available space in this house is a finished part of the basement. UGH. Basements have such a dungeon-like feel. It is a walk-out basement, which helps some. But who really wants to be shut away in the bowels of the house? Okay, getting melodramatic there, but I'm sure you can catch my drift when it comes to my feelings about basements. :oP

This isn't the Yorkie I mentioned here, but just thought I'd put it up since I don't have a pic of the new one yet. ;o)