Time for another long overdue update. Shit hit the fan recently and I'm scrimping to finish school, had to drop roller derby completely and likely will not be able to skate again for a very long time, if ever. After a short, two season stint as a rollergirl, a broken tailbone that refuses to heal seems to have put me out of commission in the long term. On the bright side this has given me time to pursue other things, including reminding myself why I went into an art field. I'm going to be cutting back my freelance workload pretty drastically in the next few months and working on my own projects (crossing my fingers that I can sell prints and justify this likely stupid move).
I've been going out and just drawing for the sake of drawing everyday for the last few days. I normally get frustrated with the babble that goes into artists statements most of the time, and hate that this sounds a bit like that, but it's been amazing how different the work looks as I've had the feeling that I just need to rush through these sketch exercises so I can get back to real work has faded into just feeling like I'm free to lay in the grass all day and draw. I went out to Fort Pulaski today and did a few that are, in my opinion, some of my best work in a long time. Unfortunately, above mentioned pain in the ass (bad joke, I know) tailbone injury prohibited sitting down and drawing some of the things I really wanted to work on. I'll probably go back tomorrow with a pillow.
Last year one of my professors gave another student what I thought at the time was the most idiotic, impractical advice I had ever heard. He told him that if he was getting burnt out then just take some time off and go out and draw. Go anywhere and draw anything, but get out and remind himself why he was going through this hell. At the time I couldn't believe a professor was actually telling someone to drop out. Now, I'm starting to wish I had taken some time off a long time ago and done this. I guess what it comes down to is that art fields are highly competitive and, for someone that does freelance work, can be hit or miss, and, in that environment, sometime you need a reminder that you do it because you love it.
I've been going out and just drawing for the sake of drawing everyday for the last few days. I normally get frustrated with the babble that goes into artists statements most of the time, and hate that this sounds a bit like that, but it's been amazing how different the work looks as I've had the feeling that I just need to rush through these sketch exercises so I can get back to real work has faded into just feeling like I'm free to lay in the grass all day and draw. I went out to Fort Pulaski today and did a few that are, in my opinion, some of my best work in a long time. Unfortunately, above mentioned pain in the ass (bad joke, I know) tailbone injury prohibited sitting down and drawing some of the things I really wanted to work on. I'll probably go back tomorrow with a pillow.
Last year one of my professors gave another student what I thought at the time was the most idiotic, impractical advice I had ever heard. He told him that if he was getting burnt out then just take some time off and go out and draw. Go anywhere and draw anything, but get out and remind himself why he was going through this hell. At the time I couldn't believe a professor was actually telling someone to drop out. Now, I'm starting to wish I had taken some time off a long time ago and done this. I guess what it comes down to is that art fields are highly competitive and, for someone that does freelance work, can be hit or miss, and, in that environment, sometime you need a reminder that you do it because you love it.
getting paid is a side note.