If I've got one tid bit of creative advice to impart today, it's to take advantage of your better moments. We all try to take control of our days, only to be constantly tripped up by the onslaught of that thing we call "Life". Life can come at us in the form of little things, e.g. headache, rainy days, spilled almond milk. Or slightly bigger things like car accidents, a leaky laundry room ceiling falling in, or almond milk spilling into your Macbook. (in that case, spilled milk is certainly worth crying over.)
And we cannot avoid these things. They are scheming behind the scenes, and doing their darndest to trip us up in our quest for creative tranquility.
Check out this quote from a writer:
"The history of my life is the history of the struggle between an overwhelming urge to write and a combination of circumstances bent on keeping me from it."
This quote will resonate with you if you are an artist. On the surface it might seem pretty cynical, maybe even a bit hopeless. But then you can dispel those thoughts by looking at who the author of that quote is:
F. Scott Fitzgerald
One of the most celebrated literary artists of all time. So I guess we know who came out on top in that struggle. Maybe not to the extent that he would've liked, but I think history proves that his urge to write was victorious over the life circumstances that were bent on keeping him from it.
What I'm saying is this…there is no perfect day. The stars will never align just to allow some cosmic light to shine down onto your worktable. You have to steal hours, minutes, and moments from your topsy-turvy life, and cobble those moments together into some creative time. The key is to not allow life to get in the way of your art. The goal is for your art to impinge on life.
And speaking of stealing moments in the name of art…Check out the work of artist James Gulliver Hancock. Above and below are a few selections from his project All The Buildings in New York. Hancock is an Australian illustrator now living in New York. In an attempt to more intimately familiarize himself with the city, he's setting out to draw all of the buildings in New York. And not all of the drawings are fully formed works like you see here. Some are just sketches of fire escapes, dumpsters, signs and alleyways, sketched quickly on napkins or receipts with borrowed pens or pencils.
A perfect example of taking advantage of better moments.
I just love the whole idea of the project, and the style of the drawings. Check out the video below for a little more of the story.
I love this sign! The font, the colors...bits of red, pale pink, minty green. I want an apartment above the Plaza! Or actually I'd prefer one across the street so that I could glance out the window at it. The sign looks great in daylight, and I'm sure it was once a dazzling sight at nighttime! It's the old Plaza movie theater in Erie Pennsylvania. I have a feeling that Erie, PA gets quite cold in the dead of winter…so maybe I'll skip the plans on living there...I can always just buy this print!
I can't get over the incredible work of artist Yumi Okita The pieces are made by hand using fabric, cotton, fake fur, fabric paint, embroidery thread, wire, and feathers.
The size makes them so fantastical, but if you were to look at any actual butterflies or moths in nature, the patterns and colors of these are in no way a stretch of the imagination.
These may bring to mind another artist, Mr. Finch , who I have blogged before. I'm just so impressed with the magic created by some textile artists.
Yes yes…I am a sucker for shelves and carts on wheels. On this blog I have shared lots of them with you. Well, World Market once again has got my wheely cart number. This four shelf model would fully accommodate me and Aaron if we were art journaling out at the kitchen table. We could roll this out and set it between us.
It's also available in this little two shelf version. I love it!
After a long day of work we like to snack and then settle into a couple episodes of whatever our current favorite show is. Can you believe we had never ever watched Six Feet Under? It was one of those shows that we knew all about, but it was on the air during a very busy and cray time in our life. Well, now we are spoiled rotten with it. We love it! No spoilers please! I know to most of you it's ancient history…so you might just say "oh, isn't it a shame when Brenda kills all of the Fishers and then marries her brother Billy in a wedding officiated by their narcissistic psychiatrist parents?"
(I wouldn't doubt that for a second) But please…don't tell us! :) We're loving Michael C. Hall in his role as David. So far from his portrayal of Dexter.
All of the acting is great. The mom is outstanding…she yells constantly! And the family and relationship issues are pretty realistic. Can't believe it was airing like a dozen years ago. So…if you too are late to the Six Feet game…or would like to rewatch the series...Every single episode is available to stream on HBO Go. If you don't have HBO Go, it's well worth the small monthly fee.
And lastly, this. It's certainly fitting for art making. But also, it can apply to a wider range of thinking…like the full span of your workday…or the entirety of your career. It's definitely a statement to fall back on.
Ok, that's it for my Favorites this week. Once again I missed Friday and they arrived on Saturday. But "better late than never" didn't become a cliche for no good reason. :)
xo, Jenny…and Aaron says hi!
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