Walking to Work

September 1st. A day attached to so many changes and new beginnings.  Today, my youngest daughter begins high school. (In Quebec, high school is from Grade 7 to Grade 11.) My eldest is now in Grade 11. I'm sure that my youngest had butterflies in her stomach as she waited for the bus this morning. I will admit to having some in mine too. I know that she will do beautifully, but it is a big change all the same.

Now I have longer days to concentrate on my own pursuits. I am more determined than ever to get my art career back on track. I need to make sure that I am spending time each day in my studio. I also need to allow myself computer time to continue learning Photoshop (the beast!) and to get more comfortable scanning and making digital prints of my paintings. I have long lists of things in my head that I want to do. But, most important, I just need to paint. When I started this blog, part of my thinking was that it would keep gentle pressure on me to stay focused on my painting.

A while ago, I read about husband and wife musicians who worked at home on their farm.  They began each day by 'walking to work'. What a good idea! It's a way of physically signalling that the work day is about to begin. At home, it is so easy to become distracted and sometimes, in a creative sense, paralysed. So my faithful companion and I began our day today by 'walking to work'. And now, with my cup of coffee in hand, I am walking upstairs to my studio. Wish me luck. I hope to let you see some paintings I am working on in the days ahead.