A few "Odd" things about me
My family has always told me I was odd-- the “odd ball” they called me. I’ve spent some time examining this and it makes me laugh because on the spectrum of normal to strange, I think I fall a lot closer to normal. I’m quiet, reserved, cautious and very particular about certain things. For those who are curious, read on and I’ll share a few!
My family has always told me I was odd-- the “odd ball” they called me. I’ve spent some time examining this and it makes me laugh because on the spectrum of normal to strange, I think I fall a lot closer to normal, maybe even a little boring. I’m quiet, reserved, cautious and very particular about certain things. I’m VERY different from the rest of my family and even my closest friends. But odd, well I don’t know. I say I’m a creative and with that comes intricacies to my day to day. To name a few...
Fat Filled Coffee: I start my day with a cup of coffee filled with fat. It’s not so much the caffeine that I need but the experience. My husband and I brew freshly ground coffee in a French Press to make what is known as Bullet Proof Coffee (BPC) with an added shot of expresso. I’m 5’4” and usually weigh no more than 115lbs but I start almost every day with a delicious cup of high fat coffee every morning and I never add sweeteners. I know I'm not alone in this, look it up, it's a real thing, it's a staple to the Ketogenic way of eating. Consuming lots of (good) fat is apparently a great way to stay skinny. Weird huh?
I LOVE Harry Potter: As of writing this, I’m working my way through the Harry Potter series (all 7 books) on Audible for the 5th time in 2 years. Secrets out… Maybe I’ve got a Harry Potter problem? I just really love listening to the stories! J.K. Rowling is a phenomenal writer and Jim Dale narrates the series with perfection. It's like listening to a good album- never gets old! Anyone else with me on this one?
Stay out of my seat: In my house, I have certain spots where I sit and no one else can sit there. If we’re sitting down to dinner and someone is in my seat I get really antsy. My husband thinks it’s hilarious, especially if the person who’s sitting in my seat is someone new who’s visiting and in an attempt to be polite I don’t ask them to move.
There’s more to add I’m sure, but really, in my opinion, none of these things are that odd, it’s just me and the things I do. I’m a creative, I feel like that gives me a pass to be a little particular.
You- reading this… what’s your thing? I’m sure you’ve got something odd about you too!
My simple fix to creative block
Sometimes creative block gets the best of me and spins me into a day, sometimes a string of days of creative despair. Creative block is pretty terrible when it hits and it's a great feeling when it finally floats away. But where does it come from in the first place and why does it have to bother me when I have things to do?
Occasionally creative block gets the best of me and spins me into a day, sometimes a string of days of creative despair. Creative block is pretty terrible when it hits and it's a great feeling when it finally floats away. But where does it come from in the first place and why does it have to bother me when I have things to do? After all, art is how I earn my living.
I can't completely answer my question but this line I stumbled across from Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon makes a lot of sense, "Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities."
Some of my favorite go-to supplies. Tombow brush pens, Draft-Matic Mechanical Pencil, Pigma Micron Pen, Pentel Mechanical Pencil, General's oval eraser.
Too many possibilities... when I look at the days when I encounter creative block, I find it's on the days when my desk is the messiest, covered with paint tubes, markers, colored pencils, fancy new paper or whatever else I've decided to try to bring into my workflow that day. So this line makes a lot of sense, at least for me, and may be my biggest hang up when it comes to making art. There are so many options available. Too many options. It's an overload to my creative flow. I keep trying and wanting to bring in different mediums but I always default back to a pencil, a black pen and a Canson Mix Media sketchbook. Once I have eliminated everything else I feel free again. What works for me is so simple and effective that it almost seems too good to be true and I guess that's why I keep trying to change it up. When I have too many options I'm stuck. When I limit my tools I feel less overwhelmed and the quality of art I produce is what I'm the happiest with.
So if you find yourself stuck, my advice is to clear your workspace and take away everything but the basics. Once things start flowing you can always add things back in as space opens up for them.