Three Spirit Girl ACEOs

3 ACEOs (Artist Cards, Editions and Originals)
Girl of the Now Healed Heart,
Girl of the Calm Waters,
Girl of Spring Always Comes
Fluid Acrylics, Watercolor Pencil and Pitt Artist Pen on Watercolor Paper, each 2.5"x 3.5"

These are something new I've been trying. ACEOs or Artist Trading Cards. These are for sale in my shop in the original, not prints, so they're ACEO, but they're still the same size, still collectible, still tradeable.

I wanted to sell some original things, rather than prints, but I didn't want to sell my Flying Girls, because I have the feeling I am going to need them for something... projects that I am still developing, so I started on these.

I'm new to the world of ACEO/ATC... but I am not new to the world of tiny art. In fact, when I was a waitress, I used to use my restaurant's business cards to paint and draw. Usually draw, because I could do them while business was slow. I wonder where those are today? I should go digging in my files and portfolios.

I also have been feeling the need to paint faces and get in there with the Flying Girls, but the format of FG doesn't really allow for that. Then the Girl spirits just started arriving.

I do feel that they are inspired. They mean something, and they seem to have such distinct personalities. It's as if they are being painted for someone else. Someone is waiting for them to give them a home. Because of that, I am not making prints. These are one and onlies. Individual tiny paintings for individual real life people.

So if it's you, you can buy Healed Heart, or Calm Waters, or Spring Comes in my shop.

I will particularly miss Calm Waters. I can't stop staring at her. Maybe the next one will make me stare, too. Whenever I really love a painting, it's like I have a crush on it, but then I keep painting and my crush moves to the next one.

I think I will be happy to have a different format for my painting. I am stuck on one Flying Girl who won't come out, right now. Luckily I had another outlet in the Girl Spirits, and in the Daily Sketches. I did another of those, too.

I am painting so much! But I have to admit I am terribly stressed. I don't seem to be able to accomplish everything I want to accomplish or I think I need to do. I think my goals are too big. I think I keep forgetting that I am a full time SAHM, not a full time artist, even though I'm trying to build things up to where I will be able to transition to full time artist and writer. The building takes a lot of work, and I am afraid to lose my momentum. Will I get to a point where I have established some things and will be able to slow down, just a little bit?

I am writing, researching, painting, editing and WORKING all the time, now. I enjoy some of it and it often feels like play (which makes me feel a little guilty) but I am still very tired and frustrated. I think I need to pull it back.

But I don't really want to. I want to keep creating and keep working, but I don't want to feel stressed about it.

I know I need to make more time for play, for non business creating, for just sitting and enjoying, for relaxing. Maybe I also need to take stock of what I have achieved and REWARD myself for meeting goals and task. I don't do that now, I just move on to the next goal/task.

Poor S. It must be exhausting for him to see me always working. I probably make him feel guilty with my workaholic ways. Artaholic? Stressaholic? Someone give me some chocolate!

Anyway, what techniques do you have to balance out work and personal life? Spritual? Social? Fun? Whatever you do, how do you keep boundaries there and manage to take some time for actually living?