Flying Girl with an Imperfect Offering, or A Crack in Everything*5/27/09
Golden Fluid Acrylic and Pen on Moleskine Paper, 5x8"
I come back to you with my imperfect offering.
Lately I have lacked inspiration. I have lost my painting routine. When I do paint, I don't like what I do and either don't finish it, or finish it and don't show it.
I've decided it's time for me to change this.
This way of being has led me into inaction, which makes me feel worse about myself, which makes me want to do stuff even less.
Well I've decided to be kind to myself. To allow myself to be imperfect. To allow life to have cracks in places. And I've decided to take up the mantel of a painting a day once again.
In fact... I am going to do 100 paintings in 100 days, starting June 1st.
Phew! Okay. That's scary. Seems kind of cracked to me. Maybe that will be how the light gets in.
Anyone else want to join the challenge with me? 100 paintings in 100 days. It's a biggie. I mean, who knows what life will present for us in the next 100 days. That's why it's a challenge. Even thought the thought kind of scares me and I don't really know if I can do it, I'm going to take the chance and try. And even if I don't do it, I will end up doing more than I am right now.
If you want to try 100 in 100, I'll put your name on my side bar if you want do the challenge with me. And you know what? I won't limit it to paintings, either. 100 poems. 100 collages. 100 whatevers.
This cracked painting is also Illustration Friday's prompt of "cracked."
* poem/lyrics from Leonard Cohen
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11 comments:
mmmmmm nice to hear from you again. love the cracks. as in, i love your picture with the words... i need to love my own cracked self more... am also in the cracks often and find myself loving it more than ever before (tho not always)... will seriously think about the 100 anything commitment. i know from experience how much it brings me to do such a thing, so thanks for the challenge.
Oooh, you bold woman! I thought my eight days of poem-a-day were tough. ;) I might just join you--let me think on that. A hundred days sounds crazy to me, but that's the point. What a fantastic way to break through a creative wall (beat the darn thing down).
I love that quote and how you incorporated it into your painting.
Rowena, I can so relate...I am just gettng over a "dry" spell. Life seams to have so many interuptions to my creative rountine lately.
I laughed out loud with Illustration Friday's theme because I did not check it until the day I decided to remove carpet from a back room...think storage space...there is a huge heaving crack in the concrete floor. Maybe I should illustrate critters crawling out of it and turn my woes into art because "always something" around here ain't so inspiring these days.
Wish I could do 100 paintings in 100 days! bty...how am I ever going to keep up with yours???
Oh Rowena . . .GOOD for you . . "imperfect" is such a relative term. And I have been loving the life-giving nature of cracks. An egg surely does NOT nourish me until it's cracked . .
And I LOVE your 100 in 100. I would love to join. It sounds WAY BIG--so big I can't even get scared about it. It makes me laugh to think of committing to something like that for 100 days.
My only concern (well, not my ONLY concern :)--is whether or not you will want us to post each day what we do?? I already work hard to get that weekly submission to Thursday Sweet Treat--I think I can do the 100 in 100 project---I'm just not sure I could also take a picture and post that, for 100 days.
Wow, girl . . . you have some terrific ideas!!
I have been thinking about you and all the inspiration you have given me, as I've checked in here daily looking for you. I'm glad to see you back (yes, I worry).
I have also been thinking that I need to act, that I can't just call myself an artist if I don't actually make art.
In wondering what to do about it, and noticing it was near the end of the month, I had decided to begin a painting a day starting June 1st!
So, yes, I will join you in your challenge. 100 visual artworks in 100 days beginning June 1st -- paintings, drawings, collages (photographs only count if they've been painted). Thank you.
Great challenge, sometimes we need a push to get our juices flowing. A push from our ourselves is even better.
Yes ma'am, I'm joining up.
Read about it here:
http://persistentgreen.blogspot.com/2009/05/100-project.html
I haven't decided what my 100 "whatevers" will be yet... that's for tomorrow. ;)
Thank you, Rowena. I know this will lead to something good. Creative thoughts are tumbling, I'm itching to start, and my heart's beating just a bit faster--I think this project is already working.
I see no imperfections. I see growth. This painting speaks of promise, of discovery, of going into the core of things. It's lovely.
100 in 100. My initial response is YES! And that's my problem. I have overextended myself to the point of ridiculousness. How about I will try? :)
Hi Rowena,
I found my way here from Amanda at Persistent Green -- what a neat idea. The very funny thing is that there must be "something" in the air that is making this network of bloggers think "renewal" or "recommitment" -- as yesterday I was contemplating some sort of 30-day challenge to myself. You are brilliant to extend the challenge to your network -- sort of a web of accountability.
This idea is really giving me some ideas to run with...so although I don't think I am artistic enough to participate in this challenge -- I want thank you for giving me some GREAT food for thought.
Have a great weekend -- and good luck! I will tune in to see the challenge in action.
I love the idea of the crack, the imperfection, is the means for which the light shines in. That has to be truth because perfection would indicate a perfect amount of light already.
Truly, who wants to be perfect? What would we do? Sometimes perfection can be beautiful for a moment, but it often turns cold and boring.
Bring on the imperfect offereings friend, because to most of us, they are pretty damn close to perfection already.
I love my flying girl, have I mentioned that enough?
Sometimes you write about being nice to yourself. Other times you write how frustrated (angry) you feel towards yourself. Maybe you should put all your be kind posts together to remind you to do just that.
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