Flying Girl Takes a Risk, or List

Flying Girl Takes a Risk, or List, 9/29/08
Golden Fluid Acrylics, Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils, Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen.

Oy. The kids woke up earlier than normal and I had to stop writing just now. Now I'm too tired and I have to get started on painting. This has completely mucked up my schedule. And I don't remember at all the connections I had made and wanted to write about.

Is it okay if I don't get profound and just babble a little?

I used the color inspiration photo from yesterday. I think I got closer to the image, but I don't know if I like the painting better than yesterday. But then.... maybe not. These are unusual color combos. And I did have to mess with it a lot to keep it all harmonious. Sometimes these paintings feel like I am flipping through a book of color chips. Switch this, switch that, sky, horizon, girl. Shade darker. tint lighter. Toss in some orange. It's a very interesting exercise, and I am learning to let go and not hold on so tightly to what I think it should look like.

I am learning to take risks.

And that is the key to life, I think, sometimes, that taking chances. Maybe that's what this picture is about. The small confining, lonely house without windows, and there she is flying from it with her short list of things to do. Things that are risky because you have to put yourself out there, outside of your safe, sad walls.

I am going to be 38 soon, and I thought it would be a good thing to make my own list of living. Now, it's only a few weeks, so I'm not making this any sort of crazy travel around the world list, but smaller things, inspired by the lists that doobleh-vay and simply lovely are doing. So here it is.

38 things to do before 38 (November 19)

1. Paint a month of Flying Girls (this might actually be 30 things, but oh well.)
2. Schedule an artist's date with myself.
3. Get G completely off of diapers.
4. Get some business cards.
5. Put art supplies in the new cabinet.
6. Set up a nice workspace in my bedroom.
7. Sort kids clothes into keep/toss/store/giveaway
8. Get a long sweater/cardigan
9. Get some ballet slippers at target.
10. Buy new paints and paintbrushes.
11. Write 25k words in my new novel (for nanowrimo).
12. Write an outline for my new novel (in October)
13. Figure out Flickr.
14. Go trick or treating with the kids. (I hear my neighborhood is Halloween central.)
15. Have a Halloween Party on October 18 (a Fanciful Twist. Awesome blog!)
16. Listen to music more often.
17. Take a walk to the beach with the kids.
18. Collect (steal) sand to make a mini sandbox for the kids to play with.
19. Make a holiday plan (including gift lists and plans for making stuff.)
20. Put ten paintings on my etsy shop.
21. Get a learner's permit.
22. Get a scanner/printer (either the one from storage, or a new one. Or get comfortable using my uncle's.)
23. Clean and purge bedside tables.
24. Start inspiration file/board.
25. Mae playdough with the kids.
26. Make rice krispie treats.
27. Get some sculpey and make stuff.
28. Straighten out paypal account.
29. Make small and heartfelt public. (Not ready yet, so no link.)
30. Post one of my poems.
31. Host a giveaway.
32. Make a Flying Girl with my Alice in Wonderland.
33. Do some ATCs/ACEOs.
34. Connect w S.
35. Get a project going with PK. (PK, if you're out there, we've got to get off our rears.)
    
36. Start making Christmas presents.
37. Write up a business plan.
38. Post this list.

Woo Hoo!

And I can knock #38 off right away. Isn't that exciting.

So these things are about small things, but they also mean a lot towards my goals in my life. Life is made up of small things, isn't it? You conquer your fears by facing the small things, don't you? And some of these things, I recognize I have been working on for a long time, and they aren't that small. Some of the things are the last step on a long journey. Even the end of the journey takes small steps before you leap off the end of that precipice and fly.

What small things can you do to face your fears and really live your life?