Love this!! First makes me think of “girls just wanna have fun” which gets a bad rap but there is power in joy and pleasure. I really believe that. Like: take back your life! Be “bad.” It’s good for you. As for my own struggles, I notice myself thinking that drawing and painting are “frivolities” in my life, but both bring me incredible peace and also reveal symbolism and understanding much deeper than daily life. (See also: power, offered freely in fun. What could possibly be harmful about that?) I catch myself thinking tv is frivolous but it can sometimes be so nice to have that (medicinal ;)) wine glass in hand, watching my “silly” programs. I love to do this, in fact, but don’t always allow myself to kick back in this way. The perils of such restraint are, of course, the Jack Nicolson-ification of the brain, if you don’t let yourself have some fun: “all work and no play” turns me into a Shining monster of myself! Better to romp, give myself those treats...happy for your outing!
Art making is a form of rest, even if it takes spoons. Art that isn’t ‘for’ anything is play. (I must share an article I read about how to play more as an adult, AND I don’t want to get too prescriptive. TV can be such a comfort sometimes, I love me some ‘property porn’ or craft porn. Just enough drama and a happy ending.
haha property porn, totally! yes, share away. I feel like I'm seeing more and more articles in this vein and I'm happy about it. Also: yes, art does take spoons. And, if it's the right time, I notice it can also *restore* my spoons. A nice one-two moment.
I call art ‘spoon neutral’ because it both takes and gives spoons. A really good art making session can be ‘spoon positive’. The daily grind of life is mostly ‘spoon negative’ (for me, for now).
Sorry it's such a steep hill. You are asking all the right questions, turning over all the right rocks. Thank you for sharing your musings and wanderings as you grind! What gets me about art making is not having a dedicated space. But when I have one, I still always want to be on the dining room table anyway. I either secretly kind of like chaos or haven't cracked the code of sanctuary yet...
Space - geographic, mental, time - is essential. Lots of plastic tubs with lids has helped, some, as I can pull a project out, work on it, then drop it back in till next time. Clear tubs so I don’t forget what’s there. Its a long way from perfect but its the best system so far. My apartment looks like a craft studio with a bed in 1 room (a luxury of no kids).
I love this Michelle! Thanks for the invitation to think about this and how things deemed frivolous have been devalued in society when in fact they can be life giving in and of themselves! 💜💜💜💜
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I am reminded of Simone de Beauvoir's story collection "When Things of the Spirit Come First"... I've never read it, but the title has always appealed. Art is, in a sense, frivolous. But not always.
Love this!! First makes me think of “girls just wanna have fun” which gets a bad rap but there is power in joy and pleasure. I really believe that. Like: take back your life! Be “bad.” It’s good for you. As for my own struggles, I notice myself thinking that drawing and painting are “frivolities” in my life, but both bring me incredible peace and also reveal symbolism and understanding much deeper than daily life. (See also: power, offered freely in fun. What could possibly be harmful about that?) I catch myself thinking tv is frivolous but it can sometimes be so nice to have that (medicinal ;)) wine glass in hand, watching my “silly” programs. I love to do this, in fact, but don’t always allow myself to kick back in this way. The perils of such restraint are, of course, the Jack Nicolson-ification of the brain, if you don’t let yourself have some fun: “all work and no play” turns me into a Shining monster of myself! Better to romp, give myself those treats...happy for your outing!
Art making is a form of rest, even if it takes spoons. Art that isn’t ‘for’ anything is play. (I must share an article I read about how to play more as an adult, AND I don’t want to get too prescriptive. TV can be such a comfort sometimes, I love me some ‘property porn’ or craft porn. Just enough drama and a happy ending.
haha property porn, totally! yes, share away. I feel like I'm seeing more and more articles in this vein and I'm happy about it. Also: yes, art does take spoons. And, if it's the right time, I notice it can also *restore* my spoons. A nice one-two moment.
I call art ‘spoon neutral’ because it both takes and gives spoons. A really good art making session can be ‘spoon positive’. The daily grind of life is mostly ‘spoon negative’ (for me, for now).
Sorry it's such a steep hill. You are asking all the right questions, turning over all the right rocks. Thank you for sharing your musings and wanderings as you grind! What gets me about art making is not having a dedicated space. But when I have one, I still always want to be on the dining room table anyway. I either secretly kind of like chaos or haven't cracked the code of sanctuary yet...
Space - geographic, mental, time - is essential. Lots of plastic tubs with lids has helped, some, as I can pull a project out, work on it, then drop it back in till next time. Clear tubs so I don’t forget what’s there. Its a long way from perfect but its the best system so far. My apartment looks like a craft studio with a bed in 1 room (a luxury of no kids).
I love this Michelle! Thanks for the invitation to think about this and how things deemed frivolous have been devalued in society when in fact they can be life giving in and of themselves! 💜💜💜💜
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I am reminded of Simone de Beauvoir's story collection "When Things of the Spirit Come First"... I've never read it, but the title has always appealed. Art is, in a sense, frivolous. But not always.
Oh I love that! ❤️