These are the gifts the holidays bring for me.
It takes a while for me to decompress from work. Teaching is tough stuff, and it stays with you for some time, even when you’re not in the classroom.
This year, we taught up until December 22nd – which has its drawbacks, but once the busyness of the holidays are over, it’s a wonderful time to refresh. Although there’s also this dilemma:
I tried to find a balance. Make a list of important things that need to be done. Get enough of them done so I don’t feel guilty. That’s about it.
One thing I’m really glad to finish is a commission that I’ve been sitting on for a while. Usually I don’t do commissions at all – I’m a people-pleaser, so my brain anticipates all the perceived expectations and potential disappointments from my clients. It’s super fun.
But, I put on my big-girl pants and powered through.
My studio occupies a corner in my living room, which means that my family can, at times, also occupy the same space. This is tricky. I do my best work when I’m alone and I don’t like to be interrupted.
My solution is to listen to music while I’m painting. Usually my family understands that painting time means that I’m unavailable, but having earbuds in provides an extra layer of “introvert insurance.” (I know Doug is going to get a kick out of this phrase)
Another way to make the most of my time: listening to podcasts while tidying and organizing. I usually don’t have a lot of time to listen to podcasts, so when I do, I feel like I’ve checked something off my mental wish list. To do this while getting something checked off my to-do list makes me incredibly happy. And a bit of a geek.
I took this picture this morning while I was listening to an episode of “This Week in Ontario Edublogs.” I thought it might make Doug and Stephen smile to know what people are doing while their podcast was playing.
Two important things to note:
- Cleaning my paint brushes is not fun for me. Sometimes I avoid it and ruin my brushes. So I’m very proud of myself when I make myself clean them before they’re horrible.
- I miss Postum. The best replacement I’ve found is combining “Orzo Pupo” and Ovaltine. It’s creamy & not too sweet.
Thanks to Doug & Stephen for mentioning my blog today. It meant a lot to me – especially when you understood what it took to create this new space. New beginnings are hard but it sure makes it easier when you have support.
Second Wind Studio 