Doldrums
Just chugging along through winter (not to mention the collapse of Democracy!)
Well, things are total shit, but that’s not what I want to focus on here, today. This week I began to feel the doldrums of midwinter. Our family is taking a short trip to Southern California next week to visit Grandma. I’m ready for a little time to defrost, exist in the sunshine, and have an enthusiastic babysitter all week. However, I know when we return we will still have a few months of winter ahead. So I’m revisiting my winter survival guide and considering the gifts that winter has offered thus far:
Sauna time, wow! My treat for going to the gym. I especially enjoy it when I end up in the sauna at the moment that the water aerobics class gets out and we cram eight to ten bodies into the tiny wood-lined room. Every one of us breaks the rule “no drying off in the sauna.” I sit quietly listening to the chatter of older (wiser) women there. It feels like a secret space, it’s dark, warm, and when it’s crowded there’s a special buzz.
Getting more creative for at-home play time since home is where we are spending the bulk of our days with a toddler. We get less playground time when the temperature feels like 2 degrees Fahrenheit for weeks on end. Playdough, real dough, cooking, drawing, cars, cars cars, puzzles, Duplos, cars. Have to dig deep into the well of my own inner child to find more ways to keep a toddler busy in this season.
A side effect of not buying things is leaning into DIY versions of everything I want. I look at all sorts of garbage and recycling with a new lens. That bread crumb packaging would make a perfect structure for a circular cardboard car ramp.
Making big plans for future projects, and clearing out some old projects from my studio to make space for the next one. How many times have I written about how hard it is to finish things? Once I hit the fourth quarter of any project I’m bound to set it aside for the newest thing. And instead of spending just a few more hours or days (or weeks depending on the scale) I just shove it in the back of a closet until inspiration strikes again. The problem is that inspiration doesn’t always come back for projects that are already 90% done. That’s where discipline is needed. I’m using this winter to pick up stale projects and finish them.
Gaining confidence in hand-sewing techniques, leaving behind my reliance on a sewing machine
Finding joy when the temp goes above 32 and we get bundled up and be out in the fresh air. Particularly snow days! When all of the kids from the block go out in their snow gear! One magical day when a neighbor kid invited us to his front yard to play. Another neighbor child, a mere 1.5 years older than my son, pulled my son around on her sled and he had a huge smile plastered on his lips the whole time. Watching the big kids use their boogie boards on a homemade snow ramp.
Befriending more mothers (and some dads) and joining forces to entertain the kiddos inside.
Links
Power Up: Resources for the Road Ahead Doing my very best to stay engaged and also stay the course of community building that I began even before the Inauguration, this list has some helpful items for me.
Notes on Artist Publishing a zine by Amelia Greenhall that’s been in my cart for weeks as a person who is interested in getting started publishing as an artist.
After the paywall, many more links and two projects that I finally finished!
Special thanks to paid members who are all a part of my vast support network. Living as an artist takes a village! I could not do this without you.