It’s a busy time of year, is it not? So much to do and the clock is ticking down the days until summer and the shift that comes along with the changing of seasons and schedules. There’s a feeling of immediacy, a flipped version of squirrels storing away nuts for winter. But it’s in the air and there’s an urgency to get things done.

 

Originally I called this post “Light a fire under my writing” but that sounded like I was going to set it on fire and burn it down, which is the exact opposite of what I mean, so I had to revise.

 

What I actually meant is that I’ve had a revelation: although I’ve been doing a lot of painting which has been my focus for a while now and which has been really great experience,  I’m not done with writing. I had a moment of clarity, when the restriction of a more externally-dictated work schedule loomed and I almost wanted to cry with disappointment that I’d never accrued enough rejections or taken enough risks in pursuing more with my writing. That reaction really surprised me, and I think it revealed more of my passion.

 

Over the past few months, I feel like my words have returned after a long hiatus, and I want to pursue developing them, and getting them out into the world. That means submitting things to various publications and contests (scary), as well as trying to post here more often. In addition, I’ve registered to attend a local writing conference this summer where I have an appointment with someone from a literary agency (terrifying). I don’t know if it will lead anywhere, but I think I need to try.

 

I KNOW I need to try.

 

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That doesn’t mean I don’t plan to paint anymore. Not at all. I still love it; I totally enjoy the physical process, I love learning and trying different techniques, and I’ve found a wonderful online community through art journaling.

 

That’s a great segue to let you know there are a couple more weeks of the Get Messy season of play, and I thought I’d share a couple pics I’ve grabbed.

 

 

 

This week I had a tutorial on the Get Messy website and I showed people how I made this. I used lots of stuff that wasn’t meant for paint or art. It’s surprising what you can do with the goodies in your junk drawer!

 

 

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Because it’s been the season of play, it just felt right to put googley eyes on as many things as possible.

 

Oh there are more, but I’m holding back.

 

You’re welcome.

 

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On top of trying to make myself meet a specific word count, create meaningful and not entirely ugly art journal pages, stick googley eyes on everything without getting caught, and work at my work-from-home job, it’s the end of the school year. And as anybody with school-aged kids knows, this time of year is bonkers.

 

So here’s to trying to get all the things done, everybody! Let’s aspire to achieve all our dreams, even if some of them are delayed or if it will take a bit longer until we can put in the work to make them happen. And good luck getting to all the kids’ programs they’ve all got scheduled for the same week. Maybe if we all sign a petition they’ll quit doing that to us…but probably not.