It’s been really hard getting back into a creative frame of mind since my knee replacement last fall – as evidenced by the lack of activity here. First I couldn’t hand sew because all the various muscle relaxers had my hands too shaky to do so, and by the time that effect was gone I just plain wasn’t feeling creative. Not a good thing for an artist. I have tried over and over again to make myself just spend time in the studio creating anything at all to get a jump start. but that negative voice that says “What’s the use?” always puts an end to it. I know that the working artists do just that, but I don’t know how they get to that mental place that allows them the impetus to do so.
But, Monday evening I got the shove that forced me into the studio to create something. An acquaintance from my quilt guild days called with the request for a landscape of Pike’s Peak that she could turn into a small quilt for her daughter – with a deadline of two days or less. So, off into the the studio I went first thing on Tuesday morning, and by mid-afternoon the landscape was done. Nothing like a little push to make me work. I had a size requirement, very specific design request (Pike’s Peak, two trees on the left side), and an incredibly short deadline, all of which worked to my advantage. The landscape (pictured below) will be picked up this afternoon, and I will spend this morning cutting mats for some small threadpainted miniature landscapes that I did ages ago, and for some landscapes that have been laid out but not sewn since Ocotber. My hope is that having the mats all cut and ready to go will provide the impetus to actually get them finished. Some times it really does take a shove to get me moving again.
