Time to Unwind
For most artists painting is energizing, it is a vocation. Yet, regardless how rewarding or therapeutic painting might be, it is work no doubt that requires discipline and serious artists know that. Why not give yourself a little vacation from your vocation, it is August after all! Put your brushes away, store your canvasses, clean your studio and close the door.
After a break from what might have become somewhat of a routine, you are likely to come back to a task with greater focus and renewed enthusiasm. When Willem de Kooning was asked in an interview and video by Robert Snyder whether he painted all the time, he answered: “certainly not, do poets write all the time?. One needs a break in order to regenerate one’s creativity. A full battery cannot be recharged.
Taking a break does not mean doing nothing. Although doing nothing may just be some people’s idea of a vacation. On your artist’s vacation you may want to include trips to museums, browsing through art books and reading about other artists. Adjust your pace and give yourself time to do things you enjoy doing but had to put aside. Vacations are supposed to be fun. Take long walks, explore, take in the scenery, eat some gelato and sleep late if you so wish. While you might want to schedule some activities, avoid all pressures and deadlines. Invite some of the people whose company you enjoy to join you. Pack light because you will come back with new accoutrements.
Yvette Stenzel
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