|
To Balance or Not to Balance, That is the Question
When my children were small, I did not, could not, paint. I got a late start.[/QUOTE]
My start was a late one, too. With the hours spent on family and a 30 year teaching career, my day started at 5:30 (a quiet 30 minutes reading time alone) then from 7:30 to around 5 pm I was at school. After school, children and husband were attended to, and papers were graded until at least 10:30. The only time left for me was an occasional weekend. Upon retirement, I finally knew I could take the time that painting demands of me.
After our move to a new state and retirement, I had to FORCE myself to mellow out and to get to know new people. However, I found that I still resented people dropping in to just ......purposlessly sit around. As a matter of fact, it drove me to distraction! My true (get-to-the-point) nature resurfaced and I soon realized that "balance" may never be a part of my personality. The funny thing is that now I just don't care.
I really do enjoy being with some people. I have no tolorance for wasting time when I could be painting or thinking about painting.
To balance out the isolation factor, I joined two art leagues. Carving out and guarding "alone" time has always been crucial to my peace of mind and it is critical for creative thought.
|