JOURNALS

Thursday rolled around with a misty start, a bit of a brain fog mirroring the weather outside. Now, they say the early bird catches the worm, and today, my early bird was all about catching up on some YouTube – a pre-work ritual that, dare I say, perks me up more than the banned substance around here (tea or coffee, for those wondering).

The day transitioned from passive learning to active doing as I nestled into the new studio setup. It's got that 'new studio smell', which is just a fancier way of saying there's less dust. The first task was wrestling my Artist Statement onto the website, turning technical battles into a game of whack-a-mole with those sneaky blocks that played hide and seek depending on your screen size.

Then came the newsletter, my figurative Everest for the day. Diving into it was akin to starting a marathon; pacing is crucial. By late morning, the artist statement was waving back at me from its digital pedestal, a small victory. Next, the newsletter beckoned, a beast of words that needed taming, whittling, and sometimes outright butchering, all in the name of clarity and brevity. I found solace in hammering away at it until lunch, after which I promised myself a session of 'studio admin', a euphemism for the less than glamorous aspect of art that involves far too much paperwork and not enough pens.

The afternoon melted away with the persistence of a determined artist trying to balance creativity with the mundane. That focus, that drive to get through the to-do list, was punctuated by moments of realization and satisfaction. Not least was finding that single line that encapsulated 'what I do', amidst the newsletter's sea of words. It felt rewarding, a sliver of brilliance that comes from rigorous editing and the relentless pursuit of essence.

The admin tasks were less fulfilling, a sober reminder that not all efforts bear fruit immediately. Some seeds take longer to sprout, and today's were particularly stubborn. Yet, there's comfort in the completion, in knowing that every ticked box is a step towards something larger, even if today it felt like treading water.

Reflecting on the day's end, the studio felt colder than it should, a physical chill that somehow didn't match the warmth from ticking off tasks. Looking forward to warming up tomorrow, both in spirit and temperature. Today was a spectrum of productivity, from the heady heights of clarity to the grounding reality of tasks left unfulfilled. Yet, it's all part of the journey, isn't it? Chasing the creative high, navigating the fog (literal and metaphorical), and finding solace in both the victories and lessons of the day.