Footnote

And another long (feeling at least) weekend passes. Saturday was a bit of a struggle as I woke up without my marbles, I must have left them under the pillow. I would like to take this moment to thank my Mum for dealing with me whilst I was looking for them. Sorry Mum!

One positive of the marble losing debacle was that it finally put me in the need to paint frame of mind, so paint I did! I have aborted the half started painting temporarily, and focused on painting something that would be therapeutic for me. It did the trick and I slept really well afterwards. Also more importantly it gave me a couple of hours of blissful preoccupation. No thinking. No analysing. No worrying. Just colour. I think it is fair to say I got properly engrossed, especially as I managed to make this happen:

Making this much mess is an achievement even for me! I think it was just what I needed though, so I am hoping it will have broken my painting block.

Today's mission, is either to put my new painting online or keep making my prints. All the large ones are made now but I still have quite a few small ones left to do.

Also: note to self; trying to do sun salutations after a two hour Zumbathon session for the NHS yesterday is not a good idea. Everything already aches, and I think it is only going to get worse!   

Steady

So I didn't make as many limited editions yesterday as I had hoped but I did make some. The mounting supplies are being delivered in an hour or so, so I hope that means I can finish making them all today, but that will depend on how disciplined I am!

The sun salutations have had their usual calming effect this morning and I can surprisingly already see that they are toning me up. My arms especially are beginning to show a difference.

It will be time for Zumba in a moment, and hopefully all this exercise will make me happy to sit on the floor for the rest of the day assembling prints.

Positivity

So I actually did put my Maidenhead Clock Tower up for sale on Etsy and started making some limited edition prints.

What? Are you saying you actually did what you said you would do?!? Well, goodness gracious me!

I also found out I sold two prints over the weekend on my US sites; one of the Budapest Parliament building and the other of the Oslo Opera House. Look at all this positivity! What is going on? I have also already completed my 20 sun salutations, rather badly as my arms are still sore, but shush, and I feel ready to tackle my day!

This seems silly, was that all I have needed to do all this time? Get up and do some sun salutations!?!? I wish I had known this earlier, but I'll take it. More of this please.

Progress

I am trying to decide whether I regret saying I would write a blog post every day. Maybe I should have said I would write a blog post, a social media post, or put something up for sale on Etsy.

I guess I can always change the parameters.

So yes, a bit late today; Early Zumba always seems to wipe me. It is only half an hour earlier than the class on Friday morning but that seems to make all the difference. I am stiff in my shoulders and arms from the yoga yesterday as well. But on the plus side, I was actually productive yesterday; I did some banking, some admin, tidied and backed up my computer, went for a walk, sorted out my limited edition prints and ordered some more mounting supplies.

Boom.

Today, I am going to start assembling the large prints and put my Maidenhead Clock Tower framed prints up on Etsy for sale, and then maybe painting time? Who knows.

Looks like the looooooooooong restful weekend was good for me.

Happy Easter?

The Easter weekend has been and gone and it felt like a long one, and not necessarily in a good way. I decided to have a break from art and try and relax and get my head back in a more peaceful artistic state. I am not entirely sure it has worked but it was good to take the pressure off feeling like I need to make the most of this time and churn out some work.

Ironically I do feel like I need to paint today, but possibly not paint the picture I have already started. I am tempted to put than to one side for the moment and start on something different. The original picture I chose to paint, just feels like the wrong subject to be tackling at the moment, so I think I need to succumb and just paint something else. I will see how this day progresses.

On the plus side it felt good to get back to my routine this morning and get up and do some sun salutations. I managed 20 this morning. I also made the mistake of weighing myself. Highly un-recommended but it is another bit of me that I need to tackle. I am in no way overweight or unhealthy but I have a condition that is dependent on my weight, and whilst I look fine, it would be good to be at least half a stone, if not more, lighter.

It is debatable at the moment, whether taking on all these tasks in one go, will be too much. But I have a real chance to get into some healthy habits over the next few weeks, so I will kick myself if I don't at least try! Here is to hoping.

Stay well everyone.

Focus

Zumba is half an hour later this morning, which has seemingly given me enough time to get up, do my yoga, have breakfast and write this post before I need to start. Seems successful.

I attempted to finish my painting yesterday, which I didn't quite manage but I have worked it up some more, so it is a bit closer to being complete. I am not wonderfully happy with it at the moment, but it feels like, by this point, that I just need to get through it. I am always too harsh as well so I am sure it will be fine once the finishing touches are in place.

Bizarrely as well as my body remembering its yoga poses my fingers seem to be remembering how to type quickly. I didn't realise how out of practice with everything I have become. I think endlessly self motivating to get up and work and get underway is progressively draining. I have slowly been losing my focus for a long time and last year definitely pushed me over the edge. Set back after set back is ok for a while as long as you get a break at some point. Recently though it seems like every time something good might be happening it goes wrong, and I have to start again. I can believe and have faith most of the time; I am positive and I work hard, but there comes a point when even the most resolute start to doubt what they are doing. I am on this page at the moment. Lost and directionless. I know the answer is within me, I just need to push the negativity and the tiredness and the doubt to the side and dig it out.

What is it that you really want to do?

A bit of Zen

So I think I have discovered that this regime may be ok to keep, the only problem at the moment is the start time but hopefully that will improve. I am not, and never have been, a morning person, although I do like early mornings when I manage to see them.

Yoga is such a zen way to start the day, I can see why people do it. I managed 15 sun salutations this morning as my body is starting to remember how to do them although my form is still terrible. I am hoping they will help sort my back out, as well as giving me a strange calm, holistic feeling to carry with me throughout the day. Here is to hoping.

I did manage to complete my admin paperwork and file my tax return yesterday so that is good. Now it is time to either start painting or make some limited edition prints, and hopefully not spend too long wistfully looking at the sunshine outside.