The only bad part of being away for an extended period of time is coming back. Reality is hard. Vacation or whatever it is I’ve been doing the last three months is easy. I’m extremely fortunate and will remember that on days when I’m pissy and grouchy.
One of the most fun things about being home is I’m surrounded by my art. I forgot how much I enjoy being the presence of my own work. It’s not because I think my work is so terrific. There are MANY far more talented artists. Many many many!! But it gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment. There’s something so profoundly rewarding about doing something, anything, and surprising yourself. Seeing my paintings also reminds me how much joy I get from painting. I only painted two portraits over the summer because I focused on writing. I’m very excited to return to the painting I started before I left. It’s different for me because I’m using, primarily, black and greys. I don’t want to repeat myself. I want to keep pushing myself to do what scares me. I think that’s important. I once read “do something every day that scares you.” I don’t know who said it, I just know I subscribe to it as a philosophy. Failure isn’t that big a deal as long as you’re willing to pick yourself up and start again. Nobody learns from the things they do well or correctly. You can only learn from mistakes. They’re the greatest teachers!