Things are getting more and more eccentric at Casa de la Swain. Changing styles in my textile work, falling in love again with painting and photography...and then there is the ever illusive quest for continuing creativity through working with Eric Maisel. Still on the road teaching, posting now at the Ragged Cloth Cafe and taking the pledge to keep handmaiden up to date.

Friday, December 30, 2005

The Black Hole of the Holidays and the Dreaded Blue Screen

The holidays are a wonderful time of the year with family, friends, food, and sharing gifts. Only one problem, it is a time that sucks me right out of the studio. I promised myself that wouldn't happen this year and things have been better; but still have family at home which somehow makes me believe I must play mom. I have gotten two quilts completely basted and ready to applique but that isn't nearly enough. As much as I love this time of the year, I will be glad when the new year finally rolls around and I can get back to my regular schedule.
Melody writes today about the discipline of working...I couldn't agree more...now I just need to get back to that discipline. I have become a slug. When you work for yourself, it is so easy to not work. The distractions of daily life come at you from all directions. There is the housework (not like I do it), calls and emails and the dangerous "I have already worked so hard this year, I deserve some time off." Whine, whine......sitting here at my laptop isn't helping.
Look around at the artist you consider successful, whose name rolls off your toungue with ease......then take a tour down memory lane through old Quilt National catalogues. There are a handful of people who are still working, pushing the envelope and growing to mature artist.
This is discipline, obsession, being driven or just plain hard work. Maybe their media has changed and we just don't see their work in our venues......but to get anywhere in any media you have to fall in love with it, marry yourself to it and live happily ever after. Try those dreaded resolutions.....to work everyday no matter what is going on around you. I promise to do my best to meet this goal.
Now to the bad news.....HELP....my dest top computer has given me the dreaded blue screen....meaning it won't re-boot. It keeps telling me all the amazing things about dumping physical memory....this cannot be good. I come to you from my laptop...thank all the computer pixies that I own one. Why do I mention this? I have several unanswered emails I can't get to, the graphics for my dvd covers are in Photoshop and world of other important information. My apologies now if I don't get back to you immediately if you emailed me prior to yesterday. I have tech support sons working on the problem.....wish us luck.
And yes, I know next year is 2006...it was a typo....you know fingers faster than brain.
Happy New Year.....avoid those hangovers and stay off the roads.

5 comments:

Debra said...

sprinkle pixie dust over the computer...

jenclair said...

You have covered many of the things that I've been thinking about lately. Especially the fact that I resent the things that keep me from working/playing on what I want, BUT at the same time, find all kinds of reasons to delay working when the time is available.

At the library yesterday, the lady who checked me out was talking about self-discipline; we all want it, but obviously, we don't all want it bad enough to apply it! Therefore, I think I will take your advice and put "work everyday" on a short list of New Year's Resolutions.

Gerrie said...

Good advice, Gabrielle. It is my plan - once I get moved to my super new studio of my dreams. In the mean time, I am going to try to do some little thing everyday. Would you mind if mine are those dratted small works - do I dare say the word - postcards?

Micki said...

Gabrielle, your computer problem sounds a lot like what happened to me recently. I did a system restore and in a short few minutes everything was back to running fine.

Liz Plummer said...

Gabrielle, have you tried unplugging it and plugging it in again? Sometimes (mostly if we have an electrical failure) it seems to do the trick.

Blog Archive