With the longer studio days that September has made possible, I‘ve been sinking deep into my thinking/painting/drawing/writing practice. Several uninterrupted hours of studio time in a row? It feels like a miracle. I also miss my youngster who is off to kindergarten this year. It’s been a strange mix of emotions that have given a weird feeling to the last few weeks. Mostly, though, I’ve been happily painting a lot of cats and plants for my next picture book project (eeeee!).
Something that I sort of forgot about is the idea that I need to leave the studio sometimes and that I’m not a drawing machine. The Covid pandemic has proven to me that taking walks outside and being in nature actually is important for my well-being. Beyond that though, I like getting out of the studio to do something enriching, even if I only have a few minutes to do it. So I’m here in our local library for a little book (and blog) break.
We are so lucky to have the Mary Jacobs Library in Rocky Hill, NJ right around the corner from our house. I get an immediate sense of serenity just walking through the doors and smelling the book-smell.
These ideas seem so simple and well-worn: “get outside” and “visit your library.” They‘re easy to put at the bottom of the to-do list. But even when I’m having a great day in my studio, spending hours in the flow, I try to remember to get out of there from time to time.
So to use the social media expression “I don’t know who needs to hear this,” maybe take a few minutes for yourself and feel the peaceful vibes of losing yourself in the stacks. Or whatever it is you like to do.
Here are the spoils of today’s book hunt:
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