Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Does three days make this a habit?

It comes as no surprise to me that I feel more inclined to write when I'm well-rested.  Somehow, we ended up with two full weeks off for Winter Recess (fka Christmas Vacation) again this year, plus we had a snow day on the final Friday before its official beginning.  Last week, as loyal readers (all three of you) will remember, I was anxious and upset, but I was sleeping better.  I've been sleeping better and better, but my work days are pushing the 12-hour mark.  There's my regular school day, then three days a week I teach private studio lessons for another two hours or so.  Mondays and Fridays are then for all the other weekday errands that may need to be done.   So creativity takes a serious backburner during the week, and I often end up using Saturday and Sunday to recover.  Don't get me wrong; I love teaching.  It's been a good place for me.  But as time goes on, I realize that it takes a lot out of me, and uses a lot of my creative mojo.  That wasn't a problem until a few years ago, when I realized there was an alternative.  (I should have started blogging then; now I have a lot of catching up to do.  Oh well, more blog fodder.)  How I manage to balance (or not) this quandry remains to be seen.

So, good sleep and restful days allow my brain to expand, I think.  I'm not the first one to understand that creativity can be linked to mental quiet, I'm quite sure.  I'm also quite sure that the opposite is true for many other people.  Perhaps for others, creativity leads to mental quiet.  But for me, after ten months of serious mental disquiet, well...I'll choose this path.  Now if only I can get someone to pay my rent while I get all nice and quiet.

And now for something completely different:  I'm going to attempt to not only add photos to this post, but to put them where I want.  Bear with me...

  




Hey, not bad! This is, of course, the mountain dulcimer I mentioned in the other day's post, the one Dad gave me for Christmas. Isn't she beautiful? She doesn't have a name yet, but she is definitely a "she." "Stella" is a possibility. Suggestions are happily accepted.  

2 comments:

Fujiyamamama said...

The mountain dulcimer is beautiful. I love the burled wood on the sides, and the stars are so sweet!

Wanda said...

Wow! What a gorgeous dulcimer! I really like Stella! Or perhaps Sheila - I was thinking something along the lines of "She has risen," hehe.

Are you up for maybe painting some pottery? :)