NOvember

One finished painting so far this month

My art work tends to come in batches, like waves. There are times where I produce work like crazy (summer especially). Winter is actually a pretty productive time too--here in Minnesota, you hunker down and work on something during the long cold months when you really don't want to go outside unless you have to. But I also have seasons where I don't really make that much. And my down time of the year, for some reason, is November. I don't know what it is about this month, but my artistic output tends to be fairly low year in and year out. Maybe because it's an in-between time, not really fall but not yet winter. I think it's my body's way of telling me to take a break before the cold really hits and get some rest before the holidays roll around.
It used to bother me that I couldn't push through it and just get on with beavering away at art making. I felt guilty, as if I was failing at being an artist. I've come to realize that this natural lull is beneficial. As an American, I tend to look down on rest and relaxation as laziness or wasting time. But we humans aren't designed to constantly be on the go. God even told us to quit working and take a break every week: "Six days shall you work, but on the seventh you shall rest." Thank you, God, for reminding us silly creatures that we shouldn't run ourselves to exhaustion. So now I try to embrace my natural tendency to slow down in November. I use it to reflect on what I've been doing so far in the year and what project I want to focus on over the winter months. I tend to read more, reconnect and catch up with friends, visit galleries and museums--it's creative input rather than output. I've got to feed the artistic well to draw from it later. 

It's also a reminder that there's more to life than making art. Yes, I love it and it's what I'm passionate about. I always feel happiest when I'm in the middle of a mess that will transform into finished pieces. But I also need to step away from the art supplies and engage with other human beings. It's easy to become a hermit, making art can be such a solitary endeavor. At the end of the day though, I need people in my life to give me perspective. I am not ultimately defined by my art, it's separate from who I am as a person. I need to cultivate other interests as well, for my benefit and others. I don't want to be that person who can only talk about art, and is at a loss for words when any other topic comes up. I need to be a well rounded nerd (which I am--ask me about Batman or Lord of the Rings or Settlers of Catan, etc, etc).