Procrastination or Inspiration?

I’ve been working with renewed vigor on my art, lately, since I finally have a bit of time that isn’t all chopped up by the odds and ends of daily life. That’s good news, right? I’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time.

The thing is, what I’m doing is not what I planned. I really want—and need—to do some ambitious metal work. I need, in particular, to finish the very intricate teapot piece I started back in the spring when I was at a residency at Ragdale. I simply cannot do this kind of work in bits and pieces. It takes a certain kind of flow and concentration that doesn’t happen when I’m constantly interrupted.

At this point, I teach on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but the rest of my time is unstructured. Which is not to say I am free of duties such as applying for art fairs and teaching gigs for the upcoming months, shopping, cooking, paying bills, cleaning the house, blah blah blah. Life is NOT an artist’s residency! But still, it is MUCH better.

The funny thing is, I’m very fired up and working hard—but not in the metals studio. I’m doing pastels.

Winter Dusk, Lighthouse Beach

I’ve never considered myself any good at painting. My father gave me some lessons when I was quite young—the only part of my life he was around for. Strangely, almost the only parts I recall are the negative things. I remember putting one stroke of paint on the canvas and hearing his voice from over my shoulder– “Oh, honey, noooo!” Oh, that tone of disappointment!

My painting teacher in college always made me keep painting after I said pieces were done, and I always thought that ruined them.

Then, recently, I tried pastels. And, what do you know, I can work with them! The results were really gratifying pretty much right away. And now, it seems as though I can’t stop.

Doe Bay Evening

Pensacola Dawn

Maybe it’s because I’m not thinking about whether they will sell. I can’t say I don’t think about it at all, but it isn’t like metal, where that concern is never far from the surface. The necessity to mix business with creativity is as old as, well, who knows? But certainly as far back as the Renaissance, the period I know the most about. Michaelangelo’s David is as slight in build as it is because the Medicis took a half-finished marble away from another artist whose work didn’t look satisfactory to them, and gave it to Michaelangelo to finish, so he had to work within the limits of what was there.

So, then, that’s the question. Do I go with the work that has me pumped up, and just pastel my little heart out, and have faith that it is for the best? Or do I limit the time I spend on painting and show some discipline, get back to the work I claim to have been craving for months and months—and that I need to get to work on, to be ready for whatever shows I get into?

I guess it’s really a win-win. After all, as long as I’m creating, I’m moving in the right direction. Right? What I’m hoping is that the energy that is being generated by doing the work I really feel like doing is being stored, re-charging my creative batteries, and will be there to draw on in the rest of my life. Including the metals studio. But there’s still that nagging worry that I’m procrastinating, that what I’m doing is the artistic equivalent of playing solitaire.

Doe Bay Rocks

SIDE NOTE: I’ve started a Facebook page for my art business– I hope you’ll take a look. If the link does not work for some reason– search for Noel Yovovich Art Jewelry.

Tagged as: art, create, creativity, inspiration, jewelry, pastels, studio