A Quick Update

We (and the movers) survived the move. It's been all-encompassing for the past several weeks and I look forward to bringing a bit more balance to my life.

The process of dismantling my previous home, purging, packing and hauling the material contents of my life to my new one, and creating a new living space from scratch has prompted many emotions and reflections that I may eventually write about here.

In the meantime though, things are becoming settled. The 70's basement is awesome, the kitchen has been functional for five full days now (Huzzah!), and the contents of my office and studio boxes sit on white Ikea shelves, waiting to be organized into a practical space that's conducive to creativity.

The only glitch: we still don't have Internet access. I've been bumming time on D's iPhone, including the time spent writing this post (thank you D!). Since he's about to leave for work though I'm afraid I must cut my update here rather abruptly. I can't wait to be back full time.

See you soon...

Time to Move

It's time. I can't delay it any longer. We must disconnect the Internet and pack up the electronics.

The movers will be backing their truck into the driveway first thing tomorrow morning and the familiar sound of the diesel engine will no doubt kick me into a somewhat surreal high gear for the following three or four hours.

It's a routine all too familiar to me. First the walkabout to survey how much and what kind of stuff needs to go, then the dismantling of bigger pieces to fit through the doorways and finally, the rhythmic and coordinated loading of the truck.

I was hoping to craft a post on the ritual of leaving one home and creating another, tapping into the emotions and reflections of the past few weeks spent in limbo between the dismantling of our current living space and the preparation of the one to come. But alas the words just aren't there. Perhaps another post.

It's time to shut down for a few days to set up house. I'll see you flip side.

Lost Internet, Found Productivity

My home Internet connection is down this week and my tech support is on a beach in the Dominican Republic. My presence here tonight is courtesy of Sis & Bro-in-Law's generosity in letting me use their computer to catch up online.

Although initially I panicked, I think the lost Internet connection is a blessing in disguise. Had I had email an Facebook at my fingertips this week I surely wouldn't have accomplished all that I wanted to in preparation for next week's move. I guess in a way I am grateful.

Sometimes timing is everything.

On Discovering and Using Our Creative Voice...

"You make good work by (among other things) making lots of work that isn't very good, and gradually weeding out the parts that aren't good, the parts that aren't yours. It's called feedback, and it's the most direct route to learning about your own vision. It's also called doing your work. After all, someone has to do your work, and you're the closest person around."
- David Bayles & Ted Orland, Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

Three things jump out at me from this quote:

1. We each have a creative voice and vision that are unique to us, our job is to discover them and apply them to our creative practice.
2. Consistent practice, perseverance and play are key to discovering this uniqueness. In other words, quality will eventually come out of quantity.
   
3. Creating true to our voice is enough to make our work good whether it's ever published or displayed for anyone else to see.
   

Where have I been?

Obviously not here, hm? I've been...

• choosing paint colours for what will soon become our new home
• dealing with another move, realizing that I become very attached to any space I create for myself and how hard it is to leave each one
• adjusting to the idea of living in a seventies bungalow after spending four years in circa 1920's abodes that fed my romantic soul with their woodwork, high ceilings and architectural detail
• realizing that the '70s house we're moving to has just as much architectural detail, it's just different, and that maybe it'll feed my fun-loving funky soul for a while
  
• washing, prepping and painting three rooms at the new place
• sleeping
• shopping for window coverings
• eating take-out, trying to stay on the healthy side of things
• neglecting my blog, my emails and my online community; beating myself up just a little because of it
• crashing on the couch with D. and Cassie, escaping in episode after episode of Mad Men Season 2 (seriously, I can't watch just one!)
• sleeping more
• dealing with the odd bout of insomnia
• purging belongings from a previous marriage, getting rid of the old to make room for the new, but keeping some of the old to honour it and remind me of the goodness and richness that helped me become who I am today
• packing just a little, wondering how I'll get it all done before the move in two weeks from tomorrow
• scheming a new-to-me palette for the living & dining rooms: all white walls grounded by our wood-tone furniture, accentuated with pops of colour inspired by Giselle:

• watching the laundry and dustbunnies pile up in my current home
  
• revelling in enthusiastic conversation and a stroll by the river with a good friend
• enjoying good company and good food at an Easter BBQ graciously hosted by Sis and Bro-in-Law
• sleeping more
• missing my new niece
• getting excited for my other bro-in-law (on D.'s side) and his fiancée as they head down to Punta Cana to get married next Monday
• reading a book called Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher; it brought me so many a-ha moments it was almost overwhelming
• adjusting to new types of tasks at the office after choosing to leave a project on which I'd been working for the past 18 months
• trying to write my morning pages regularly to stay grounded during this time of transition
• trying to eat healthy food to fuel my body to cull, pack and clean
• fretting just a little bit over where I will set up my studio in the new place
• pondering a new experiment with a new series of posts, similar to last month's Creative Triggers experiment
• managing my expectations of what's realistic for me to achieve in the upcoming weeks, thinking they will be focused on creating a new space for D., Cassie and I
• planning a '70s theme housewarming party (you betcha!)
  
• mulling over roots, family and home and how I'm feeling drawn to settle down these days
• enjoying the sensation of zest, energy and potential I feel at the thought of moving to our new home, continuing my art, and exploring other projects

What've you been up to lately?