I'm back!!!!!!

Wow, I've never been away from blogging for so long! I guess you know from previous posts (if anyone out there actually reads this-lol) that I started a job back in April/May. Well, life definitely got a lot busier than I expected. Don't get me wrong, I like my job. And, I couldn't ask for a much more flexible schedule. I was able to find part time work as a statistician. Not the usual for my field so it's working out pretty great so far. The downside, well, less time with my kids and my art. So, kids have taken priority. I have to say I do cherish the time with them more now and sometimes there just isn't enough of it. So, anyway, my art, my blogging, those kinds of things are taking a bit of a back seat for now. I haven't completely stopped making art of course but I have stopped taking on new work, trying to reach deadlines on exhibits, entering art/craft shows. There will be time again for those, when my kids are older (they are 4 and 8 at the present).

I'm trying to figure out a way to just enjoy my art making again without it feeling like something I have to do. Get back to the fun of just playing and discovering. The only problem then is that I'm left with more stuff I don't know what to do with. If one of the goals is not to eventually sell it, enter it somewhere, give it as a gift, I'm finding it hard to justify the time to just play. I did fill that need some with teaching classes, where I was able to demonstrate and play along with everyone else. I'll just have to keep figuring it out. Life is always changing and I'm in a new chapter of mine.

Well, you probably don't read my blog to hear about my statistical job or my kids, so want to do what I have actually accomplished the past few months. Let's see, I entered a couple of pieces in a show, and now I can't even remember which one, I'll have to go back and look. I was rejected from a few. I completed a piece for the SDA conference for the members exhibit. And, most recently, I completed a liturgical stole and an article for Quilting Arts magazine. So despite feeling like I'm not doing any art, I'm still plugging along. I didn't enter my fiber art groups yearly exhibition, a bit sad about that and I haven't made the meetings for that in many months, also sad. But, once I get this whole working and running a family thing under my belt hopefully that will change.

Here is a couple of photos of a piece from the last few months and I'll hopefully have some good ones of the stole soon. I'll write more about it and the process when I post the photos.

Happy creating! (and happy working, and playing with kids or gardening or whatever you like or have to do!)