Progress and (my first) Painting

There's always a lot on my plate that keeps me from doing what I want to do. I'm sure that's the case with most people, except perhaps the wealthy. I should probably further define "want to do". There are things to progress my career as a writer/artist (keep in mind artist is a term I use fairly liberally) that I have not been able to do because A) they do not make money this-very-second B) they are not working towards a degree. So unfortunately, I've had to put a lot of important things on the back burner.

Art, however, is important, and finding a place in my schedule to place it has become increasingly difficult. So, today, I decided to drop one of my classes. This will hopefully help me open up more places in my brain for imaginative ideas to dwell and more time in my schedule for rest and writing. Very exciting.

You see, progress is important to me. I need to keep moving towards it being a full time career. When I'm not making money doing so, justifying writing is hard. Do I study harder for a course I'm sure I will never use in the future OR do I settle for mediocre just so I can work on one of my many projects?

In the past I learned a few very crucial things. School and work (the money making kind) cannot get blown off for my projects. These are areas of life that take dedication and commitment. No matter how smart I am, I still have to study. No matter how good of an employee I am, I still have to show up for work to keep my job.

- BUT -

My projects (writing, crafting, creating) cannot get blown off either. In order for me to eventually make the transition into full time artistry, I have to be continually honing my skills in the little nooks of my day to day schedule. And when those nooks start to disappear and I find myself staring longingly at my keyboard or one of my writing journals or [insert any number of artsy projects here].... I find it's time to make a change. (As a side note, my projects also keep me feeling sane and less like a sellout to a mundane "American Dream".)

So what's to be learned from this? Balance. Equilibrium. Stability. Egalitarianism. Symmetry. Pick one.

Sometimes, for me, school needs more attention. Sometimes family calls for more attention. There are times when it is necessary to lay down what you are doing and give a lot more to one area of your life. It is  important to realize that when this happens, the balance must and is getting disrupted. When the situation is handled, it's time to reestablish that balance. That is what most people forget. It's easy to get off track, life gives us plenty of distractions to derail us. So keep at it. And I'll continually be trying to listen to my own advice. :)

And that's that.

On a separate note, I got behind someone else's project today. I felt that it was a well written and half-desperate attempt to realize a dream. Perhaps it's because somewhere in my future I could see myself getting to the point that David Malki! did. I found myself purchasing a book, his anthology. I think with shipping and handling it came out to just under $14. I know for fact the illustrations will be worth that much alone.

As for painting. I rather suck. As I am known to have my fair share of nightmares; actually, I'm abound with nightmares unfortunately. They've been like clockwork for the past couple of weeks, that being every other night. Anyway, this painting is in it's baby stages and is what I threw together in about 20 minutes while watching a movie. I have much more to do. But this is where it starts for me.... (please judge not too harshly...)