His Earlobe Fell in the Deep*

So sometimes my artistic efficiency just falls down and stays down for a while. I hit burnout. And the thing is, the burnout is not usually caused by making too much art (how could it be?). It’s because all the other things I’m supposed to do, like you know, hold down a 60-hour-plus-a-week job and grade all those damn papers…well they start to pile up until I can’t see over them. I WANT to just sit on the deck in the sun, a light breeze, a little warm, but not too bad, and draw. I really really do. But I can’t.

They let us out of school early yesterday, presumably so we could avoid all the potential protest violence that had shown up the night before. To get our kids home safe. And so I drove a little ways and bought thread, so I could quilt the owl…and then I went home and I graded all afternoon…and evening…because grades are due Tuesday and I was woefully behind. Why? Because I tried to put art over my job on a daily basis ONCE I GOT HOME. Seriously. Not at work. Just once I came home. And it has kicketh my butt.

So back to trying to find a balance. Some of it required me to take a step back and figure out what next. I have so many deadlines vying for position in my head, I lose sight of what really needs to get done next. And there are other things I have to do. I’ve spent over 3 hours on the phone with Sears in the last month trying to get a refund on a part they never delivered, because they don’t actually have it. You wouldn’t think that would be hard, but there was a computer issue, so apparently they never took my money. Except they did. Both kids needed flights home for break. That’s now done. I had an issue with the coloring book file. That’s now fixed and resubmitted. I think. I hope. Shit. Not resubmitted. Sigh. Just did that. I entered another show or two…or opportunity or something. Can’t remember. Got a rejection. OK. No problem.

Here’s the thread choices…

The gray is for the background…the green and purple…usually I outline in a dark blue, but it didn’t seem right for this guy. The purple is actually a brownish purple. Or maybe a purplish brown. Hard to say. The light in the store sucked, so I bought both. They will get used up. Hopefully I’ll get started on that today or tomorrow. I’m still buried in school stuff and the social stuff today is pretty time-consuming too. It sounds like work when I say it that way. Well sometimes it is for people like me. My biggest worry at the moment is that I have nothing to wear to the second event today. I may not care.

I got this in the mail. Wow. Arrogant asses.

I DO appreciate lovely quilts. You guys suck though. The envelope was not postage paid, or I would have sent them a response. I’m not wasting a stamp on them.

So right now, I have a choice: grade some more papers (because 7 hours yesterday wasn’t enough), go to the local crap shop and find something to wear for tonight that isn’t hideous (ugh. do I have to?), or sit out and draw for an hour or so. Huh. He he he. Yeah. Well. You might know what I’m doing…

*The B-52’s, Rock Lobster