Just Another Blog Post

Hello friends! Today is 15th July and I’m feeling pretty happy! My morning so far has consisted of a relaxing walk along the almost deserted beach, a tasty breakfast and a cup of rooibos tea to drink as I write this blog. My week had a rocky start, but for reasons which I’m not going to share right now I feel so much more positive and it’s making me far more productive! (Productive for me means not only getting stuff done, but having time to also do relaxing stuff as well!) I hope your day, and week, are going well!

The last two weeks have been a rollercoaster of getting art done one minute and the next feeling too exhausted to do anything other than sit with my feet up and watch TV. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed this through my very inconsistent, sometimes enthusiastic and cheerful and sometimes very non-existent, posting. I’m feeling positive for the next two weeks though, and I hope that when I check in with you lovely people again, I will have been far busier doing the things that make me happy like walking and painting rather than busy feeling tired and stressed.

All that being said, I have been relatively consistent with doing observational drawings multiple mornings a week and for that I am proud. It’s not been the easiest fortnight but my dedication to my art practice has persisted and that makes me very happy. I do also think I’m starting to see some progress within my drawings which is excellent and the more consistent I can be with it, the more I will improve and that is good motivation for me. Remember that progress doesn’t come without hard work.

Sadly, I haven’t been able to paint as frequently as I’ve been drawing but I have still done on average one painting a week since I started and that is certainly better than nothing! I’ve also finished an abstract piece which can be found on my Instagram but can’t yet be found on my website as I’m still deciding if it’s worthy. Once we are into August, I will be far more active with my painting, so please do keep an eye on my Instagram if that interests you! I will try to paint every day in August, but to take the pressure off myself a bit I might instead aim for at least 5 times a week; any extras are a bonus! This means if I have a day or two where I just don’t have time or don’t feel like it, then there will be no guilt or pressure attached and I can just enjoy the down time.

August for me will be a time to rest, recharge and destress (although that also kind of starts now). I feel I need to take some time to do all the basic things that make me happy as I know that that will in turn make me more productive also. If I give myself the time to walk, read and play then I will be more willing and enthused to do the things that take effort! (That’s not to say I don’t enjoy those things too, just that they take more energy and brain power.) That is one lesson I am very grateful for having the opportunity to learn during our time in lockdown, how best I work.

I learned how important some form of a routine is for me and my productivity and happiness. Although after a while, I was no longer having to try to stick to a routine because it simply became a habit. Since June though, I lost my routine. It was no longer habit, and it just felt impossible to follow or adapt to my new situation. It’s one of the things I’ve struggled with this past month and I know it’s effected my productivity and happiness. I’ve never been someone that can just push through; I just stop. In order to work hard, I must also have the time to rest and do stuff just for myself. This I have always known to some extent, but my new found routine allowed me to finally be more consistently productive as it made me more consistent with giving myself time to rest.

I’m so excited to have more time to paint, mostly because I simply want to paint, but also because it will help me feel more comfortable and confident going into my third year of university. It’s going to be so much work and I know that I need to be fully rested and prepared in order to do my best.

That's all I have to say today, remember to stay happy, healthy and creative, and I’ll see you in the next one!

Anna xx