Tomorrow my show will be exactly 2 weeks away and even though I’ve been working very hard and most of the big stuff has been taken care of, there’s still a ton of work that needs to be done. There are just a lot of things that you simply cannot do upfront and these last two weeks are crucial, especially when it comes to the marketing. Well in the midst of all that I’m trying to finish ‘Vancouver’, a piece that simply has to be finished before the show.
I absolutely love this whole process of organizing a solo show, even though it’s been a huge challenge. I really like having a goal to work towards and generally I thrive under pressure. Painting under pressure however is a completely different story. It takes a whole lot of discipline and mental strength to focus on the painting and to not get distracted by that looming deadline and all the little things that still need doing. This makes the painting process a lot more draining then usual.
Yesterday I spent the day in my studio working on Vancouver, the painting is progressing nicely and I’ve moved into the final stages of the creation process. Usually I paint until my husband gets home and then I’ll retire from my studio for the day and focus on making dinner and spending some quality time with my husband. Most of the time that works perfectly fine, yesterday however, I had ‘painting brain’ as I like to call it. I had so much trouble taking myself away from the painting and focussing on anything else. While I was making dinner I went back into my studio 3 or 4 times just to sit with the painting and observe it to see where it needed work. I did learn a lot about the painting while sitting there. But it also made me realize how completely drained I felt.
My mind is a funny place, at first it doesn’t allow me to focus on my painting because of all the other stuff that’s ‘in the way’ and then it doesn’t allow me to let it go so I can relax at the end of the day. This all has to do with the looming deadline of my show, finishing ‘Vancouver’ happens to be one of the most important items on my seemingly endless to-do list. With every single thing I do I’m in a constant ‘battle’ with my own mind. It keeps telling me that there are so many other things that need doing as well and shouldn’t I be doing any of the other ones first? Of course not! I’m still the boss of me, no matter what my mind has to say about it!
Vancouver will be finished in time and there will be an end to my endless to-do list. Come April 13th I’ll be as ready as I’ll ever be. You are all invited to come over and see the fruits of my labour at the Mile End gallery in Montreal; 5345 Ave. Du Parc, from April 13-23. See you there?
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