Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Making Time...

The more I paint, the more I want to paint. This appears to be one of the basic symptoms of the "Painting Disease". And apparently, I have it!

One thing I'm learning is that the only way to really learn how to paint is to paint, paint and paint more. Reading books is good. Watching videos is fun. But in the end, only brush time teaches me anything that sticks.

Problem is, I already have a full time job. 50 or more hours a week of concentrated, mind boggling software engineering that often leaves me light headed and spent by the end of the day. Family time doesn't count because that's happily built into the foundation of everything.

As serene as it may look to an observer, Painting is a creative endeavor and requires a lot of energy. After a long day at the "salt mines", energy can be a scarce commodity.

Oh, and did I mention the fact that it takes a really long time to learn to paint well?

So... how do you feed a desire to paint when you only have a few hours a week to devote to it? I haven't figured that out yet. In fact, I have no constructive insights to offer others - yet. I'm mostly just thinking out loud. OK, maybe venting a little bit too.

I've been scouring the Net looking for some sort of time extending plug-in for my computer. Maybe a 36 hour day or something like that. No luck so far.

I guess I'll just have to find some other way to treat the disease and pay the bills at the same time. If I figure it out I'll let your know!

2 comments:

  1. I just discovered your blog and enjoying it as this is where I am...I have to paint, paint, paint, but also need to work to pay the bills. I am looking forward to reading the rest of your blog, as it give me hope that you found a way, and perhaps I too can find a way to do what I love full-time. Thank you, Glad

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  2. Thanks for the comment! Sorry for the delayed response. A little problem with the blog administration..

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