Daily Practice

         For me habits are difficult to catch on- equally difficult to break once finally formed- according to Dr. Phil it takes 21 days for form any habit- positive or negative if you do it for 21 days it is neurologically a habit. It might come as a surprise to many that for me to create a daily habit of art making was tricky. How can taking the time out of your day to do something that you love be difficult? Especially when it seems that all I am is creative and "crafty"- constantly making things!

         In my studio- AKA the kitchen- conditions must be perfect- my environment needs to be set up a certain way for me to feel relaxed enough to create a giant mess and be creative- ironically spontaneity and creativity don't go hand in hand for me. So when Opus Art Supplies put out the call for a month long daily practice I decided to accept the challenge and give it a go. The guide lines are pretty flexible- practice daily-  I decided to approach my art work as I would my yoga- as a work in progress- be mindful but not too precious- just do it.

         As the month has progressed I- along with many others- have documented our daily practice on Instagram and other social media sites- tied together with the #opusdailypractice tag. Witnessing what other folks are putting out there has been such a gift- seeing what my co-workers from across the province are creating has been enlightening and inspiring. For myself I have felt my work loosening up and becoming not so contrived- I am having fun experimenting with different mediums- I'm enjoying taking those paintings and drawings and cutting them up- seeing them from a different point of view.

        I think while this month of daily practice may almost be up I plan on continuing on- my goal is to actually fill a sketchbook for once! For me this daily practice has really enforced the idea that art can happen anywhere- being creative doesn't need specific conditions or the perfect room- the dishes can wait. I find there are so many excuses I give- which puts my art on the back burner- while taking care of my family is obviously important so is taking care of myself. Allowing myself that creative outlet daily has indeed become a habit- Dr. Phil was- possibly- right.