Kelly Gibbons, artist and writer, about me

Monday, April 19, 2004

I Love Mondays!

Not very long ago I dreaded Monday mornings. If this were September 2003 I would be sitting in my cubicle returning countless phone and email messages wishing I was anywhere but there.

This morning I woke up feeling very uninspired and a bit down, but instead of feeling sorry for myself I decided to do something about it. I am currently reading Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way (I highly recommend it BTW) and filling the well by going out and having fun is strongly encouraged. This morning I decided my well needed filling so I went out and had some fun.

All too often we forget about all the wonderful things we have right in front of us. I "forgot" that I live less then than five miles from a State Park full of the most marvelous hiking trails. So with sketch pad in hand I went set out to have fun.
I sketched. I hiked. I laid on a park bench and let the sun warm my face. Yes, it was already around 70 degrees at nine this morning. I also just sat and listened.

I heard the wind in the trees--sometimes just a gentle swish and other times a long steady whoosh. I heard several different types of birds singing there marvelous tunes. There was gentle whistling, some tweet, tweet, tweets, the tap of a wood pecker and the loud CAW, CAW, CAW of what I thing was a crow. The crow seemed to want all the other birds to know that he was there. I also listened to the wind blow the water and push the gentle waves unto the shore. Nothing is a peaceful to me as the sound of water swishing onto a shore line. It doesn't matter to me if it is a lake or the ocean. That hum of waves can instantly calm me.

It was wonderful to sit there and do nothing but listen.

I took a forty minute hike in the woods and it was the best work out I had in a long time. It was also the most fun. Walking on paths in the woods that sometimes wind down around the shoreline of a beautiful lake does not seem much like exercise, but my heart rate was higher than it usually is after walking for 45 minutes.

As I hiked I also found something else, something wonderful, I found inspiration. I thought of stories to write and pictures to draw. I was filled with the urge to create. This felt good, especially about writing, because lately I have been having a hard time with writing. Ever since I discovered that I was an artist, I have pushed writing to the back burner and have been feeling bad about it. I want to do both writing and art and I will.

My two hours of fun were the best two hours I've spent in a long time. I learned more and gained more out there doing nothing than I have doing weeks of research. So, if you are feeling bad, lacking inspiration or searching for ideas I suggest going out and having fun. Everything needs some kind of fuel to move, and I have a feeling that creativity is fueled by fun.

posted by Kelly @ 4/19/2004 10:31:00 AM

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