Time to Get Back to Work

I decided back in late May that I needed to take a sabbatical from the shop and from making work that was intended strictly for sale, as opposed to JUST for my own enjoyment.  This was because I was going through a very hard time psychiatrically.  I entered Partial Hospital at that time (a day program for psychiatric treatment),  spent 8 days there, and realized during that time that I no longer knew why I was making art, heck doing anything at all.

What was the point of having a shop if things didn't sell? (I longed to hear the kh-ching noise from Etsy on my phone)

What was the point of making stuff apparently no one wanted to buy?

What was the point of living, actually?  Which is what landed me in treatment, and I narrowly escaped being admitted to inpatient because I was asking that question quite seriously.

So, with that decision in hand, to do as little as necessary with Etsy (I did renew items and rearrange items in the shop every week) I embarked on my self-exploration through art, sort of intending it to be therapy.  It didn't quite work that way as I didn't work out big questions through what I was doing - I was just playing around with paper and paint, thanks to a journal exchange I was doing with my friend Lisa Busch of collagestuff.com.  

I had, I thought, lost the desire to play.  I had lost my inability to just create for the fun of it, rather than always wanting to sell the work I made.  

And during these past few months, I also realized that making the cards and canvases that I try to sell in the shop is another way of playing.  I genuinely LOVE making these silly things, like this one I have in the shop (yes, a sales pitch) - you can find it by clicking on the title below the picture

Pole Dancing Lady

I actually prefer the silly things to the more serious things like this one (yes, another sales pitch) even though I do think they're beautiful - find it by, yes, clicking on the title below the image - and it's one of my absolute favorite pieces, a redo of one that sold

Seamstress

So, yes, starting this week I'll be listing magnets, and I'll start working on cards and other goodies to list.  I'm looking forward to playing with these things - and yes, having fun and finding joy - and PLAYING.  Stay tuned...

later,
lin