Springtime, Where are you?

I am so sick of brown and bare trees. Unfortunately, I’m finding nothing inspiring about the drab greys, browns and cold winds outside. And the kicker is that without any leaves on the trees, the city noise is inescapable at my house.
Staying creative is tough when our environment doesn’t cooperate. It can drag at our moods, pulling us down into long days of low productivity. It’s a challenge to resist the pull, but it’s also a necessity. Not just because there are still shows to prepare for, or client deadlines to meet. I used to rely on those kinds of pressures to – well, bully myself into productivity. I think there’s a better way though. And frankly, there needs to be. Those hard-hearted tactics never work for long. Once the inevitable post-deadline crash comes, you’re sucked down into low productivity again – from sheer exhaustion.
So, I know what doesn’t work. What does work? For me, the answer is still a work in progress. Lately I’ve been scheduling sketches – no bigger than 5″ square – into my mornings. I’m doing them to give my creativity a chance to wake up for the day. Fortunately I love painting on small canvasses. It’s a skill I stumbled into early in my career. It’s a very peaceful, gentle way to start the day. And once I’m finished I’m better able to begin tackling a large commission, or sorting out some tricky perspective in a larger work that is ongoing. If you’d like to see and/or purchase some of my morning sketches, I’ve created a new page here on my website where you can do just that. Have a look at: cherylpeddie.ca/cheryls-art-shop/
I’d love to hear from other artists – what tricks do you use to keep you productive in studio?
Thanks for stopping by,
Cheryl