Monday, January 6, 2014

Word of the Year

Everyone in the blogosphere has been sharing their word or phrase for the year.  Lots of Joy, Focus, Finish, Commitment, etc.

I thought for awhile.  I read something in a blog about a Nancy Crow workshop about how you have to give up some things if you want some other things... I.e. success as an artist.

So I decided my word is "Sacrifice."

I have been trying over the last few years to be a more positive person.  That doesn't always come naturally to me.  But I feel like this word sums up what my attitude has to be.  For too many years - like, oh, about fifty - I have convinced myself and others that I can "do it all."  Career, Rotary, Planning Commission, Art, Home, Garden... etc.

I have to face the fact that I can't.  The success that I crave as an artist is going to have to come at the expense of weeds in the perennial border, or tomatoes that rot on the vine.  The bedroom might not get painted, and the dog will have mats under his ears.  It's worth it.

I could use "trade-offs" as a slightly less negative word, but I think that "sacrifice" gets closer to the heart of it.  What sacrifices are you willing to make for your art?  

2 comments:

  1. Sharon- From my experience, it will seem like sacrifice at first, but once you make ART the priority the reverse will eventually be true. An older woman artist friend once told me--you don't want to die and have them say she kept a clean house. Good Luck. My word for the year is RELEASE as in let it go.

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  2. Thanks Maria! Yeah, for a long time, my mantra (to myself as well as my husband was, "No one ever died wishing they had spent more time at the office." Release is a good one too.

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