the idea:  paint my guitar case

I’ve been doing a lot lately.  Don’t Make Art, Just Make Something is underway, the Idea Can is going strong, I’ve been getting myself out into the world, and reading my way through a bookshelf full of books on creativity.  I love it, I love all of it.

The problem is, even my brain has had too much.

Over the weekend it stonewalled me.  I wanted to be working on one of my projects, but my brain came up blank the moment I sat down.  Saturday I kept myself out of the house all day and then succumbed to a marathon of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix.  (I used to make fun of people who watched that show, then college happened).

On Sunday I woke up with energy, but my brain was still not having the whole “let’s work on my thesis!” conversation.  I couldn’t even interest myself in working on my fiction story, oil painting, or playing guitar.  But I also could not stand any more hours laying in front of the TV.

So instead I painted in front of the TV.

I went to the living room, a change of scenery always does wonders, and brought out my acrylic paints for the first time in over a year.  Then I set to work painting my guitar case.

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while but projects with deadlines and long-term goals always got in the way.  What does painting my guitar case get me?  Absolutely nothing.  That is, except for an entire afternoon lost in blissful creation.

See, I’d forgotten how important it is to create for no reason.  To write knowing you’ll the only person who will ever read it or to paint knowing you’ll never sell it.  I’ve become so task-oriented, so driven by my passion, that I’ve forgotten to step back from the grand plans to simply enjoy.  To start a new project and finish it in one day.

I am now eyeing everything else in my life that could be painted while secretly enjoying the knowledge that this Thursday when I go to the open mic I’ll be carrying a piece of art on my back.

Not a bad Sunday.