I am a person who loves transition - I get restless when I see an unending horizon of same-ness. I need growth and evolution, new projects, turning over a new leaf. I also love a bit of cyclical predicability as a framework for transition, which makes September one of my favorite months. September is back to school; September is the first signs of Autumn; September is the time for me to return to painting after a summer of art shows and family days. In September, I excitedly return to my planner with ambitious color coded entries, re-set my Studio schedule, and begin new bodies of work.
This September is marking my return to my Home Studio after a year spent as Artist in Residence at Saint Kate Hotel in Milwaukee. To be honest, this time around I am entering the new season exhausted and a bit depleted. Instead of storing up inspiration and replenishing a reserve of energy and ideas during the summer, I wrung out the last of my social battery and kept my creative output high as the Residency drew to a close.
I am happily fulfilled from a year of incredible creativity, non-stop interaction and unprecedented productivity. I’m aware of the turn of the calendar and the change of the season, but know this is not going to be a September for energetic new starts. I feel the pull toward sleeping late, sipping coffee, moving slowly and socializing sparingly. I’m quietly and lovingly organizing my Studio, relishing being back in my own space. I’m thinking about new work, but have no desire to start it yet.
So, I’m a little off-kilter this year as far as the calendar is concerned. I’m glad, though, that I can cut myself some slack and recognize that I’m still benefiting from the transition. It’s ok if my planner is a little less ambitiously color coded, and my weeks are a bit under-scheduled this September. Naps and coffee are important, and I have no worry that the art won’t be there when I’m ready to get back to work.
I hope however you greet the new seasons of your years and your life, you can find the good in transition.
xo, mwj