2.18.2010

creative every day: home


This months home theme at creative every day has been in the back of my mind but, I haven't blogged about it so, here I go ... unloading my mind, the home of many maddening thoughts, desires and checklists.

When I think of the word home it brings up many warm and fuzzy feelings of family, love, comfort, encouragement, food, creativity and safety along with the not so warm and fuzzy realities of cleanliness, organization, parenting hurdles and work tasks and pressures.

Who knew thinking about my home would bring up deep feelings of self worth. I didn't realize it would but, for me it did. When I'm home I am a mother and a wife, I am also a full time work-from-home graphic designer, a part time freelance designer and a mixed media artist. I spend an immense amount of time at home and the line that separates my work from my home is greatly blurred. My work/home situation is absolutely wonderful in so many ways and I am very grateful for it. But ... there are entire days that I don't leave home. If I take a look around I see many unfinished projects and many more project ideas not yet started, both for my home and work. This can lead to frequent break-downs due to the overwhelming nature of it all (here's where the self worth comes in). I put lots of pressure on myself to do more, clean more, create more, but really I need to just be home more. I need to allow myself to relax and enjoy my home and my family without all the pressures creeping in.

I love my home and I love my work and I love that I work at home. I wouldn't change the way things are. It's all about balance. Some days balance comes naturally and other days not so much. I guess that is why my home sketch above is busy, rough around the edges, with a lot of heart, balancing on top of a hill. Honestly I didn't realize my feelings about home played into the sketch I made until I wrote this. Amazing how the subconscious works.

To see what others have been working on for the home theme, just click here.

4 comments:

Sandy Coleman said...

I love your home piece. It is so authentic. And your reflection is so lovely and honest. I can SO identify with it. I, too, struggle with looking around and seeing all the things I need to do in the house and simultaneously feeling the tug of art competing. I think you have it right when you say balance is the key. And it doesn't always come easy. I'm often an all or nothing person---all art and no housework, or, all housework and no artwork. But that imbalance does not please me, so I continue to seek the right mix.

Unknown said...

Thank you Sandy. It took awhile to write it all out, I have a hard time expressing myself when I write. Balance is so elusive isn't it? So obvious some times and so foreign others. I, like you, usually focus on one or the other and am also trying to find the right mix.

Unknown said...

Yes! Balance can be so hard.

Unknown said...

I know you know all about what I am saying Sara! Ahh balance so elusive! Just when I think I have it figured out something throws it off ;)