Dude, it’s Friday, and that’s freaking awesome!

This week has had it’s ups and downs, but let me tell you, right now, I am so damn excited about life. I just have to tell you about this amazingly awesome thing right now because I’m about to burst from happiness.

My creativity is back!

Seriously! It’s back! It came back this morning while I was writing my morning pages.

I was writing about how I’d realized I didn’t  have to be anything more than I was, and that it was okay to be “just an artist” because that meant a lot more than I thought it did.

And then there it was – my creativity, popping her head up to  have a look around, and say hi. She wanted to paint, to make things, and since I suddenly seemed to be listening again, maybe we could go make stuff today?

Oh my god, I couldn’t believe it. I’d spent so much time lately trying to “figure out what I wanted” because I felt like what I wanted wasn’t enough – to make beautiful art. To create paintings that make people smile and cry and reflect and rejoice. I felt like I was supposed to be doing something more than that, that it was “just art” and wasn’t going to change anyone’s life or make any difference to the world at all.

It felt so selfish, so silly. It’s just my art, I thought. It’s not important.

I was so, so wrong. It is important. Art is my contribution to the world – art, my story and me.

I don’t need to do anything more than that. I don’t need to be anything more than that.

I can just be me.

So today, I’ll be painting again, creating again. And starting next week, I’m going to start writing about my art, and sharing more of my process. I always thought that you guys would be bored senseless if I talked about my art – I mean, come on, it’s just a painting. But I’m starting to get the feeling that maybe you’d like it if I told you guys what I’m thinking about when I paint a piece and what’s going through my head.

Good god, I’m so excited to start making stuff again. Sigh. I really, really missed this feeling.

The most awesomest video on the world!

James Bartley, from The Dancing Geek is possibly the most amazing person in the entire world. He made me this video for my birthday, which I actually watch at random intervals all the time because it makes me so damn happy!
March 20 2009

Kind of the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. James, you freaking rock my socks.

I start teaching classes this afternoon!

I’ve got a new student starting this afternoon, which I’m pretty stoked about. (I seem to be saying “stoked” all the time lately and I blame my best friend. Apologies.)

I actually really love teaching and sharing and interacting, and when I get a new student I actually get paid for it. It’s pretty awesome. I kind of have no idea where I’m going to start, but I’m super good at making things up as I go, and every student needs something different, so I shall improvise!

Alpaca Wool

Because Jesse’s mom is awesome, for my birthday, she indulged me and bought 8 skeins of alpaca wool in these absolutely gorgeous colours that I want to eat up. She informed me that, as I’ll be moving to a province with very long winters, I’m going to need a hobby, and it has been declared that knitting shall be my hobby.

So if anyone would like to teach me? That’d be swell. I think I’m going to be making an inordinate amount of socks, scarves and tea cosies. Oh my god, I love tea cosies. I’m so odd.

And most important of all…

Tonight is the opening night of my friend Mary’s play, Footloose. This is so amazing. I am so crazy proud of her right now, that I can’t even describe it. She’s been in an almost constant state of panic the whole week, because it’s tech week and of course, everything goes wrong on tech week. She’s about ready to shit a brick.

She’s also incredibly emotional. This is her dream coming true. It’s actually happening. She’s been on the verge of tears the past 24 hours.

I can’t put into words how amazing all of this is for her. It fills my heart with joy every time I think about. For nine long months, she’s dedicated her life to this play. The whole university is thrilled and so many people can’t wait to see it (including me!).

Thank you so much to everyone who donated their money and ideas to help raise the money for this play. You are all beautiful people and your names went in the program, along with miles of gratitude.  Together, we raised over $400 for her play, and helped a dream continue. Thank you.

And on that happy note, I hope you all have an absolutely amazing weekend!