Post Cards To Myself

Things have been quiet in the studio the last couple of days. I find the natural ebb and flow of my creativity is that after I've done a big push to meet a deadline, I need time to recharge. When I first got into mixed media years ago, the down time would freak me out. I'd been worrying that I'd never have another creative idea pop into my head, which was just pain silly. As human beings, it's in our nature to be infinitely creative.

I think the important thing is have to have the awareness that we can't function at a high level of input all the time. If we are going to continue to draw from that part of ourselves, then we must also take time to fill the creative well back up again. Everyone does this in a different way. For me, it involves paging art books and magazines, reading blogs and tidying up my studio so it's ready for the next project. It also means doing things that have nothing to do with art-watching movies, communing with nature and spending time with my loved ones. Sometimes my brain needs a mini vacation from thinking about art.

I took this self portrait (pictured above) yesterday. I had the wild hair just to shoot in the hallway outside my studio. It was all very relaxed-I just set the timer, set the camera down and took my chances. When I saw this, I loved the softness of the light, the rug I was sitting on, the way my toes were propped up on the baseboard and the unusual angle.

I have started creating what I am calling the "Postcards to Myself" series. These images capture the micro moments of my day to day existance which I think of as brief moments of quiet and reflection in what is otherwise a very busy, get-stuff-done-and-cross-it-off-the-list life.

At some point, I plan to have the postcards printed. I like the idea of having a collection of these moments that can remind me what's important. Self portraits allow me to see myself from a different vantage point. It's interesting to be on the outside looking in.