Taking a Timeout

Taking a timeout

I am a fan of this amazing glass artist.  Her work is courageous, vibrant and bold.  I can find no fault in her design or technique and I love what she creates.  Several years ago, she had to step back and I was distressed by her choice.  It was the correct one for her, however; and she is getting back to it.

Being a professional artist is hard.  To do it well, you need to focus on it like a business but it is more involved than just having a store front.  True commitment to it, pulls you away from so many other facets of your life.  As a child of a professional, I can attest to the sacrifice that a family must make to support them.  Sometimes, it isn’t feasible for them or the artist and something must give.

She gave up her career.  She went back to school, learned a new trade and started a new life.  She never sold off her equipment though, she might have considered it but in the end; she kept everything (or at least most of it).  Here it is, four years later and she is coming back to her art.  Her life got organized and she has been able to commit to it again.

It isn’t always reasonable to be a full time professional.  Every once in a while, we need to take a break from it.  Don’t beat yourself up about it.  Occasionally, we need a timeout.  School teachers take a sabbatical, why not you?  Being creative and running a business can be exhaustive.  There are so many stresses put on you when you are doing it, you need to recharge.  Just because you stepped back, it doesn’t mean you can never return to it. Keep the door open for creativity and always give yourself room to breathe and grow.