Boy tomorrow from Tuesday, turned into Friday fast. California time is way slower and laid back. We have apparently acclimated to it quickly or we have actually stayed rather busy the past couple of days. Two visits to Hicklebee’s thanks to twitter friends, meeting new friends at the pool, lunch with crafter friend Eling and husband Dane, and signing papers on a house!
First lets go back to June during which, I was pretty quiet online. The month was completely absorbed with packing (packing my studio took over a week!) and visiting with as many folks as possible. The last week in Boston I had three places to go everyday, this is not a complaint but, I spent every energy cell for traveling and socializing I had. I’m somewhere in between introverted and extroverted, I’m a loud mouth for sure! but, I need too-myself time. Generally I only plan three outings a week or just one place away from home a day, that could be as simple as grocery shopping. June was a special circumstance and I wouldn’t have done it any differently but, I am loving resting my brain with quiet sketching, endless podcasts and Friends, and teaching my son how to swim.
Of course when opportunities arise I take them. Visiting people is on the list of important to me. I don’t say no to friends visiting from out of town or new friends inviting me to fun local events. Getting out is a part of getting comfortable in a new place and not letting rest turn into zoned out from the world. Two of the friends met through twitter are helping make the transition into this area that I have been to twice very pleasant. Those being Tracy Bishop and Laura Zarrin. Thank you Tracy and Laura for inviting us into San Jose! This week they met up with me twice to go to Willow Glen, the home of Hicklebee’s. Willow Glen will be an easy drive from the home Matt and I are planning to rent. This morning we signed papers and as of August 5th we will begin the process of fully settling into San Jose.
In the mean time we are at an apartment complex living out of six suitcases. Originally we were supposed to be able to access our pod of stuff just a few days after we arrived in California but, that hasn’t happened yet. With only two weeks left until a full move in I’m enjoying figuring out how to get by with what we have. I feel very free having a limited supply of dishes, clothes, and towels to manage. Then per art supplies I have two sketchbooks, a pile of colored pencils and pens, and a travel watercoloring kit. I find with these limits I am actually sketching more because, I am not overwhelmed with all the options in my studio. There were a couple of needs, I left without a lap drawing surface and tracing paper. This gave me the opportunity to search out a local art store. I was looking for a small lap drawing board anyway and you can’t have enough tracing paper.
Outside of materials, I have found setting up wherever I can is the only new problem to getting creativity flowing. When you are sitting on a bed or couch instead of at a desk TV, books, and laying down to nap are harder to fight against. You are also missing that muscle memory that makes you comfortable and feeling like it’s time to draw. It hasn’t posed as an insurmountable problem. Getting started is still coming up against regular issues, online distractions, day to day responsibilities, and making sure to carve out time each day to draw.
Being in between places and moving to a new home is disruptive. You have to find a new day to day schedule. For me I think it could be a good opportunity. I don’t like sitting still so, I will fill my time with activities. This had happened while living in Boston as I rolled from a full time job into being a full time mom. Being that it’s what I’m used to I can see myself already beginning to look for this full schedule here. At this time in my life I would like to spend more time illustrating. To do this I am going to have to make it a priority and be sure it holds a big spot in my new schedule.
That doesn’t mean I’m not ever going to go out! This weekend I hope to make it up to San Francisco for Renegade. Another artist, who is selling there has shown me a warm welcome to the Bay Area, Emma SanCartier. And as a bonus two friends from Boston will be selling there too Mimi Kirchner and Eling whom I mentioned before. Lucien and I were lucky enough to get to have lunch with her and her hubby today.
I know I need to keep these outings in check but, I know that part of my creativity comes from the warmth and support of my friends. I am so grateful to have people reaching out and welcoming us. California is such a foreign land to me. Living on the East Coast is nothing like this. Yet I already am starting to feel at home. Thank you all for making this move easy.
ps after reading this blog post back to myself, I’m pretty convinced I am a full extrovert! I feel like being an introvert is a right of passage to being an artist. How did I become an illustrator? Who else proclaims they are extroverted?
Casey Girard Illustration 