Nina Judson Art

I've been sketching every day for over 50 days now. Yay! Double and triple yay!!!  Photo taken by my husband of me sketching a few days ago. My long running M.O. was to show up for sketching when I felt like it or had to get a project done; extended creative draughts of not creating for days or weeks that were filled with self-doubt, imposter syndrome, self-deprecation, leaving a wake of unfinished art challenges, missed deadlines, excuses and resentments. And that wasn't fun. Sketching was exciting when I picked it up in 2019, but recently not so much. I blamed stress, fatigue, depression, over extending myself and a growing dispassion for deadlines. I wrapped up last year feeling incredibly drained and it lagged significantly into this year.  To return to joy in creating, I had a sense that I needed to just show up and sketch; that it had to be loose and practical, and that I had to enjoy it to make it a long term practice.  AKA: focus on the next right step rather than...

What do I want to say about art today? Um, let's see... As of today, I have been sketching everyday for 37 days.   That's huge for me. This sketchbook practice has been very much about showing up and letting go of quality and perfectionism. And enjoying what I sketch rather than trying to sketch for outside appreciation. And rebuilding trust in myself and trust in imperfection. I don't feel like I have many sketches in this stretch of time that I'd particularly like to share for their own sake. They aren't representative of what I'm capable of as an artist, they aren't in the running for any medals against my own best work ever. They are mostly early morning sketches, when I'm barely awake, sipping coffee and before I've yet achieved verbal functionality. Through most of Covid and up until this last summer, I had been a very moody sketcher, only creating when I felt motivated (and often not even then). I'd go for weeks without going anywhere near...