Here Comes The Rain Again

I don’t know if it’s the downturn in the weather or the fact that most of the muscle groups in my body are screaming (brutal Yoga Fit class), but it’s been a rough weekend.

Just two days ago I was commenting on how I’d managed to avoid feeling low this winter.  It’s as if by mentioning it I called it upon myself.

Today I decided to push through and work off my to-do list.  Though I got quite a bit done, it wasn’t smooth sailing.  My studio mojo was definitely disrupted and I wasn’t able to shake those all too familiar Thoughts Of Despair.

T.O.D. – as I affectionately refer to the ennui – is an ornery guest who, once he arrives on the doorstep of my psyche, inevitably outstays his welcome.

Several years ago I made a list of things I could do that might interrupt his process and get me back on track quickly and painlessly.

I wonder if my weekend would have been less grumpy if I’d abandoned my to-do list and chose one of the options below:

Strategies For Eliminating T.O.D.

  1. Go spend an afternoon at the Vancouver Art Gallery (make it social, call a friend)
  2. Go see what’s on at a couple of Artist Run Centres
  3. Peruse one of the many art books at your disposal
  4. Perform an UAA [oo-ahh] (Unscheduled Art Activity) in the studio
  5. Clean your studio
  6. Go to the library, ECU or Central – poke around – read current issues of art mag’s
  7. Read other artist’s bios
  8. Go to Pulp Fiction, Oscar’s or Chapter’s – find inspirational books for research
  9. Go to Value Village or Sally Ann – find inspirational objects
  10. Accomplish an admin task from admin to-do list
  11. Watch inspirational art movie – Rivers & Tides, How to Draw a Bunny, etc.
  12. Go for a walk
  13. Catch up on email correspondence
  14. Write something creative: journal entry, poem, short story
  15. See what free events are on at the VPL
  16. Browse through your sketchbook/work in your sketchbook

How to you react when T.O.D. visits you?  What’s on your strategy list?

Written by Jody MacDonald, January 06th, 2013 | 2 Comments »

Filed under: Daily Muse |

2 Responses to “Here Comes The Rain Again”

  1. jody says:
    January 7, 2013 at 5:16 pm

    Thanks for sharing your tactics, Nora. I agree with the cleaning “cure”. I find a good purge does wonders, too (though I’m running out of things to donate, throw away, give away 🙂 ).

    Spiritual reading should definitely be on the list. Glad you mentioned the title of the book you’re reading – I’m not familiar with it but I’m looking forward to checking it out.

  2. Nora says:
    January 7, 2013 at 7:08 am

    Ohhh the T.O.D.s. It’s difficult not to get sucked into them, especially this time of year :/

    More and more lately I’m finding that cleaning helps. It’s one of those ‘space reflects the mind’ things, I guess. Having tidy and organized surroundings definitely helps with the happy. Lighting yummy smelling candles can do this too.

    If my T.O.D.s are long running, I usually break out some spiritual reading. Right now I’m reading “Good Citizens” by Thich Nhat Hanh.

    I like your no.9 – I’m going to put that in my arsenal for the future.

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